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the number increased to 16,701, an updated data sheet acquired by Rappler showed. Between the two dates, 790 killings occurred. A homicide case or incident refers to an event where an assailant killed at least one person, based on the PNP's definition. The daily average number of deaths for the 30 days is lower than the average number recorded in the first year of the Duterte administration, when an average of 39 deaths occurred each day. During the final full year of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, there was an average of 31 killings a day. The updated data showed that of the 16,701 cases, 2,269 are drug-related killings. Excluded in the tally are the deaths of law enforcers during operations, which stood at 85 as of September 16. There were 3,851 non-drug related killings, while the motives for the 10,551 other cases are still being investigated. Misunderstanding top cause of non-drug related killings About 82% of the non-drug related killings or 3,178 cases were due to "heated arguments or misunderstanding" (1,801 cases), and "personal grudge" (1,377). Among the other motives for the cases of non-drug related killings are the following: personal gain (131), atrocities by threat groups (89), land dispute (73), revenge (64), jealousy (52), love triangle (47), and self-defense (40). The data also showed 3 cases of "activist/media killings." After the PNP was plucked out of the administration's war on drugs, the police have vowed to focus on reducing all other crimes, especially killings. During Duterte's first year in office, all crimes dropped except for homicide and murder incidents. – Rappler.comThe Central Bank misled the public about the frail state of Ireland’s financial system in the run-up to the crash, a former official in the bank has told the Oireachtas banking inquiry. Frank Browne, who had responsibility for financial stability at the Central Bank from 2003 to 2010, has also told the inquiry that warnings issued by his team as far back as 2004 were ignored by the bank’s senior management. The thrust of his 90-page statement, published on Monday by the Oireachtas, was rejected outright by former bank governor John Hurley and other senior Central Bank figures from that time. Warnings on the property bubble were not taken lightly, Mr Hurley insisted. In a highly critical assessment, however, Mr Browne said the failure to recognise the misalignment in property prices in 2007 meant the the final opportunity to call a hard landing was wasted. Such a move would have focused the attention of authorities on crisis management and resolution, he said. Empirical evidence He accused them of suppressing key information, said warnings were censored and pointed to a “biro strike” through warnings in a 2007 draft report that property was overvalued by 39 per cent. “My evidence... is that economic research and analysis conducted within the monetary policy and financial stability department headed by me, pointed to a risk of a substantial property bubble in 2004, and a growing liquidity risk within the banks,” Mr Browne wrote. “The risks and vulnerabilities from emerging imbalances in the financial system were identified clearly by those conducting research and analysis and were presented to senior management at the financial stability committee. However, they were toned down or even ignored completely by the senior management of the [Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland].” Research was used selectively to convey externally a misleading impression of the true state of health of the financial system and crucial information did not emerge into the public domain. ‘Favourable impression’ “It appears to have culminated in 2007 in the suppression of important information on the underlying health of the overall financial system.” Mr Hurley’s response to Mr Browne’s statement, also published on Monday, said dissenting views were not made known to him if they were made, despite being encouraged. Liam Barron, former director general of the bank, also dismissed the assertions. “I categorically refute Frank Browne’s central narrative which alleges senior management of the Central Bank were warned about the problems, including the property bubble, in the pre-crisis period and ignored these warnings,” he said. He said Mr Browne had rejected assertions by Prof Morgan Kelly in 2006 that house prices would fall by up to 50 per cent over nine years. Rather, he embraced the views of the International Monetary Fund that the experience of past housing market crashes would not be repeated.The most parsimonious explanation is that non-reproductive sexual behavior is a spandrel. That is, natural selection created a motivation to seek genital stimulation because this motivation makes animals more likely to reproduce, and it is merely an accident of evolution that this motivation also gets animals to do useless things like masturbate. Lloyd (2006), for example, argues that orgasm in women is a spandrel of orgasm in men, the idea being that female orgasm is of little consequence for fitness but male orgasm is strongly selected for. By contrast, Lloyd doesn't doubt that the clitoris has an adaptive function of encouraging coitus (Smith, 2005), although I would think this a more likely candidate for spandrelism. Consider that the clitoris is a homologue of the penis with no direct reproductive function, just like men's breasts are (usually) nonfunctional equivalents of women's breasts. Consider also that contrary to both (a) the natural a priori expectation that women would only orgasm from something like coitus and (b) the idea that there is no vaginal orgasm, just vaginal stimulation that also happens to stimulate part of the clitoris (Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953, p. 582; Koedt, 1970), women are capable of distinct clitoral and vaginal orgasms: clitoral stimulation alone can produce orgasm in most women, and Komisaruk, Gerdes, and Whipple (1997) showed that orgasm can be induced from vaginal stimulation in women with complete spinal cord injury, whose clitorises must therefore be numb. Vaginal orgasm has obvious utility for fitness; with that taken for granted, the clitoris and its orgasm are the seeming oddballs. Things only get odder, though, given (what I believe to be) the common belief by sex therapists that clitoral orgasm is easier to achieve than vaginal orgasm. This idea has some support in the observation of Kinsey et al. (1953) that women orgasm from 95% of masturbation events (p. 132) but only 70–77% of coitus events (p. 393). If masturbation is more reliably reinforced than reproductive sex, a spandrel argument becomes more difficult to believe. One of the weirdest examples of non-reproductive sex is mounting among desert-grasslands whiptail lizards, Aspidoscelis uniparens. A. uniparens is all-female and reproduces exclusively by parthenogenesis, that is, development from unfertilized egg cells. However, during part of the ovarian cycle (after ovulation), individuals will mount other individuals, like the males of the sexually reproducing ancestor species Aspidoscelis inornata, and during follicular development, A. uniparens individuals are receptive to mounting, just like A. inornata females (Woolley, Sakata, & Crews, 2004). This "pseudosexual" behavior is consequential insofar as mounting seems to increase the number of eggs laid by the receptive animal (Crews, Grassman, & Lindzey, 1986). Crews et al. reason that this dependency is a consequence of A. uniparens's unusual history, which includes hybridization. I imagine that it will disappear from the species eventually, so long as A. uniparens never regains males. There are some species in which certain sexual behaviors have been observed at least once but only rarely. For example, Starin (2004) observed just five instances of masturbation by males in a five-and-a-half–year field study of western red colobus, a type of monkey. Behavior so rare and with no obvious consequences presumably has no function, and is under little selective pressure to disappear.Celebrate the birth of the cheeseburger in the home of the cheeseburger-Pasadena. During Cheeseburger Week from January 6th to January 11th, Pasadena honors Lionel Sternberger's genius in being the first to put cheese to hamburger and serve it at the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1924. Forty of Pasadena's favorite restaurants, lounges and burger joints offered their signature burgers, some special creations and a deals during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week. Some, such as El Portal, Dog Haus and Dog Haus Biergarten offer specially created burgers for Cheeseburger Week. New this year, are 1919 Cafe at the Huntington Library, Art Galleries and Botanical Garden, New School of Cooking, Fox's Restaurant, Cindy's Restaurant, Millie's Cafe, The Pan and Trejo's Tacos. Take the Cheeseburger Challenge here (live January 6th): Pie 'n Burger, Dog Haus and Dog Haus Biergarten, The Counter and Lucky Baldwin's (and others) offer special deals for Cheeseburger Week. Check out all the participants and see what everyone has on the menu for Cheeseburger Week by clicking here. Again in 2019, you can vote for your favorites in the Cheeseburger Challenge. Who makes your favorite lunch counter burger? Who serves your favorite turkey burger? Who makes your favorite veggie burger? Who serves the best beverage with a burger? You decide during Cheeseburger Week, January 6th through January 11th. Scroll down to take the Cheeseburger Challenge. For 2019, we have added several restaurants. Some participants will include special menu items or deals for patrons during Cheeseburger Week. Now, the official song of Cheeseburger Week: Of course it is! Cheeseburger Slideshow The Cheeseburger Salad at Slater's 50/50 Dry-Aged Burger at Kings Row Gastropub Slater's 50/50 serves the Old Timey Burger The Lamb Burger at Haven Gastropub + Brewery Cheeseburgers from Pasadena's classic Pie 'n Burger Delicious Dog Haus Freiburger for Cheeseburger Week. Promoting Cheeseburger Week 2014, Haven Gastropub + Brewery, New York Deli, Trattoria Neapolis and Dog Haus appeared on the KTLA Morning News. The Counter's famous burger hypnotizes a customer. Scroll down to take the Cheeseburger Challenge. Let’s all salute Lionel Sternberger for his mastery, insight, pioneering innovation and daring in placing a piece of cheese atop a hamburger for the first time in recorded culinary history at his father's roadside stand, the Rite Spot at 1500 West Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena. Stop by to see the plaque honoring Lionel's culinary achievement. The invention of the cheeseburger at the Rite Spot has been documented by the Los Angeles Times, Time magazine, cheese-burger.net, Hamburger Heaven:the Illustrated History of the Hamburger and The San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Even CNN is on the story: Click here to see Casey Wian’s CNN story on Cheeseburger Week 2012. The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce hosts the fifth Cheeseburger Week and Cheeseburger Challenge January 6th to 11th. Once again, you’ll be able to vote for your favorites in a number of categories, from traditional lunch counter burgers to white table cloth an alternative cheeseburgers. We’ll also have an alternative cheeseburger category or two, as well. Plan to come to Pasadena for a Cheeseburger Crawl, take the Cheeseburger Challenge and celebrate Lionel Sternberger’s culinary legacy in the city where the cheeseburger was first served. Scroll down to take the Cheeseburger Challenge. For participant address, menu and special offer information click on Restaurant Participants above. Voting in the 2019 Cheeseburger Challenge opens January 6, 2019, and ends January 13, 2019. Here are the participants for 2019 (will be updated as information is available): Check out some more of our media coverage: Pasadena Sinks Its Teeth into Cheeseburger Week NBC Southern California Cheeseburger Week is a Pasadena Restaurant Week and California Restaurant Month event presented by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce. Cheeseburger Week is generously sponsored by the City of Pasadena.“THE Magic of the Cup” — we’ve heard it a million times, and so far as the FFA Cup is concerned, the new competition has mainly delivered. Acting as a link between the top tier and the lower echelons of the game, the Cup has brought people together, and given historic clubs in particular, a reason to feel good about themselves — after many felt they were cast aside during football’s re-organisation in 2005. Cup Final day should be the pinnacle of that celebration — and while there is no doubt Saturday’s game will be played in front of a big crowd, home advantage will give Melbourne Victory a significant edge. We all know the commercial imperatives that drive the game at the moment — but it’s hard not to feel sorry for Perth Glory, about to appear in their second successive final, yet being forced to travel for the second year in a row. Is there a solution? Perhaps. In this week’ podcast Simon Hill Ned Zelic and David Weiner run the rule over all the big issues in the A-League, joined on the phone by Newcastle Jets boss Scott Miller and Fox Sports’ European correspondent Daniel Garb. The most obvious remedy is to play the final over two legs — that way, each of the teams gets to host a showpiece game, commercial revenues aren’t compromised and sporting fairness is upheld. It’s only one extra game to fit into the calendar, and could actually provide added excitement if scores are close after the first leg. But if that option isn’t viable, then maybe football needs to think radically, and attempt to create some of its own, unique traditions. In the UK, Rugby League (a sport that exists on the margins), has to think innovatively to try and sell its product to a football-obsessed public. One of the ways it does this, is via the “Magic Weekend” concept. Every year, the game moves from its northern English heartlands to a non-traditional venue for one weekend, to try and spread its gospel. Most years, the venue is rotated. Last season, all six weekend fixtures were played at St. James’ Park, home of Newcastle United. The combined attendance figure in 2015 (for those six games, spread over two days) was 67,841. Adelaide United fans celebrate winning the 2014 FFA Cup. Photo Sarah Reed. Source: News Corp Australia That’s an average of 11,306 per game — in a city where the sport isn’t represented at Super League level. The average attendance for the Super League in total last year was just 9,997. Of course, not all those fans are new converts, many being pilgrims who opt to “make a weekend of it” in a different city. But a proportion at least will be first-timers, curious to see what is on offer. Could football do the same here, using the Cup Final as one of its selling points? For example, set aside the weekend in November when the Cup Final is due to be played, and schedule it, plus the other three A-League fixtures (or four, if, as is the case this Saturday, the two Cup Finalists were due to be playing each other in a league fixture anyway), in a city without it’s own A-League team. The venue could be alternated each year, or become a permanent home of this stand-alone weekend — if it proves to be successful. My choice would be Canberra — a city that has proved in the past it is willing to support big football events, such as the Asian Cup and the Socceroos. Plus, it’s the capital, and within a six-hour drive of six of the ten A-League outfits. Tough luck on Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Wellington, it’s true — but at least it would be a neutral venue for any Cup Finalist, unlike this weekend. Play the three (or four) A-League fixtures back to back on the Saturday, and leave the Sunday free for the Cup Final, along with the weekend’s W-League fixture as a precursor — or vice-versa. Everyone buying a ticket gets entry into all the games. Hopefully the locals turn up to get a rare glimpse of top tier football, and the A-League fans could make an annual pilgrimage to celebrate the game, and the “magic of the Cup.” If the schedules allow it (and the crossover in seasons may make this difficult, admittedly), the National Premier League Finals series decider could also be played prior to the Sunday final, to involve the second tier of the game as well. Potentially then, seven games of football over one weekend. Add in football-themed activities in and around the city, such as coaching clinics, a temporary museum full of the games artefacts from the past, football film festivals, and you have a real celebration of the game. There are, of course, downsides. FFA may be concerned about the prospect of football fans from rival clubs congregating in one city for an entire weekend, opening up the potential for off-field problems. There may also be financial issues for clubs who lose the revenue of a home game at their normal venue. But football needs to start thinking outside the box to create “must-see” events. The derbies have provided a fantastic start, but until the competition expands, we need more big ticket items, and a push to get new fans involved with the A-League. The FFA Cup has been a brilliant addition to the calendar. It’s something unique in Australian sport. Could we use it to help push along the bread and butter of the A-League? It’s surely worth having the discussion, at the very least.Once you understand how easy and common it is for thieves to attach “skimming” devices to ATMs and other machines that accept debit and credit cards, it’s difficult not to closely inspect and even tug on the machines before using them. Several readers who are in the habit of doing just that recently shared images of skimmers they discovered after gently pulling on various parts of a cash machine they were about to use. Viewed from less than two feet away, this ATM looks reasonably safe to use, right? But something fishy comes into view when we change our perspective slightly. Can you spot what doesn’t belong here? Congratulations if you noticed the tiny pinhole in the upper right corner of the phony black bezel that was affixed over top of the cash dispenser slot. That fake bezel overlay contained a tiny pinhole camera angled toward the PIN pad to record time-stamped videos of people entering their PINs: How about the card acceptance slot? Looks legit (if a tad shinier than the rest of the ATM), right? What happens if we apply a tiny bit of pressure to the anti-skimming green bezel where customers are expected to insert their ATM cards? Look at that! The cheap plastic bezel that skimmer thieves placed on top of the real card acceptance slot starts to pull away. Also, you can see some homemade electronics that are not very well hidden at the mouth of the bezel. ATM card skimmers contain tiny bits of electronics that record payment card data from the magnetic stripe on the backs of cards inserted into a hacked ATM. Most commonly (as in this case), a card skimmer is paired with a pinhole spy camera hidden above or beside the PIN pad to record time-stamped video of cardholders entering their PINs. Taken together, the stolen data allows thieves to fabricate new cards and use PINs to withdraw cash from victim accounts. Card skimmers designed to look like the green anti-skimming devices found on many ATMs are some of the most common cash machine skimming devices in use today, probably because they are relatively cheap to manufacture en masse and there are many fraudsters peddling these in the cybercrime underground. Typically, the fake anti-skimmer bezels like the one pictured above are made of hard plastic. However, the reader who shared these images said this bezel card skimming device was made of a semi-flexible, vinyl-like plastic material. “I immediately went in and notified the manager who shut down the machine,” the reader said in an email to KrebsOnSecurity. “All the tellers were busy so he asked me to stand by the ATM and stop people from trying to use it while he called his security team. In the three minutes I was standing there a young woman came up and started to dip her card in the slot even thought the screen was black. I stopped her and told her and pointed out what was going. She was thankful.” Normally, these bezel skimmers look more like the hard plastic one that came off of this ATM at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Texas in February, after a customer yanked on the ATM’s card acceptance slot: Many people believe that skimmers are mainly a problem in the United States, where most ATMs still do not require more secure chip-based cards that are far more expensive and difficult for thieves to clone. However, it’s precisely because most U.S. ATMs lack this security requirement that skimming remains so prevalent in Europe. Mainly for reasons of backward compatibility to accommodate American tourists, many European ATMs allow non-chip-based cards to be inserted into the cash machine. What’s more, many chip-based cards issued by American and European banks alike still have cardholder data encoded on a magnetic stripe in addition to the chip. When thieves skim ATMs in Europe, they generally sell the stolen card and PIN data to fraudsters on the other side of the pond. Those fraudsters in turn will encode the card data onto counterfeit cards and withdraw cash at ATMs here in the United States. Interestingly, even after most U.S. banks put in place chip-capable ATMs, the magnetic stripe will still be needed because it’s an integral part of the way ATMs work: Most ATMs in use today require a magnetic stripe for the card to be accepted into the machine. The main reason for this is to ensure that customers are putting the card into the slot correctly, as embossed letters and numbers running across odd spots in the card reader can take their toll on the machines over time. Below is part of a skimming device that a reader recently pulled off of a compromised ATM in Dusseldorf, Germany. This component actually cracked off of the hard plastic fake anti-skimming bezel that was placed by a fraudster over top of the card acceptance device of an NCR cash machine there. Here’s the plastic overlay that the piece pictured in the reader’s hand above broke away from: It’s fine to tug on parts of an ATM before using it (heck, I’ve been known to do this even for machines I have no intention of using), but just know that doing so doesn’t guarantee that you will detect a cleverly hidden skimmer. As I’ve noted in countless skimmer stories here, the simplest way to protect yourself from ATM skimming is to cover your hand when entering your PIN. That’s because most skimmers rely on hidden cameras to steal the victim’s PIN. As easy as this is, you’d be amazed at how many people fail to take this basic precaution. Yes, there is still a chance that thieves could use a PIN-pad overlay device to capture your PIN, but in my experience these are far less common than hidden cameras (and quite a bit more costly for thieves who aren’t making their own skimmers). Also, if you visit an ATM that looks strange, tampered with, or out of place, try to find another cash machine. Use only machines in public, well-lit areas, and avoid ATMs in secluded spots. Finally, don’t neglect your own physical security while at the cash machine: As common as these skimmers are, you’re probably more likely to get mugged withdrawing cash from an ATM than you are to find a skimmer attached to it. Did you enjoy this post? Are you fascinated by skimming devices? Check out my series, All About Skimmers. Tags: 7-Eleven skimmer, atm skimmer, bezel skimmerImage copyright other Image caption New Citizens' Movement calls for more openness from the government Three Chinese anti-corruption activists have been given lengthy jail terms for urging officials to disclose wealth. Wei Zhongping and Liu Ping, associated with the New Citizens' Movement, were given six-and-a-half years in jail. A third activist, Li Sihua, received a shorter sentence. Rights group Amnesty International said the charges were "preposterous". China's leaders are running a crackdown on corruption, but refuse to tolerate grassroots groups with similar aims. The three activists were detained after taking photographs with banners urging officials to disclose their assets. They were put on trial in a high-security court in Xinyu, Jiangxi province, late last year. At the time, defence lawyers complained of serious procedural problems and said they were not confident of the outcome. New Citizens' Movement Loose network of activists Campaigns for more civil and political rights in China, and educational rights for children Has urged officials to declare their assets to help combat corruption Members have organised meal-time gatherings to discuss social and legal issues The three were convicted of the broad charge of "creating a disturbance". Liu and Wei were convicted of other charges, which Amnesty said included "gathering a crowd to disrupt order in a public place" and "using an evil cult to undermine law enforcement". "The charges against these activists were preposterous from the very beginning," said Amnesty's William Nee. The UK-based rights group described them as "prisoners of conscience" and called for their immediate release. Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched an anti-corruption drive when he took over in 2012. But he has also overseen the broadest crackdown on grassroots activism that China has seen in recent years. Several activists in the New Citizens' Movement, which calls for more democracy and government transparency, have been detained. In July last year, prominent lawyer Xu Zhiyong, one of the founders of the movement, was detained on suspicion of having "gathered crowds to disrupt public order". He was eventually jailed for four years in January.After getting a first look back in July, here we showcase the latest trailer for the upcoming Blair Witch film. The psychological thriller centers around a group of college kids who travel into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James’ sister, who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. When meeting a couple of locals, the collective is then hopeful of finding some type of information regarding the aforementioned vanishing. But as the day turns to night, the group is visited by an unnerving presence. Ultimately, they end up finding out that the Blair Witch legend is all too real. Look for the new Blair Witch movie to land in theaters on September 16. Subscribe Words by Jonathan Sawyer Staff Writer Not NYC, not LA.SAN FRANCISCO -- A California woman accused of killing the father of her two children is expected to be released from jail Thursday after posting an unprecedented $35 million bail raised by wealthy friends, family and business associates with ties to China. Tiffany Li, 31, is backed by a consortium of people tied to her mother who have raised $4 million cash and pledged $61 million in San Francisco Bay Area property. California courts require twice the bail amount if property is used instead of cash. Li’s attorney, Geoff Carr, says Li and her mother were born in China, where the mother was financially successful in the construction industry. Carr says Li and her mother are naturalized U.S. citizens. Carr said all defendants except those accused of death penalty-eligible crimes are entitled to “reasonable bail.” The $35 million bail is the highest ever in San Mateo County’s history, a county official said. It’s said to be one of the largest in U.S. history, according to CBS San Francisco. San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he’s concerned Li is a flight risk and is disappointed the judge didn’t set the bail even higher. His office asked for a $100 million bail. “If convicted she faces the rest of her life in prison,” Wagstaffe said. “That’s plenty enough incentive to flee back to her native China.” Carr said he expects Tiffany Li to be freed Thursday pending her murder trial in September. Li will be required to turn over her passports, wear an electronic monitor and remain under house arrest. Li has pleaded not guilty to charges she directed her boyfriend and another man to kill Keith Green, 27, and dispose of his body last year. Prosecutors say she feared losing custody of her young children to Green. Green’s body was found May 11 in Sonoma County, about 80 miles north of where he was supposed to meet Li. Li was arrested several days later in the multimillion-dollar home she shared with her children in Hillsborough, a suburb of mansions and large houses 20 miles south of San Francisco. The two men were also arrested in May and remained jailed without bail. Carr says their lawyers didn’t ask for bail because they don’t have the resources to post a multi-million dollar bail bond like Li did. Carr says the people who posted Li’s bail believe she is innocent and will not flee. If she does go on the lam, the court can confiscate the property and cash. He told CBS San Francisco, “She has no prior criminal history, she’s a graduate of USF, she has a master’s degree in finance, has never been in trouble about anything.” Carr said she and Green had reached a custody settlement in court days before his death. “The idea that our lady has money and might be able to flee – she’s no more likely to flee because she has money than anybody charged with a serious crime and the Constitution assumes that which is why the bail is $35 million,” Carr remarked to the station.Every spring, in alpine regions around the world, one of Earth’s tiniest migrations takes place. The migrants are single-celled green algae; they are kin to seaweed, but instead of living in the sea they live in snow. (Snow weed, maybe?) They spend the winter deep in the snowpack, atop last summer’s snow, as dormant cysts. In the spring, they wake and swim up through the trickle of snowmelt to the surface, dividing and photosynthesizing as they go. Then, at the top, they turn red. This creates what scientists call pink snow or watermelon snow—drifts and glaciers that look like Slush Puppies and eventually reduce to rivulets of crimson. The color comes from astaxanthin, a molecular cousin of the chemical that makes carrots orange. The algae produce it seemingly as a sunscreen; it absorbs UV light, warming the organisms, and, critically, melting the surrounding snow. “The melting helps them a lot,” Roman Dial, a biologist at Alaska Pacific University, told me recently. “The surface of a snowfield can be a very dry place; the liquid water drains away. And life just can’t use frozen water. It’s like if you were out camping and your water bottle was frozen, you’d be thirsty until it melted.” Watermelon snow is a perfectly natural phenomenon, but in an age of disappearing glaciers it is also problematic. Last year, scientists discovered that the algae had reduced the amount of sunlight reflected by some glaciers in Scandinavia—and increased the amount of sunlight absorbed—by thirteen per cent. The result, as Dial and his colleagues demonstrated in this month’s issue of Nature Geoscience, is faster melting. As in other parts of the warming planet—particularly the Arctic, where scientists fear that thawing permafrost may be triggering a climatic feedback loop—the effect is likely self-perpetuating. Ice sheets are already being darkened by dust, soot, and ash, which hasten melting and add nutrients on which algae can flourish. As the organisms proliferate, they melt even more snow, which allows them to proliferate again. “It spreads more rapidly than people realize, once it gets established,” Dial said. Chlamydomonas algae turns from green to red when placed on snow. Photograph by Wilbur E. Garrett / National Geographic via Getty Watermelon snow was known to Aristotle, two thousand years ago, and its biological origins became apparent in the early nineteenth century. Snow algae have since drawn the attention of climate scientists and of biologists keen to understand the conditions under which life might develop on other planets. Three genera have so far been identified—Coenochloris, Chloromonas, and Chlamydomonas—encompassing perhaps dozens of species; there are orange snow algae and yellow snow algae, and many have a laxative effect if you eat them. In frozen ecosystems, they are primary producers—the grass of the snow, grazed upon by the glacial equivalent of cattle. In Iceland, the cattle are tardigrades, plump microscopic animals that are sometimes called water bears but resemble origami caterpillars. In Chile, the top consumers on the ice fields are stoneflies; in the Himalayas, they’re wingless midges. And in the Pacific Northwest, from the Oregon mountains up to Alaska, they’re ice worms. Some facts about ice worms: they can grow as long as an inch and are black. This protects them from the sun, although they rarely encounter it; in the morning, they migrate down into the glacier, returning to the surface at the end of the day. (The name of one species, Mesenchytraeus solifugus, translates from the Latin as “flees from light.”) Ice worms don’t migrate horizontally, however, so every glacier is an island, its population genetically distinct. To capture food, the animals can anchor themselves in the ice and dangle their mouths into streams of snowmelt; they eat pollen, the spores of ferns, and snow algae. They die at temperatures much below fifteen degrees Fahrenheit or warmer than fifty degrees. The Web site for the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project notes that “it is hard to walk in the evening onto the snowpack... without squashing an ice worm.” Dial learned about ice worms thirty years ago, while participating in a hundred-and-fifty-mile wilderness race across Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. A shortcut took him across the Harding Ice Field. “It got dark and I was looking down at the snow and thought, Wow, there’s a lot of plant material,” he recalled. “There were these squiggly threads. I thought it was lichen, but, when I looked closer, there were hundreds, thousands, of worms on the surface.” For the Nature Geoscience study, Dial and his colleagues set up a large experimental plot on the same ice field, dividing it into thirty-metre squares. They showered some squares with plain water, which increased the algae’s growth by half, and others with nutrient-rich water, which increased growth fourfold. Then they assessed the density of the snow in each square, measured how much the surface had lowered, and calculated the amount of snow the algae were melting. “Lo and behold, the more algae there were, the more melt there was,” Dial said. His team designed an algorithm for calculating melt, then used satellite imagery to generalize it across the entire field. “Seventeen per cent of all the water that was melting was from snow that had algae on it,” Dial said. “That’s a pretty big chunk.” It’s probably too early to get alarmed about snow algae. And, anyway, they aren’t causing climate change; that’s on us. But they clearly thrive on it, and they are yet another indicator that humankind has barely begun to understand the resonances of its own existence, much less the steps it must take to insure its survival. And, of course, snow algae need snow; when that’s gone, which seems to be the direction of things, the snow algae will go, too, along with the ice worms and the wingless glacier midges. (Tardigrades could stick around longer; a recent study suggested that, if the world ends in a nuclear holocaust, they might be the only organisms that weather it.) Before the snow algae vanish, though, and while there’s still some glacier left, it’s entirely possible that the last snow we’ll see on Earth will be pink or even red—a blush, a bruise, a rush of blood.This is, in no particular order, what I'd tell myself about startups if I could go back in time to when I first got involved. Which is probably the same as what I've learned. This is most definitely not advice, the "you" here is directed at me. So is "I". Grammar is hard. You're definitely going to end up building too much and shipping too late. Be obsessive about avoiding this Someone's always already working on the same idea and that's not a bad thing Always refuse if someone asks you to sign an NDA before hearing their idea Like it or not, most networking in London is focused around drinking. Find a way to deal with that without having a constant hangover The people who are really getting somewhere aren't the people who are always out for drinks Linear growth can be worse than no growth Most people who talk about failing fast, aren't actually practicing this It's really easy to kid yourself that you're "doing customer development" when actually you're finding ways to make what your customers are saying fit with what you want to build Everyone has a hidden stash of domains they've never used It's really easy to become hyper-critical and respond to every idea with "yeah but that won't work because of x". This is lazy, don't do it. Be especially careful to avoid the above when talking to people who are new to the scene. Call out other people who do it It's really hard to listen to someone pitching an idea you've seen fail several times already and focus on working out if there's something slightly different and interesting there Someone being a technically competent developer does not mean they know how to ship things. I'd always rather work with someone who ships over someone who's technically brilliant The programming language/ framework wars are great fun in the pub, but of limited value in real life A good developer can pick up any language or platform in a few weeks I still don't know any real investors Constantly exaggerating how well you're doing can be very tiring. It makes it harder to publicly celebrate the real victories It's really hard to build a product if you don't have a big personal investment in the problem it solves Falling in love with a product (rather than the problem) is really dangerous You can get away without knowing how a hash table works, but it's really satisfying when you eventually learn it Same goes for Big O notation Overnight success isn't a thing. The Social Network is still a great movie I still don't understand PR Most technical solutions are trivial compared to how you get the product into peoples hands Make something people want is probably a less useful heuristic than make something you want But you wanting
first charting single of record since 1964. At Folsom Prison was the start of a big resurgence for The Man in Black. Johnny Cash – “At San Quentin” 1969 The quintessential prison album, and the most commercially successful prison album of all time, At San Quentin not only became #1 in country, but #1 in pop as well. And let’s all appreciate that Johnny Cash pulled off this feat during the height of the counterculture revolution in America when country music was seen as old and crusty by many. It also launched a #1 single “A Boy Named Sue” (written by Shel Silverstein), which also hit #2 on the pop charts. The album (along with At Folsom Prison) is given credit for revitalizing Johnny Cash’s sagging career. At San Quentin was recorded on February 24, 1969, and released on June 4. The album was certified gold two months later, was certified double platinum in 1986, and triple platinum in 2003. The concert was also the scene of Cash’s now famous bird flipping photo. Mack Vickery – “Live! at the Alabama Women’s Prison” 1970 Mack Vickery was a songwriter who was once signed to Sun Records, and wrote songs recorded by Johnny Cash, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck, John Anderson, and many more. He also regularly wrote and performed under other names, including Vick Vickers and Atlanta James. Inspired by Johnny Cash’s success with prison albums, Vickery recorded Live! at the Alabama Women’s Prison—more specifically the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women in Wetumpka, Alabama. Like Cash, Vickery chose songs that fit the setting, and the cheers of the inmates are a signature part of the recording. Glen Sherley – “Glen Sherley” (& “Glen Sherley Live at Vacaville, California”) 1971 “The night before I was going to record at Folsom prison, I got to the motel and a preacher friend of mine brought me a tape of a song called ‘Greystone Chapel,'” Johnny Cash explained to Life Magazine in 1994. “He said a convict had written it about the chapel at Folsom. I listened to it one time and I said, ‘I’ve got to do this in the show tomorrow.’ So I stayed up and learned it, and the next day the preacher had him in the front row.” That’s not only the story behind Cash’s ‘Greystone Chapel,’ but how convict Glen Sherley became a country music songwriting star while still behind bars. Serving time in Folsom for armed robbery, he became friends with Cash, who was there to greet Sherley when he was released. Sherley also met Spade Cooley while in prison, who was serving a life sentence for murder, and Eddy Arnold recorded Sherley’s song “Portrait of My Woman.” Through this success, Glen Sherley was able to record a live prison album in 1971 for Mega Records, and it’s now considered a country music classic. Bear Family Records re-released the album years later as Glen Sherley Live at Vacaville, California. Sherley also performed with Cash, Linda Ronstadt and Roy Clark on the documentary Flower Out of Place that was also featured in the album A Concert Behind Prison Walls from 2003, but Sherley’s contributions were edited out of later versions. Johnny Cash – PÃ¥ Ã–sterÃ¥ker 1973 Not nearly as well known as Johnny Cash’s other prison albums, PÃ¥ Ã–sterÃ¥ker was recorded at Ã–sterÃ¥ker Prison in Sweden on October 3, 1972. It was not nearly the critical or commercial success of his previous two prison albums, and has been criticized for including a fairly weak song selection. One bright spot of the album is the inclusion of two versions of the well-known Kris Kristofferson songs “Me & Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night.” PÃ¥ Ã–sterÃ¥ker might be a better conversation piece or collectors item, but still has its moments. Freddy Fender – “Recorded Inside Louisiana State Prison” 1962 / 1975 In May of 1960, Freddy Fender was arrested for marijuana possession in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and spent three years incarcerated at the Angola Prison Farm. At some point in 1962, this album was recorded, though unlike other prison albums, there’s no live audience. The production value is low, and the record wasn’t released until 13 years after it was recorded when Freddy’s song “Before The Next Teardrop Falls” became a big hit. Fender was eventually pardoned by Louisiana Governor and former country music performer and songwriter Jimmie Davis. Recorded Inside Louisiana State Prison got lost between Fender’s major releases of the time, but remains an interesting time capsule into the early music of Fender’s career. Sonny James – “In Prison, In Person” 1977 One of the most rare prison albums to find, In Prison, In Person is also one of the most unique. Instead of Sonny James bringing his own band to perform at the Tennessee State Prison outside of Nashville, he used prison-supplied inmates, and not just petty criminals. Sitting in with Sonny James were two convicted murderers and three rapists who were serving life sentences, as well as five other convicts serving a total of 118 years. Prisoners even were used to take the photos for the album’s cover and insert. Since the law excluded Sonny from paying the inmates royalties for their efforts, he instead upgraded the prison’s stock of guitars, amplifiers, and other instruments for the prison population. “It’s not unusual for an artist to visit a prison,” James told People magazine in April of 1977. “But it was to my knowledge the first time this kind of thing has been undertaken, and I’ve never enjoyed anything more. We didn’t strive for perfection. We didn’t do it for the critics. It is, as they say, ‘listenable,’ though what makes this LP unique and pleasurable is that it’s real.” Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Roy Clark – A Concert Behind Prison Walls 1976/2003 Originally recorded in 1976 as part of a documentary called Flower Out of Place that featured Johnny Cash, the Tennessee Three, Roy Clark, Linda Ronstadt, and comedian Foster Brooks performing at the Tennessee State Prison, it wasn’t released to the public in DVD and CD form until 2003 and became Johnny Cash’s 54th album. Earlier VHS forms of the concert are also floating out there. Glen Sherley (see above) originally hosted the performance, and it was aired on national television, but for some reason Sherley’s participation was completely edited out of subsequent versions of the concert. A much different vibe from Cash’s earlier prison albums, since it was broadcast on television, the presentation feels a little more orchestrated instead of organic. Nonetheless, it is a worthy addition to Johnny Cash’s prison concert catalog. Honorable Mention The Johnny Paycheck Prison Album w/ Merle Haggard (unreleased) During Johnny Paycheck’s famous incarceration at the Chillocothe Correctional Institution, his manager and producer at the time, Billy Don Burns, arranged to produce a prison album for Paycheck. The production for the project was massive, and included over 50 people helping to put it on, flying Merle Haggard on a Leer Jet to Ohio between gigs so he and his band could participate, and four beta max cameras to record the concert in video form. Unfortunately legal snags ensured that the album (and video) would never see the light of day. As for what happened to the tapes and master of the recording, “They were actually given to “Cowboy” Jack Clement at some point in time, and unfortunately the masters burned when his house burned down,” says Aaron Rodgers, a friend of Billy Don Burns. Possibly one of the greatest prison records in country music history is one that will never be heard. – – – – – – – – – – – – – Steve Earle – “Live At Cold Creek Correctional Facility” (1996) – Though never officially released as an album, this June 1996 concert recorded at the Cold Creek Prison in Tennessee was aired on MTV, and released in DVD form in 2013. Earle performed the concert as part of a parole agreement for a drug offense. Bootleg versions of the audio exist, making it worth mentioning in the same breath of other country prison albums. – – – – – – – – – – – – – David Allan Coe – “Penitentiary Blues” (1969) – Not a prison record per se (it wasn’t recorded in one), it was nonetheless inspired by Coe’s time behind bars. Coe also performed at numerous prison concerts throughout his career.Can cars still be fun after automated driving becomes the norm? Toyota thinks so. The Japanese automaker makes an intriguing argument, in the form of the FV2 concept car that is generating a lot of buzz with its world debut at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The FV2—the name is short for “Fun Vehicle 2”—aims to create a physical and emotional connection between man and machine. It does this in part by relying on the driver’s body movements to determine which direction to go and using voice and facial cues to sense the driver’s mood. (And like a giant mood ring, the FV2 can then change its exterior color accordingly, too.) These particular functions are not as wildly futuristic as they sound, given the technology Toyota is developing today. Nonetheless, the Toyota FV2 concept car sure does look futuristic, so much so that you might be tempted to dismiss it as purely science fiction. In fact, it hardly looks (or functions) much like a car at all. In Pictures: Tokyo's Intriguing Concept Cars The FV2 is like a cross between a Light Cycle from the movie “Tron” and a skateboard. It fits only one person who operates the vehicle while standing or sitting. Rather than doors, the FV2 has a canopy top that opens like a clamshell. If the driver stands, the transparent canopy remains open and positioned to the front like a windshield. If the driver sits, the canopy comes down overhead. The concept car has no steering wheel, no gas pedal and no brake. Instead, the FV2 responds to a shift in body weight, so you have to lean in whatever direction you want to go. Toyota likens this type of “steering” to that of a Segway. The company also developed its own version of the Segway called the Winglet, which it demonstrated to the media prior to the Tokyo Motor Show press days. The Winglet shows Toyota is already capable of producing at least some of the technology previewed on the FV2, considering that the personal mobility device relies on a shift in body weight to determine which direction to go. Though the FV2 on display at the Tokyo Motor Show is an electric vehicle, Toyota says the powertrain can be adapted to whatever environmentally friendly technology becomes mainstream. So the concept car could evolve into a PHV, if plug-in hybrid vehicles get more traction, or an FCV, if fuel-cell vehicles take off. Or it could remain an EV as it is now. An augmented reality screen on the windshield can report on traffic conditions and weather, drawing information from other connected cars. The FV2 is, after all, designed for an era of autonomous driving. The four wheels on the FV2 are arranged in a diamond shape, with one at the front, one at the back, and one to each side of the driver. The side wheels are illuminated similar to the ones on the Light Cycles in “Tron,” and the colors can be changed at will. The FV2’s exterior color also can be changed at will, which Toyota says makes for “a more intimate relationship” with the driver. A function called “Illumination” even enables the FV2 to reflect the emotion of the driver in its changing body color. Though seemingly whimsical, this mood ring capability can serve a practical purpose. Imagine how handy it would be—for drivers or police—if a car’s color could signal a case of road rage. On the other hand, the technology does have Big Brother implications, too. But Toyota focuses on the upside. Like a cheery co-pilot, the FV2 can suggest destinations to the driver, based on an assessment of his or her mood and previous driving history. (“Stressed? Want to stop at the gym?”) It uses voice and facial recognition technology in determining mood and draws on research that’s being done as part of the Toyota Heart Project. The research explores how humans and machines (or, humanoid robots that are equipped with the technology for artificial intelligence) can communicate through gestures, expressions and the recalling of past memories. The intent is to create a rapport that mimics an emotional relationship. Toyota says it envisions the driver-vehicle connection as being similar to the one between a rider and a horse. In Pictures: Tokyo's Intriguing Concept Cars The new research project also goes beyond applications for cars, in effect trying to realize artificial intelligence that is capable of growing along with people, is understood to have feelings, and evokes fondness and trust, Toyota says. Depending on your outlook, this kind of work toward sentient machines can be seen as exciting or scary (the movies “iRobot” and “AI” come to mind). If you’re wondering what it might be like to drive the FV2, Toyota has an app for that. The automaker incorporated a virtual version of the FV2 concept car into a racing game, so you can experience what Toyota calls “intuitive driving and car body design” for yourself. The free smartphone app, available for iPhone and Android, can be downloaded from the AppStore and Google Play. A live championship race is set to take place as part of the company’s Tokyo Motor Show activities, with people worldwide participating via the app. Toyota has a total of five concept cars making a world debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this year, all under the slogan “Fun to Drive, Again.” The others are a fuel-cell vehicle called the Toyota FCV Concept (which you can read more about here), two minivans called the Voxy Concept and the Noah Concept and its JPN Taxi Concept. The “2” in the FV2’s name stands for second generation. It is a more advanced version of the Toyota Fun-Vii concept car displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2011. Though production cars tend to get the most attention at auto shows, the FV2 is among the concept cars grabbing a fair share of the spotlight, with one Japanese news broadcast declaring it a “showstopper.” Go to the slideshow for a full roundup of the concept cars at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. Follow me on Twitter: @matthewdepaulaI was obsessed with politics in the '80s. I've recovered and I'm feeling much better now thank you. By the time I realized, as interesting as it was, I'd better stop this stuff and try to earn a living, I had discovered many of our social problems and quality of life issues could be traced to the same political source: our corrupt-by-definition electoral system. The solution to the problem was as easy to discover as the cause: The elimination of all private finance in the electoral process. I was working doing most of my research in the area of our foreign policy since WWll, whatever fell under the umbrella of international liberation politics, but I examined and analyzed a fair amount of local issues as well. I wanted to know how things work? Where's the power? Who's pulling the strings? The economy of the world came down to the unholy trinity of guns, drugs and gasoline -- military industry, drugs (legal and illegal), and energy -- and now I would add agribusiness as the fourth controlling commodity, and always with the enabling bankers never too far out of sight making their profits far too often from wars and slave labor. While that readily explained the suffering of the Third World, it didn't immediately answer why in America it was possible for so many people to be unhappy with our government's decisions, both foreign and domestic, when we're supposedly living in a democracy. A quick analysis of our electoral process revealed the obvious answer. The simple fact is we do not live in a democracy. Certainly not the kind our Founding Fathers intended. We live in a corporate dictatorship represented by, and beholden to, no single human being you can reason with or hold responsible for anything. The corporation has but one obligation, which is to increase profits for its shareholders by any legal means necessary by the next fiscal quarter. They have no moral, patriotic, social, environmental, generational or even sustainable responsibility. They have only a short-term economic mandate and their only responsibility to society is to stay within the law to accomplish it. This doesn't mean corporations shouldn't exist or even that their directors are evil by their very DNA. It has been a legally acceptable basic flaw in the form of our capitalist system that allows corporations to operate without a moral compass or obligation to society -- but that's a discussion for another day. The law is rarely a problem because the corporations' legal obligations are pretty much designed first and foremost for their maximum profit by the legislation created by the legislators belonging to our two national political parties, both of which are wholly bought, sold and controlled by Wall Street. The banks and the corporations. In other words the game is rigged. Feel like a sucker? We all do because we all are. The manipulation, aided by a very willing media also owned by the corporations, has made things easier beginning with what has become the amazing Orwellian staple of every newscast, selling the public on the lie that the Dow has somehow become America's scoreboard! We're all hypnotized, rooting for them like they're our home team at a football game, cheering for THEIR scoreboard mindlessly forgetting WE'RE THE AWAY TEAM!! You think your congressman is working all day to get you a job? He may want to. He or she is probably not a bad person. They probably want to do the right thing. But they can't. Long-time Capitol Hill staff and campaign strategists tell me the average legislator spends one-third of their time (or more) every day raising money or on activities related to raising money. Yes, they are "elected" which creates the mass delusion of democracy to keep the masses from rioting, but congressional races are costing millions of dollars and some Senate seats are going for tens of millions each, and they're predicting well over one billion dollars for the next presidency. That's some democracy we've created there, isn't it? Of the people? By the people? For the people? What people? Democracy in America is a sick joke and the masses aren't laughing anymore. Yes, we can demonstrate. We can march. We can write and sign petitions to our Representatives. We can occupy. And we should because it's healthy to vent, and we don't feel so all alone. But the truth is, other than the value of venting, we're wasting our time. It is naïve to expect political results from any of these activities. Our representative can give us lip service. A lot of sympathy. Empathy even. But we don't pay their media bills, gabeesh? We need to eliminate all private finance from the electoral process. And let's not be distracted by "reforms." Let's spare ourselves the unnecessary discussions about transparent disclosure, or the conflict of interest of foreign countries buying favorable treatment, or protection after protection being gutted by dangerously diluted regulations, or trying to impose this limit or that limit, etc., etc., etc. Campaign finance doesn't need reform. It needs elimination. To accomplish this we must overturn Buckley v. Valeo, one of the two or three worst decisions in the history of the Supreme Court. The ruling makes the extraordinary decision that money is protected by the First Amendment. Presumably Chief Justice Gordon Gekko presiding! These smartest guys in the room actually decided that spending money is the equivalent of free speech. You might wonder why no one in that smart room stood up and said wait a minute, if money is speech, isn't lack of money lack of speech? You know, as in the rich get to talk, and the poor don't? How are the non-moneyed classes represented by this decision? I guess nobody stood up then, but it's time to stand up now. In fact, I am now introducing a new pledge to be signed by our legislators. Of both parties. Indies too. Everybody's welcome. THE PLEDGE FOR A DEMOCRATIC AMERICA (We'll need someone more educated than me to draw it up, or we can copy Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge, but it would go something like this.) I, The Undersigned, pledge to overturn Buckley v. Valeo and eliminate all private finance from the electoral process, thusly restoring America to its democratic principles. I may take corporate, PAC, SuperPAC, or Chinese money to get elected or reelected (martyrdom accomplishes nothing), but upon my election I will make campaign finance elimination one of my immediate top priorities. Now somebody should be starting a new Third Party whose platform is dedicated to this one idea. Twenty-five years ago that's what I'd be doing right now. But the need for a Third Party aside, this idea applies for everyone. Just as much for the Tea Party on the right as the 99 Percenters on the left (the corporate oligarchy actually has no Party affiliation, it just looks Republican). Both groups should adopt this issue. The Occupiers need not agree on anything else, because frankly nothing else matters, and a bit more focus on the root of our problems for the Tea Party certainly wouldn't hurt them either. Let's see who's serious about representing the "people." And you know what?Raw Milk Producers Aim To Regulate Themselves Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Champoeg Creamery Courtesy of Champoeg Creamery A growing number of Americans are buying raw milk. That's milk that has not been pasteurized to kill bacteria. As we've reported, the legal treatment of raw milk varies state by state. In some places like California, it's sold in stores. In other states, it's outlawed entirely — although folks get around regulations by buying a "stake" in a cow so they're drinking what amounts to their own milk, or selling it as a pet food. But this patchwork of permissions and workarounds means that, as a nation, we don't have any national standards when it comes to raw milk testing and safety. A new group is trying to change that. Mark McAfee is the CEO of Organic Pastures, California's largest raw milk dairy. And after frustration with the lack of national standards, he founded the Raw Milk Institute. "People are searching for local raw milk," McAfee explains. "But when they go to the farm, or they go to the store, they really don't know what they're getting." To create both accountability and transparency, McAfee worked with epidemiologists, biologists and other health professionals to create RAWMI's standards. Instead of just focusing on the end results, like bacteria levels, they also worked up detailed protocols for the entire process — from taking the temperature of the dishwasher used to clean the milk bottles to the distance between the water well and manure pile. The group is also looking at the risk specific to each farm, whether it's a muddy slope with three cows in Oregon or a sunny California farm with a midsize herd. When a farm completes its hazards analysis, planning and testing — and passes a site visit from RAWMI — it is listed on the institute's website. Right now there are half a dozen farms listed, with 10 more in the midst of the process. The first farm to be listed was Champoeg Creamery, a small dairy about 30 miles south of Portland, Ore. Owner Charlotte Smith is a fifth-generation farmer. But when she first started producing raw milk a few years ago, she discovered it was an entirely different animal. "I could call the extension office, and get some help on what was going on with my vegetables, or what is this beetle eating my tomatoes," says Smith. "But there's no one that will help you with raw milk production." And with about 100 families buying her milk — and monitoring an E. coli outbreak at a neighboring farm that landed kids in the hospital — Smith was committed to getting it right. Because while Smith says raw milk may offer health benefits, she also acknowledges the very real dangers. "You can bring home a chicken and sell the eggs, and feel pretty safe about it. But raw milk, coming out of a cow, and manure flying during milking time — it is a huge challenge, far different than any other farm animal we have." As someone looking for guidance, Smith was a bit surprised that national regulatory agencies wouldn't lend their expertise to establishing safety criteria. To them, she says: "Raw milk is here to stay, whether you want to admit it or not. So why not work together, come up with some very basic things, where if you're going to produce and sell raw milk, you're going to agree that you have met these standards. In my mind, it seems so easy." But regulatory agencies aren't jumping in. That's because they argue that raw milk is not safe under any circumstances. Robert Tauxe at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while the safety plans and regular testing advocated by RAWMI can certainly reduce the risk of bacterial contamination, they can't offer any certainty that the particular gallon you grab from the shelf is truly safe. "A cow can test negative today, and then get infected tomorrow," notes Tauxe. Tauxe is not unsympathetic to the reasons people seek out raw milk. "I understand the interest in having colonies of living bacteria in the food we eat," he says. "The problem is when those living bacteria that are beneficial get mixed up with the living bacteria that cause disease." But for raw milk drinkers like Portlander Adrian Hale, getting those living bacteria are worth the risk. And guidelines like those established by the Raw Milk Institute are a part of managing that risk. "There's a lot of choices we make with food, so I try to make those choices as best I can," says Hale. As a food writer concerned with healthful choices, Hale looks for the full story behind the food on her table. And as a mother, she's even more concerned. "I don't want to be a negligent parent. I just wanted that assurance that the person who is producing the milk is paying attention." As Hale notes, a lot of food choices can have risk — food outbreaks have struck everything from cantaloupe to spinach, and we take a chance every time we eat a delicious raw oyster. But when the producer — and the consumer — are paying attention, it can create a risk that's a little more manageable.“Clean” coal’s dirtiest secret: Part III This article, third in a series on mountaintop removal coal mining, was originally titled “The poor are always downstream.” It must now be amended to add “when there is still a stream to be down from.” In an act that puts a grossly ironic twist on its name, the Environmental Protection Agency has approved a repeal of the 25-year-old stream buffer zone rule, which prohibits surface coal mining within 100 feet of a flowing stream. The change, proposed by Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining (OSM), was finalized when it received written sanction from EPA on Tuesday. The controversial move comes amid extensive opposition, one more last-minute effort by the Bush Administration to further erode a host of environmental regulations before its imminent departure. This one promises disproportionate harm to some of the nation’s poorest citizens, if it’s allowed to stand. Opponents argued that EPA could not legally approve the rule change because it conflicts with the provisions of the Clean Water Act. Apparently that was of no consequence to administrator Stephen Johnson, who signed off despite the opposition of the governors of Kentucky and Tennessee, whose states will be among those affected. A pristine stretch of the Coal River. Photo courtesy of Coal River Mountain Watch. A pristine stretch of the Coal River. Photo courtesy of Coal River Mountain Watch. EPA’s own scientists have concluded that “dumping mining waste into streams devastates downstream water quality,” said Edward C. Hopkins, policy analyst for the Sierra Club. And in some cases, streams will be obliterated altogether as the “overburden” that is blasted away to reveal coal seams is dumped into adjacent valleys, covering up seasonal water flows that comprise many Appalachian headwaters. The EPA action is the latest in a decades-old history of political oppression that has harmed the people of Appalachia as badly as the land they inhabit. Most of the press since Tuesday’s announcement has focused on the environmental destruction wreaked by mountaintop removal (MTR) mining: the total reshaping of the region’s topography, including the destruction of more than 400 mountaintops comprising 800,000 acres, and 1200 headwater streams thus far. Less attention is paid to the human impacts of this practice, which are equally disturbing. Mountaintop removal mining takes away jobs The counties where MTR mining is practiced are the poorest in the nation. Of the 100 counties with the lowest incomes in the U.S., 29 are in Kentucky, where the average household income is about $16,000 a year. Underground coal miners can make $40,000-50,000 a year, but in a region where the economic benefits of coal are constantly touted by the industry and the many politicians in its pocket, MTR is taking those jobs away. Photo: Vivian Stockman via SouthWings Photo: Vivian Stockman via SouthWings An MTR operation exposes shallow coal seams with heavy equipment and dynamite using a fraction of the human labor force of conventional underground mining. As MTR has increased, industry jobs have shrunk. About 17,000 people currently work in the central Appalachian coalfields compared to 150,000 in the 1970s and ‘80s, said Chuck Nelson, a West Virginia miner-turned-activist who spoke to a group of journalists that toured two MTR sites in West Virginia during the Society of Environmental Journalists conference in October. Industry figures put the employment figure nearer 20,000, but it’s a far smaller number than it was two or three decades ago, since the advent of MTR. Mountaintop removal mining has devastating health consequences Chuck Nelson Chuck Nelson While MTR is less expensive for the industry, “it’s not so cheap for the people who have to live around it,” said Nelson. When 3 million pounds of dynamite are detonated every day in Appalachia, residents of these remote hollows live with constant noise, rattling windows, cracked foundations, and tainted wells. Regulations allow explosions within 300 feet from a house. Flying debris has destroyed structures, and in one case killed a young boy as he lay sleeping when a boulder crashed through his bedroom wall. Coal dust coats the inside and outside of houses near such operations. The result may be silicosis, rather than black lung disease, but the outcome of such lethal respiratory diseases is the same. Then there is the cost of cancer. It’s the biggest killer in Appalachia, said Larry Gibson, an activist whose family has lived on Kayford Mountain, W. Va., for 230 years, surrounded now by the bleak devastation of 7500 acres of adjacent peaks that have been blown away. The problem is poisoned water. Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, not yet filled to its 9 billion gallon capacity. Photo: Vivian Stockman via SouthWings Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, not yet filled to its 9 billion gallon capacity. Photo: Vivian Stockman via SouthWings Up to 60 different chemicals are used in the slurry process that washes the coal once it is separated from the blast debris. The heavy metals that occur naturally in coal, including mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and selenium, leach into the water used in the coal washing process and subsequently can permeate groundwater. The wastewater is either injected into mountainsides, often into abandoned underground mines, or penned up in gigantic, unlined slurry holdings that also contain diesel and fertilizer residue from the explosives. Though EPA’s latest ruling allows a dramatic expansion of what can be legally dumped, water tainted by toxic sludge is nothing new to many residents of the remote hollows where MTR mining occurs. Just ask residents of Prenter, W. Va. When they turn on their taps, the water runs black for 250 households in a 10-square-mile area, Nelson said. A YouTube video shows a penny held under a bathroom faucet tarnished in seconds by hydrogen sulfide, a neurotoxin in the community’s well water. Vegetable gardens die. And the people of Prenter are dying, too. An informal survey of residents showed exceptional rates of gallbladder disease, skin conditions, kidney and liver disease, brain tumors and thyroid cancer. Prenter is three miles from a slurry injection site, yet state and local officials say they can’t do anything because they can’t confirm that coal mining is responsible for the problems. And Prenter is not alone. In nearby Mingo County, reports Dana Kuhnline of The Dominion, residents near another slurry site also suffer from high rates of rare diseases, where the same chemicals found in coal slurry have been found in well water at rates thousands of times the legal limit. Mountaintop removal mining threatens to annihilate communities While polluted water is usually a problem emanating from below, there is also the risk of a slurry dam break, threatening to inundate whole communities and their natural environs with billions of gallons of thick chemical soup. Photo: Benji Burrill, via SouthWings Photo: Benji Burrill, via SouthWings Marsh Fork Elementary sits at the base of one of those impoundments. Just 400 yards away, 2.8 billion gallons of opaque black slurry is contained behind an earthen dam directly above the school. Years of efforts by local residents to get the state of West Virginia to relocate the school have been fruitless. Thirty minutes from Gibson’s home on Kayford Mountain, the biggest slurry impoundment in the nation, Brushy Fork, is designed to hold a staggering 9 billion gallons of sludge. The ‘lake’ surface is the size of a football field, and the dam wall, constructed of rubble left over from blasting, is permitted at more than 900 feet. The impoundment happens to be built on top of a maze of underground mine shafts, with blasting occurring nearby. Coal slurry “lake” at Brushy Fork. Photo: Vivian Stockman, via SouthWings Coal slurry “lake” at Brushy Fork. Photo: Vivian Stockman, via SouthWings Despite assurances by industry that such impoundments are secure, evidence exists to the contrary. A slurry dam collapsed at Buffalo Creek, W. Va., in 1972, sending 132 million gallons of liquid waste in a 20- to 30-foot torrent that killed 125 people and left 4000 homeless. More recently, 306 million gallons of toxic coal sludge was released near Inez, Kentucky, on Oct. 11, 2000, when a rupture occurred in the bottom of a holding impoundment owned by a subsidiary of Massey Energy. The sludge leaked into an underground mine, then burst out two portals into two creeks, eventually oozing 100 miles downstream to devastate the Tug Fork and Big Sandy rivers. Community water supplies were closed, aquatic life eradicated, and yards and gardens buried beneath feet of sticky, chemical-laden goo. Coal sludge spill on Kentucky’s Big Sandy River, October 2000. Photo courtesy of West Virginia Blue. Coal sludge spill on Kentucky’s Big Sandy River, October 2000. Photo courtesy of West Virginia Blue. The EPA called it the worst environmental disaster east of the Mississippi. It was the nation’s worst-ever blackwater spill, 30 times larger than the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, though few Americans outside the region knew about it. That’s not surprising, given the Bush Administration’s efforts to cover it up. Structural conditions are similar at Brushy Fork, a much larger impoundment, which has been chronically cited for permit violations by the WV Department of Environmental Protection. The United Mine Workers has issued a dire warning for miners and coalfields residents, and Marfork Coal Company’s own emergency plan predicts that 990 people could die if the impoundment were to be breached. Mountaintop removal mining destroys culture Traditional mountain folk music flourishes in Appalachia Traditional mountain folk music flourishes in Appalachia A bumper sticker on a pick-up truck parked at Larry Gibson’s camp on Kayford Mountain read “Save the Endangered Hillbilly.” While “hillbilly” has negative connotations for many Americans, the culture of Appalachia’s “mountaineers,” as locals call themselves, is among the most unique in the United States. Many here have lived off the land for generations, Nelson said, harvesting nuts, gathering medicinal herbs, hunting and fishing. Some of the country’s richest musical traditions hail from deep within these mountains, home to the Carter Family. bluegrass legends like Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, and contemporary country singer Kathy Mattea, whose latest album, Coal, is a tribute to miners and a call to end the destruction of mountaintop removal. But the term “hillbilly,” synonymous in many minds with poverty and ignorance, hints at why the long-demeaned people of Appalachia have been impotent to stop mountaintop removal mining and its devastating effects on their communities and traditions. Gibson calls residents of the coalfield hollers the “forgotten people of Appalachia,” whom politicians do not need to court for votes. Theresa Burriss, professor of Appalachian studies at Radford University, says Appalachia is an “internally colonized region,” where residents are constructed as the exotic other, a stereotype journalists often can’t see beyond. When NBC’s Andrea Mitchell visited Bristol, Virginia, during the fall election season, she referred to it as “redneck Nascar country,” a crude offense to the region’s mountain people, said Burriss. The fact is, most residents of Appalachia are poor. Many lack the education taken for granted in other parts of the country. Those factors conspire to limit political power, but they do not squelch political will. In the past several years, a hodge-podge of grassroots groups opposed to MTR have come together to create an activist coalition growing in size and influence. Central to its efforts are citizens like Judy Bonds, daughter of an underground coal miner and an 8th generation resident of West Virginia’s Coal River Valley. Bonds, a former waitress and convenience store clerk, has become a vocal community leader as head of Coal River Mountain Watch. “My daddy was a mountaineer before he was a coal miner,” said Bonds, who speaks reverently of her family’s natural heritage.
can you say that with one hundred per cent certainty, Prema. Aruna is in a coma, only when she comes out of it will we know exactly what happened.’‘That is right. Besides, I went and saw the gynaecologist’s report after Aruna’s initial examination. It specifically says hymen intact.’‘It was not that kind of a rape.’‘What rubbish are you talking Prema? What other kind is there?’Sister Prema Pai hesitates, then speaks because she knows only the nurses will pay attention. ‘I will not name him, I spoke to another doctor who also examined her. He told me about it. He also told some higher- ups who ignored what he said. She was raped … the other way.’ Sister Pai starts weeping.Shocked silence, a few nurses comfort Prema. There is a whisper, ‘You mean, the way the dogs do it?’‘No, that’s unbelievable!’Another voice asks, ‘Prema, has she been examined completely for what you are saying has been done to her?’Prema shakes her head, ‘The doctor was very thorough in examining Aruna. He was medically convinced so he said he wanted to confirm one hundred per cent what he suspected and put down his findings on paper. Permission was not granted.’‘But why?’There is another voice, ‘Because the case is bad enough the way it is, the higher-ups don’t want it to look even worse.’‘Look? This is not about how anything looks. This is about us, human beings, women, professional nurses. It is about our safety. Tomorrow if something happens to another one of us, even the police will not be called because of how it will look?’‘Possible. There might be another kind of cover-up at that time. I think we will have to look after ourselves, to make sure we are safe and unharmed.’‘But how, and what can we do now about Aruna’s rape?’‘We will have to wait till Aruna herself speaks. Meanwhile we should immediately go on strike.’‘Strike? Like how the mill workers go on strike? But we are nurses!’‘Yes, let us go on strike. Let the authorities understand how serious this entire situation has become.’‘But we have no written proof that Aruna was raped. Suppose they ignore us?’‘They cannot. They know the truth. They know we know the truth.’‘Yes, let us go on strike. We need to press for security for ourselves.’‘That is right. We have to look after our own interests too. There should not be another Aruna.’Within the hour the nurses’ strike is total. Perhaps this is the first time since India attained independence that nurses have struck work, there are no records to suggest otherwise, nor memory. Certainly, this is the first time in KEM’s illustrious history that there is any kind of strike.Sister Shashikala Vaaran looks into the future, ‘Everything changes after this. Nurses henceforward will stop thinking of their jobs as anything beyond their shifts.’***The following is an edited version of an author-signed essay, highlighted on its cover which appeared in a national newsmagazine, a few days after the Passive Euthanasia Judgement and Law was passed in March 2011.Lucknow airport. Late ’90s. Khushwant Singh and I are waiting for our flights, we talk about Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee mentioning my book Once Was Bombay in a speech on collapsing cities. He suddenly asks, ‘You wrote that book on the woman who neither lives nor dies, you still see her?’I say I’m banned by the hospital. Nothing new for me, though. Each time egos change – deans, doctors, matrons – I’ve redone the process with these authorities to stay in touch with Aruna Shanbaug. It’s a pattern since 1982.This time I should have been grateful for infrequent consent to visit her locked room. Instead, I had questioned their mandate. I had reported to newspaper editor Bachi Karkaria that the doctors had violated Aruna’s right to live with dignity. They had withdrawn permission for her complete medical check- up. Granted, as it were, after my physical and telephonic running around for several agonizing days.The full medical in a private hospital, at no cost to this municipal hospital, would have inspected Aruna from head to toe. Testing would have ranged from blood–routine to vital organs and a brain-scan. A skilled anaesthetist would have made the procedures painless for Aruna. Her rotting teeth, due to infected gums, would have also been dealt with. An ambulance with a private doctor would have picked up Aruna in the night since she had not felt sunlight for more than two and a half decades. I also signed a letter taking all responsibility.The idea, after the complete examination, was to consult top medical minds. On their recommendation for follow-up treatment, my husband Shankkar Aiyar and I planned to approach the Bombay High Court and point out that since Aruna’s medical care was at the mercy of a doctor-bureaucracy which had not conducted any further tests on its own, we were willing to be appointed guardians. We would buy the best medicines, ensure the treatment.Aruna is denied the medical tests, permission withdrawn at the last hour. Reason given? None. After much angry persuasion, the response is the same as that given by the nurses when preventing her from receiving physiotherapy:‘Supposing something happens to her?’Aruna Shanbaug. Sodomized. Strangled with a dogchain while being brutalized. Extensive brain stem injury, almost brain-dead. Cortically blind. Cannot speak. Or walk. No control over body movements. Administered mashed food, swallows automatically, upchucks equally. Teeth loosening and falling – one by one – on her bed. In pain. Shrieking. Howling. Weeping. Laughing manically. After the initial days, no medicines prescribed by the doctors, so none given.Abandoned by friends; authorities don’t encourage their visits as they are not blood relatives. Abandoned by relatives; they are constantly told by this free hospital to ‘take her home’. I’ve been told too. I would if I could; but it doesn’t change the fact that Nurse Aruna Shanbaug has every right to remain in that hospital. Hers is a case of aggravated sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. The hospital would have had to pay large cash-compensation plus provide permanent care had her relatives been well-educated, not poor, and had access to a responsive legal system.Abandoned, too, by municipal doctors; and here is supreme irony. The daily devotion of her colleagues has been so systematically thrust upfront, that it has successfully masked Aruna’s medical mismanagement by key municipal doctors. The main medical man manipulating the media has this to say to reporters equally keen to romanticize Aruna’s condition,‘Whenever I go to her room I take her blessings’. Hypocrites also take Hippocratic oaths. After Aruna was brutally assaulted, no doctor at the hospital was willing to file a complaint that drew attention to the fact that she had been anally raped, even though there are now claimants to ‘being there first to treat her’. The result: the sodomizer walked free after a mere seven years in jail for robbery.And so; equally abandoned by the law. Aruna Shanbaug. Born 1 June 1948. Murdered-but-not-killed 27 November 1973.Khushwant Singh asks his second question, ‘You think there is a God?’~~~I’m standing below the flag of India that flies above the main dome of the Supreme Court. I look up at it. If God has abandoned Aruna too, can’t we at least ensure that her pain is validated by her country?My plea as the ‘next friend’ for her, and every Indian in a similar condition, must have been admitted by some divine force listening in just then. For the Supreme Court decides to accord that dignity to Aruna Shanbaug which has been denied to her for more than three and a half decades.The plea simplified: Please define Right to Live with Dignity as enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. And if this is not it, please taper out the force-feed as per prescribed international standards.2011. Because of the Supreme Court’s orders, after thirty-seven years Aruna Shanbaug gets what she should receive annually: a medical check-up.If I were consulted, I would have recommended two doctors. From UK, where vegetative pain management intertwines with compassion. From Liege, where research combines with machines to evaluate levels of patient consciousness.The medical report confirms that she fulfils most criteria of those in a permanently vegetative state. Such patients do not have favourite foods, music, people. Their smiles are not reactions to external influences. She is incurable.But Aruna Shanbaug must not, cannot, die. Not when there are medical names involved in this medico- legal case. There are promotions, file- markings, resident- quarters, spacious flats in prime residential areas. Everyone can move on to private practise or retirement, none need return to her locked room. With Aruna alive there is more power, more media attention, international conferences. And so they play their politics around the motives of mercy in medicine.The medical report comes with a brief CD on Aruna as she is today. It is shown in the packed court-room.The main medical man has ensured a battery of lawyers, none paid for by him. The might of the state against the individual starts its road-roller grinding.Look, no bed sores.Listen, she is not completely brain-dead or she will not be making those noises.See, she moved. She is not in a full-coma.Cures are being found everyday.When the state is looking after the suffering, outsiders need not be concerned.It is against Bharatiya sabhyata.My poor, poor Aruna. All I have, standing in this one corner of the court, is my choice to be morally accountable for you, no matter the consequences in the court of God.And then, his voice cutting through the clutter of righteousness, I hear the judge use the words ‘Passive Euthanasia’.This, too, is how landmark judgements come to a country.Please see the Supreme Court website where it has been uploaded. Please see whether the court thinks Aruna’s current situation is a ‘life’ even though it rules she must ‘live’. The status-quo of the state (in this case, the care-givers) as decider of her fate has been maintained, but do see if there’s anything which tells them they can approach the High Court should they ‘change their mind’.Meanwhile, because of this broken woman denied the choice, all of India has one. Passive Euthanasia is legalized and becomes Law for both, brain- dead patients and those in a permanent vegetative state. None need suffer the way Aruna Shanbaug has. And continues to.That CD shown in the court? It is so gruesome that even the generally no-holds barred regional television channels are unable to run it in full. Thus, what the media carries is the picture on this book’s cover; the one I copied and carried of a sixteen-year-old girl who had framed it and put up in her village home before she left it.The mid-sixties-old reality has been locked away. Always in pain, no palliatives prescribed. No teeth. White cropped hair. A feed- pipe running from her nose to her stomach. Feral sounds from a twisted and brittle skeleton. From which finger nails continue to grow, cut into her palms. Prone to diarrhoea, yet no catheter. Doomed to a very painful, and very slow, death.Aruna Shanbaug. Prisoner of the state; held hostage by the quality of its mercy.It makes increasingly perfect sense why President-elect Donald Trump wants congressional term limits. And it makes just as much sense why his putative Republican helpmates on the Hill will overlook short-term political expediency and take the lead in rebuffing him. Atop Trump’s “drain the swamp” campaign platform was the promise to push restrictions on time served in the House or Senate, although he’s not specified how short the maximum congressional tenure should be. “We’re going to put on term limits, which a lot of people aren’t happy about, but we’re putting on term limits,” he said during his “60 Minutes” interview right after the election. “We’re doing a lot of things to clean up the system.” It’s easy to understand the first, obvious reason this would remain high on his stated agenda: The public overwhelmingly supports the idea. Two weeks before Election Day, the Rasmussen Reports poll found 74 percent support for congressional term limits among likely voters, with the rest evenly split between opposed and undecided. A possible secondary rationale comes with an implication of disingenuousness, but evidence to support such speculation grows by the day: Trump wants to increase the strength and power of the executive branch to another new height, and weakening the legislative branch through term limits is one way to accomplish that. The candidate who accepted the GOP nomination with a dark vision of the nation’s future, and the declaration that “I alone can fix it,” is now transitioning toward the White House on the same path of extreme personal self-confidence coupled with extraordinary, robust use of presidential authority. After his courtesy calls on the top Republican leaders a day after claiming victory, Trump largely retreated from public view, so his brief infomercial before Thanksgiving outlining his first 100 days’ agenda took on outsized importance. And it was remarkable as much for its medium (YouTube, not a news conference) as for its messages, both stated and unstated. The Capitol’s inhabitants were justifiably thunderstruck by the two words they never heard — “Congress” and “legislation.” Rather than pay so much as lip service to the idea of legislators collaborating with him from the start, Trump spoke about spending his first winter in Washington entirely on executive action. Never say never? Some of what he described went beyond undoing many of President Barack Obama’s executive orders, which the GOP Congress is fully behind. Most notably, he said thousands of his administration’s officials won’t be allowed to lobby for five years afterward and won’t ever be permitted to advocate on behalf of foreign governments. Such decrees will never get enforced unless Congress writes them into law. Lawmakers who have been in office for more than a few years are bound to acquire a serious understanding of this sort of balance of powers — not to mention a rooting interest in preserving, if not advancing, the authorities Congress has for making policies and overseeing those assigned to execute them. But if they arrive knowing they can’t stay for long (three two-year terms for House members and a pair of six-year terms for senators are the proscriptions most often advocated) there will be much less incentive for members to lean into their institutional prerogatives. And Congress will have much less of the collective knowledge and expertise required to outlast an assertive president, outmaneuver an institutionalized federal bureaucracy or outsmart the legion of lobbyists who will undeniably be able to find a way to keep lurking in the muddy eddies of Trump’s dried-out quagmire. To cite just one current example, it’s tough to imagine House Budget Chairman Tom Price having any remotely plausible hope of steering a reconstruction of the federal budget process to completion in the next Congress — except that, as a GOP congressman from Georgia for a dozen years, he’s had time to develop unrivaled expertise in the system’s fatally flawed current mechanics and unequaled knowledge of the political rivalries and special interest crosscurrents complicating any revamp. (Price will unveil his plan on Wednesday.) Congressional terms may only be limited by constitutional amendment, the Supreme Court has ruled, meaning bipartisan two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate would need to coalesce behind a plan and then three-quarters of the states would need to endorse it. Such a level of support doesn’t exist. The most prominent opponent, for starters, is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who’s ruled out any collaboration with Trump on the matter. ‘They’re called elections…’ “We have term limits now,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters Nov. 10. “They’re called elections. And it will not be on the agenda in the Senate.” Speaker Paul D. Ryan professes support for term limits, although he told reporters Nov. 17 he’ll leave the matter in the hands of the Judiciary Committee, without any pressure from him. (He’s also not made any promises about curtailing his own time as a Wisconsin congressman.) It’s been two decades since Congress last considered the question, soundly turning aside a constitutional amendment even at a time when the anti-incumbent fervor of the electorate had spawned momentum for term limits in dozens of states. In the House, the proposal was the only one among the 10 “Contract with America” planks to suffer outright rejection, even after that very GOP manifesto for revamping the way Congress works helped end four decades of Democratic rule. The proposal came up 61 votes short of the supermajority necessary in 1995 because 40 Republicans (predictably, mainly from the ranks of the long-tenured) voted against it. Senate Republicans tried to revive the issue the next year, but gave up when they could muster only 58 votes in favor of bringing the constitutional change to the floor. For opponents of term limits, a really important argument for their cause lies just beneath those outcomes. Those tally sheets provide evidence that, as McConnell says, the natural political cycle results in plenty of congressional turnover. Thanks to retirements, defeats, resignations or departures for other reasons, next year’s 115th Congress will open with just 84 lawmakers (16 percent of the total membership) who were in the House or Senate as recently as that 104th Congress.A panel of federal judges in San Antonio ruled late Friday that the Texas state legislature must redraw congressional maps in three districts it said unconstitutionally discriminates against Hispanic voters. In a 2-1 ruling, district court judges found the Texas legislature violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. They ordered the legislature to redraw lines defining districts held by Texas Reps. Will Hurd (R), Blake Farenthold (R) and Lloyd Doggett (D). The two judges who ruled for the plaintiffs found Republicans repeatedly tried to dilute the political power of Latino voters - either packing them into one specific district, or dividing communities between separate districts, a process called "cracking." "The Court finds that this evidence persuasively demonstrates that mapdrawers intentionally packed and cracked on the basis of race... with the intent to dilute minority voting strength," Judges Xavier Rodriguez and Orlando Garcia wrote. Texas Democrats called the ruling a victory for voting rights. "The San Antonio Federal District Court ruled that Texas Republicans intentionally discriminated against Texas' diverse new majority," said Gilberto Hinojosa, the state Democratic Party chairman. "Republicans have ensured that the dark days of discrimination in Texas continue to loom, but the sun will soon shine. In time, justice prevails." Texas Republicans did not immediately react to the ruling. The decision is the latest step in a years-long legal battle over the Texas legislature's efforts to give Republicans a leg up in congressional races in Texas - a fight that began even before district lines were finalized after the 2010 Census. Disputes over district lines in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after the Census awarded Texas several new House seats delayed enactment of new maps prior to the 2012 elections, and delayed that year's primary - giving a little-known Senate candidate named Ted Cruz an extra few weeks to campaign for a seat he ultimately won. Later, the legal fight shifted to the Austin area, where Doggett's seat is based; to Farenthold's district, along the Gulf Coast; and to the border with Mexico, where Hurd's district lies. The San Antonio-based district court ruled in 2013 that the legislature violated a different provision of the Voting Rights Act that would require Texas to seek federal approval before making dramatic changes to election procedures. But the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down that provision, forcing plaintiffs to bring suit under Section 2.Note: I've dropped the "Grails on Raspbery Pi" intro to the title of these posts for the sake of brevity, but this post and most of the posts coming in the near future continue upon that series. You can follow : I've dropped the "Grails on Raspbery Pi" intro to the title of these posts for the sake of brevity, but this post and most of the posts coming in the near future continue upon that series. You can follow this tag if you would like to see all the posts in this series. In the last post in this series we took a look at creating a simple Groovy script using Pi4J to interact with the GPIO pins on a Raspberry Pi. It was a simple example, so writing the code in nano wasn't really a big deal, but as you get into more complex scripts having a true IDE to write our scripts will make a heck of a lot easier. Problem is, running a full blown IDE like IntelliJ IDEA and accessing it via VNC on the Pi is a pretty sketchy proposition. Trust me, I've tried. Technically, it works, but about as well as one of these: So why not use IntelliJ on another machine on your home network (or any network, as long as the Pi is web accessible)? Unlike an elevator close button, it actually works (and quite well, thank you very much)! This post is going to be pretty heavy on screenshots because I think they tell the story pretty well. Note: Remote development is only available in IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition. Step 1: Create a new Groovy project in IDEA: Step 2: Name it, and choose a location to store it. Step 3: Create a new Groovy class file. Delete whatever code IDEA automatically populates in the file. We're using this as a Groovy script, not a true class file. Like the last post, name it led-test.groovy. Step 4: Paste the code from the last post into our new Groovy script. Here it is again for your reference: You'll notice in the screenshot below that we have some errors, we'll get to those in a second. Step 5: Place your cursor right after the @Grab annotation and press ALT+ENTER, then select 'Grab the artifacts'. IDEA will download the Pi4J dependency. Step 6: Confirm in the Event Log that IDEA successfully downloaded the dependency. Observe the errors with class resolution are now resolved. Step 7: Try code completion, notice that it works, nod your head and smile. Step 8: Let's set up remote deployment. In IDEA, go to Tools - Deployment - Configuration. Step 9: Set up the connection. Enter your Pi's local IP, use port 22, enter the root path for your project on the Pi and enter your credentials. Step 10: Click 'Test SFTP connection', if you receive the following warning, click Yes. Step 11: Marvel in amazement with your jaw agape at the successful connection. Step 12: Jump to the Mappings tab, if it is enabled click the 'Use this server as default' button. Enter or modify the local path if necessary. Make sure to add the'src' directory if it's not there on the end. Click OK and exit the dialog. Step 13: Back in IDEA, click Tools - Deployment - Options. Step 14: Make sure that 'Upload changed files automatically to the default server' is set to 'On explicit save action (CTRL+S). Step 15: Now we should be ready to test things out. SSH into your Pi (I use the Terminal window in IDEA for this). Take a look at the directory where you previously saved your script. Note that this script hasn't been changed since March 16 at 10:01 PM. Step 16: Run the script from the SSH terminal. You'll see your LED light up just like it did in our last post. Step 17: It might not be necessary, but I like to go back and hit Tools - Deployment - Sync with Deployed... just to make sure the contents on both boxes match up before I change anything. Step 18: Change the println statement on line 19 and save the file. Notice that IDEA immediately pushes the change up to the Pi. Step 19: List the contents of your directory (not shown in screenshot) and you'll notice the updated modified timestamp on the file. Run the script again on the Pi. You'll see the result of your change in the console. And that's how you make your life super duper easy when writing code for the Raspberry Pi. When we get into writing Grails applications, we'll run Grails on the Pi as we develop remotely. Grails will automatically load the changes when running in development mode and our running application will immediately reflect them. As a footnote, I should mention that a similar process should absolutely work with PyCharm if you're doing Python development for the Pi. Here is a blog post that outlines the steps involved, but they're almost identical to this process.Wisconsin voters are headed to the polls today, and it looks like it will be a big day for Ted Cruz. The average of polls over the last week gives him a 3.1 point lead over Donald Trump. Cruz has led in five of six polls by between 5-10 points. Trump led by 10 points in the only other poll – an ARG poll that is the most recent of the polls. But ARG has had a mixed record this election cycle. They have been very close to actual vote totals in some states, but badly missed on Michigan, where they had John Kasich winning (Trump actually won by 12). Looking at all six polls, you come away thinking Ted Cruz will win, I’d guess by about 8 points. That will be a huge win for him, keeping his campaign alive, and giving energy to the #NeverTrump folks whose goal is not so much to elect Ted Cruz, but to deny Donald Trump 1237 delegates before the GOP Convention. If they can keep him from that number, they intend to nominate someone else – perhaps not Trump OR Cruz. But first, they know they have to stop Trump. Cruz winning Wisconsin will go a long way to accomplishing that goal.H&M’s main shareholder Stefan Persson, avatar of Nordic cuddly capitalism. Photo illustration by Slate; Photo by Paul White/AFP/Getty Images America is a land of billionaires, boasting five of the 10 richest people on the planet as of the most recent Forbes 500 list. Then again, we’re a large country, and in per capita terms, we lag behind several smaller states. Many of these—like world leader Monaco (No. 1 per capita, with three billionaires in a population of 35,427)—are true micro-nations, or else they’re St. Kitts and Nevis (No. 2, one billionaire, population 53,051): more of a vacation destination for the rich and less a place where people actually go to earn a fortune. But one country stands out on the list: Sweden (No. 12, 14 billionaires, population 9.56 million). No single Swede comes close to the epic wealth of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffett. But Stefan Persson, the chairman, main shareholder, and former longtime CEO of H&M, leads a roster of Swedish billionaires who outpace the U.S. (No. 14) on a per capita basis. In part this is just a bit of a funny coincidence—it’s a fairly small country, after all—but the fact that a famously left-wing country like Sweden can be so rich in billionaires is telling and important. That’s because a billionaire isn’t just a guy with a well-paying job. To reach that level of stratospheric riches, you probably either need to start a big, successful company or else inherit one from someone who did. And however much people care about inequality, almost every place on Earth would like to be the kind of place where successful new firms are born and raised. The good news about Sweden is that it’s exactly that kind of place. High taxes go to finance cheap health care and education, an excellent system of public transportation, and relatively generous subsidies to low-income households that keep the poverty rate and inequality low. But they haven’t stopped Swedish entrepreneurs from building giant firms like H&M, Ikea, and Tetra Pak. This reality cuts against a recent critique of the Nordic social model from Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson, and Thierry Verdier that was popular in right-of-center circles. The authors contrasted American-style cutthroat capitalism with Nordic-style cuddly capitalism as two social systems that are compatible with high levels of GDP per capita. The cuddly Nordic system might be better for human welfare, they said, but the American system is better for the world. Their reasoning was that high levels of inequality create financial incentives for innovation; cuddlier nations don’t have those incentives. The authors test this rather schematic model empirically by showing that the U.S. files more patents per capita than any of the egalitarian Nordic countries. That’s fine, except patents aren’t innovation—counting them up tells you more about a country’s patent policies than about the number of good ideas its people are coming up with. Lots of things that get patented are completely trivial. Or where they’re not trivial, they often aren’t very innovative—Amazon’s infamous 1999 patent on one-click shopping, for example, only looked innovative to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office because the whole Web still seemed so new at the time. Nobody owns a patent on brick-and-mortar checkout procedures like “have the customers wait in line until a register is free,” because patent law didn’t use to be as promiscuous as it is today. Conversely, lots of important innovations such as “affordable Scandinavian modern design” aren’t patentable. At the same time, while Scandinavian success stories show that great companies can be born and innovate amid generous welfare states, they do have some cautionary tales for left-wing thinking. The Swedish tax code was substantially reformed in 1990 to be friendlier toward capital accumulation, with a flat rate on investment income. Sweden has no taxes on inheritance or residential property, and its 22 percent corporate income tax rate is far lower than America’s 35 percent. Even after spending cuts by the current center-right government, the Swedish public sector is still about half the total economy (much higher than here), but the taxes that finance it fall more heavily on consumption and less on business investment than in the U.S. Sweden also has a relatively lightly regulated economy. There are rules about public health and environmental protection, of course. But Sweden is arguably further down the neoliberal path of dismantling purely economic regulations than the U.S. In Stockholm, for example, taxi fares are completely unregulated and for-profit charter schools are common. All things considered, international surveys rank Sweden as a place where it’s easy to do business. Within the U.S., surveys show that licensing rules rather than tax rates are the main driver of local business-friendliness. It’s much the same in the international context. Regulations that prevent firms from growing big and putting other companies out of business are widespread in many countries, and harm both economywide living standards and billionaire production. France, for example, is considering a ban on free shipping of books to protect its small bookstores from the depredations of Amazon—protections that numerous American retailers in the book industry and beyond would no doubt appreciate. And here in the U.S., the arcane, three-tier liquor distribution system and baroque car dealership rules similarly prevent the most efficient firms from growing and putting the others out of business. This kind of protectionist regulation has an obvious appeal to incumbents, and the small-business owners it protects are often more sympathetic to it than the wannabe billionaires who’d like to see these rules dismantled. But letting the best firms thrive and grow is what creates both vast fortunes and at least the possibility of broadly shared prosperity. If those parameters are in place, even high taxes and generous social welfare benefits don’t stop great businessmen from building great businesses—or even amassing great sums of money.I think I fancy Donald. Call it the media equivalent of Bobby Riggs vs. Billie Jean King: Tonight, Donald Trump finally sits down with his Fox News nemesis Megyn Kelly. The battle between Trump and Fox’s biggest star has been one of the most compelling story lines of the 2016 election, and the subject of much discussion in the run-up to Kelly’s prime-time broadcast special with the GOP frontrunner. But in all the coverage of the Trump-Kelly détente, a more important development has been overlooked: Trump has made peace with Kelly’s boss’s boss, Rupert Murdoch. According to a half dozen sources familiar with Murdoch’s thinking, the media mogul has signaled he plans to fully back Trump in the general election against Hillary Clinton. Murdoch’s embrace of Trump is a sharp reversal from the hostile view he held over much of the past year. In fact, according to one high-level Fox source, it was Murdoch himself who directed Kelly to hammer Trump during the debut GOP debate, in Cleveland, that sparked the feud in the first place. “Rupert told her to do that,” the source said. The Murdoch-Trump alliance is the result of at least two private meetings between the billionaires this spring as well as phone calls from Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Murdoch’s view, according to those who’ve spoken with him, is that Trump is a winner whom the “elites” failed to take seriously. “He doesn’t like people to be snobs and treat Trump like a clown,” one person explained. Murdoch’s outlook is also informed by his take on the winnowed GOP field. When it came down to the final three candidates, Murdoch simply saw Trump as the best option. “He never liked Cruz,” the source explained. Kasich made a personal pitch to Murdoch that he could win on a second ballot at the convention, but failed to persuade. In March, Murdoch tweeted that the GOP would “be mad not to unify” behind Trump. Spokespersons for Murdoch and Trump did not respond to requests for comment. That Murdoch flip-flopped on Trump shouldn’t be all that surprising. Yes, Trump’s stances on immigration and trade clash with Murdoch’s more moderate views (he’s for comprehensive reform and trade deals). But throughout Murdoch’s career, he’s sacrificed core principles to forge political alliances that advance his media empire’s interests (after all, he backed both Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair in the U.K.). And it’s clear Trump is good for business. According to one Fox News producer, the channel’s ratings dip whenever an anti-Trump segment airs. A Fox anchor told me that the message from Roger Ailes’s executives is they need to go easy on Trump. “It’s, ‘Make sure we don’t go after Trump,’” the anchor said. “We’ve thrown in the towel.” Similarly, the New York Post has staked out a pro-Trump position in the marketplace while its rival the Daily News remains one of Trump’s loudest critics. The Post endorsed Trump last month and dubbed him “King Don!” after he won the New York primary. (The outlier among Murdoch’s properties is The Wall Street Journal. “They’re stupid people,” Trump told me back in March). Murdoch’s strategy seems to be a win-win. If Trump gets into the White House, Murdoch will likely have an open line to the new administration (at least as open as anyone can have with Trump). And, if Trump loses to Hillary Clinton, then Murdoch’s right-wing outlets have a ready-made enemy to beat up on for the next four years. That’s a deal Trump can surely respect.Former coach Mike Leach sued ESPN and a public relations firm Wednesday, accusing them of libel and slander after he was fired by Texas Tech amid charges that he mistreated receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James. The suit filed in Texas district court claims the network's coverage of Leach's firing last year was "willful and negligent defamation" and that it failed to "retract false and damaging statements" it made from "misinformation" provided to ESPN by Craig James. ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said the company has not seen the lawsuit and that it would be inappropriate to comment. Leach attorney Ted Liggett said the former coach wants "to set the record" straight. "Mike Leach is adamant," Liggett said. "Mike Leach wants his name cleared. His reputation has taken a severe hit and been tarnished." The university fired Leach on Dec. 30, two days after suspending him amid allegations he mistreated Adam James. Leach has denied the claim. Adam James has said his coach twice ordered him to stand for hours while confined in a dark place during practice. On Wednesday, Liggett claimed that Adam James said under oath that he thought it was "humorous" what Leach told him to do and that he didn't think Leach should have been fired. The suit, which seeks undisclosed damages and retractions from ESPN and the PR firm, was filed now because the statute of limitations on slander and libel is one year. "On a daily basis we're still seeing stories across the country with accounts Leach claims are counter to the truth," Liggett said. "Mike Leach is looking forward to getting back into coaching -- he's said that on several occasions." Leach was fired a few days before Texas Tech beat Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl. Craig James was slated to be a broadcaster but was replaced by Mike Patrick, according to the suit. The suit identifies another broadcaster -- Liggett said the mistake would be amended -- and says he described Adam James to "an audience of millions" and declared: "There is Adam James, who is the young man who was actually punished for having a concussion." Craig James is also a defendant in the lawsuit Leach filed against Texas Tech when he was fired. The university has appealed a ruling that Texas Tech waived its sovereign immunity protection by its conduct in Leach's firing. A ruling is pending from the 7th Court of Appeals in Amarillo, Texas. In June, State District Judge William C. Sowder dismissed three top administrators -- university system chancellor Kent Hance, school president Guy Bailey, athletic director Gerald Myers -- from that suit. The two sides earlier this week agreed that the three would not face future lawsuits over Leach's firing. The libel suit also names Spaeth Communications as a defendant, claiming James hired the firm for "purposes of creating public opinion hostile to Leach." Liggett said Spaeth was behind the Internet posting of a video Adam James shot while he stood in one of the dark places. "Because his effort to sue Texas Tech University failed, it now appears that Coach Leach is looking for someone else to blame, and has shifted his focus to the Craig James family, ESPN and Spaeth Communications," Rebecca Shaw, a Spaeth Communications spokeswoman said in a statement. "This lawsuit is the predictable strategy of a man who is desperate to avoid accountability for his own behavior." Information from The Associated Press was used in this
, gives our soul substance and gravitas, makes us real. In an important sense, Saturn is the ruler of the birth chart itself, for Saturn is Time, Chronos, as well as that which fixes a moment in time, creates through birth a separate embodiment of reality, and then sustains and works out through time all the meaning and challenges of that archetypal moment. Saturn is the archetype that rules the structure of our lives. It is the matrix of things, that which provides both limit and structure, thereby permitting the possibility of manifestation itself. In limiting and bringing closure, Saturn defines. Saturn is also the principle of judgment, governing the consequences of our actions, confronting us with our past. Esoterically, it is considered to be the planet of karma, the carrier of karma from past lifetimes, the consequences of which we now have to encounter in the present life. It might be seen as the cross we bear, for it concerns our trials and sufferings which may often seem inexplicable and undeserved. In theological terms Saturn bears resemblance to some (though not all) aspects of the Hebrew Yahweh: the strict patriarchal ruler and law-giver of creation, the God of justice and retribution who condemns humankind to a life of separation, labor, suffering, disease, pain in childbirth, and death. Saturn is lord of the realm of finitude, imperfection, and mortality. At a deep level, Saturn can be seen as the archetypal birth labor of existence: that which constricts and limits, rigidifies, alienates, cuts one off from the primal union, makes us die to the womb--but also that which incarnates us, gives us embodiment, form, firmness, substance, material reality. Saturn is therefore often symbolized as a skeleton, both as a symbol of death, the ultimate consuming power of time, but also as the skeletal structure and foundation of things, without which there would be no form, no stability, no supporting frame of strength and solidity which has slowly evolved through time and experience. Saturn makes us stand alone and know solitude; it separates us from others--from the womb when we are born, from our childhood family as we grow older, and from everyone as we face our death. Yet it is also Saturn that makes us who we are, that disciplines and orders our existence until it has sculpted our essence. It is the superego inside us--our inner judge and conscience, that complex reflection of internalized social convention, religious tradition, and moral law. Saturn governs the consequences of error, guilt, pessimism, inferiority, depression, deprivation; yet it also gives us the capacity for rigor, order, concentration, endurance, seriousness, fidelity, responsibility, maturity. To continue the comparison with Jupiter, where Jupiter may be inflated, exaggerated, or overoptimistic, Saturn is judicious, grounded, and pragmatic. Saturn works slowly and gradually, painstakingly, often painfully, but effectively, with enduring results. Saturn rules our work in the world, that which we do to make ends meet, the labor of life. It governs "reality" as we usually think of that term--that which makes concrete demands on us, which confronts us with material limitations, which brings us down to earth. It makes us know defeat, limiting our aspirations and negating our dreams. Saturn resists and oppresses us, and yet also defines us, brings us experience and wisdom, makes us take responsibility for ourselves so that we become our own master. As Nietzsche said, "He who cannot obey himself will be commanded." It is Saturn alone that can give us that special sense of inner authority which can only be purchased through time and experience. The position of Saturn in ones birth chart is thus a matter of great importance, and the major aspects it makes to other planets can tell us much about ones principal concerns in life. Transits involving Saturn regularly mark periods of major developmental importance, often bringing times of personal trial, but also of deep maturation and the establishment of significant life structures involving one's career, important relationships, or major karmic responsibilities. Perhaps the main thing to remember--or to adopt as a working hypothesis--is that Saturn indicates that which we have chosen to work with and through in this life in order to achieve a higher level of spiritual awareness. The sufferings and frustrations it may bring can perhaps best be seen as serving a purpose which will in the long run be recognized as worth all the hard labor of life. Again, Saturn is that part of the archetypal birth process which oppresses and alienates, and yet slowly molds and structures, and, in the end, ushers us into a new level of existence. It is the guardian of the threshold. Uranus represents the principle of change, of freedom, rebellion, and revolution. It is associated with unexpected phenomena of all kinds, with sudden surprises and awakenings, with breakthroughs--intellectual, psychological, spiritual. It governs the sudden breakup of established structures, and tends to have an exciting and electric quality. It also rules individualism and originality, invention and technology, creative genius and brilliant mental insight. The planet Uranus, the first planet to be discovered in modern times--in 1781, during an age of radical cultural change and revolution--can best be understood archetypally in terms of the Greek mythic figure of Prometheus, who stole fire from the heavens in rebellion against the gods to give humankind greater freedom. The Promethean impulse associated with the planet Uranus represents that part of us that seeks to go our own way, to choose our own individual path in life. Its influence inclines one to be changeable, restless, and unpredictable--sometimes irresponsibly so--in a constant quest for personal freedom and new experience. Uranus also mediates creativity and innovation: in its less exalted forms it can signify only eccentricity or lawlessness, but in its highest expression it can indicate real genius, and a capacity for making significant personal or cultural breakthroughs in the course of one's life. The Prometheus archetype associated with the planet Uranus correlates with that stage in the archetypal birth process in which one is suddenly liberated from the constrictions of the birth canal and experiences sudden freedom, awakening, new life, new identity, a radical expansion of horizons: Prometheus Unbound. There is another side to this archetype's energy, however, which can make the experience of Uranus a very different matter. When a person has not integrated the Promethean impulse toward creative freedom, autonomous individualism, and capacity for change, there is a strong tendency to experience this archetype as something that happens to one from without in upsetting, disruptive ways. That is, instead of being ourselves a source of change and independence and excitement, we may tend to have change and unpredictable events thrust upon us, so that we are forced to open up our life to new horizons and new possibilities. Uranus thus confronts the Saturnian part of us that wishes to hold on, to maintain the status quo, to resist change in favor of security, tradition, and the established order. The rebel-trickster side of the Prometheus archetype can thus come from within or without, and in the latter case a person can feel constantly subject to problematic changes that require one to reorient one's life. Whether these changes are precipitated by other people, by new psychological or physical conditions, or by external circumstances, their role is to open one's life to something new. If one is identified excessively with the past, if one tries to hold on to structures that are outmoded, then one will experience Uranus as a disruptive force that at times can be quite uncomfortable. But the potential is always there for one to integrate the archetype, and for one to contact ones own capacity for freedom and excitement, for openness to the unexpected and the new. When any planet is in major aspect to Uranus, that second planetary archetype tends to be liberated into expression, often in sudden, unusual, or unexpected ways. The second archetype is given an exciting, creative or innovative stimulation, and can be a source of both freedom and unanticipated change. Neptune is the archetype of the transcendent, of ideal reality, of imagination and the spiritual. It represents the ocean of consciousness that dissolves all boundaries between self and other, between self and universe, between self and God, and between this concrete reality and other realities. In perinatal terms Neptune has much to do with the intrauterine condition in which the child's being and consciousness are not yet differentiated from the mother's, where there is a symbiotic union, a melting oceanic feeling. Individuals who contact this primal memory in deep self-exploration often associate that state with the mystical condition of oneness with Nature, union with God, or union with the All, and also with a free-floating consciousness in which many realities--spiritual, imaginative, or illusory--seem to interpenetrate without sharp distinction. Neptune thus governs the ideal world, whether this be defined as the perfect all-encompassing maternal womb, the spiritual world of ideal reality, or one's highest dreams and aspirations. Yet, like every other planetary archetype, Neptune has opposite sides, light and shadow. For it can both illuminate one with the highest spiritual truths that transcend the everyday world, and yet also lead one into escapist fantasy, illusion, and deception. Neptune represents Nirvana, the supreme state of mystical bliss where all the divisions and structures of this world are transcended; yet it also represents Maya, the divine play which produces the many illusions of reality that enchant consciousness. Neptune relates to both madness and mysticism, and the line is often hard to draw. Neptune can also be seen as connected to the Narcissus archetype--that which is absorbed in its own reflection. Again this can be understood as the ultimate Divinity eternally experiencing its infinite consciousness, as reflected in the mystic who is absorbed in blissful meditation; but also as the self-absorbed narcissist, the drug addict or alcoholic, the television couch-potato, the escapist, or the psychotic who can no longer accurately discern what is consensus reality. There is a selflessness and unworldliness to Neptune which is visible in the saint and martyr, the altruistic social worker, the yogi or monk. Yet these same qualities can result in an unhealthy denial of self, a sense of helpless weakness, a regressive impulse away from life and the challenges of being an individual self, or an exaggerated spirituality that would altogether deny the claims of the physical world and physical body. What is required of us, as always, is to find a good balance between the demands of Neptune and those of the other planets. Neptune rules the basic human drive or thirst for transcendence: the yearning for an invisible ideal, the longing to dissolve one's boundaries into the cosmic unity, to melt into a dream, to transcend this world of separation and limit, to experience the flow of love and compassion and a transcendence of the boundaries of the personal ego. It is just this drive or thirst that fuels the addictive impulse as well as the spiritual quest. Because of Neptune's association with the ideal, with a kind of mystical paradise or oceanic womb of which the psyche may have, as it were, archetypal memories, there is often an accompanying sense of loss or longing connected with whatever it touches in the chart. Because it dissolves one's boundaries, Neptune tends to sensitize one to everything--to other people and their inner states, to external stimuli, to other realities, and so forth. It greatly increases the intuition, but it can also make one liable to projecting one's own inner states on to others in a delusive way. Neptune is related to healing abilities, both physical and psychological. It has a refining, purifying, sublimating influence. Yet physically Neptune tends to weaken one's own body (in favor of the spiritual), just as psychologically it tends to weaken the ego (in favor of the larger whole of consciousness). Its constant dynamic is to dissolve structures, to bring all things back to an undifferentiated unity. Neptune also seems to be related to all things watery, whether the physical ocean or the amniotic fluid in which floats the embryo. Since it governs the realm of imagination, Neptune can be seen as the source of all imaginative creativity and artistic imagery. It governs myth, dreams, symbols, and the flow of images in consciousness. It is the spiritual matrix of the anima mundi, the world soul or cosmic psyche. Also, as the symbol of the ultimate spiritual unity of all things, Neptune can be seen as the wellspring of love and compassion. It rules faith and hope, a sense of the unseen, the quest for spiritual beauty. It is the mystical religious archetype par excellence. When a planet is in major aspect to Neptune, that second planetary archetype tends to be especially sensitized, sometimes weakened, sometimes spiritualized, sometimes both. The second archetype tends to be idealized in some way, making it subject to either illusion on the one hand or mystical meaning on the other. It becomes allied to the principle of imagination and the spiritual, and potentially can be a significant channel for the expansion of consciousness. And finally Pluto : the archetype of primordial energy, the universal life force which impels all evolution and transformation. Pluto represents the principle of power itself, of elemental force, of primal libido and aggression, and is essentially identical to Freud's notion of the id. It is the Dionysian energy of life, the Serpent power, the Kundalini. It compels, empowers, overwhelms, transforms; it destroys and resurrects. Pluto governs the instincts and the forces of nature. It rules the biological processes of birth, sex, and death, and at its deepest level it involves the mystery of death and rebirth. Pluto rules upheaval, breakdown and decay, but also regeneration and the purifying fire of catharsis. It reflects the archetypal Underworld--the dark, mysterious, and often terrifying reality which lurks beneath the surface of things, beneath our ego and societal conventions and the veneer of civilization, and which is periodically unleashed with great destructive and transformative force. Many of the problematic instincts that lie deep within the human psyche, such as murderous hatred, violent jealousy, compulsive greed and lust and so forth, reflect the activity of Pluto: this is Freud's broiling cauldron of the instincts. Pluto is visible in the elemental power of a volcanic eruption, of a devouring lion, of a war, of an orgasm, of a mother in the climactic stages of giving birth. It is present in all violent, purgatorial discharge of pent-up energies--from the Earth as in an earthquake, or from the human body and psyche as in therapy or in a psychotic break. Pluto is in many ways the polar complement of Neptune--together they represent the great polarities of Dionysus and Apollo, the chthonic and the transcendent, the volcanic and the oceanic, nature and spirit, instinct and imagination. And, like Neptune, Pluto is unfathomable. In terms of the archetypal birth process, Pluto corresponds to the stage in which the baby is being powerfully expelled from within the mother's body in a life-and-death struggle of bloody biology, when the erotic and aggressive instincts are being aroused to the utmost. Pluto thus has two sides, both expressed in the processes of Nature: a destructive side, personified as Kali, the Devouring Mother, and a creative side, personified as Shakti, the universal divine energy that impels all life and evolution. Pluto is what Schopenhauer and Nietzsche called the universal Will--at one level seeming to reflect only blind, driving instinct, at another possessing all the evolutionary intelligence of Nature, the divine Shakti. Pluto is Nature itself, life eternally transforming and overcoming itself in an immense evolutionary dynamic. It has been said that in the course of life we are all consumed by life's fire: the only question--and this is where our challenge lies--is whether we will be deformed or perfected by that process. When a planet forms a major aspect to Pluto, that second planetary archetype tends to be greatly intensified and empowered in ones life and character, sometimes to a compulsive extreme. It may be a source of power struggles in one's life, outer or inner, but also of profound personal transformation. These, then, are the ten planetary archetypes. Archetypes are deep and many-faceted, and their meanings constantly open up to one in new ways each time one studies them. It is also important to remember that, although I have described them here individually, in actual life they always interact with each other, Pluto with Venus, for example, or Uranus with Mars, and often three or more interacting simultaneously. It is these complex archetypal interactions--in the birth chart and in transits--that form the basis of astrological analysis. Aspects Now I will define the aspects, which are the geometrical relationships between planets which indicate how the corresponding archetypes tend to interact with each other and express themselves in one's life. An aspect is a specific angular relationship (such as 90 degrees or 180) between two planets. The existence of an aspect between planets indicates a mutual activation of the corresponding archetypes. That is, when two planets are positioned in a specific angular relationship (measured in degrees of celestial longitude along the ecliptic), the two corresponding planetary archetypes are brought into interaction and into concrete expression in human affairs. (For example, if Mercury and Pluto are in close aspect in ones birth chart, then a decisive interaction between the Mercury and Pluto archetypes would tend to be visible in ones life and character.) There are five major aspects: conjunction (approx. 0 degrees between planets) opposition (approx. 180) trine (approx. 120) square (approx. 90) sextile (approx. 60) Of the major aspects, the conjunction and opposition are the most significant and potent, representing the two climaxes of any planetary cycle (for example, the new Moon and full Moon, which are formed by the Moon's conjunction and opposition with the Sun). The trine and square aspects are intermediate in strength, the sextile the least potent. Also, generally speaking, the more exact the aspect (for example, two planets that are 2 degrees away from exact conjunction, rather than 7 degrees), then the more pronounced will be the archetypal interaction. The trine and sextile generally indicate a harmonious ("soft") interaction between two planetary archetypes, in which the two principles or forms of energy tend to flow together in an easy manner. The opposition and square correspond to a more dynamic or conflicting ("hard") interaction. Here the two principles tend to have a more dialectical relationship, working both with and against each other; the individual has to work hard to bring the two together in a positive way, to have them come to terms with each other. And the conjunction indicates a synthesis in which the interaction can be of either category. Thus an aspect between two planets brings the two corresponding archetypes into interaction, and also determines the nature of that interaction. [For those who are interested in these matters, the character of each aspect is defined by Pythagorean principles. The major aspects are formed by dividing the 360 degree circle by the whole numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively, and the Pythagorean meaning of each number gives to the corresponding aspect its specific quality. Thus the unity or synthesis inherent in the number 1 and the conjunction; the polarity or duality inherent in the number 2 and the opposition; the equilibrium or stable balance of the number 3 and the trine. The characters of the square (4) and the sextile (6) derive from their components (2x2 and 3x2), with the square resembling the opposition, and the sextile resembling the trine.] Also important in our analysis are alignments known as midpoints, which can be regarded as a more subtle kind of aspect. When one planet is positioned in aspect to the exact midpoint of two other planets, then the corresponding archetypes are considered to be brought into interaction. Such a configuration indicates a complex mutual activation of all three archetypes. Although by necessity we discuss the various individual aspects and midpoint configurations in a chart in isolation, two or three planets at a time, in actuality they are all parts of an integrated whole that is greater than the sum of its discrete parts. This complexly interacting whole, ones birth chart, ultimately defies full intellectual comprehension, but by selecting out and focusing on the individual aspects and their specific archetypal dynamics, we can shed considerable light on the whole birth chart and the life it symbolically reflects. Let me emphasize here that though the soft aspects are indeed great gifts, it is often the hard aspects, in both birth charts and transits, that prove to be the most fruitful in a person's life, sometimes dramatically so. Although they are rightly associated with difficulties, crises, and challenges, it is the hard aspects that tend to make things happen in life. The pressure of their conflict tends to create greater energetic dynamism, and challenge one to move toward higher creative syntheses. They are more likely to produce concrete manifestations, strengthening of character, deepening of the soul. Also, as one works through the negative side of such an aspect, the psychic energy that is bound within that archetypal complex can be freed up to manifest in more creative, life-enhancing ways (e.g., the compulsive rigidity that can accompany hard Saturn-Pluto aspects can turn into sustained strength of purpose, and so forth). Individuals who achieve things of real consequence in life regularly have birth charts with hard aspects between the planets most relevant to their achievement, and those major achievements often occur during periods of life marked by demanding transits. Transits The study of transits is especially valuable because it allows us to get a sense for the timing of the planetary archetypes in our lives. Perhaps of all areas of astrology, it is the study of transits that produces the most compelling evidence for the power of the astrological perspective, and its immense pragmatic value. The principle of transits rests on the fact that as the planets continue moving after a persons birth, they move into and out of aspect in relation to the natal planetary positions. Thus when any planet's present position in the sky forms an aspect to a point that was occupied by any planet at the time of ones birth (for example Uranus now in the sky forming a conjunction to Venus in the natal chart), then during the period in which that particular aspect is in range one would tend to have experiences that correlate with the planets and aspect involved (in this example, a two-or-three year period in which one would tend to experience the awakening of new love, the stimulation of one's artistic creativity or aesthetic responsiveness to life, a certain restlessness and unpredictability in one's relationships, and so forth). While the birth chart in itself is a portrait of ones life and character as a whole, transits to the birth chart reflect the dynamic unfolding of ones life and character in terms of specific events and experiences. Transits activate the potential that is inherent in the birth chart. Since different planets move at different speeds, the duration of their transits varies--a Moon transit lasting only several hours, a Sun or Mars transit several days, and the outer planets several months or even years. The transits of the inner planets are useful for understanding the day-to-day changes and shorter cycles of ones life, but it is transits from the four outermost planets--Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto--that are of the greatest significance in understanding life's larger dynamics. There are a number of other significant factors in the birth chart that are well worth examining, such as the sign positions of the planets (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.), the houses, the elements and qualities, hemispheric emphasis, harmonics, as well as other predictive techniques such as progressions, solar arc directions, solar and lunar returns, etc. I find all of these to be valuable factors to explore, and I may at times bring some of them into discussion, but my own particular expertise, as well as the bulk of my empirical research, is in the area of interpreting the combinations of planetary archetypes, the major aspects (including midpoints), and transits. I regard these, after many years of research, as the most essential factors in astrology, possessing great precision and richness of meaning. These factors reflect a certain beautifully lucid geometry of archetypal forms and forces, and I believe they offer the most intellectually cogent and clarifying path of entry into the mysteries of the astrological perspective. I recommend seeking out interpretations or readings from every good astrologer who crosses your path, for astrology is so complex, and your chart has so many facets and levels of meaning, that each astrologer can illuminate it in new ways and give you important new insights. Also, my own focus is on the psychological and spiritual dimensions of life (as well as on long-term cultural and historical cycles). There are other astrologers who focus on medical, financial, horary, and other specialized areas of astrology, which you may find particularly relevant to your own interests. But beyond getting readings from good astrologers, I believe the most rewarding path to take in the end is to learn something about the field for yourself, learn how to calculate your own transits (it is not difficult), and then examine the evidence and experience this profound source of insight and understanding for yourself. A few last comments Every planetary combination has a problematic side as well as a more obviously beneficent and productive side, and I always attempt to describe both as clearly as possible. But particularly the hard aspects between planets (both in the birth chart and in transits) are likely to challenge one to come to terms with the energies involved, and in describing these one should not sugarcoat them so that it would seem as if you have only marvelous personal qualities and your life has been and will always be an uninterrupted series of wonderful experiences. No one's life or character is like that. The birth chart provides a vivid portrait of one's self, and its usefulness is dependent on how clearly and fully you are willing to face your true character, including parts of yourself and your life that may be difficult or hidden. An astrological chart provides a kind of x-ray of the soul and its movements, which cuts through the more superficial levels of the psyche to reach the archetypal foundations of one's life and being. The main thing to understand here is that astrology is not concretely predictive, but archetypally predictive. That is, the birth chart and transits indicate which universal principles are emphasized, in what combination, and when. They do not give information such as "You will get an offer of a job as editor-in-chief for a large publishing firm on April 26, 2004," or "You will meet your soul mate on the beach at Waikiki at sunset on New Year's Day in 2005." It may not be impossible for a gifted clairvoyant to do something like this, but astrology has a different character. Along the same lines, some archetypal dynamics symbolized in our birth chart we recognize as true, but not so much of our own character as of the kinds of experiences we have drawn towards us, the character of events and relationships that are in our life. This is because the archetypal patterns in our birth chart describe the quality of our life experience. One cannot know for sure whether the particular archetypal energies will be something one is conscious of in oneself, or whether they express themselves in the larger sphere of ones life in the events, relationships, and circumstances that are to some degree external to one, yet ultimately reflect ones own consciousness. Particularly if we have not psychologically "owned" those qualities in our chart, we will tend to project them onto others--and thus draw towards us others who will fulfill those energies in our life. As Jung often said, what is forced to remain unconscious comes to us as "fate." The value of a good astrological analysis is that it can shed a more coherent light on the many diverse and often chaotic particulars of our life, so that we can see clarifying archetypal patterns in it. In terms of the more problematic qualities suggested in the chart, some of these will no longer seem relevant to us simply because we have already lived them through, fully experienced their challenges, and outgrown them. More than that, we will have integrated those aspects and made them work for us in a more positive way. And that of course is as it should be. An analysis like this is meant to further encourage just this process. As an ancient esoteric dictum put it: "The sagacious person enhances the workings of the heavens in the same way a farmer enhances the workings of nature." Finally, it is important to realize that, at least in one crucial sense, astrology operates beyond good and evil. All archetypes are Janus-faced, with positive and negative sides, and as the foregoing discussion suggests, no astrologer can look at a chart and, simply on that basis, conclude whether that person is "good" or "bad." The birth chart does not determine the moral vector of personal character. Nor does it determine ultimate "success" or "failure." It portrays rather the basic nature of the archetypal dynamics that inform that individual's life and character. How the individual copes with and grows through those particular dynamics, how she or he creatively embodies and integrates the diverse potentials of the birth chart, depends in the last analysis on the individual. The same archetype can express itself benignly or destructively, in an exalted way or an ignoble way, and to a great extent which of these occurs will be affected by the kind of consciousness that is brought to the situation. The god needs to be honored, the archetype will manifest, but there is considerable latitude as to how that may happen. And herein lies the importance of astrological insight, for the very act of knowing the nature of the particular archetypes that are seeking to manifest, combined with an awareness of their potential timing, can play a significant role in positively influencing the outcome. Then life becomes more of a dance--a subtle interaction between archetypal forces and human awareness, a play of consciousness between the gods and the human mind and will and heart which they inform.The ‘Averageness Hypothesis’ of attractiveness Sir Francis Galton and his composite portraits In the 1800s, Sir Francis Galton created composite images of faces by projecting face photographs of many different individuals onto a single piece of photographic film. This was done in an effort to visualise the facial characteristics that were common to a particular group of people (e.g. to represent the typical face of criminals or soldiers). When Galton showed these images to his colleagues, however, they unanimously agreed that these composite faces tended to be more attractive than the individual face photographs from which they were manufactured (i.e. the composites tended to be more attractive than their constituent faces). Computer Method Galton's Method More recently psychologists have used computer graphic methods to manufacture composite faces (sometimes referred to as ‘average faces’ or ‘face prototypes’) with the average characteristics of their constituent faces. While Galton aligned the constituent images using the distance between the pupils, causing the images to appear somewhat fuzzy, these more modern computer graphic methods warp each of the constituent faces into the average shape for the sample before blending the images together. This process ensures that the images created are sharper than those created using Galton's methods. It is well established that composite faces manufactured using these computer graphic methods tend to be perceived as more attractive than the average attractiveness rating of their constituent images (as Galton's composites also were). That composite faces tend to be judged as more attractive than their constituent images led many researchers to conclude that ‘attractive faces are only average’. In other words, many researchers that had noted the high attractiveness of composite faces proposed that averageness is the critical determinant of attractiveness. This is often referred to as the ‘Averageness Hypothesis’. One explanation put forward for the effect of averageness on facial attractiveness is that average faces most closely resemble mental representations of a typical face and can therefore be processed most easily by the visual system (this explanation is similar to the perceptual bias account of symmetry preferences in that it emphasises a possible link between the ease with which faces can be processed and their attractiveness). Individual Faces Composite Face Testing the Averageness Hypothesis In a classic study of facial attractiveness, Perrett et al. (1994) tested the Averageness Hypothesis in an effort to establish if averageness really is the critical determinant of the attractiveness of faces. Perrett et al. first collected a full face photographs of 60 young women (these photographs were taken under the same lighting conditions). One group of participants then were shown these images and asked to rate the attractiveness of each face using a 1 (very unattractive) to 7 (very attractive) scale. Next, Perrett et al used computer graphic methods to manufacture a composite face with the average shape of the whole sample (i.e. to construct the average of all 60 female faces) and a second composite face which was the average of the 15 faces that had been judged to be the most attractive by the first group of participants. Perrett et al. then manufactured what they called a ‘hyper-attractive’ composite face (i.e. a version of the composite of the attractive faces in which its attractive qualities were exaggerated or caricatured) by exaggerating (i.e. caricaturing) the physical differences in shape between the composite of all 60 faces and the composite of the most attractive 15 faces using computer graphic methods. Composite of 60 Faces Composite of 15 Most Attractive Faces Hyper-Attractive Composite Intriguingly, Perrett et al. found that when a new group of participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of each of the 3 composite faces (the average of all 60 faces, the average of the 15 most attractive faces and the ‘hyper-attractive’ that had exaggerated attractive qualities) the hyper-attractive face was considered the most attractive of the 3. This is noteworthy because the hyper attractive face was mathematically the least average of all 3 composites. Because the hyper-attractive face was the least average of the 3 composites judged, but also the most attractive, this finding is very strong evidence that averageness is not necessarily the critical determinant of facial attractiveness. In other words, Perrett et al's findings are evidence against the Averageness Hypothesis of facial attractiveness (which proposes that ‘attractive faces are only average’) because the findings show that highly attractive faces deviate systematically from an average shape. Try it yourself by making your own averages. Choose how many images to average together and see if more average faces really are more attractive and if the average of attractive faces is more attractive than the average of faces not selected for attractiveness. Suggested further reading (504 kB) Perrett, D. I., May, K. A. & Yoshikawa, S. (1994). Facial shape and judgments of female attractiveness. Nature, 368: 239–242. Username PasswordLyft Might Be Losing the Ride-Sharing Battle in NYC...and Not Just to Uber Text size Uber may be dominating the ride-sharing business but there’s a lively fight for No. 2 and you might be surprised to hear that Lyft isn’t necessarily winning, at least not in one big American city. Last month, ride-sharing startup Gett announced a $200 million acquisition of rival Juno. Measured by cars on the road, the combined company has passed Lyft for the No. 2 spot in New York City, among the ride-sharing firms. Uber has maintained its sizeable lead. Founded in Israel seven years ago, Gett now operates in over 100 cities in the U.K, Russia and Israel. In the United States, it’s only available in New York, so far. Juno, about one year old, has also limited its business to New York.The Autistic Self Advocacy Network condemns the proposed nomination of Senator Jefferson Sessions III, a staunch opponent of civil liberties, as United States Attorney General. The Attorney General oversees the Department of Justice. This agency’s work could not be more vital to the disability community. The Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing countless laws protecting civil rights and voting rights. It protects the rights of people interacting with police and helps track and prosecute hate crimes. For the past several years, the Department of Justice has actively enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead decision, resulting in increased community inclusion for disabled people across the country. But Senator Sessions has suggested increasing the segregation of disabled students in public schools, calling the inclusion of students with significant disabilities “the single most irritating problem for teachers throughout America today.” We have grave concerns that under Sessions, the Department of Justice would not protect the rights of disabled people and other marginalized populations. In addition to his statements opposing community inclusion for people with disabilities, Sessions voted against the Shepard-Byrd act, which extended Federal hate crimes protections to women, LGBT people, and people with disabilities–hate crimes protections that the Department of Justice now enforces. Sessions has also long opposed the voting rights protections that the Department of Justice is charged with protecting, which include protections for voters with disabilities. He has even denied that race-motivated voter suppression exists. In 1986, Sessions failed to be confirmed to the U.S. District Court due to testimony that he had made frequent racist remarks to an African-American co-worker, had called civil rights groups “un-American,” and generally expressed contempt for the entire field of civil rights law. As a Senator, he has consistently opposed reproductive rights; voted against expanding healthcare access through Medicaid, SCHIP, and the ACA; and supported policies hostile to both documented and undocumented immigrants. Sessions opposed not only Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-gender marriage in all states, but also Lawrence v. Texas, which ruled that laws criminalizing sexuality between same-sex partners are unconstitutional. During the recent election, he claimed that non-consensually grabbing a woman’s genitals is not sexual assault. Sessions has devoted his career in public service to upholding inequality. This is incompatible with the responsibilities of the Attorney General. During the confirmation process, ASAN calls on Senators of both parties, as well as members of the public, to undertake a thorough investigation into Sessions’ long record of bigotry, ableism, racism and disdain for civil rights and to reject his nomination to the position of Attorney General.So I went to get my photo ID today. Left at 2:00; got back at 6:30. I had my 89-year-old Mother with me to make things even more intense. We got there and got our numbers - 230 and 231. We went to sit down. They were on 151. Yes, 151; 230/231. The place was packed. After waiting for an hour with not much happening (I think they were on about 170 by then) I went to make sure we had the right numbers. Yes, you'll just have to wait a little while. We finally got called up at about 4:45. I had my whole life in an envelope - birth certificate, divorce
spontaneous reactions, learn individually as well as in social and historical contexts, and plan the activities to gain a delayed profit. The manufacture and use of tools are determined by several cognitive aspects, including different levels of causal reasoning, and are commonly reproduced culturally. As such elements of behavior, tools are well suited to build the bridge to reach into the blackbox of past human cognition. Building the Bridge—Construction Work Archeologists have to interpret their raw data, the archeological finds, with the help of bridging arguments (A–B–C) to proceed in further steps with the reconstruction of the activities, knowledge, and conceptions behind the manufacture and use of the tools (C–D–E). The studies of animal tool behavior begin at a different point as most of the raw data stem from direct, though often fragmented or anecdotic observations of an animal's practice with a certain tool. Ethologists mainly start at C, and the bridge (C–D–E) has to be reconstructed only partially. To parallelize the bridges of different archeological artifacts and of animal tool behavior the data have to be made comparable. To represent the individual bridges in a contrastable way the underlying perceptions and behavior in the process of manufacture and use can be coded in cognigrams and effective chains (see e.g., Haidle, 2010, 2012; Lombard and Haidle, 2012; Hunt et al., 2013). This method is based on the problem-solution distance approach, which originates in the comparative research of Wolfgang Köhler (1926) and takes each tool behavior as an extension of a simple and direct way from need to satisfaction. While a hungry sheep has only to bend the neck to feed on grass, a chimpanzee with appetite for termites has to find or produce an appropriate probe to extract the insects from their mount to appease her hunger. The use of a tool incorporates a moment of inhibition of the impulse to satisfy a need as quickly as possible; the distance between a problem and its solution is increased. The extension of the perception of a need and the following actions can be systematically coded and illustrated in cognigrams (Figure 2). Starting with the subject's perception of a basic need, a line of subsequent problems is perceived, opening new attention foci, which are acted upon to satisfy the basic need. The attention foci can be classified as active if they are actively controlled by the subject and act upon other foci. They can encompass the subject itself or the tools. In contrast, passive foci are objects that are acted upon or locations. Returning to the examples of the sheep and the chimpanzee the method becomes clear. The sheep (subject) feels hungry (basic need, first attention focus) and wants to eat some grass (second attention focus), bends the neck (action 1) to rip off the grass (action 2) to feed on (action 3) to become full (satisfaction of need) (Figure 3). While the grazing-sheep example describes a basic problem-solution distance with the subject as the only agent, the grass as the object and bending the neck and grazing as necessary actions, tool behavior always represents an extension of the problem-solution distance with at least one more active attention focus (the tool) with a certain effect. If the chimpanzee (subject) feels hungry (basic need, first attention focus) and wants to feed on termites (second attention focus), the animal looks for an adequate location (third attention focus), perceives the additional need of a probe (fourth attention focus), which has to be searched for (action 1), obtained (action 2), and transported to the termite mount (action 3), to insert it into holes of the mount (action 4) to catch the insects (action 5), which cling to the probe (effect of tool), to strip them off the tool (action 6), and to feed on (action 7) to become full (satisfaction of need) (Figure 4). FIGURE 2 Figure 2. Graphic elements of a cognigram. FIGURE 3 Figure 3. Cognigram depicting the problem-solving behavior of a sheep grazing to satisfy the basic need “hunger.” FIGURE 4 Figure 4. Cognigram depicting the problem-solving behavior of a chimpanzee using a probe to feed on termites to satisfy the basic need “hunger.” In cognigrams, the different elements of a behavior are broken down by active and passive attention foci (subject, tools, objects, locations), by perceptions of need opening the attention foci, by actions within or directed to an attention focus, by effects of attention foci on other attention foci, and by phases–clusters of actions that have to be executed as a group or, if interrupted, started again with the first action of the phase. A crucial point for the comparison of behaviors is an equivalent starting point (basic need) and the tracking of all elements including actual or probable interruptions until the final satisfaction of the basic need. The cracking of nuts with a hammerstone by chimpanzees is not directly comparable with the production of a simple stone tool with a hammerstone by a hominin, because the manufacture of the stone tool is only part of a process to fulfill a basic need, which can be the satisfaction of hunger or defense, for example (cf. Haidle, 2010). If tool behavior includes several tools with different effects to fulfill a need, the cognigrams can be simplified to effective chains that represent only the attention foci of the behavior and the effects they have on each other (Figure 5) (Lombard and Haidle, 2012). Cognigrams and effective chains, however, are only as good as the reconstructions of the behavior they illustrate. Cognigrams therefore consist a) of a formalized description of the reconstruction of the behavior with the elements in chronological order of appearance and b) of a graphical representation. The bridging arguments (D) that lead to the interpretation of the behavioral background (E) shown in the cognigrams are given in a reference section explaining the background and listing the sources. FIGURE 5 Figure 5. Simplifying a complex set of behaviors. The effective chain depicts agents (tools in boxes, raw materials and intermediate products without boxes) and effects (arrows, plus signs, and curly braces) and summarizes the combination of more than two dozen behavioral modules in the manufacture and use of a bow-and-arrow complementary tool set (from Lombard and Haidle, 2012). The reconstruction of the behavioral elements contributing to the overall picture of a certain problem-solution unit can be more or less detailed and can vary. Even descriptions of direct observations of a problem-solution unit can identify different details, e.g., in problem perceptions and actions, and variegate them by splitting or lumping; the more so do reconstructions based on archeological finds. The following options A, B, and C of the grazing-sheep case exemplify how different the descriptions can be even in such a simple instance. Option A 1. First attention focus, basic need: the sheep (subject) feels hungry 2. Second attention focus: the sheep identifies edible plants (object) 3. Action 1: the sheep bends the neck… 4. Action 2: rips off the plants… 5. Action 3: feeds on them … 6. Action 4: and becomes full (satisfaction of need). Option B (shortened version) 1. First attention focus, basic need: the sheep (subject) feels hungry 2. Second attention focus: the sheep identifies edible plants (object) 3. Action 1: feeds on them … 4. Action 2: and becomes full (satisfaction of need). Option C (extended version) 1. First attention focus, basic need: the sheep (subject) Subfocus A (referring to subject): notices that the stomach feels strange/hurts Subfocus B (referring to subject): “realizes” that it is hungry Subfocus C (referring to subject): “knows” that it needs to eat something 2. Second attention focus: the sheep identifies edible plants (object) 3. Action 1: bends the neck close to the grass … 4. Action 2: opens the mouth … 5. Action 3: rips off the grass … 6. Action 4: chews the grass … 7. Action 5: tastes whether it is good or not … 8. Action 6: swallows the grass … 9. Action 7: and becomes full. 10. Re-opening of first attention focus, satisfaction of need: the sheep (subject) Subfocus A (referring to subject): notices that the stomach feels better Subfocus B (referring to subject): “realizes” that the hunger is gone Subfocus C (referring to subject): “knows” that it can stop feeding Although the grazing-sheep case shows at first sight impressive differences in depiction, the lumping and splitting of subfoci/main foci and of operational steps/actions do not really change the overall picture of main active and passive foci and their effects on one another. If, however, new elements are added or old ones are completely omitted (instead of being separated from or integrated in more comprehensive steps), then real variants of a problem-solution unit are documented. Commonly, the reconstructions of prehistoric behavior (E) and the cognigrams as their graphic representations depict idealized behavioral processes derived from a multitude of slightly different possibilities. To give a current example: several observations of brewing coffee with hot water and a simple paper filter lead to a generalized description of the behavioral process; the planning differences about the facility used to boil water, whether coffee beans are first ground in a mill or ready-made powder is used, and the amount of coffee powder taken are not discussed in detail. It depends on the aim of the analysis if this idealized description is sufficient. The idealized depiction is sufficient, if you want to compare traditional German coffee making with simple paper filter with an Ethiopian coffee ceremony or with the use of a coffee dispenser. It is not sufficient, if you want to study variability in the behavior of an individual, small differences within or between groups, or changes in family traditions of the same behavior “brewing coffee with a simple paper filter.” For the identification of major leaps in behavioral concepts in human evolution major changes in the reconstructed behavioral processes have to be identified. The fundamental reconstructions (E) have to be evaluated regarding the preceding argumentative bridge (A–B–C–D). The possibility of equifinality, the fact that a problem may be solved by different means, that a tool may be manufactured and applied in different ways, raises the question of how convincing the reconstructions (E) and their graphic representations in cognigrams are. To avoid the possibility of equifinalities, or to discuss the alternative ways of problem-solution in-depth, the underlying argumentative bridge (D) has to be given special consideration. Therefore, technological evidence on the artifact such as traces of manufacture and use wear, together with data obtained from experiments or ethnographic analogies have to be thoroughly described. And it has to be discussed (a) to what extend especially simpler alternatives of behavioral processes could produce similar results, (b) if elements, on which an identification of a leap is based, are really necessary, and (c) if the contextual evidence points to the possible or probable parallel application of different ways of solving a problem. Nevertheless, even the most thorough reconstruction process only remains valid until it is replaced by a simpler explanation or a hypothesis that comprises more evidence. Equifinality is a problem immanent to all reconstruction processes; and sometimes no decision for one or the other way of reconstruction can be taken. Cognigrams, however, help to facilitate the discussion about the alternatives in clearly showing the differences of the reconstructed processes. Building the Bridge—Job Site With the help of cognigrams and effective chains with which the bridging (C–D–E) is formalized and illustrated, numerous small bridges from single artifacts or tool types (A) to the interpretation (E) can be constructed and set parallel to each other to form a more load-bearing bridge. If these bridges are set in a chronological order, it creates a historical perspective and the course of development becomes visible. This procedure indeed makes it possible to document the expansion of the causal structure of agents/agens and effects that accompany the development of tool behavior in human evolution. Simple Tool Behavior Simple tool use comprises the application of one or several tools on one object. The tools can be unmodified or modified with the help of the subject's own facilities (Figure 4; for the variety of simple tool use in animals and the representation of these behaviors in cognigrams see Haidle, 2012). Basis of a selective and flexible tool behavior (cf. Seed and Byrne, 2010) are (a) the inhibition of impulses, (b) a certain perception of an agent-effect or means-end relation that is applied in a tool-on-object behavior (for the discussion of the possible range of perception see below), and (c) a goal-directed manipulation of the chosen tool. Capuchin monkeys, for example, select hammerstones to open nuts according functional features like friability and weight (Visalberghi et al., 2009). Chimpanzees use different tool sets (perforators and probes) to extract termites from subterranean and aboveground nests: they choose the suitable means to get the desired result (opening the different termite nests). In addition, they search for both elements of the tool sets, perforators and probes, in advance before approaching the nests (Sanz et al., 2004) (Figure 6). FIGURE 6 Figure 6. Cognigram of a chimpanzee using a tool set of chisel and probe to extract termites (after Sanz et al., 2004). Modular Tool Behavior An extension of the problem-solution distance beyond the application of a set of several simple tools on one target becomes evident with secondary tool use, the use of tools to produce other tools to solve a problem (Kitahara-Frisch, 1993). Not only intermediate targets in direct connection to the satisfaction of the basic need have to be perceived, but also tools have to be prepared in advance to change the status of an object to become the tool to solve the problem. Such a chaining of agent-effect relations is the foundation for the manufacture of stone tool by hominins reaching back at least 2.6 million years (Semaw et al., 2003): a hammerstone and adequate stone nodules as raw material have to be organized in order to produce cutting tools to process e.g., animal carcasses (Figure 7). So far, the chaining of different agent-effect relations has not been observed in animals in the wild. Experiments with capuchin monkeys imply that this species is able to understand the relationship between two items (tool and food object), but lacks the understanding of the relationship between three items (Fujita et al., 2003), a necessary condition of secondary tool use. Associated with the use of secondary tools is the chunking of parts of the tool behavior into independent behavioral units, which can be combined in different ways to act on and modify one another. A hammerstone can not only be perceived as a means to solve a basic problem like the exploitation of hard food resources, but can also be used to solve secondary problems such as manufacturing of tools. In human evolution, tool behavior becomes increasingly decoupled from basic needs. Behavioral units are not exclusively bound to specific and acute problems. Instead, the elements of behavioral units (stimulus, concept of solution, goal) are increasingly abstracted from specific purposes and become applicable in different contexts: a modular capacity arises. The execution of modular cultural capacities can occur on various technological levels based on differing knowledge and skills: knapping stone tools with different techniques only takes a few minutes, yet requires the same modular cultural capacity as does the manufacture of a simple wooden spear which is likely to span several days (Haidle, 2010) (Figure 8). FIGURE 7 Figure 7. Cognigram of a Homo sp. producing a simple flake or chopping tool with a hammerstone and using it to dissect a carcass. FIGURE 8 Figure 8. A sophisticated example of modular tool behavior: a 300,000-year-old wooden spear from Schöningen (Photo: P. Pfarr, Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, Wikimedia Commons). Composite Tool Behavior New qualities in the perception of agent-effect relations are the basis of composite tools. In composite tools such as a wooden spear armed with a stone projectile, the problem-solution distance is extended to a combination of different behavioral units with specific qualities (wooden spear with good flight qualities, projectile point made from stone with good cutting properties, adhesive and binding material with good fixing potential) that are fused to form composites with new qualities (composite spear with increased penetrating power). While tools made out of many pieces of the same kind, such as a piles of boxes to be used as a ladder as documented for chimpanzees (cf. Köhler, 1926) or sophisticated baskets made by humans, only escalate the properties of the basic element, composite tools demonstrate a new combination of different qualities. The different elements of a composite tool “may be obtained at different times and in different places” (Ambrose, 2010, S139) while the new functional unit may be assembled much later (Ambrose, 2010). Within the archeological record, hafted tools and compound adhesives (Wadley, 2005; Wadley et al., 2009) are typical material examples of such composites (Figure 9). Early evidence of composite capacity reaches back at least 200,000 years with finds of stone tools with wear traces of wooden hafts in Africa (Rots and Van Peer, 2006) and stone tools from Neanderthal contexts in Italy fixed with birch tar to now decomposed handles (Mazza et al., 2006). FIGURE 9 Figure 9. Cognigram of the production of compound adhesive: note the fusion of resin and ocher (plus sign) becoming a new attention focus “adhesive” (after Wadley, 2005; Wadley et al., 2009). The production of compound adhesive is a distinct behavioral module and can be combined with various other modules as in the production of a bow-and-arrow set (see also Figure 5) (from Lombard and Haidle, 2012). Complementary Tool Behavior While the subject generally operates composite tools, complementary tool sets apply a new aspect of problem-solving with a tool controlling or enhancing another tool which provides the actually desired effect. Bow-and-arrow, needle-and-thread, screw-and-screwdriver, key-and-lock are only some examples of the symbiotic relationship of two discrete, but concerted elements working together to fulfill a common task (Lombard and Haidle, 2012) (Figure 10). Figure 11 shows the cognigram of the application of bow-and-arrow for hunting: note here the curly brace on the effect of the bow-and-arrow set on the prey, indicating technological symbiosis (for a detailed depiction of all behavioral modules necessary for bow-and-arrow manufacture see Lombard and Haidle, 2012; for an overview of foci and effects in the complete process of manufacture and use of a bow-and-arrow see Figure 5). The elements of a complementary tool set must be developed and used as acting entities with two or more interdependent and exchangeable parts in complementary correspondence with each other. To solve a problem with a complementary tool set two different agent-effect relations have to be taken into account, which are released by only one action of the subject: the acting individual draws the bowstring, for example, and lets it go, which propels the arrow, and the arrow consequently penetrates the prey in order to hurt or kill it. The impulse for the goal-directed tool respectively, its effect is given by the controlling/enhancing tool of the complementary set and only indirectly by the subject. As early archeological evidence of complementary behavioral capacities, stone tips from South African sites are discussed, which were probably used as projectile points of arrows and date back to ca. 64,000 years (Lombard, 2011). Eyed needles and parts of spear-throwers are other archeological finds which give hints on the use of complementary tool sets between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago. FIGURE 10 Figure 10. A complementary tool set: sinew fibers controlled by an eyed-needle made from bone (Photo: Rudi Walter). FIGURE 11 Figure 11. Cognigram of hunting with a bow-and-arrow-set: note the curly brace indicating technological symbiosis (from Lombard and Haidle, 2012). The hunting process may, of course, be an independent module separate from transport, preparation of a meal, and consumption. Notional Tool Behavior Finally, with notional concepts causal reasoning beyond purely physical effects of exclusively physical agents/agens has been introduced. As notional concepts “objects” are defined, which can be manipulated only in the mind or through imagination, but can be combined with and may have effects on physical or other notional modules. Notional concepts can be represented in (a) the signification of objects/signs (e.g., the meaning of the cross, a crescent, and the Star of David as symbols of religions), (b) systems of ideas (e.g., myths, religious beliefs, philosophical question, constitutions of states) (c) normative definitions (e.g., metric and value systems), or (d) virtual beings (e.g., angels), and characters (e.g., protecting capacities of an amulet). A notional concept as attention focus can be combined with a physical object to form a composite with new functional qualities emerging out of the basic physical qualities and a certain meaning. For example, a certain signification derived from the European monetary system can be combined with a specific metal object as token to form a coin with the economic value of 1 €. The value, however, is neither bound to the material value of the metal object nor to a specific merchandise value. Currency can be overvalued or devalued; this manipulation is primarily non-physical, although in a secondary step it has influence on the physical world indeed (Figure 12). However, there are also notional concepts, which are not linked to physical objects such as significations linked to an object to form a sign/symbol, but are independent operational foci as the ideas of “justice,” “reincarnation,” or the “devil.” Of course, the idea of “justice” is triggered by human experiences in the real world, but it is an abstract notion that can be discussed in philosophical disputes without referring to physical manifestations. Due to their nature, the detection of notional concepts or mental representations within the archeological record is difficult. If not explicitly described in written historical sources, notional concepts can only be vaguely traced from the context or tools with which they have formed composites or complementary sets. The best material expressions of notional behavioral capacities are unambiguous information carriers associated with the notional component like notations detailed and numerous enough to identify the underlying system, as for example alphabetical letters, Roman or Arabic numerical signs, or Incan quipus, a recording system using knots in sets of strings. In these cases, the depicted signs such as the letter X or the numeral 4 are physical components of a composite tool, which receives its individual qualities in combination with a mental notion. Early evidence of notional concepts are artistic representations of probably metaphysical beings such as the ca. 32,000-year-old lion-man from the Hohlestein-Stadel cave in South Germany (Figure 13) (cf. Wynn et al., 2009). For other artistic artifacts such as the ivory figurines from caves of the Swabian Jura (Conard, 2009) or parietal art in France (Vialou, 1987; Clottes, 2001), be it figurative, abstract or ornamental, a notional component is often assumed, but cannot be proven (cf. Malafouris, 2007). FIGURE 12 Figure 12. Simplified cognigram of the creation of a piece of money with shared value. Note the N-Focus of the notional concept of a certain value as significant fused (plus sign) with a specific token to become a new attention focus “piece of money.” FIGURE 13 Figure 13. The ivory figurine of the lion-man from Hohlenstein-Stadel, probably representing a virtual being (Photo: Dagmar Hollmann, Wikimedia Commons). Expansion of Problem-Solution Distances and of Cultural Capacities The expansion of the problem-solution distance regarding agents and effects as described above is associated with an expansion of cultural capacities in human evolution. Cultural behavior is a subset of behavior in general, defined by a historical-social dimension of development additional to the biological and individual dimensions more or less active also in other forms of behavior (Haidle and Conard, 2011; Haidle et al., under review). Advanced tool behavior with an extended problem-solution distance is commonly not invented individually again and again, but at least some information is passively provided or actively handed down (historical aspect) by other, though not necessarily cognate members of the group (social aspect). Regarding the limited time for learning in an individual life span, the possibility to adopt knowledge and practices from other individuals becomes more important, as the problem-solution distances in single tool behavior become more complex and more different tools are used in various spheres of life. Associated with the expansion of the problem-solution distance in human evolution, the impact of the historical-social dimension to the development of (tool) behavior increases regarding the transmission of information, but also concerning the scope of application. Artifacts with notional aspects unfold their full potential only if they are used within a group that shares that notion. The different tool behaviors in hominins, and with it the handling of agents/agens and effects to satisfy individual needs, can generally be taken as different cultural performances with interrelated biological, individual and historical-social aspects of development embedded within a specific environment/resource space (Haidle and Conard, 2011; Haidle et al., under review) (Figure 14). The biological dimension refers to the biological potential and constraints for behavior given in genes, gene expressions, anatomical blueprints and physiological standards of a group of organisms and is expressed, for example, in the structure of the nervous system and the brain, in sensory perception, in motor and articulation skills, in the form of sociality, and in the principle abilities to communicate. The individual dimension of behavior reflects individuals' preferences, aversions, skills, and disabilities. The individual dimension incorporates the potential and constraints of an individual, or of a group of individuals, set by individual talents or poor aptitudes, by the personal social setting and by individual life histories of physical, mental, and emotional experiences. The historical-social dimension represents historical and social potentials and constraints. The set of historically acquired knowledge and skills, customs, views and opinions, and the social access to it, makes up a part of the individual's environment that can be acted on, and used as a basis for further innovation. The forms and extent of storage, transmission, permutation, and transformation of the knowledge and skills, customs, views, and opinions support or hamper the unfolding of cultural performances. The three dimensions are multifactorial and interdependent with each other and the embedding environment. This specific environment comprises conspecifics and other agents/agens and objects. The conspecifics, agents and objects are linked to the organisms in focus by functional relations effective within a certain time depth. The analysis of the developmental aspects of a specific behavior is thus difficult, and the identification of some factors should not entail the conclusion that all factors are understood. The same is likely to be true also for the cognitive background of the behavioral performances. FIGURE 14 Figure 14. The three dimensions of cultural performances (biological, historical-social, and individual with attached developmental processes) embedded in and interdependent (⇔) with the specific environment (from Haidle and Conard, 2011). Building the Bridge—Snag List Numerous micro-theories helped to build parallel bridges from prehistoric finds to the archeological reconstructions of the activities, knowledge, and conceptions behind the manufacture and use of the tools (A–B–C–D–E). They can be set in chronological order and viewed from a problem-solution distance perspective to get an impression of the development of the handling of agents and effects in tool behavior in the course of human evolution. The final bridge arches that connect the archeological reconstructions with their possible causal-cognitive background (E–F–G–H–I) are still only in the project phase. Two main factors hamper the construction progress. • Interpretation of the reconstructions: The coding of tool behavior in cognigrams/effective chains provides a breakdown of involved agents and their summarized effects and illustrates the implicit causal structure of a certain behavior. Yet, controlled laboratory experiments with non-human primates and different species of crows show the difficulties of determining (a) which features of an agent are perceived to cause the effect, (b) the understanding of how causes produce their effects (based on which physical mechanisms), and (c) which cognitive processes are active (e.g., Limongelli et al., 1995; Bird and Emery, 2009; Emery and Clayton, 2009; Taylor et al., 2012; for an overview see Penn and Povinelli, 2007, pp. 107–111). If it is difficult to assess to which extent a capuchin monkey or a chimpanzee understands the causal role of different features of a tool, the more this is true for the behavior/cognition of extinct hominin species. To prevent possible over-interpretation of the data, minimal explanations have to be looked for. Instead of awarding non-human primates with the capacity “to distinguish causally relevant from causally irrelevant properties of a tool and thus possess a ‘functional concept of artifacts”’ (Penn and Povinelli, 2007, p. 107), Penn and Povinelli, for example, present “a more modest hypothesis; i.e., non-human primates are predisposed to perceive certain clusters of features as more salient than others when selecting among potential tools without understanding anything about the underlying causal mechanisms involved” (Penn and Povinelli, 2007, p. 108). • Cognitive theory: from an archeologist's perspective, a comprehensive and discrete psychological model about causal reasoning and its development seems to be lacking so far, and the neural mechanisms specifically supporting causal reasoning are poorly understood (cf. Penn and Povinelli, 2007; Osiurak et al., 2010; Vaesen, 2012, pp. 204–206). Although marked progress has been made in the last years in the study of neural mechanisms related to tool behavior in Homo sapiens such as the functional reorganization of visuotactile limb representations (Maravita and Iriki, 2004), the role and development of specific sectors of the parietal (Goldenberg and Spatt, 2009; Peeters et al., 2009; Bruner, 2010), and functionally specialized networks involving temporal, parietal and frontal areas within the left cerebral hemisphere (Johnson-Frey, 2004), “to date there are remarkably little data concerning the neural bases of processes required to understand physical causality of the sort necessary for complex tool use” (Johnson-Frey, 2003, p. 203). Thus, the final bridging (E–F–G–H–I) for causal reasoning can only be the fragile attempt of a temporary bridge until more stable construction elements are provided from the side of cognitive sciences. A good example of the potential of a successful bridging from archeological evidence to cognitive models is the Extended Working Memory hypothesis (Wynn and Coolidge, 2011). Building the Bridge—Summary of the Project Tool use, in most cases a cultural behavior, is commonly associated with aspects of causal cognition at least in the simplest form of understanding a causal structure. Furthermore, this understanding of an agent-effect relationship is not only retrospective, but also prospective in its application on new tasks. The manufacture of a tool fitting to a specific task additionally requires an identification of certain qualities of the tool to be gained by the modification in order to solve the basic problem (Hunt et al., 2006). Whether all necessary and sufficient qualities of the tool within the specific task are completely understood is not important; the modification of certain characteristics implies a basic causal reasoning. The basic cognitive faculties are not specific adaptations for tool behavior but domain-general cognitive capacities as experiments with rooks show, a bird species that does not use tools in the wild but appears to possess an understanding of tools (Bird and Emery, 2009). However, experiments with chimpanzees demonstrate special cognitive affordances of tool use that may obscure causal cognitive efforts. Variations of the trap-tube problem with and without tools show that “even a simple tool-using task is likely to place a load on the attentional system, because unlike the automatic movements of the hands, manipulating a tool to bring about an effective action will require increased attention. The amount needed is likely to depend on the complexity of the task, and the degree of familiarity with the tool-using action required. Moreover, the need to split attentional focus between the end of the tool that is held by the chimpanzee, the end that contacts the food, and any relevant features of the substrate on or in which the food rests (such as a trap) may be a further challenge” (Seed et al., 2009, p. 33). The examination of the problem-solution distance with the help of cognigrams and effective chains allow us to reconstruct the causal structures in tool behavior and provides starting points for bridging the gap to the identification of (causal) cognitive capacities underlying different forms of tool behavior. Simple tool behavior in general requires at least minimal forms of inhibition, allowing a shift of the focus from the desired goal to a means to reach the target. The means are not chosen completely arbitrarily, but selected for a set of (necessary and random) features providing an approach to achieve the aim. The manufacture of tools is commonly directed to improve the tool's quality to help to satisfy the need. Modular tool behavior based on secondary tool use requires an understanding and application of causal chains. While 15-month-old children are able to understand causal chains (Cohen et al., 1999), capuchin monkeys e.g., understand only spatial relationships between two, but not three items (Fujita et al., 2003). It can be hypothesized that such a constraint is also active in chimpanzees, the most proficient tool users beside humans, which show the conception and use of sophisticated tool sets applied one after the other to the same target, but no chaining of a tool to produce another tool to achieve an aim which seems to be exclusive to hominins. The individual case of the bonobo Kanzi (Schick et al., 1999) who learned to produce flake tools with a hammerstone may simply show how years of training skills acquired in a historical-social setting from experienced individuals (here humans) can help to overcome cognitive limits. Composite tool behavior also requires the combination of different tools with different qualities. Instead of being applied in a causal sequence, however, the tools with different qualities joint in a composite tool unfold their effects together and interdependently to reach the target. In modular as well as in composite tool behavior the subject triggers the application of each tool in a sequence independently. In complementary tool behavior, in contrast, only the controlling part of the tool set is activated, which then gives an impulse on the other part of the tool set in order to achieve the desired aim. To conceptualize and produce a functional complementary tool set the application of a subject-independent trigger extends the necessary causal understanding. Notional tool behavior, finally, requires abstract causal reasoning about not observable agents and their effects. Though also New Caledonian crows reason about hidden causal agents (Taylor et al., 2012), it is unclear what the animals expect to be the causal agent. In notional tool behavior the subject does not only look for hidden causal agents, but mental representations as tools respectively, components of tools are applied. Penn and Povinelli (2007, p. 111) emphasize a strong relationship of abstract causal reasoning with analogical reasoning. Vaesen (2012, p. 266) summarizes that “causal thought involves both the ability to infer causal mechanisms relating cause-effect covariances (i.e., inferential causal reasoning) and the ability to recognize that such mechanisms underpin causally analogous events (i.e., analogical causal reasoning). Current evidence suggests that chimpanzees perform rather modestly in both respects. Humans, in contrast, have a drive for seeking and generalizing causal explanations, and often learn about causality through their own diagnostic interventions—a behavior not yet observed in the great apes.” Additionally, Homo sapiens is able to conceptualize mental representations as agents/agens. The studies on prehistoric tool behavior presented above strongly suggest a multi-leg evolution of several components of causal cognition and adjacent cognitive features. Additionally, the development of the different cultural performances of tool behavior is not only based on biological and individual factors, but also on historical-social factors. The three dimensions are multifactorial, interdependent, and embedded in the specific environment of the population (Haidle and Conard, 2011). The same can be assumed for the different performances in the cognitive sphere. A cultural performance may have different cognitive backgrounds. Prior individual experience helps to manage a new task (von Bayern et al., 2009); historical-socially transmitted experience of other individuals in cultural context can do the same. If trained by a knowledgeable individual, naïve individuals may perform very well in a lot of problem settings also with sophisticated tools, and without understanding the basic causal relations. Consequently, not all individuals in a group with cultural behavior have to share the same cognitive capacities to perform in some aspects in the same cultural way. And with the same cultural capacities of problem-solving different individuals and populations may perform very differently. I assume that the cultural background, respectively the historical-social dimension also shapes the cognitive performances behind the behavior. There are no data available about past human cognition. But with the help of argumentative bridges at least some impressions on the evolution of causal cognition can be gained from prehistoric artifacts. Conflict of Interest Statement The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Acknowledgments The impulse to think about the implications of tool behavior for the understanding of the evolution of causal cognition came from Andrea Bender and Sieghard Beller. They gave me the fruitful opportunity to present first thoughts at the research group on “Cultural constitution of causal cognition: re-integrating anthropology into the cognitive sciences”, funded by the Center for Inter
$8bn costs (pdf) for chip and pin technology. 3. The US has low fraud rates America has strong legal protections for people whose credit cards numbers are stolen and historically low fraud rates compared to the rest of the world, so there was a "what's the problem?" mentality here. Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance also says, "There is not the equivalent of the UK Card Association in the US to set policy and require all stakeholders to act. It has been a challenge to get everyone to agree on much of anything when it comes to payments and who pays the cost and where the fraud savings will be realized." 4. Phone technology Since the smartphone revolution, people have dreamed of a world where transactions are simply done via cellphone without the need for any plastic at all. There was hope the US could bypass the intermediate chip and pin step. While many companies are innovating in this area, this technology has also struggled to take hold in the US. Wake up call The Target data breach has been another wake up call for US regulators and consumers. Behind the scenes, there's some movement towards the smartcard system. By 2015, credit card companies intend to shift the legal liability for fraud onto retailers who haven't upgraded to EMV systems. It's a scary scenario for merchants, as Target illustrates. Of course, this is about more than just card theft. Americans traveling abroad are increasingly left behind when they go to pay. I was in Eastern Europe earlier last year at a small hotel that couldn't read my credit card. The manager just looked at me like I was trying to pay with ancient coins. Another friend experienced something similar at stores in Paris. Smaller European retailers no longer want to deal with the "swipe cards", which require a different machine than chip and pin ones. This is to say nothing of the continued reliance Americans also have on checks. On this side of the pond, we've been slow to adopt direct deposit and wire transfers. I actually got one of the Target emails notifying people that their details were likely stolen. It was jarring. But it might turn out to be the kick in the pants the US desperately needs to get into 21st Century consumer banking. I'm still waiting for my American cards to look remotely like my British ones.The Crew is an upcoming multiplayer racing title from Ubisoft, and no copies of the game were sent to the press ahead of its launch on December 2. The embargo will drop, and access to the game will begin for the press, on launch day. "While we fully anticipate that you might see some reviews immediately at launch — largely built around the preview sessions we facilitated during the past months or the limited content of the closed and open betas — they won’t be based on optimal conditions or reflect the finished game," Ubisoft posted on its official blog. "We sincerely hope everyone will take the time to customize their ride as they progress through all five regions, explore every corner of the map solo and with friends, dive into our competitive and cooperative mechanics, race to the end of the main campaign, choose a Faction and compete with your crew in Factions Wars, and so much more." The blog post stresses that The Crew is a social game, requiring full servers of players to fully enjoy. "...The Crew was built from the beginning to be a living playground full of driving fans, so it’s only possible to assess our game in its entirety with other real players in the world," the post states. "And by other, we mean thousands and thousands and thousands of players — something that can’t be simulated with a handful of devs playing alongside the press." The last game to warn players against rushed reviews? Destiny. Ubisoft's press embargoes have drawn criticism — including from this publication — for extending past the launch of a still-broken game. As always, caution is advised, and this season has seen plenty of games launched with significant problems.I spent the majority of this summer at Middlebury College, studying at l’École Française. I had never been to Vermont. I have not been many places at all. I did not have an adult passport until I was 37 years old. Sometimes I regret this. And then sometimes not. Learning to travel when you’re older allows you to be young again, to touch the childlike amazement that is so often dulled away by adult things. In the past year, I have seen more of the world than at any point before, and thus, I have been filled with that juvenile feeling more times then I can count—at a train station in Strasbourg, in an old Parisian bookstore, on a wide avenue in Lawndale. It was no different in Vermont where the green mountains loomed like giants. I would stare at these mountains out of the back window of the Davis Family Library. I would watch the clouds, which, before the rain, drooped over the mountains like lampshades, and I would wonder what, precisely, I had been doing with my life. I was there to improve my French. My study consisted of four hours of class work and four hours of homework. I was forbidden from reading, writing, speaking, or hearing English. I watched films in French, tried to read a story in Le Monde each day, listened to RFI and a lot of Barbara and Karim Oeullet. At every meal I spoke French, and over the course of the seven weeks I felt myself gradually losing touch with the broader world. This was not a wholly unpleasant feeling. In the moments I had to speak English (calling my wife, interacting with folks in town or at the book store), my mouth felt alien and my ear slightly off. And there were the latest developments, the likes of which I perceived faintly through the French media. I had some vague sense that King James had done something grand, that the police were killing black men over cigarette sales, that a passenger plane had been shot out the sky, and that powerful people in the world still believed that great problems could be ultimately solved with great armaments. In sum, I knew that very little had changed. And I knew this even with my feeble French eyes, which turned the news of the world into an exercise in impressionism. Everything felt distorted. I understood that things were happening out there, but their size and scope mostly eluded me. Acquiring a second language is hard. I have been told that it is easier for children, but I am not so sure if this is for reasons of biology or because adults have so much more to learn. Still, it remains true that the vast majority of students at Middlebury were younger than me, and not just younger, but fiercer. My classmates were, in the main, the kind of high-achieving college students who elect to spend their summer vacation taking on eight hours a day of schoolwork. There was no difference in work ethic between us. If I spent more time studying than my classmates, that fact should not be taken as an accolade but as a marker of my inefficiency. The majority of people I interacted with spoke better, wrote better, read better, and heard better than me. There was no escape from my ineptitude. They had something over me, and that something was a culture, which is to say a suite of practices so ingrained as to be ritualistic. The scholastic achievers knew how to quickly memorize a poem in a language they did not understand. They knew that recopying a handout a few days before an exam helped them digest the information. They knew to bring a pencil, not a pen, to that exam. They knew that you could (with the professor’s permission) record lectures and take pictures of the blackboard. This culture of scholastic achievement had not been acquired yesterday. The same set of practices had allowed my classmates to succeed in high school, and had likely been reinforced by other scholastic achievers around them. I am sure many of them had parents who were scholastic high-achievers. This is how social capital reinforces itself and compounds. It is not merely one high achieving child, but a flock of high achieving children, each backed by high-achieving parents. I once talked to a woman who spoke German, English and French and had done so since she was a child. How did this happen, I asked? “Everyone in my world spoke multiple languages,” she explained. “It was just what you did.” There were five tiers of French students, starting with those who could barely speak a word and scaling upward to those who were pursuing a master’s degree. I was in the second tier, meaning I could order a coffee, recount a story with some difficulty, write a short note (sans verb and gender agreement), and generally understand a French speaker provided he or she talked to me really slowly. The majority of people I interacted with spoke better, wrote better, read better, and heard better than me. There was no escape from my ineptitude. At every waking hour, someone said something to me that I did not understand. At every waking hour, I mangled some poor Frenchman’s lovely language. For the entire summer, I lived by two words: “Désolé, encore.” Compared with my classmates on the second tier, my test scores were on the lower end. Each week, in my literature class, we were responsible for the recitation of some French poems (Baudelaire, Verlaine, Lamartine) from memory, and each day we had to recite a stanza. This sort of exercise may well be familiar to readers of The Atlantic, but the rituals required to master it were totally new to me. I had never been a high-achieving student. Indeed, during my 15 or so years in school, I was a remarkably low-achieving student. There were years when I failed the majority of my classes. This was not a matter of my being better suited for the liberal arts than sciences. I was an English minor in college. I failed American Literature, British Literature, Humanities, and (voilà) French. The record of failure did not end until I quit college to become a writer. My explanation for this record is unsatisfactory: I simply never saw the point of school. I loved the long process of understanding. In school, I often felt like I was doing something else. Like many black children in this country, I did not have a culture of scholastic high achievement around me. There were very few adults around me who’d been great students and were subsequently rewarded for their studiousness. The phrase “Ivy League” was an empty abstraction to me. I mostly thought of school as a place one goes so as not to be eventually killed, drugged, or jailed. These observations cannot be disconnected from the country I call home, nor from the government to which I swear fealty. I mostly thought of school as a place one goes so as to not be eventually killed, drugged, or jailed. For most of American history, it has been national policy to plunder the capital accumulated by black people—social or otherwise. It began with the prohibition against reading, proceeded to separate and wholly unequal schools, and continues to this very day in our tacit acceptance of segregation. When building capital, it helps to know the right people. One aim of American policy, historically, has been to insure that the “right people” are rarely black. Segregation then ensures that these rare exceptions are spread thin, and that the rest of us have no access to other “right people.” And so a white family born into the lower middle class can expect to live around a critical mass of people who are more affluent or worldly and thus see other things, be exposed to other practices and other cultures. A black family with a middle class salary can expect to live around a critical mass of poor people, and mostly see the same things they (and the poor people around them) are working hard to escape. This too compounds. Now, in America, invocations of culture are mostly an exercise in awarding power an air of legitimacy. You can see this in the recent remarks by the president, where he turned a question about preserving Native American culture into a lecture on how we (blacks and Native Americans) should be more like the Jews and Asian Americans, who refrain from criticizing the intellectuals in their midst of “acting white.” The entire charge rests on shaky social science and the obliteration of history. When Asian Americans and Jewish Americans—on American soil—endure the full brunt of white supremacist assault, perhaps a comparison might be in order. But probably not. That is because fences are an essential element of human communities. The people who patrol these fences are generally unkind to those they find in violation. The phrase “getting above your raising” is little more than anxious working-class border patrolling. The term “white trash” is little more than anxious ruling-class border patrolling. I am neither an expert in the culture of Jewish Americans nor Asian Americans, but I would be shocked if they too were immune. Some years ago I profiled the rapper Jin. As the first Asian-American rapper to secure a major label contract, he often found himself enduring racist cracks from black rappers abroad and the prodding of fence-patrollers at home. “’Yo, what is this? You really think you’re black, Jin?” he recalled his parents saying. “Bottom line—you’re not black, Jin.’” Pretending that black people are unique—or more ardent—in their fence-patrolling, and thus more parochial and anti-intellectual, serves to justify the current uses of American power. The American citizen is free to say, “Look at them, they criticize each other for reading!” and then go about his business. In that sense it is little different than raising the myth of “black on black crime” when asked about Ferguson. I will confess to having very little experience with fence-patrolling, and virtually none with the idea that if you are holding a book, you are “acting white.” The Baltimore of my youth was a place where white people rarely ventured. It would not have occurred to anyone I knew to associate reading with white people because very few of us knew any. And I read everything I could find: A Wrinkle In Time, David Walker’s Appeal, Dragon’s of Autumn Twilight, Seize The Time, Deadly Bugs and Killer Insects, The Web of Spider-Man. I had a full set of Childcraft. I loved the volume Make and Do. I had a full set of World Book encyclopedias. I used to pick up the fat “P” edition, flip to a random page, and read for hours. When I was just 6 years old, my mother took me to the Enoch Pratt Free Library on Garrison Boulevard and enrolled me in a competition to see which child could read the most books. I read 24 that summer, far outdistancing the competition. My mother smiled. The librarian gave me candy. I was very proud. For carrying books in black neighborhoods, in black schools, around black people, I was called many things—nerd, bright, doofus, Malcolm, Farrakhan, Mandela, sharp, smart, airhead. I was told that my “head was too far in the clouds.” I was told that I was “going to do something one day.” But I was never called white. The people who called me a nerd were black. The people who said I was going to “do something one day” were also black. There was no one else around me, and no one else in America then cared. This was not just true of me, it was true of most black children of that era who were then, and are now, the most segregated group in this country. Segregation meant many of us had to rely on traditions closer to home. The people who called me a nerd were black. The people who said I was going to “do something one day” were also black. And at home I found a separate culture of intellectual achievement. This is the tradition of Carter G. Woodson, Frederick Douglass, and Malcolm X. It argues for education not simply as credentialism or certification, but as a profound act of auto-liberation. This was the culture of my childhood and it gave me some of the greatest thrills of my youth. I was a boy haunted by questions: Why do the lilies close at night? Why does my father always say, “I can dig it"? And who really killed the dinosaurs? And why is my life so unlike everything I see on TV? That feeling—the not knowing, the longing for knowing, and the eventual answer—is love and youth to me. And I have always preferred libraries to classrooms because the wide open library is the ultimate venue for this theater. This culture was reinforced by my parents, and the politically conscious parents around me, and their politically conscious children. The culture was so strong that it could be regarded as a kind of social capital. It was so old that it could also be regarded as a legacy. This legacy is more responsible for my presence in these august pages than any other. That is because a good writer must ultimately be an autodidact and take a dim view of credentials. My culture failed to make me into a high-achieving student. It succeeded at making me into a writer. I have never had much of an urge to brag about this. I have always known that in failing to become a scholastic achiever, I forfeited knowledge of certain things. (A mastery of Augustine comes to mind.) But what I did not understand was that I had also forfeited a culture, which is to say a tool kit, a set of pins and tumblers that might have unlocked the language which I so presently adore. Scholastic achievement is sometimes demeaned as the useless memorization of facts. I suspect that it has more to offer than this. If you woke my French literature professor at 2 a.m., she could recite the deuxième strophe of Verlaine’s “Il Pleure Dans Mon Coeur.” I suspect this memorization, this holding of the work in her head, allowed her to analyze it and turn it over in ways I could only do with the text in front of me. More directly, there is no real way for an adult to learn French without some amount of memorization. French is a language that obeys its rules when it feels like it. There is no unwavering rule to tell you which nouns are masculine, or which verbs require a preposition. Memory is the only way through. At Middlebury, I spent as much time as I could with the master’s students, hovering right at the edge of overbearing. On average, I understood 30 percent of what was being said. This was, of course, the point. I wanted to be reminded of who I was. I wanted to be young again, to feel that old thrill of not knowing. It is the same feeling I had as a boy, wondering about the lilies and dinosaurs, listening to “The Bridge Is Over,” wondering where in the world was Queens. And I was ignorant. I felt as if someone had carried me off at night, taken me out to sea, and set me adrift in a life-raft. And the night was beautiful because it held all the things I would never know, and in that I saw my doom—the time when I could learn no more. Morning, noon, and evening, I sat on the terrace listening to the young master’s students talk. They would recount their days, share their jokes, or pass on their complaints. They came from everywhere—San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle, Boulder, Hackensack, Philadelphia, Kiev. And they loved all the things I so wanted to love, but had not made time to love—Baudelaire, Balzac, Rimbaud. I would listen and feel the night folding around me, and the ice-water of youth surging through me. One afternoon, I was walking from lunch feeling battered by the language. I started talking with a young master in training. I told her I was having a tough time. She gave me some encouraging words in French from a famous author. I told her I didn’t understand. She repeated them. I still didn’t understand. She repeated them again. I shook my head, smiled, and walked away mildly frustrated because I understood every word she was saying but could not understand how it fit. It was as though someone had said, “He her walks swim plus that yesterday the fight.” (This is how French often sounds to me.) The next day, I sat at lunch with her and another young woman. I asked her to spell the quote out for me. I wrote the phrase down. I did not understand. The other young lady explained the function of the pronouns in the sentence. Suddenly I understood—and not just the meaning of the phrase. I understood something about the function of language, why being able to diagram sentences was important, why understanding partitives and collective nouns was important. In my long voyage through this sea of language, that was my first sighting of land. I now knew how much I didn’t know. The feeling of discovery and understanding that came from this was incredible. It was the first moment when I thought I might survive the sea. My personal road to this great feeling, to these discoveries, to Middlebury, was not the normal one. I was raised among people skeptical of a canon that had long been skeptical of them. I needed some independent sense of myself, of my cultures and traditions, before I could take a mature look at the West. I wanted nothing to do with Locke because I knew that he wanted little to do with me. I saw no reason to learn French because it was the language of the plunderers of Haiti. I had to be a nationalist before I could be a humanist. I had to come to understand that black people are not merely the victims of the West, but its architects. The philosophes started the sentence and Martin Luther King finished it. The greatest renditions of this country’s greatest anthems are all sung by black people—Ray, Marvin, Whitney. That is neither biology nor a mistake. It is the necessary cosmopolitanism of a people, viewing America from the basement and thus forced to take their lessons when they get them—absorbing, reinterpreting, refining, creating. Now it must never be concluded that an urge toward the cosmopolitan, toward true education, will make people stop hitting you. The inverse is more likely. In the early 19th century, the Cherokee Nation was told by the new Americans that if its members adopted their “civilized” ways, they would soon be respected as equals. This promise was deeply embedded in the early 19th century approach to this continents indigenous nations. “We will never do an unjust act towards you. on the contrary we wish you to live in peace, to increase in numbers, to learn to labor, as we do,” Thomas Jefferson said. “In time you will be as we are; you will become one people with us; your blood will mix with ours; & will spread, with ours, over this great Island. Hold fast then, my Children, the Chain of friendship, which binds us together; & join us in keeping it forever bright & unbroken.” The Cherokee Nation—likely for their own reasons—embraced mission schools. Some of them converted to Christianity. Other intermarried. Others still enslaved blacks. They adopted a written Constitution, created a script for their language and published a newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix, in English and Cherokee. Thus the Native Americans of that time showed themselves to be as able to to integrate elements of the West with their own culture as any group of Asian or Jewish American. But the wolf has never much cared whether the sheep were cultured or not. “The problem, from a white point of view,” writes historian Daniel Walker Howe, “was that the success of these efforts to ’civilize the Indians’ had not yielded the expected dividend in land sales. On the contrary, the more literate, prosperous, and politically organized the Cherokees made themselves, the more resolved they became to keep what remained of their land and improve it for their own benefit.”Study: 78% of U.S. who studied abroad in 2010-11 were white. passport (Photo11: charles taylor Getty Images/iStockphoto) Story Highlights Low-income and minority students may feel like study abroad is not an option. Groups are working to help minority students participate. Kenya Casey studied abroad as an undergrad in 1997. As an African American, she noticed an under-representation of minority students on her trip. Today, as associate director of the Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA) at Emory University, she says the trend hasn't changed. The Institute of International Education's Open Doors data shows that 78% of U.S. students who studied abroad in 2010-11 were white. The next-highest percentage for a single group was 7.9% for the Asian student population, followed by 6.9% Hispanic and 4.8% black or African-American. Melissa Fortes, a Filipino senior public relations major at Illinois State University, observed a discrepancy while studying abroad in Florence, Italy last spring. "Out of 30 students from my school that studied abroad during spring 2013 in Florence, three of us were minorities," Fortes says. DeAnna Anglin, a 2012 graduate from the University of Missouri who now works as an MCAC college adviser, describes her study abroad trip in Africa as 100% Caucasian. She adds that she was the only student of the 16 on the trip who came from a low-income household. "I had no idea how I was going to pay for it. I was already 100% supporting myself. … I had three jobs and went to school full time," Anglin says. "Per my experience, less than 10% of students with high financial need see studying abroad as an option." To address concerns like these, Casey recently co-authored NAFSA's "You Too! Can Study Abroad: Guide for Ethnically and Racially Underrepresented Students." "The publication is for students, and it's supposed to break some of the barriers and misperceptions about study abroad and to outline the process of studying abroad," Casey says. Diversity Abroad — an organization whose goal is to ensure that all students, regardless of their racial or ethnic background, physical ability or socioeconomic status, have access to international education and exchange opportunities — provides further resources to students. According to the president of Diversity Abroad, Andrew Gordon, the organization works through two outlets. The student outreach side, diversityabroad.com, provides students with how-to guides, travel discounts and scholarship and loan options. The organization also conducts tours on more than 100 campuses every year, educating target populations about available opportunities. The organization's Diversity Network brings together a consortium of higher-education institutions, government agencies, for-profit organizations and non-profits committed to their mission of "advancing diversity and inclusive excellence in international education." A number of institutions are developing initiatives to spread the word on creating diversity within study abroad experiences, Gordon says. One such program is Casey's Minority Outreach Initiative, implemented at Emory in 2007. "The initiative was to break the misperceptions of why students don't study abroad, what the barriers are, and to also spread awareness about scholarship opportunities," Casey says. The Minority Outreach Initiative focuses on outreach not only to underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, but also to students who have high financial need, Casey says. "Being a person of color who studied abroad and having been on financial aid when I was in college, it was important to me for students to have someone they could relate to and identify with to talk to about some of their concerns," Casey adds. While many students list cost as the No. 1 barrier to studying abroad, Casey attributes this to a lack of awareness of available funding options. Casey also promotes available scholarships, as well as assistance with reviewing application essays. According to Casey, before the Minority Outreach Initiative was implemented, the external award amount in scholarships for Emory students studying abroad was around $7,000 per semester. From 2007 to 2013, the total scholarship award amount for external scholarships has reached more than $450,000. Emory senior Angelica Calderon, who studied abroad in Italy during the summer of 2012, directly benefited from these services. "What I saw as the main barrier to studying abroad was the cost. However, I quickly realized that there are various ways to overcome this challenge," she says. Noting successes like these, Gordon is optimistic about current work in this area. "I think there's a much greater awareness now than there used to be about it, and I think students are really trying to address this problem head on," Gordon says. "Last year was the first national conference on diversity inclusion on international education. We've never had that, so I'd say there's definitely been progress, but there needs to be more." Dana Sand is a senior at Emory University. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1gG3BhqChances are you have heard something about the Rev. William Barber II. He is the giant of a man (in more senses than one) who launched the Moral Mondays movement in North Carolina in 2013—a movement that has since spread to other states and is now formally known as the Forward Together Moral Movement. Rev. Barber has now put his thoughts together in a book newly published by Beacon Press, The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics and the Rise of a New Justice Movement. Barber was assisted in the book’s preparation by his fellow NC-based spiritual revolutionary, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. The book should be read by anyone who cares about the unfinished human rights revolution in the United States. The first thing that Rev. Barber makes clear is that Moral Mondays didn’t come out of nowhere, just as the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 didn’t come out of nowhere. There were seven years of preparation and careful coalition-building that, by April 2013 when it burst into full public view, could claim 140 participating organizations. One might say that Rev. Barber himself is the product of careful preparation: his late father, also a Disciples of Christ/Christian Church minister, was a noted thought leader and freedom fighter who moved his family from Indianapolis to North Carolina to challenge the remnants of school segregation following the Brown decision. As early as 2005, when he assumed its presidency, the second William Barber was already refashioning the North Carolina NAACP from a fairly quiescent group into a real thorn in the side of the status quo. And all the while, from 1993 to the present day, Mr. Barber has faithfully served as pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, NC. Appropriately named, Greenleaf under Barber’s leadership has itself been a transformational powerhouse in a small community. No surprise there. In the book, Rev. Barber insists that an honest pastor must also be a prophet: that it’s not enough to try to heal the people’s wounds without also naming the source of the wound as racial and economic injustice. He gives us the useful phrase “attention violence” to describe the blinders that too many pastors and laypeople choose to wear in order to block out disturbing social realities. He walks his readers through his own theological formation, citing Juergen Moltmann’s precept that peace with God must entail conflict with the world and astutely critiquing both Reinhold Niebuhr’s realpolitik and Stanley Hauerwas’ overemphasis on an inward-looking ecclesiology. Barber is especially good on Hauerwas and on the unreliability of the church in regard to understanding and living out its prophetic calling. Rev. Barber describes himself as a theological conservative in contrast to the “liberals” who have freely ignored the Bible’s main message of liberation while obsessing about the snippets they take out of context to beat up on people of color, women and gay people. He objects, passionately, to the appropriation of the word “evangelical” for a worldview that is utterly devoid of prophetic critique. He reminds us, eloquently, about the important historical linkages between American evangelicalism and social regeneration: abolition, temperance, women’s rights and labor rights. Barber gives us good insights into how First Reconstruction fusion politics actually held on in North Carolina for a very long time in the face of an increasingly militant Jim Crow repression, not finally succumbing until the very end of the 19th century. In fact, the Moral Monday movement’s very public challenge to the 2012 Republican putsch in Raleigh was grounded in the still-extant Reconstruction-era clause in the state constitution that allows citizens to address their legislators directly. He insists that the work we all need to be about is primarily cultural and not “political” in the usual sense of the word. Our job is to avoid abstractions and put the everyday people and their suffering front and center in the discussion: the very opposite of “attention violence.” And he teaches that fusion politics doesn’t mean that every member of a broad coalition has to agree fully about everyone else’s issue. What is necessary is simply that every member have every other member’s back, so to speak. This approach seems to be working in North Carolina and elsewhere. Up in some of the mountainous regions where black people are relatively thin on the ground, white people are organizing and joining NAACP chapters. I recently had a conversation with Rev. Barber on the “Third Reconstruction,” the meme on the lips of many progressives around the country these days. Is “Third Reconstruction” exactly the right framing for what is needed now in view of the fact that the first two Reconstructions were fairly thoroughly crushed by white reactionaries? Good question. What we tried to lay out in the book is that this language is historically important. No “two words” are exactly the right framing for what is needed now. We use the Third Reconstruction framework to remind people of the history of the two temporarily successful moral fusion movements in the South that fundamentally changed the nation. “Reconstruction” names a time when blacks and whites in the 1800s found a way to stand together grounded in our deepest faith and constitutional principles and changed the language and the law for the purpose of justice. Without this fusion there would have been no 13th, 14th or 15th amendments. There would have been no Civil Rights Act of 1875, no union between the women’s suffrage movement and the struggle for black liberation. Without understanding the power of this movement, you can’t understand the violent backlash, the economic isolation and the judicial retrogression that followed. The truth is that black people in North Carolina had more political power in 1868 than they did in 1968. We had more political power after the Voting Rights Act in 1965 than we do today after Shelby. In the 1950s and ’60s, it was again fusion politics that led to a Second Reconstruction. Blacks and whites, Jews and Catholics, labor and youth came together. Without this fusion we can not fully understand the fight that led to Brown vs. Board of Education, the expansion of social security, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the March on Washington, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Freedom Summer, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the Movement’s stance against Vietnam or the Poor Peoples’ Campaign. But we also cannot understand why there was a violent backlash, the development of the white Southern Strategy, and how “cutting taxes,” “entitlements” and “states’ rights” became such potent, racialized language to persuade people to vote against their own self interest. Because we don’t know this history, we don’t understand how public faith was hijacked and narrowed to only include abortion, criticism of homosexuality and the fight for prayer in schools as “moral issues.” So I choose to use the language of a Third Reconstruction to suggest that now is the time for a third act of faith—a third moral fusion movement in the South. Without remembering Reconstruction, we too easily think of American history as having this terrible sin of slavery at its beginning, then getting a little better with Jim Crow and a little better with civil rights. It’s too easy to say, “No, things aren’t perfect, but we’ve come a long way.” We cannot dismantle what we have not named. The truth is that black people in North Carolina had more political power in 1868 than they did in 1968. We had more political power after the Voting Rights Act in 1965 than we do today after Shelby. Unless we face the fact that America’s first two Reconstructions were undermined by the monied elites of plantation capitalism, we can’t even name the challenge we face today. In seeking a higher moral ground, we must break out of dead-end racialized framing. We must intentionally challenge the ahistorical and amoral tendencies that many public intellectuals–black and white–fall into when the historical and moral challenge of our time is raised: how to dismantle the system of racism. We cannot dismantle what we have not named. Our attention to the language of Reconstruction is a direct challenge to those who cry, “You are playing the race card” whenever anyone dares to name the continuing reality of entrenched structural racism. At the same time, it helps us remember how fusion coalitions have created spaces of interruption in our long history of racial injustice. These concrete victories in Movement history give us hope to say with Langston Hughes, “America never was America to me / and yet I swear this oath / America will be!” You counsel us to follow the money in respect to what the Right is up to, but in 2016 we know that vast “black pools” of anonymous money will be in play. Does this development not represent a whole new level of challenge to those trying to restore democracy and reclaim a common good ethic? With love, I suggest the word “secret” is more accurate than “black” when talking about the billions of dollars being spent to buy candidates’ souls. Of course, secret pools of money buying Southern elections is a problem. SCOTUS’ Citizens United decision changed the rules of the game, making it easier for big money to play partisan politics. As John Nichols has said in his book, we are more and more a “dollarocracy.” But we remind our progressive friends who are not up on their Southern history: Poor and jobless people of all races have never had money. That’s the definition of “poor.” But if Harriet Tubman could lead hundreds of slaves to freedom with nothing but the North Star, moss on the trees, a pistol strapped to her leg and faith in her heart (despite lack of resources and epilepsy), then today we ought to be able to use the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, cell phones and our growing network of churches to educate the new Southern Electorate—black, white, Latino, Asian, gay, straight, labor, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, agnostics, atheists, atudents and their elders, environmentalists—all who want a better life for all God’s people. The South matters because it is the native home of America’s original sin. Yes, we must fight Citizens United and its fallout in the courts. But the Movement that is growing in the streets tells a different story. At the same time that those who want to hold onto power are retreating behind a veil, folk who struggle to survive in minimum wage jobs are reclaiming the public square in the #FightFor15. Women and men who’ve disappeared
Lands Project, another opponent of the legislation. McCain initially withheld support for Hayworth's bill, which failed in 2002. Ruskin saw McCain's restraint as an obstacle. He said Senate staff members warned him that the senator was wary of a swap because "he spent some political capital and got some bricks thrown at him" over the Tonto National Forest deal. Ruskin, who is a pediatrician by training, said he realized he needed to hire lobbyists "to open communications with McCain's office." He turned to some of McCain's closest former advisers. In 2002, he sought out Mark Buse, McCain's former staff director at the Senate commerce committee, which the senator chaired. "I had gone to him to see if he had any advice as to how to deal with McCain," Ruskin said. "We had a couple of meetings and I paid him a little bit." Buse's federal lobbying records do not list the ranch as a client. That year, lobbying records show, Ruskin also paid $60,000 to Michael Jimenez, another former McCain aide. Wes Gullett, who had worked in McCain's Senate office, managed his 1992 reelection bid, and served as deputy campaign manager for his 2000 presidential run, also lobbied on the bill, documents show. The watchdog group Public Citizen lists Gullett and his wife, Deborah, as bundlers who have raised more than $100,000 for McCain's White House bid. Ruskin also hired Gullett's partner, Kurt R. Davis, another McCain bundler and member of the senator's Arizona leadership team, to work with local officials and "to help with McCain if we needed help." Buse, Jimenez and Gullett did not return calls seeking comment. Davis said that he and Gullett were not hired just to win over McCain. "Each member has issues that are more important to them. You have to be able to address their individual concerns. We had familiarity with the issues important to McCain." In this case, Davis said, "Senator McCain was very, very engaged and concerned about water issues." In April 2003, McCain introduced his version of a land-swap bill. But he remained reluctant about the exchange, speaking to opponents and organizing meetings in towns that would be most affected. Flagstaff Mayor Joseph C. Donaldson, a supporter of the swap, said McCain's hesitation stemmed from his "insistence that the environment be protected." But opponents were baffled by the senator's seemingly contradictory positions. Said Blaeloch: "The bizarre thing to me regarding McCain is, we spent a lot of time with his staff, and we all seemed to be on the same page about the problems with this swap. But somehow, John McCain kept pushing it forward." Ruskin said a "crucial meeting" occurred on Aug. 4, 2004, when McCain added a provision aimed at appeasing many opponents. It created a management group that would monitor water reserves and document any danger to the Verde River. The legislation also was revised to mandate that the parcels in the exchange be of "equal value." Forest Service officials say they can adjust the amount of property given to Ruskin to ensure that each side gets an equal share of land. Blaeloch and some other opponents remained concerned that appraisals could still be manipulated. The language helped win Senate passage on July 16, 2005. Ruskin said he first engaged in confidential discussions with SunCor in 2003. Betts said the company was not "really interested in spending a lot of time on it until we knew if the legislation would pass." Ruskin said SunCor officials formally expressed interest in October 2005, a month before President Bush signed the bill into law. In Arizona, SunCor is a subsidiary of Pinnacle West, the state's largest power company. Betts, as Ruskin described him, "politically is a very powerful guy in the state." Officials from the company and its subsidiaries have accounted for $100,000 in contributions to McCain's political campaigns over the years, records show. SunCor is now working directly with the Forest Service to complete the swap, which has been delayed by administrative glitches. As for McCain, some in the Verde Valley say they counted on him to broker a deal that would protect their precious river. Von Gausig now heads the water management commission that McCain added to the bill to gain community support. The Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost $8 million over five years to fund water studies. But to date, none of that money has been budgeted. Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report. © 2008 The Washington Post CompanyThere are a lot of DJ’s and performers out there. It can be a monumental task climbing up the endless heights to be known as a performer. One way you can quickly rise above the crowd and get recognition is through bootlegs and remixes. You can take any track and make your own spin on it. By taking popular dance tracks and adding your own spin you can quickly get your sound and vibe out to the world. I just created a new Bootleg Remix Pack to help speed up the process and wanted to share some techniques and tips I use a lot in remixing. WHAT IS A BOOTLEG REMIX? To start, let’s define what a Bootleg is. A Bootleg is one type of remix of a song in which the remixing DJ uses an entire song or samples from a popular song without the explicit permission of the original artist. A bootleg remix generally uses the stereo master track and or accapella of the track. This differs from a Stem Remix. When you are working with stems or the separate parts of the track, you are generally working directly with the artist. This means when you are doing a bootleg you have to use all sorts of tricks to make it unique and cut parts out of the original track without having the separate parts. TECHNIQUES IN CREATING A BOOTLEG REMIX There is a wide range of techniques you can use to mash up your bootleg and make a unique new remix. Here is a list of tried and true ways of creating your bootleg. Identify the Key Elements When you are working on a bootleg it is really important to know what is special about the original track. Sometimes this is the vocal hook. Other tracks, it’s about the unique 808 basslines. Every track is different, but there should be a recognizable aspect of the track you want to have throughout the bootleg. What might be the key element: Vocal Hook Lead instrumental Bassline (especially if 808 music or dubstep) Eye on the Prize When doing a bootleg it is important to remember why and what you are doing. You might be taking an Adel track and making it ready for the dance floor. If that were the case, your composition and remix should be DJ friendly with a solid beat. You might be taking a Daft Punk song and making it a more lounge style. That would be a totally different way of using the original track. So when you are working on a remix remember what you are doing and keep true to that for the entire track. Know the Keys When you are working on a Bootleg it is important to know the tracks original Key. Use a tuner VST in live, or Mixed in Key to figure out the key of the original song. Sometimes I just look up the song on Beatport for the key and BPM information. Make sure that you are writing in either the original key or a related key. This will ensure that your track sounds coherent with the original. Also, when you are DJing you might want to move from the original 1/2 through the track into the bootleg you made. Keeping the same key and BPM will help in mixing the track live. Software to analyze Key and BPM: Mixed in Key (paid for Mac and PC) Keyfinder (free for Mac and PC Rapid Evolution 3 ( free PC only and fantastic) Separate the Parts After I know the basics of the track, such as the key element and scale, I can start getting the track ready for some remix magic. The first step is to Splice up the track to its different parts. I like to do this by making the initial loops based on the composition of the track. Here is an example of me cutting up the track Royals by Lorde in Arrangement View: If you like to start in Session View then you can still cut it into different sections to jam with. Changing the Composition Now that you have the composition of the track cut up you can start rearranging the different parts. This way you can have the chorus twice as long, cut out the bridge, and so on. If you are taking some 3-minute pop song and making it into a DJ dance track you will want to make the track a lot longer with build-ups and breakdowns. Get experimental in rearranging the parts. Isolation of the Vocals or Leads Another common trick for a Bootleg Remix is to EQ the track to isolate certain elements. You might want just the vocals of the song Royals. One of the easiest ways to do this is EQing out the main harmonics and frequencies of the human voice. Above is an image of an Effect Rack in the Bootleg Remix Pack I made to help isolate vocals. You can see I cut out a lot of the low end and high end and kept the range of the human voice. This did a fairly good job of capturing just the vocals by Lorde. Granted, there will still be a lot of noise and extra sounds, but by the time I add new drums and elements, you won’t be able to tell that much. Isolate the Vocals with the Acapella Isolating the vocals is another technique you can use with the instrumental version and phase cancellation. Ryan McAllister made this fantastic video that walks through how you can get a decent Acapella if you have the full version and an instrumental version. Adding your Signature As you build out your Bootleg Remix it’s important to remember it add your unique sound to the mix. This can be a new baseline sound, added percussion, or anything to make this track stand out. When I am doing a bootleg I like to add 50% new elements to the track. Explore and Create! A Bootleg is also something you play out at gigs and never release online. Feel free to be more experimental with your sound because of this. Enter into new genres and territories. I would love to hear whatever tips or tricks you have for making Bootleg Remixes. If you’re up for sharing some ninja remix skills comment below. Feel free to share the Bootleg Remixes you have done with a little tip or technique you used. Out of the comments below, I will pick a few to showcase in a future article. If you want to look deeper into the Bootleg Remix Pack and how it can help speed up the songwriting and give you access to some fresh new remix tools, then check out the walk-through video.January 24th, 2011 By Kitty Holman Pop psychology and the real science it shamelessly parodies have almost nothing in common. Thanks to the self-help vomit spewed forth from the capped teeth of overpolished, dead-eyed social mercenaries, the tenets of actual psychology and actual disorders needing actual medical attention go obscured — if not outright inverted. Unfortunately, far more than only 12 myths perpetuated by pop culture frauds backstroking through the pools of money afforded them by the cult of personality exist out there. It's going to take decades to undo the serious damage they've caused millions of disordered individuals, assuming it can even be reversed in the first place. Education, above all else, makes for the only effective method for dismantling their intense stranglehold on society. Read up on research for a look into how psychology and mental illness actually operate, and the critical danger inherent in believing unfounded rumors and misconceptions. Just thinking positive thoughts will make the depression all go away: Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" is certainly a memorable, popular song, but many pseudo-psychologists most unfortunately take it so far the put lives at risk. For the tens (if not hundreds) of millions of depression-afflicted individuals worldwide, "simply" thinking positive isn't exactly going to completely reset their brain chemistry, emotional and/or physical trauma or other trigger. Depending on the origin and severity of the illness (and depression is an illness, not the product of listening to too much Dashboard Confessional), treatment options include cognitive and behavior therapy and/or a strict regimen of medications. Perpetuating such a dangerous myth accomplishes absolutely nothing, and serves only to further marginalize the mentally ill in society and trivialize their suffering. It discourages them from seeking the advice of medical professionals, who actually possess the training and skill sets needed to genuinely help the depressed. Patients nursing suicidal thoughts or behaviors especially need the intervention of a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist. Smiling more isn't exactly going to prevent them from blending up a cerebral daiquiri using a 12-gauge. Trying to cure clinical depression with happy thoughts is like trying to cure cancer with pony rides. Opposites attract: In fiction, juxtaposing opposite individuals establishes compelling conflict that moves characters and plots forward with relative ease. In real life, it can result in interpersonal disasters of Hindenburgian proportions. As this Scientific American podcast points out, when it comes to sexual attraction, people feel much more passionate with partners who agree with them on at least 6 out of 10 issues. Long-term relationships stem from being able to share hobbies and ideas, not verbally kicking one another down metaphorical flights of stairs over whether or not the weekend should be spent synchronized swimming or tandem biking. Men and women alike prefer forging close bonds with partners on similar (if not the same) wavelengths regarding religion, education, politics, financial habits and plenty more, with physical attraction only playing a role in the (very) short term. Situations such as speed dating typically lead to future exes rather than future spouses, as emphasis lay more in hooking up with the particularly toothsome — not those with whom one can necessarily strike up an engaging conversation about the collapse of the American hegemony or how mainstream readers typically miss the satirical elements of Jane Austen novels. The full moon leads to erratic behavior in humans: The moon effects the Earth's tides, gives NASA another reason to exist and fuels creativity in horror and science-fiction writers, but that's pretty much the extent of its non-religious uses. Plenty of scientific studies have entirely negated the myth that lunar phases directly impacts human behavior patterns. Some professionals, especially those in law enforcement and the medical sector, continue to believe that the full moon leads to an upswing in criminal behavior and traumas. While their work may prove particularly busy during one of the twelve full moons of the year, there is a rather easy psychological explanation. Humanity, after all, tends to follow a little pattern known as the "self-fulfilling prophecy." So the next time Babysitter catches Junior trying to shove Baby in the toaster as Luna hangs outside in all her silvery glory, he doesn't exactly have an acceptable explanation to give anymore. Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder are the same thing: The mass media, paragon of flawless research that it is, continues to use diagnoses of schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) as interchangeable. As with many psychiatric disorders, the two do share some overlap in symptoms. Individuals with DID can harbor personalities that display psychotic tendencies or experience the same auditory and visual hallucinations as schizophrenics, but that does not inherently mean they qualify for a diagnosis. Schizophrenics, on the other hand, may display delusional behaviors — but they rarely (if ever) involve more than one "persons" sharing the same body. As with the earlier depression example, the fact that such a myth continues to permeate popular culture places patients in even more danger. Their families, employers and peers may not understand exactly what's going on, impeding treatment and causing emotional rifts by acting as if the disorders are one in the same. Humanity only uses 10% of its potential brain power: Self-help opportunists absolutely adore spouting off the idea that people only use 10% of their brain meats, wringing money out of suckers who want to learn the secret of becoming special and beautiful snowflakes with intellects rivaling Nikola Tesla. Meanwhile, in the world of real science, no compelling research exists to prove this statement's veracity. Experts disagree about the specific origins of the myth, though they do largely agree that a mis-attributed quote or concept by Albert Einstein, William James, Pierre Flourens, Karl Lashley or a similar scholar is probably to blame. Dr. Eric H. Chudler at University of Washington points out that damage to every part of the organ still leads to cognitive, neurological or behavioral issue. If humans only used 10% of their brains, then the number of devastating cranial traumas would be far, far lower than reality reveals. Regardless of what those pop psychology, feel-good hacks like to say, humans actually use around 100% of their brains. Yes, even those who throw good money at so-called "motivational" speakers. A direct correlation exists between personality and handwriting: Just about the only thing psychologists concede to graphologists — the fancy, science-y sounding term for handwriting analysts — is that one can occasionally glean gender just by looking at a few written words. Things like personality tics, appropriate marital or long-term partner or professional future, not so much. Graphology only boasts between a 60% and 70% success rate when it comes to guessing gender, and everything from there on out is around 50% or less. In most respects, handwriting analysis isn't any different from the techniques used in palm reading or pretty much everything John Edward does. It's broad guesswork, with customers filling in their own details. Absolutely no scientific research supports graphology as a valid means of understanding the nuances of one's personality. Anyone really wanting to know about what goes on upstairs is better off working with a legitimate mental health professional. Anorexics and bulimics only care about being pretty: The myriad myths surrounding the eating disorders, including the oft-overlooked binge-eating disorder (currently classified under "eating disorder not otherwise specified, though this could very well change with the 2012 release of the DSM-V), fill numerous debunking articles alone. One of the most tragic and pervasive, however, frequently stereotype victims as only caring about their looks. By painting them as superficial, pathetic creatures obsessed with their bodies, society marginalizes their very real suffering and precludes many people from feeling any real empathy or sympathy. It also discourages the disordered to come forward with friends and family and seek out the psychological help they truly need to heal. The realities of eating disorders are as varied as the peoples (not only women!) suffering from them. Depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder frequently exist as co-morbid with anorexia, bulimia and EDNOS, and the latter three sometimes crop up as coping mechanisms for the former. Certainly a far different origin than simply wanting to look like a supermodel. Even then, those who cite such a motivation (it happens, it just isn't the only reason) have plenty of other severe psychological issues lurking beneath the surface, but there's still no legitimate excuse for dismissing them or slapping an insulting "shallow" label on the very deep pain. Expressing anger is healthy: Pop psychologists want their victims to get all the anger out. Go all Oscar de la Hoya on big, soft pillows, they say. Scream like a godforsaken banshee, they say. VENT, VENT, VENT, they say. "Ha!" says real science. Many people fear that suppressing their anger or frustration will eventually turn them into fleshy little Vesuviuses, but legitimate psychological research assures them that reality is the exact opposite. Aggressive solutions to anger only lead to heightened aggressive behavior. Such things program the mind to react even more violently in times of stress and frustration than it otherwise would. Instead, the healthiest route towards assuaging volatile emotions is engaging in more gentle, calming stimuli. Watching light, funny movies or reading their literary equivalents both make for a great start, and are probably the most common anger-mitigating methods. Getting a massage, talking it out, taking a walk and soaking in a lovely hot bath all work marvelously as well. Experiment with a more personalized regime and witness firsthand the huge difference a bit of softness makes. Therapists only help you because you pay them good money: Every industry has its greedy, selfish and disinterested workers. Nobody demonizes the entire accounting industry because of the legal missteps by Arthur Andersen, yet the whole psychological profession suffers setbacks when controversies such as the Stanford Prison Experiment crop up. As Dr. John M. Grohol points out, the mental health profession doesn't pay nearly as much as most people think. The vast majority of counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses go into caring for the mentally ill for the exact same reasons anyone else goes into any other medical field. They want to help others live out the happiest, healthiest existence possible. Some even volunteer at suicide hotlines and schools, or offer completely free, confidential services for students and others who may not be able to afford them. If one therapist doesn't work out, every major city and most suburbs host a slew of other options that very well might — though patients must always keep in mind that they themselves will have to put forth the majority of the effort. Counselors, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists only act as guides rather than definitive cure-alls. They're basically Yoda, and the patients are Luke Skywalker. Any professionals touting their ability to make it all go away with a few bits of advice are best avoided. Slick self-help "gurus" absolutely adore trashing the mental health industry for reasons one can probably very easily assume. Psychiatry and psychology are fully interchangeable disciplines: Like schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder, psychiatry and psychology are often considered pretty much the same thing. Though overlap exists, there are some notable differences in how both fields approach and treat mental illnesses. Probably the easiest way to tell the two disciplines apart is the knowledge that psychologists cannot prescribe medications, while psychiatrists can. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who attended medical school, psychologists are not. In spite of dealing with the same diagnoses, psychologists are more likely to approach patients with tests and cognitive or behavioral therapy. Their MD counterparts, obviously, tend to prescribe pills and medical procedures when appropriate. As one can probably assume, debates do rage over which approach is superior. In reality, though, different therapies heal different patients in different ways. Medication may work for one instance of depression, but inspire suicidal thoughts in another. Behavioral therapy may quell panic attacks in one case, but inflate them in another. Individuals serious about seeking help may have to shop around a few times before deciding whether or not psychology or psychiatry meets their needs best. Before embarking on a treatment regimen, however, they should note that many psychologists and psychiatrists work together. The former sometimes refers patients to the latter when they personally feel as if medication is the only valid solution, though this won't always be the case. Healthy self-esteem means healthy productivity: Clinical depression is not an extended bout with "the blues" any more than bolstered self-esteem leads inexorably to an improved existence. Again, real psychological studies hack away at the carefully-constructed veneer of toothy, toupéed suits. Studies prove that absolutely no correlation exists between productivity in school or the workplace and heightened levels of self-regard. Any connection they noted was tenuous at best. Individuals with a largely poor self-image were still entirely capable of earning good grades and succeeding in the business world, and their confident counterparts were just as likely to falter or fail. While more severe cases of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety can sometimes (not always!) cause disruptions in productivity, the whole "self-esteem" thing holds little impact over most people. In fact, some studies showed that artificially-inflated self-image frequently led to individuals considering themselves more entitled than others — many of them went so far as to think themselves above such common courtesies as not manipulating or marginalizing their peers!People watch as coverage of an ICBM missile test is displayed on a screen in a public square in Pyongyang on July 29, 2017 ADVERTISING Read more Washington (AFP) North Korea could field a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile able to strike America by next year, but Pyongyang must first overcome important technological hurdles, a US expert warned Monday. North Korea has alarmed the international community by the pace and progress of its missile development program, and this month leader Kim Jong-Un conducted two tests of an ICBM. The first of these trials, which Kim described as a gift to "American bastards," showed the rocket had the potential range to hit Alaska. But a second rocket test last week flew even longer and could have reached as far as America's West Coast, experts say. Michael Elleman, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the 38 North Analyst think tank, said it appears that the "re-entry vehicle" that would carry a warhead back into Earth's atmosphere from space had failed during the second test. "Most likely it broke up into pieces," he said. "Prior to completely breaking up, it appears to have been shedding some of the outer layers, and then it must have finally disintegrated." Elleman's assessment was based on video shot in Japan's Hokkaido that shows an object in the night sky breaking up at an altitude of about six to 2.5 miles (four to 10 kilometers). Without a proper protection during a re-entry stage, a missile's warhead could burn up. Still, Elleman said Pyongyang is learning fast and that depending on North Korea's testing schedule, a deployment next year is possible. Citing US officials, The Washington Post last week said the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) now believes North Korea will be able to deploy an ICBM as soon as next year. "I tend to believe the recent (DIA) assessment that by late this year or sometime next year they should have a system that's what I call'reliable enough,'" Elleman said in a conference call with reporters. © 2017 AFPCompatible with iOS 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 with the iPhone, iPad and iPod. Owners of "Piano Passcode" will get a 99c discount. By buying XPasscode you also get "Piano Passcode" for free. DESCRIPTION XPasscode introduces a whole new level of customisation in regards to unlocking your device. With XPasscode, anyone can create completely redesign the passcode entry. The possibilities are endless; want to have a playable piano with actual keyboard sounds? You can do that. Want to have a game controller that unlocks your phone with the Konami code? You can do that. Want to have a cat that meows when you tap different parts? Of course you can do that. What's unique about XPasscode as opposed to other forms of theming is that you are no longer limited to the rigid 9-button scheme. You also have complete freedom regarding button placement, appearance, sounds, etc., and entry is no longer based on a strict single entry pass/fail system (this means you can push whatever buttons you like as much as you want, and the phone will still unlock whenever you push them in the correct order). So give it a try see what this powerful tool can do! FEATURES - iPad, iPhone and iPod support - Ability to mute, move, disable and more - Set your code from within the settings app - Includes 4 different themes - Animated keypads - Keypads with sound - Full documentation on how to create your own theme - A web applications to help making the theme (work in progress) - A dedicated subreddit on reddit.com/r/xpasscode - Themes downloadable from Cydia and many more places* *There might not be many themes just when the tweak is released. COMPABILITY Incompatible with SubtleLock. iCaughtU and tweaks alike works with this assuming the "thief" hides the themed keypad and tries with the normal keypad. The "thief" can never permanently lock your device using this tweak, not even with the normal keypad. VIDEO See larger Screenshots below..For works with similar titles, see Ode Ode by sister projects: Wikidata item. from the collection Music and Moonlight (1874). It is often quoted, but rarely provided in its entirety: often even where it is assumed to be complete, only the first three stanzas are actually given. This abridgement is due to from the collection(1874). It is often quoted, but rarely provided in its entirety: often even where it is assumed to be complete, only the first three stanzas are actually given. This abridgement is due to F. T. Palgrave 453 Ode Arthur O'Shaughnessy We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;— World-losers and world-forsakers, 5 On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. With wonderful deathless ditties We build up the world's great cities, 10 And out of a fabulous story We fashion an empire's glory: One man with a dream, at pleasure, Shall go forth and conquer a crown; And three with a new song's measure 15 Can trample a kingdom down. We, in the ages lying In the buried past of the earth, Built Nineveh with our sighing, And Babel itself in our mirth; 20 And o'erthrew them with prophesying To the old of the new world's worth; For each age is a dream that is dying, Or one that is coming to birth. A breath of our inspiration 25 Is the life of each generation; A wondrous thing of our dreaming Unearthly, impossible seeming— The soldier, the king, and the peasant Are working together in one, 30 Till our dream shall become their present, And their work in the world be done. They had no vision amazing Of the goodly house they are raising; They had no divine foreshowing 35 Of the land to which they are going: But on one man's soul it hath broken, A light that doth not depart; And his look, or a word he hath spoken, Wrought flame in another man's heart. 40 And therefore to-day is thrilling With a past day's late fulfilling; And the multitudes are enlisted In the faith that their fathers resisted, And, scorning the dream of to-morrow, 45 Are bringing to pass, as they may, In the world, for its joy or its sorrow, The dream that was scorned yesterday. But we, with our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! 50 The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see, Our souls with high music ringing: O men! it must ever be That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing, 55 A little apart from ye. For we are afar with the dawning And the suns that are not yet high, And out of the infinite morning Intrepid you hear us cry— 60 How, spite of your human scorning, Once more God's future draws nigh, And already goes forth the warning That ye of the past must die. Great hail! we cry to the comers 65 From the dazzling unknown shore; Bring us hither your sun and your summers; And renew our world as of yore; You shall teach us your song's new numbers, And things that we dreamed not before: 70 Yea, in spite of a dreamer who slumbers, And a singer who sings no more.Michael Noonan will never be rid of the name of Bridget McCole. Even those in Ireland who hold him in the highest regard, those who sing his praises most lustily, cannot ignore what he did to a 54-year-old dying mother of 12 children, when he was Minister for Health in the 1990s. Michael Noonan is hailed as a hero by Ireland’s business elites, and their scribes. In 2012, the Sunday Business Post described the man who, this week, insisted that Germany and the ECB grind Greek pensioners into the dirt, as ‘a calm, Buddha-like figure exuding authority and optimism, leavened with a sense of humour’. Noonan, the profile continued, had ‘the appearance of a man at the peak of his game’ He was ‘the master of all he surveys’; ‘popular among his party colleagues, especially the army of bright, ambitious young men and women’; ‘well able to take and justify tough decisions … (but) never the tough bruiser some in the media made him out to be’. Such glowing tribute would not look out of place in a newspaper from Ceaușescu-era Romania. But for all that, the profile could not avoid noting the ‘negative publicity he received in health at the time over the death of Bridget McCole’. It highlighted the ‘traumatic effect’ the publicity had: on Noonan. Bridget McCole, along with 1,600 others, had been poisoned: infected with Hepatitis C. She had been administered anti-D Human Immunogloblin manufactured by the State’s Blood Transfusion Service Board. The anti-D, it emerged in the course of the subsequent inquiry, had been extracted from a patient with hepatitis, without the patient’s consent. The victims’ umbrella group, Positive Action, was threatened with “uncertainties, delays, stresses, confrontation and costs” if it chose to go further than what was on offer from the State. As Fintan O’Toole summarised: ‘The message was clear – accept the expert group report, take the money, don’t ask for an admission of liability, and don’t ask any more questions.’ Bridget McCole decided to pursue her case in spite of the threats. She wanted to sue under an assumed name. It was a reasonable enough request, but the State insisted that her identity be exposed to the public: the subtle application of stigma, of being exposed in public as the bearer of a disease, would doubtless prevent others who might be minded to sue from getting notions. As Bridget McCole lay dying, Michael Noonan consented to threatening her and her family with ruin. O’Toole: ‘solicitors for the BTSB wrote to her solicitors offering to admit liability, to settle her case and to apologise for the BTSB negligence. But they warned that if Mrs McCole refused to settle and continued to seek exemplary or punitive damages, they would seek “all additional costs thereby incurred”‘. They would make an example out of her. Noonan approved. Noonan was the Minister for Health. Bridget McCole was the victim of gross negligence on the part of a State body that was covering its tracks. In a democratic society, someone in Noonan’s position of power is bound to act in the interests of the citizen failed by the relevant public body. In this case, however, Noonan acted in the interests of the State, and in keeping with the urgings of the body covering its tracks. Behind Noonan was the swell of established practice, the sense cultivated over long decades in the top echelons of Ireland’s political, business and medical worlds, that if you give an inch, the unentitled mob will take a mile. Noonan, the Minister for Health, gave the nod to the letter based on an idea of the victim -the person demanding her basic rights as a citizen be vindicated- as the enemy. The vindictiveness, the contempt, the casual dehumanising of the victim- was made plain and widely known when details of the dealings were made public. And yet it was no obstacle to Noonan becoming leader of Fine Gael, and later Minister of Finance. As noted above, Noonan’s treatment by the press these days, despite this horrible behaviour, stops just short of hagiographical. But even at the time, in the 1990s, when the tawdry details emerged, the Irish Times cast him as a victim too, alongside the women infected with Hepatitis C. Noonan was ‘the victim of a political parsimony which would try to protect the taxpayers’ interests’, A victim with -like Christ- a cross to bear: Mr Noonan will have to continue to bear his political cross, his only consolation being, perhaps, that his is a smaller and lighter cross than those borne by the women who were the ultimate victims of the whole scandal. It was precisely Noonan’s ruthlessness, his willingness to make the “tough decisions”, to take one for the team, as demonstrated by his matter-of-fact extreme cruelty to Bridget McCole, that cemented his respected status in the eyes of the great and the good. Respectable Ireland is ever on the lookout for someone willing to put the boot in, someone willing to make sure hard reality prevails, someone willing to take a stand for the State before things get out of hand: someone who embodies precisely those values lauded so highly when it comes to making cuts to vital health, education and social services. Someone who will face down the uppity Greeks, or dying mothers from Donegal: whatever shape the enemy takes. For all the high-flown claims to “protecting the most vulnerable”, Ireland’s establishment protects its class interests with an intensity that takes on the most vicious of forms when the need arises. And when Noonan puts the boot into Greece, and takes the inevitable flak for it, he does so in the knowledge that ultimately, those who matter have got his back. He is there because of Bridget McCole, not in spite of her. AdvertisementsWATCH: Obama Jokes About Trump's Birther Reversal President Obama is laughing off Donald Trump's sudden turn-around on his birth. "There's an extra spring in my step tonight," Obama said to a dinner hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night. "I don't know about you guys, but I am so relieved that the whole birther thing is over. I mean, ISIL, North Korea, poverty, climate change, none of those things weighed on my mind like the validity of my birth certificate." After years of fanning false rumors that Obama wasn't actually born in the United States, Trump declined to answer whether he now believes Obama is a natural-born U.S. citizen in an interview with the Washington Post this week, as he has done throughout the campaign. That's despite claims in recent weeks from Trump's top campaign surrogates that he does believe the fact that the president was born in Hawaii. Finally, on Friday, the Republican nominee held an event at the new Trump hotel in Washington, D.C.,
on the requirement that candidates say “I’m Candidate X, and I approve this message," at the end of a campaign advertisement, an elimination of state-sponsored voter registration drives. Other changes, like the one making it even harder for lobbyists to get involved in election fundraising, were the type of things that those looking to expand election access love. On whole though, University of California, Irvine political science professor Rick Hasen thought, this North Carolina measure is the most sweeping anti-voter law in at least decades. I’m not big on using the term “voter suppression,” which I think is overused and often inaccurate, but it is hard to see this law as justified on anti-fraud, public confidence, or efficiency grounds. The intent here is to make it harder for people—especially non-white people and those likely to vote Democratic–to register or cast a vote that will be counted. It also makes money matter more in North Carolina politics and kills public financing of the North Carolina courts. The Justice Department agreed, and filed a suit against North Carolina because of the new law, the first voting legislation passed after the Supreme Court's Voting Rights Act ruling. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement this September, "By restricting access and ease of voter participation, this new law would shrink, rather than expand, access to the franchise. Allowing limits on voting rights that disproportionately exclude minority voters would be inconsistent with our ideals as a nation. Whenever warranted by the facts and the law, the department will not hesitate to use the tools and legal authorities at our disposal to fight against racial discrimination, to stand against disenfranchisement, and to safeguard the right of every eligible American to cast a ballot." Two other suits were filed by groups in North Carolina, with an expansive list of plaintiffs including the NAACP and the League of Women Voters. The cases won't be heard until July 2015 — many months after the important 2014 elections. The NAACP are currently hoping to win an injunction that would delay the start of many of the law's provisions until after November. Education North Carolina once stood as a model for desegregation, just as it stood as a model for voter access. Newsweek wrote in 2010 that "in Charlotte, federally mandated busing ensured balance until 1999, when a court ruled that integration had been accomplished. Since then the number of 90 percent–minority schools has jumped almost fivefold. In Wayne County, one high school is now 99 percent African-American, which prompted the NAACP to file a federal complaint alleging 'apartheid education.'" In 2011, the General Assembly lifted the cap on charter schools, which has previously held at 100. Many applauded the policy change, and around 30 charter schools were in the works for 2014. Duke University researchers also found last year that charter schools can often exacerbate existing segregation issues in North Carolina: "Whereas 30 percent of regular public school students attended a racially unbalanced school (one with less than 20 percent or more than 80 percent minority enrollment), more than 60 percent of charter school students attended a racially unbalanced school." The investment in charter schools has left the available funds for public schools notably smaller. In the 2012-2013 school year, only three states — Texas, Utah, and Arizona — spend less per public student in the state. Funding for pre-K in the state was cut by 20 percent — $548 million. Enrollment dropped by 19 percent from 2011 to 2012, the biggest drop in the country. "NC teachers make less than 35K a year and have to apply for tenure every five years" Moma Hegarty, Ph D #MoralMarch pic.twitter.com/ZLpTfu5Dbz — john zangas (@johnzangas) February 8, 2014 The state government has responded to some of the complaints — today Governor McCrory announced a new bill that would raise starting salaries for North Carolina teachers, which are currently ranked 47th in the nation. Income Inequality Cuts affecting the poorest residents of North Carolina have been among the most controversial moves made by the state government in the past year. As on January 1, 2014, 900,000 working households were no longer receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit, because North Carolina became the only state to completely eliminate it. According to research provided by the legislature's fiscal research agency, the tax-reform bill passed by the General Assembly will provide notable tax breaks to the wealthiest residents in the state, while increasing the tax burden of the poorest residents. Sales taxes were also hiked. The state also declined, along with 25 other states, to take part in the Medicaid expansion offered by the Affordable Care Act. Around 500,000 North Carolina residents would have been eligible for Medicaid under the expansion. The state just paid a D.C. consulting firm $3 million to fix their Medicaid program last Friday. Fired up at the #MoralMarch with #ncwhitecoats! Marching for healthcare access for all and #medicaidexpansion! — Julie Barrett (@jules_j8bz) February 8, 2014 The state cut unemployment benefits on July 1, 2013 and the state's unemployment rate later dropped faster than any state in the country. Republican leaders in North Carolina credited new jobs and the fact that workers were taking available jobs thanks to the disappearance of jobless benefits. Progressive groups instead pointed at the 110,000 North Carolina residents who stopped looking for a job last year. A University of North Carolina researcher interviewed by the Winston-Salem Journal last month said, “If we took all the people who left the labor force in 2013 and put them back in the labor force, and then recalculated the unemployment rate for December, it’d be 9.1 percent instead of 6.9 percent." Other Issues Although economic and electoral issues provide the backbone of the Forward Together Movement's complaints, many of the 150 groups that have joined forces with the NAACP have sought to add women's rights, LGBT rights, and other issues to the mix. Healthcare and environmental groups have also joined the fray. This inclusiveness is likely one of the foremost reasons so many people turned out in Raleigh on Saturday — Reverend Barber has provided a forum for North Carolina residents to voice their complaints with the state government, and they welcome all who have something to say. The Forward Together Movement leadership are also adamant that they aren't a Democratic v. Republican movement. As Barber puts it, "This is a moral versus immoral battle." He finished a 16-city tour in North Carolina shortly before the Moral March, and there were more than a few Republicans and Republican groups who were willing to join him. The reason? "We found common ground," Barber said on Friday. "The Republicans who have joined us, they’ve said 'we’re not extremists, we’re Republicans.' They know you can’t kick people when they’re down. The problem with McCrory and Art Pope and his team, is that they overreached. Some of the issues we’re fighting for, we’d be perfectly happy to elect a Republican who stands for these things." What's Next? The next big event on Barber's agenda is preparing for the 2014 elections. He said that the Forward Together Movement is "battling this on all fronts: in the courts, in the streets, in the legislature and at the ballot box." The courts, streets, and legislature prongs of this approach have been listed above, but the ballot box is perhaps where the true test of the movement's efforts will take place. A poll released by High Point University last week shows that only 37 percent of voters approve of Governor Pat McCrory. Thirty-two percent approve of General Assembly. Only 23 percent of the poll respondents think North Carolina is headed in the right direction. Registration booths were set up at Saturday's events, and the 945 people arrested during Moral Mondays last year pledged to register new voters. As Barber puts it, "North Carolina is 23 percent African-American and 2 percent Hispanic. We only need around 25 percent of whites to vote with us to have a majority." Another big development that's sure to get more attention in the next couple of months is how far Barber's influence has spread across the South. The model of using morality as a way to fight for progressive issues, and a way of challenging the Christian Right's use of religion, is starting to spread to other states as well. The Moral Monday movement in Georgia has been protesting the state's Stand Your Ground law. Barber adds, "The movements across the South must be indigenous. No one’s parachuting in to start a movement. But the spirit of the movement, that’s already spread, to Georgia, to Alabama, to Florida, they’re thinking of starting Moral Mondays there. Twelve states have called us about the methodology of our movement."When escaped murderer Richard Matt was shot by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer on June 26, he became the 459th person shot and killed by a law enforcement this year, according to a new database released Tuesday by the Washington Post. The Post has created a catalog of deaths from police-involved shootings by continually “culling local news reports and monitoring independent databases such as Killed by Police and Fatal Encounters.” They have also invited their readers to contribute to and correct their information. As of today, their database contains 463 names, as well as information about victims’ ages, race, gender, the city in which they were killed, whether they were armed, whether they showed signs of mental illness, and the date of their death. In addition to Richard Matt, the Washington Post database contains other names you might recognize. Walter Scott — who was shot in the back in April while running from a South Carolina police officer — is number 253. But other people are absent, like Freddie Gray, who died of injuries sustained while handcuffed and shackled in a police van. His name is not in the database because the Washington Post tracks only shooting deaths involving on-duty officers. Gray does, however, have a number in a similar database (it’s 421). The Guardian launched The Counted in June, which tracks all “deadly use of force” by law enforcement. They have a similar approach as the Washington Post in that they follow media reports and leverage existing independent tracking projects. But because they count all police-involved deaths — not just shootings — their total is higher. The Guardian estimates that there have been 550 police-involved deaths since the beginning of the year. For each death, they track similar information as the Washington Post, but include the location of the incident and the law enforcement agency involved, and exclude the possibility of mental illness. Why the Numbers Differ The Washington Post and the Guardian have developed their own methods for counting police-involved deaths in part because no other organization has precise tallies. The FBI, for its part, requests that law-enforcement agencies submit a count of police-involved deaths as part of its Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), the official data source on crime in the U.S. The FBI aggregates these counts and publishes estimates of justifiable homicides by police officers in its Supplementary Homicide Report. But the numbers are widely seen as incomplete because law-enforcement agencies contribute to the report voluntarily. Only about 2,700 out of 22,000 agencies recognized by the FBI contributed counts in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available. That year, the FBI tallied 461 homicides (its annual number has been around 400 for the last five years). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also tracks deaths due to “legal intervention.” Through the National Violent Death Reporting System, it aggregates information from state authorities on a voluntary basis. Currently only 32 states participate in the program; California, Texas, and Florida — the three most populated states in the nation — do not. In 2013, the CDC estimated that there were 516 police-involved homicides in the U.S. By year’s end, both the FBI and the CDC numbers stand to be about half the number estimated by both the Guardian and the Washington Post. Why Google Alerts Get Better Numbers The Guardian and the Washington Post both rely heavily on two websites, Fatal Encounters and Killed by Police, in compiling their databases. In turn, both Fatal Encounters and Killed by Police rely on something commonly thought of as a vanity tool — Google Alerts — which allow people to set up custom searches and receive email alerts when those searches return new findings. “We use Google Alerts and search by date and region, usually states,” said D. Brian Burghart, founder of Fatal Encounters. Burghart, who is also editor and publisher of the Reno News & Review, started his site as a massive public records search: he has made over 2,000 requests, producing complete sets of police reports about police-involved deaths in Texas and Nevada. Eventually, because of the frustrations and “governmental hiccups” resulting from document requests submitted to a large number of law-enforcement agencies, Fatal Encounters turned to Google Alerts. (Killed by Police also relies on daily searches of Google News to update its homicide list.) Using Google Alerts to keep track of police shootings “makes sense provided there is human scrutiny,” said Krishna Bharat, founder of Google News (he is no longer working for Google). Search terms like “shooting” or “killed” or “murdered,” when paired with “police,” will return a big “basket of results,” to use Bharat’s terminology. This basket is then manually filtered to include only results of the police-involved events. But because Google Alerts depend on news sites, mostly local, there are ways in which the system might run into problems. An obvious issue — technical in nature — is if Google’s algorithm fails to “crawl” a news report about a given shooting. Bharat is confident that Google is capable of finding any published news story: “Certainly in the United States, I think all publications are in.” (Media outlets apply to be a part of Google News, which currently includes about 70,000 from around the world.) Bharat is realistic, however, about the technical limitations. When Google isn’t crawling a news site, we could have “a vacuum for many months.” A second possible problem is a human one. “Small-town reporting isn't what it used to be, and I would not be surprised if some cases just went unreported,” said Bharat. Burghart has seen omissions of this kind and recalled one incident that escaped the attention of the news media; it was only discovered when an article about a subsequent incident alluded to it. A Closer Look at Accuracy In March, before either the Guardian or the Washington Post launched their databases, researchers working with the Bureau of Justice Statistics published a study suggesting that the FBI was reporting only about half of the justifiable police-involved homicides from 2003-2009 and 2011. ViewFinder Visual commentaries on criminal justice issues The BJS study focused on their own program for tracking those killed during an arrest or who die while in police custody; they began collecting statistics from police departments in response to the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act, which was renewed in 2014. The BJS accounting differs from the FBI's in that it also includes, for example, people who commit suicide while in custody. The BJS evaluated their numbers by comparing them to the FBI’s using a statistical technique known as “capture-recapture.” The idea is simple enough: assuming that the BJS and the FBI do their work independently, you can use the cases recorded by one agency (capture) and then see how many are identified by the other (recapture). A little statistical work yielded estimates of how well the two reporting systems performed and how many incidents were left out. The results aligned much more closely with the Guardian and Washington Post counts. Interestingly, the BJS study notes that it began its own media-monitoring program for arrest-related deaths in January of 2010, specifically mentioning Google Alerts. In an email, Dr. Duren Banks, a criminologist with RTI International (a nonprofit research institute) and the lead author on the BJS study, said that they started using alerts and other media sources “to correct for the voluntary nature of the program — we had better reporting in some jurisdictions compared to others.” Burghart has been conducting his own accuracy analysis, comparing Google with the police department incident records he requested from Nevada and Texas. He has nearly completed verifying the data from Houston, and of the 139 deaths identified in official police reports, 19 were not found by media searches. However, all but one of those occurred before 2008, very early in the life of Google News, which was officially launched in 2006. Since then, Google News has grown considerably and undergone technological changes that have impacted its archive. As a result, the farther back you search, the less likely you are to get thorough results. The remaining unmatched incident in Houston was in 2011, and while Burghart is still examining the cause, he believes it is the result of a misspelling on the police report. The Benefits of Crowdsourcing Fatal Encounters relies on crowdsourced information, and in a similar project last year with Deadspin, published a simple set of instructions for readers to follow. The advice given suggests the complexities of using the news as a basis for data. Deadspin, for example, clarified that they “are not looking for incidence of police officers discharging their weapons and hitting no one” because they “are not as thoroughly reported and would probably bias the data.” That is, news outlets are less likely to report on them, and so these events are inconsistently entered into Google’s catalog. There are many advantages to crowd-sourced data. The Guardian asks readers to submit a link to a news story and include “as many details as you know” as well as their own contact information. The Washington Post also asks for links to existing coverage, but includes prompts for location. In general, participants are asked to extract some basic statistics from news reports about the incident, turning the so-called “unstructured” information of a news story into the “structured” categories. That information can then be compared across time, and between neighboring cities and states to identify trends that help address big questions like: Are shootings on the rise? Are certain races disproportionately affected? The Government Steps Up Days after the initial reports from the Washington Post and the Guardian, Senators Barbara Boxer and Cory Booker proposed the Police Reporting of Information, Data and Evidence Act, also known as the PRIDE Act, which would require law enforcement to report all incidents in which the use of force “by or against a civilian or a law enforcement officer results in serious bodily injury or death.” For each incident, the act requests basic demographic data on the victim (civilian or police officer), whether the civilian had a weapon, the numbers of civilians and police involved in the incident, and a brief description of the event. In terms of implementation, the proposal offers grants to law-enforcement agencies to offset the cost of collecting statistics. This bill also comes just after President Obama announced his Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The effort includes a number of well-known technology organizations like Code for America, a nonprofit promoting “civic tech.” The goal is to improve and then open data collection by police departments to help “build transparency and increase community trust.” Code for America recently launched its Police Open Data Census, providing advice to law-enforcement agencies about what kinds of data to release and how. They recommend making data freely available online, having it be machine readable (meaning that it can be shared and used in other applications), having it be available in real-time, and making incident-level data public. These new initiatives underscore not just accountability, but also data sharing that helps develop policing practices and reduce the number of deaths, both among civilians and police.Update: James Gunn released the Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer. Watch here. James Gunn is at the Brazil Comic-Con for Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Gunn went live on Facebook just prior to the start of the panel and announced he will be releasing something on his Facebook page. James Gunn also posted that he autographed a fan's leg who came back an hour with it tattooed! The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 panel saw James Gunn confirm Sylvester Stallone and reveal footage. Updating... James Gunn says Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will "more action, more adventure, more emotion, more heart, more humor." They showed the scene that takes place after the Ravgers have mutinied; features Rocket, Baby Groot and Yondu "bustin' loose." James Gunn praises his cast, crew, the Marvel comics and Marvel Studios. Gunn says Dave Bautista as Drax will blow everyone away. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will feature lots more of Karen Gillan as Nebula and a whole other side of Michael Rooker's Yondu. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is "much about fathers & sons, but also sisters." Again says lots of Nebula and Gamora. James Gunn is super excited about having Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) and John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Gunn compares the challenges to keeping Rocket grounded in the first movie to Kurt Russell's Ego in the second. James found the story and heart for Ego that gives him ground. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has a May 5, 2017 release starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn. New cast members include Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan and Kurt Russell. Synopsis: Set to the all-new sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" continues the team's adventures as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill's true parentage.The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Command held a press conference and announced the complete liberation of Raqqa from ISIS gangs officially. Democratic Northern Syrian Federation Constituent Assembly Co-chair Mansur Selûm, Democratic Northern Syrian Federation Executive Council Co-chair Foza Yusuf, Democratic Syrian Council Co-chair İlham Ehmed, representatives Raqqa Civilian Council, Manbij Civilian Council and various Northern Syrian institutions and organizations and many journalists were present in the announcement. SDF Spokesperson Colonel Talal Silo read the statement in the name of the Syrian Democratic Forces. The full text is as follows: “In the name of the SDF General Command, from the heart of Raqqa and with our heads held high in pride, today we announce the victory of liberation for Syria’s city of Raqqa by our forces who have defeated the terrorist ISIS gangs in the Great War. VICTORY GIFTED TO THE MARTYRS We gift this historic victory to all humanity, but in particular to the families of the martyrs who have suffered immensely from the terror in Syria. We bow in respect for the spirit of our heroic martyrs who fought bravely in their victorious role in the liberation of the city. We also salute our heroic fighters who were wounded in this fight and offer our gratitude. We wish them a swift recovery. We hope they will take their place again on the battlefield as soon as possible. Those who made this sacred victory possible are the martyrs of the Operation to Liberate Raqqa. In these lands, 655 young people, Syrian Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Syriacs and Americans, Britons, and other internationalist fighters, have their bloods mixed together. During the liberation process, 450 thousand Raqqan civilians were removed from the city successfully and moved into safe areas. We offer our gratitude to all the forces and groups under the SDF umbrella and who supported the SDF, the Shengal Women’s Units YJŞ, Shengal Resistance Units YBŞ, Asayish and Self Defense Forces, Popular Defense Forces, HPC and internationalist brigades. We also thank the International Coalition Forces and other military counsel groups who offered land support. We also salute all the journalists who worked to fulfil their duty to humanity to announce the truth to the world public with all they have. ADMINISTRATION TO BE HANDED OVER TO CIVILIAN COUNCIL We think very highly of the support offered by the Raqqa Civilian Council, regional opinion leaders and sheiks to our forces. Our achievement is a victory against vile terrorists. The liberation of Raqqa was the final phase of the epic war against ISIS terror. This epic started with the Kobanê resistance. This spirit of resistance is the same spirit displayed by the fighters in the resistance areas of Kobanê by the fighters for 134 days. In that resistance, the fighters managed to defeat the most vile terrorist organization in the world. The second defeat of the terrorists has been with Raqqa, and that lasted 134 days too. With this, the largest terrorist organization threatening and endangering the whole of humanity has been destroyed. As the SDF Command, we state that we will be handing over the administration of Raqqa to the Raqqa Civilian Council. We will be handing over security to Raqqa Domestic Security Forces to ensure the safety of civilians in the city. We promise to defend the state and all its borders against all threats. The Raqqa state’s peoples will be protected on the basis of the decentralized Democratic Syria so they can build their future. This way, the city’s people will be governing themselves. We are calling on all peace loving forces, states and international human rights organizations to participate in the efforts to rebuild the city and to help clean the city in the aftermath of looting. PEOPLES WILL BUILD RAQQA TOGETHER With this statement, we announce that Raqqa has completely been liberated. Right now, we have another task that awaits us, and that is to provide for the returns to the city and achieve peace and safety in the city. That can be achieved through solidarity and charity. On this basis, we are calling on all citizens, Raqqan Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Syriacs and all others, to actively participate in the rebuilding efforts and to build the administration where everybody can be represented to develop this rich city. Martyrs do not die. We wish a swift recovery to all wounded. Death and defeat belong to the terrorists, and shame to all those who support them.”If you hadn't thought the House GOP had gone completely around the bend before, their decision last week to sue the president for failing to enforce a law they had all voted against and to which they remain adamantly opposed must have convinced you. They are actually suing the president because he delayed the health care mandate for small businesses — one of the most highly valued constituencies in the Republican Party. That's right, they are going to court to screw over one of their most prized voting blocs simply in order to challenge the limits of executive power. That's either a hard core commitment to principle or their desire to hurt the president is so overwhelming that they are willing to sacrifice their own voters in the process. (And one can't help but wonder just how dictatorial the president is actually being if the only example of his tyrannical policies they feel confident in citing is one they support.) So why are they doing this? The most common assumption is that John Boehner is trying to head off impeachment. Evidently the crazies are getting very restless and the leadership thinks it would be a good idea to throw them some red meat just to keep them from jumping the fence. Having been more obstructionist than any minority party in history (keeping in mind that they only hold a majority in one house of Congress) they are now taking offense that the executive branch is moving ahead with its agenda the best it can. It's a very neat trick: Advertisement: Mitch McConnell:The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president. George Will: "Serious as the policy disagreements roiling Washington are, none is as important as the structural distortion threatening constitutional equilibrium. Institutional derangement driven by unchecked presidential aggrandizement did not begin with Barack Obama, but his offenses against the separation of powers have been egregious in quantity, and qualitatively different." Norms are funny things. Once you start breaking them it becomes very difficult to put them back together again. And these Republicans have been destroying norms for the past couple of decades, starting with the non-stop character assassination of President Clinton. They worked themselves into such a state of hysteria that they ended up impeaching him over a personal indiscretion. This was a nuclear action that had never been contemplated as a way to resolve political disputes. After all, a majority of the people had voted for the president and it should take something more than extracurricular hanky-panky to reverse that decision, particularly against their will. Likewise, it was once considered absurd that any government official would blithely remark that his party's top priority was to deny the president a second term --- and then have the leadership proceed to rule the GOP caucus of both houses with an iron fist to insure that no one succumbed to an outbreak of bipartisanship. And from 2010 on, what was once the normal process of governance was pretty much a dead letter. So yes, "constitutional equilibrium" has been distorted and "institutional derangement" has been in full effect for some years now. But there's no question as to whether the GOP chicken or the Democratic egg is responsible for it. It may be true that President Obama has used executive powers in unprecedented way in some discrete instances but unless the presidency really is a ceremonial position or a potted plant, the GOP has left him no choice. Their bad faith is obvious. Unfortunately, the more extreme elements of the Party have a taste for blood and it's unlikely they are going to settle for Boehner's lawsuit. Whether they can muster the energy for impeachment of Obama is another question. It's possible they're just sharpening up the knives for Hillary Clinton. "Benghazi!™" is probably just the amuse bouche. In any case, heading off impeachment is likely the least of it. There could be a legitimate argument about whether the president had the power to do what he did. But as Jonathan Bernstein points out in this piece at Bloomberg View, members of the opposing party in Congress taking the president to court because they disagree with how he interprets a law is an unprecedented approach to litigating such questions. Normally, these cases are brought by citizens who can show standing. This suit, if it is allowed to go forward, would be a very big change to the constitutional system and, as Bernstein points out, it would vest a lot of new power in the Court: Normally, each branch has an opportunity to interpret the law (those separated institutions sharing powers again), but doctrines such as standing limit the courts' ability to intervene. If, however, they can intervene whenever a house of Congress is unhappy, then the courts get a a much more active role in determining what the laws say. That would make the Court substantially more powerful than than the other two branches as it becomes the arbiter of disputes that would normally fall under the purview of the political system. Historically, if you don't like what a president is doing (or a Congress, for that matter) you take your complaint to the people and let them decide. It would appear that Speaker Boehner and the Republicans are cutting out the middle man -- us. But there may be even more to this than simply empowering the Supreme Court (with its comparatively youthful conservative majority.) We know that the demographic changes in the electorate mean the Republicans are looking at a very difficult future in terms of national elections unless they are able to tame the radical beast they've created. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it is highly unlikely they will be able to win the presidency any time soon. But it's very possible that with their gerrymandered districts they could keep the House for some time to come and the undemocratic nature of the Senate insures that it can always be up for grabs. Advertisement: And all of that is despite a Democratic national majority. After all, obstructing the federal government's ability to enact new programs and fund the ones that still exist while narrowing the executive branch's ability to act in domestic matters is the GOP agenda. And the fact is that it can be perfectly realized as a minority party. If they can put this last step in place --- having their conservative Supreme Court majority "arbitrate" on behalf of the Republicans in congress --- they could be in the driver's seat for some time to come. Whether the people like it or not.Here at Biology in 3D, we often talk about the aesthetic side of structural biology and the power of structural images to inspire both artists and scientists. In the last Structure issue of 2016, we published a Letter to Editor by Shuguang Yuan, H.C. Stephen Chan, Slawomir Filipek, and Horst Vogel that emphasizes the importance of user-friendly structural biology data visualization strategies. I invited the authors to say a bit more about what they are trying to accomplish and how they are trying to accomplish it, and to share some examples with us here at CrossTalk. Here, they discuss how they combined the tools PyMOL and Inkscape to create effective visual models. Over the last few decades, our ability to solve structures of biomolecules and biomolecular complexes has grown at a fantastic rate, making structural biology information ubiquitous and relevant to very broad communities of life and chemical sciences. Most of the users of structural biology information begin and end their structural explorations via a visual inspection of 3D structural models. Interacting with the 3D models, usually via software, is one of the most basic and widespread methods we employ to understand the biological function of macromolecules and learn from the structures. And yet we've heard many concerns about how counterintuitive and user-unfriendly some visualization tools are. This prompted us to write our Letter to Editor and put together two examples on how we combined PyMOL and Inkscape to prepare biological images with ease, in a clear, professional, and artistic way. We won't go into details on PyMOL, as there are many helpful online resources for anyone interested in using this software (see here, here, here, and here). The same goes for Inkscape, a free program supported by a large group of users, video and other tutorials, and a gallery of fabulous examples (here, here, and here) as well as an active wiki. Instead, we want to focus on two examples of how we used the combination of these two pieces of software to create illustrations of our favorite protein, 5-HT 3 receptor (5-HT 3 R), and its ligand, serotonin. Example 1. The 2D/3D hybrid diagram of protein-ligand interactions Here, we use serotonin to illustrate the key steps in the process of going from coordinate files to the final 2D/3D diagram that depicts details of how a small-molecule ligand engages the protein. There are two key sources of experimental coordinate files for small-molecule ligands, the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and Cambridge Structural Database. If the PDB coordinates are your starting point for manipulating a small molecule, then you'll have to get rid of the macromolecule first. The most straightforward way of doing this is to do some minor text-based editing of the PDB file to retain only information on the small-molecule coordinates before importing them into PyMOL. When using PDB coordinates as a source for your small-molecule ligand structures, it is important to remember that it is very likely that they will not contain information on hydrogen atoms. So adding hydrogen atoms back is the critical step in your ligand coordinate preparation, and PyMOL makes this easy to do via clicking on the object and following the prompts. One point to keep in mind is that PyMOL will add the correct number of hydrogen atoms to satisfy the neutral valency of individual atoms, which means that you'll have to inspect your small molecule and manually assign any charged states by hand. In our case, serotonin is a primary amine, and we manually assigned a +1 charge for this nitrogen (N) atom to make our serotonin ready for the next step. We start building our 2D/3D diagram by focusing on the 3D object first, which is serotonin. Our objective here was to create a 3D representation of serotonin where atoms are represented as spheres and colored based on their element. To do this, we use PyMOL options that allow you to select the object and color by atom using preset color selections. In our case, carbon atoms are yellow, nitrogen is in blue, and oxygen is in red. Next, we displayed all the atoms in serotonin as spheres, and PyMOL made customizing the appearance and size of the spheres easy via command line. For those who want to make molecules more stylish, you can play around with the surface texture and sphere style. For example, we adjusted the light on our object and obtained a transparent background image, resulting in a high-resolution image. From here, we went into Inkscape to combine the image we generated in PyMOL with the 2D diagram of the macromolecule, in this case 5-HT 3 R. The 2D/3D hybrid diagram that works really well to highlight key points of contact between a small molecule and the protein is one that places the small molecule in the center and surrounds it with protein structural elements that engage with it. Inkscape offers a large variety of tools for freehand drawing and creating custom-made lines and objects. It's intuitive and straightforward as well as very flexible. For example, using Inkscape, we were able to surround serotonin with a representation of 5-HT 3 R features and indicate relevant residues, contacts, and types of interactions. Additionally, we expanded the figure content to include WebLogo3 protein sequence logos to indicate sequence conservations, as this is relevant for the type of scientific discussion we wanted to anchor on this image. Example 2. The gating mechanism scheme of 5-HT 3 receptor Our first example centered on the small-molecule ligand serotonin, so in this second example, we'll focus on the macromolecule 5-HT 3 R and its gating mechanism. What we will illustrate here is how to create a diagram that summarizes the underlying mechanistic principles of 5-HT 3 R. In this example, we used the 5-HT 3 R coordinate file 4pir, which includes five receptor chains (A–E), and five chains (F–J) that belong to nanobodies used to stabilize and crystallize 5-HT 3 R. The nanobody components need to be removed prior to any analysis, which PyMOL allows you to do by simply selecting the chains and removing all the atoms associated with them. Because we wanted to display the inside view of the receptor, we also removed three protomers (C–E). With this clean coordinate file in hand, we created different 5-HT 3 R 3D components in PyMOL. We first rendered the surface of two subunits of the 5-HT 3 receptor using scripts that we are happy to provide to anyone who is interested. Next, we created stick representation for three key residues, W154, V264, and L260, and then we prepared the models for water molecules, as well as Na+ and Cl– ions. We used the command "pseudoatom
PA 1988. , Louise Forrest, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA 1988. Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking, Tom Brown and Brandt Morgan, Berkeley Publishing, New York, NY 1983. Graphics adapted from the following:Bolton in the North West of England was recently the site of a rather strange protest. Called “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence”, it was organised by the usual suspects, and featured among other things a march. This is nothing new, this particular project has been running annually since 1991. According to the organiser, the turnout was lower this year than expected; she put this down to some people receiving rape threats. The big question here is were these threats genuine, because the most common type of rape in Bolton appears to be false rape. In 2005, Tanya Moores was given a 12 month sentence at Bolton Crown Court for a false rape allegation against her boyfriend. In March 2009, Lauren Chaffey was given a five month sentence at Bolton Crown Court after falsely accusing a man with whom she’d had consensual sex of raping her. In November 2010, Amanda Bradley was given a 12 month sentence at Bolton Crown Court. She had claimed her former lover raped her. Three months later she admitted she had lied. In June 2011, a seventeen year old girl was given a twelve month sentence by Bolton magistrates after falsely accusing an Asian taxi driver of raping her. In October 2011, Keeley Horrocks was given a two year sentence at Bolton Crown Court after falsely accusing a man of raping her. Although he was nearly forty years her senior they had been in a relationship for months. In February 2012, it was reported that a 16 year old girl who claimed to have been the victim of a violent rape was issued with a fixed penalty notice. Detective Inspector Gary Smith of Bolton CID was not amused. In June 2013, Husem Patel was cleared at Bolton Crown Court of perverting the course of justice. It had been claimed he had told Jade Leech to make a false rape allegation against Zabir Khan, who had been arrested on that account. Leech admitted making this false allegation – four months after reporting it – and pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. In March this year, an alleged rape reported to Bolton police the previous September was revealed to have been yet another false allegation. Finally, in the true spirit of diversity, in January 2008, a MAN named Sajid Bharucha pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice relating to two historical allegations against the same individual. So it seems, ladies, there is absolutely no need for marches against male violence in Bolton. Your menfolk may not be safe, but you are. Smile luv!Last week Gregg Allman cancelled all dates through the end of October, which included his own set and a Gregg Allman Incident set at this weekend’s Peach Music Festival in Scranton. A few days ago Peach Fest organizers announced The Allman Brothers Family Incident to replace the Gregg Allman Incident set tonight and then detailed a few Sunday changes. We were awaiting a final lineup addition for Sunday and it’s quite incredible. Drummer Joe Russo, bassist Oteil Burbridge and keyboardist Marco Benevento will come together for their first-ever “RB&B” supergroup performance at Peach on Sunday. We can’t wait to hear what The Duo & Oteil come up with! In addition Gov’t Mule will play an extended set on Sunday and the Rich Robinson Band will perform. The Peach Music Festival started last night at Montage Mountain in Scranton and continues today through Sunday.A Dutch woman who called a man 65,000 times in the past year - an average of 178 calls a day - is to face charges of stalking. The man told police he had been bombarded with calls, texts and emails from the woman. Lawyers say the 42-year-old woman claimed to be in a relationship with the man and denied that her actions were excessive. The 62-year-old man denies that they were in a relationship. The police raided the woman's home in Rotterdam and seized a number of mobile phones and several computers. The BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague says a judge at a preliminary hearing granted the woman bail on the condition that she leave the man alone. But just a couple of hours after being released, she allegedly called him again, says our correspondent. She has been kept in custody ever since, and had been due to appear before a judge in The Hague later on Wednesday, before it was decided three judges should hear the case. A new date for the hearing is yet to be set.Biking Doctor 6 Gallery: Biking Doctor Before leaving the office to visit a homebound patient, Dr. Tony Ohotto gathered a few necessities: his stethoscope, medical notes, and a pair of well-worn bicycling shoes. Dark clouds threatened rain, so Ohotto packed a rain slicker before hopping on his 10-speed. Kevin Callahan, a , joined him for a 15-minute ride to their patient's home, a residential care facility in Southeast Portland. "When you roll up on a bike, it gets you some street cred with patients and caregivers," says Ohotto, a geriatric specialist and staff physician at , a program that provides health care, housing and other services for older adults. Through good weather and bad -- and despite the social and professional pressures favoring car transport -- Ohotto and Callahan have found on-the-job bicycling to be eminently practical. Callahan took up cycling for the obvious benefits: exercise, avoiding traffic jams, spending less money on gas. Ohotto says he began using his bike for home visits more or less out of necessity. He wanted to commute by bike, which left him without a car at work. Both have discovered unexpected benefits. Callahan said the impression he makes when he shows up on a bike helps establish rapport with the chronically ill and disabled people he cares for. "I tend to get a little easier buy-in," Callahan says. "People see you as regular human being rather than the intimidating medical professional." Bicycling also improves the caregiver's state of mind. Callahan says riding to a client's home gives him a few invigorating minutes to breathe fresh air, get the blood circulating and clear his head. It helps lighten up interactions with clients. "I'm feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to roll," he says. "It helps with attitude adjustment," Ohotto agrees. Greg Rillera, who runs two adult care homes with his wife and sister, was surprised the first time he saw Ohotto arrive on a bicycle. "I didn't realize he was a doctor," Rillera says. He decided that the doctor was serving as a good role model, engaging in healthy exercise and polluting less. But he wondered if bicycling would waste too much time. "All I know is, time is gold, you need to work faster. That's what my question is." Because of time pressure, Ohotto doesn't ride as often as he'd like. For many home visits, he carpools with a one of ElderPlace's registered nurses. Not only can he travel faster, but he can also use the time in the car to discuss care issues and solve problems. But Callahan says that in five years, he's rarely needed a car. "My visits tend to be with residences and skilled nursing facilities within 4 or 5 miles. So it's relatively efficient." Despite the much talked about animosity of motorists toward cyclists, Callahan says in his experience, Portland drivers are overwhelming polite. Oregon's notorious weather isn't as bad as its repution either, he says. "There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing."First ever bubonic plague case confirmed in Michigan Under a low magnification of 96X, this hematoxylin-eosin stained (H&E) photomicrograph reveals some of the histopathologic changes seen in a lymph node tissue sample in a case of fatal human plague. Note the medullary necrosis accompanied by fluid due to the presence of Yersinia pestis bacteria. (Photo: Courtesy CDC) A Michigan resident has contracted the rare, life-threatening bubonic plague — the first documented case in Michigan’s public health history, state officials confirmed. The Marquette County adult is recovering after apparently contracting the flea-borne illness during a trip to Colorado. Officials are reassuring the public there is no cause for alarm, despite the disease's connection to the microorganism that caused the Black Death plague in Europe in the 1300s, killing millions and reshaping history. "It’s same organism but, in this case, the infection resides in a lymph node," said Dr. Terry Frankovich, medical director for the Marquette County Health Department. The bubonic plague, in fact, is notably marked by one or more swollen, tender and painful lymph nodes, usually in the groin, armpit or neck. With the bubonic plague, people are most often infected by bites from infected fleas or when they have direct contact with the tissues or body fluids from an infected animal. The highest risk is in settings that offer food and shelter for rodents — campsites and cabins, for example, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The Michigander's case did not develop into the more contagious pneumonic form of the plague. Pneumonic plague may be passed between humans, infecting the lungs and causing a rapidly developing pneumonia that can lead to respiratory failure and shock, according to the CDC. A third form, septicemic, occurs when the plague organism multiplies in the blood, and it can lead to shock, organ failure and — as in the case of a Colorado teen earlier this year — death. "Theoretically, the illness can move to bloodstream or to a lung infection, but this (Michigan) individual had localized infection, so there’s no concern about transmission," Frankovich said. In fact, the adult is recovering after a hospitalization and diagnosis "within the past weeks." A lab confirmed the culture Monday, Frankovich said. State officials echoed the reassurance. In the Michigan case, “truly there is no risk to anyone,” said Jennifer Smith, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “This is not something that occurs (in) Michigan. … This is a person who contracted this while they were away, and the individual is making a recovery and is not a public health (threat).” The plague is rare, with an average of seven human cases reported across the U.S. each year, according to the CDC. However, the western U.S. is experiencing an increase in reported cases of plague in 2015, with 14 human cases, including four deaths reported. The reason for the increase is not known. Contact Robin Erb: rerb@freepress.com, 313-222-2708 or on Twitter @Freephealth Read or Share this story: http://on.freep.com/1URtUjtFirst African initiative to address illicit outflows says governments, multinationals and crime deprive poor countries of crucial services Africa is losing more than $50bn (£33bn) every year in illicit financial outflows as governments and multinational companies engage in fraudulent schemes aimed at avoiding tax payments to some of the world’s poorest countries, impeding development projects and denying poor people access to crucial services. Illegal transfers from African countries have tripled since 2001, when $20bn was siphoned off, according to a report released by the African Union’s (AU) high-level panel on illicit financial flows and the UN economic commission for Africa (Uneca). The report was praised by civil society groups as the first African initiative to address illicit outflows from the continent. In total, the continent lost about $850bn between 1970 and 2008, the report said. An estimated $217.7bn was illegally transferred out of Nigeria over that period, while Egypt lost $105.2bn and South Africa more than $81.8bn. Trade mispricing, payments between parent companies and their subsidiaries, and profit-shifting mechanisms designed to hide revenues are all common practices by companies hoping to maximise profits, the study said. Nigeria’s crude oil exports, mineral production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa, and timber sales from Liberia and Mozambique are all sectors where trade mispricing occurs. Former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who chairs the panel, said: “The information available to us has convinced our panel that large commercial corporations are by far the biggest culprits of illicit outflows, followed by organised crime. We are also convinced that corrupt practices in Africa are facilitating these outflows, apart from and in addition to the related problem of weak governance capacity.” Criminal networks engaged in drugs and human trafficking, animal poaching, and theft of oil and minerals also contributed to money leaving the continent. This is the first time African countries have spoken out so strongly about how these crimes are hurting their people Reducing these losses requires urgent and coordinated action, the report said, calling for renewed political interest in fighting corruption, increased transparency in extractive sector transactions and a crackdown on banks that aid fraudulent transfers. African and non-African governments and the private sector – including oil, mining, banking, legal and accountancy firms – were all involved in schemes designed to launder money and avoid paying corporate tax, according to the study. More than $1tn was siphoned off globally through illegal schemes between 2007 and 2009, the report said, noting that lost African revenues comprised 6% of that total. But the authors cautioned that poor data and complicated laundering networks could make the amount much higher. “Illicit financial flows from Africa range from at least $30bn to $60bn a year,” the report said. “These lower-end figures indicated to us that in reality Africa is a net creditor to the world rather than a net debtor, as is often assumed.” But efforts to stop funds reaching terrorist groups, such as Nigeria’s Boko Haram and Somalia’s al-Shabaab, have led to improved anti-money laundering institutions in many African countries, the report said. This includes passing legislation designed to stop illicit flows, creating financial intelligence units and monitoring banking activities. The report called for the UN to crack down on European and US firms that engage in tax avoidance and money laundering. Joseph Stead, senior economic justice adviser at Christian Aid, said: “This is the first time that African countries have spoken out so strongly and in unison about how these financial crimes are hurting their people. That is a big deal. “From now on, it will be much harder for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other rich country groupings to argue that tax dodging, corruption, money laundering and so on are not a top priority for African governments.” Governments that “turn a blind eye” to illicit outflows are forcing their poorest citizens to forgo hospitals, schools and environmental protection, said Sipho Mthathi, Oxfam’s executive director for South Africa. “Oxfam estimates that Africa alone is losing almost half of the global $100bn of annual illicit financial flows,” she said. The bulk of Africa’s illicit transfers originated from west Africa, where 38% of all funds leaving the continent were generated. Profit-making activities in north Africa accounted for 28% of the flows, while southern Africa, central Africa and eastern Africa each made up about 10%, the report showed. Global Financial Integrity president Raymond Baker said the report represented a historic moment in the effort to fight Africa’s “most pernicious economic problem”. “This is a turning point in the movement to curtail illicit financial flows and promote financial transparency, both within Africa and globally,” he said. The high level panel was founded by the AU and Uneca in 2012.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A shocking video has emerged showing up to 30 school kids attacking two police officers. In the brief clip the male officer was dragged to the ground and then kicked. His female colleague was also allegedly punched in the face during the incident in New Cross, south London, on November 9. She was seen trying to protect the male officer during the attack on Goodwood Road. A ‘teacher’ also stepped in to try and help and pulled a few of the teenagers away. They eventually scattered. Advertisement Advertisement MORE: So Corona’s founder isn’t making everyone a millionaire after all The incident happened in New Cros, south London (Picture: Google Maps) ‘There was a fight, then the police turned up and were attacked by the kids,’ a local told the Sun. ‘They were like a pack of feral wolves.’ The video begins by showing the officers searching a pupil. But things soon turn ugly when the rest of the school kids decide to pull them off after shouting ‘get off him’. The teenagers were allegedly in the area for a fight against another school. The policeman suffered serious bruising and was hospitalised as a precaution. MORE: Nursery worker filmed beating a baby so hard it fractured her skull Authorities are now looking for witnesses and have already arrested a 15-year-old boy on suspicion of actual bodily harm. He was bailed until December. ‘I’m appealing to anyone who witnessed this shocking attack on two officers to come forward and speak with us, particularly anyone with mobile phone footage of the incident,’ Detective Sergeant Jenny White said. ‘These officers go to work every day to keep the public safe and this demonstrates the dangers the police can face while carrying out these duties.’ If you have information call Lewisham CID on 020 8284 8365 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. MORE: Man who brutally beat dog on a train is named, shamed and jailed MORE: This woman is explaining why she refused reconstructive surgery following a double mastectomyShare this article: The estate of Sam Simon, co-creator of “The Simpsons” and a longtime animal lover and philanthropist, Tuesday announced the formation of a charitable foundation and a $1 million grant to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. The Sam Simon Charitable Giving Foundation will fund efforts to improve the treatment and welfare of animals, prioritizing support for animals in captivity, and will also support programs that provide pathways out of poverty by increasing access to education and employment in underserved communities in the Los Angeles region. “Sam was deeply committed to philanthropy throughout his lifetime, and his legacy of giving lives on through the foundation’s work championing both human and animal rights,” said Julie Miller of the Sam Simon Charitable Giving Foundation. According to PETA, the $1 million grant will support the nonprofit’s work “to build empathy for animals through educational exhibits targeted towards young adults and children; the Sam Simon Animal Rescue Fund, an initiative responsible for quickly transporting a variety of animals from unsafe and cruel environments and placing them in sanctuaries, homes or other shelters; cruelty investigations, which will focus on the entertainment industry and animal agriculture; and the Sam Simon Investigations and Rescue Matching Challenge, an online fundraising initiative to generate new donors to PETA.” Simon died on March 8, 2015, in Pacific Palisades of colorectal cancer. He was 59. To learn more about the Sam Simon Charitable Giving Foundation, visit http://www.sscgf.org/. –City News Service Don’t have a cow, man, don’t harm an animal: ‘Simpsons’ estate gifts $1 million to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was last modified: by >> Want to read more stories like this? Get our Free Daily Newsletters Here! Follow us:Being sociable has its advantages, including giving you - or at least your species - a bigger brain. Across more than 500 mammal species, animals that lived in social groups had bigger brains than those that lived by themselves. Evolutionary biologists had long assumed brain size increased in mammals in a more or less consistent fashion, with each species gaining roughly the same boost relative to body size over time. However, Oxford researchers Dr. Susanne Shultz and Professor Robin Dunbar have revealed in their new study that the truth is a bit more complicated, and it's actually the sociability of a given species that determines brain size. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, primate brains grew the most over time, followed by horses, dolphins, camels, and dogs. All these creatures tend to live in stable social groups. Solitary mammals, including everything from cats to rhinos, showed much slower brain size growth over the same evolutionary period. The researchers believe this means being sociable requires an increase in brainpower to deal with all the new challenges that brings. Dr. Shultz explains: "This study overturns the long-held belief that brain size has increased across all mammals. Instead, groups of highly social species have undergone much more rapid increases than more solitary species. This suggests that the cooperation and coordination needed for group living can be challenging and over time some mammals have evolved larger brains to be able to cope with the demands of socialising." Advertisement Her fellow researcher Professor Dunbar says it's particularly interesting that cats still have relatively small brains, despite the stimulating company they keep: "For the first time, it has been possible to provide a genuine evolutionary time depth to the study of brain evolution. It is interesting to see that even animals that have contact with humans, like cats, have much smaller brains than dogs and horses because of their lack of sociality." [PNAS]Hakuoki Shinkai: Fuukaden announced for PS4 The Otomate brand comes to PlayStation 4. Idea Factory is bringing its Otomate brand of for-girls love adventure titles to PlayStation 4. The publisher announced Hakuoki Shinkai: Fuukaden for PlayStation 4 during the Dengeki Girl’s Style Special Stage at Dengeki Game Festival 2017. While Idea Factory has not said it outright, the title and trailer seem to suggest that Hakuoki Shinkai: Fuukaden is a compilation of Hakuoki Shinkai: Kaze no Shou and Hakuoki Shinkai: Hana no Shou, which launched for PS Vita in Japan in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The former, Hakuoki Shinkai: Kaze no Shou, is coming west in May as Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds. In a message shared on the Japanese PlayStation Blog, Idea Factory said that Hakuoki Shinkai: Fuukaden is only the start of its PlayStation 4 support, and that it plans to release more Otomate brand titles on the platform in the future. Hakuoki Shinkai: Fuukaden will launch for PlayStation 4 in Japan in 2017. More information will be shared in the April 10 issue of Dengeki Girl’s Style magazine. Watch the announcement trailer below. Visit the teaser website here.Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd. (also known as Hong Guang Animation (宏廣) and Cuckoo's Nest Studio) is one of the oldest and most prolific Taiwanese-American animation studios. The company, based in Xindian, Taipei and Los Angeles, California,[1] has done animation/ink and paint for various TV shows and films for studios in North America, Europe and Asia. History [ edit ] Wang Film/Cuckoo's Nest, the studio's original name, was founded by James C.Y. Wang (王中元)/Wang Zhongyuan, Hsu Chih-wei and Lu Kuang-chi started the studio in 1978 as an overseas facility for the U.S. animation outlet Hanna–Barbera.[2] Hanna-Barbera send Jerry Smith to help set up the company and eventual owned half the company.[3] Many employees from Chunghwa Cartoon came to work at Cuckoo's Nest Studio along with employees from Ying Ren Cartoon and Shang Shang. Don Patterson was brought on board as a trainer. The company started with about 50 employees but soon had 300.[2] In the company's first year, 17 episodes were produced for Hanna–Barbera. Quickly, they had contracts with Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, and Universal.[4] With increased wages and foreign exchange rates, Cuckoo's was being priced out of the outsourcing market. Thus the CNS began restructuring. A Chinese subsidiary was opened in 1990 in Zhuhai, southern Guangdong province. In 1991, Cuckoo's Nest had to lay off 200 employees in Taipei. The company began computerization to reduced cost, while training some that would have been laid off to operate the computers. By 1993, the company had capacity to produce 200 half hour episodes each year. In 1993, a Shanghai unit, possibly a joint venture, was under consideration with Bangkok as an alternative. Also, internal developed and produced material was expected to start hitting the market in Mid-1994.[4] Artists there work on such popular shows as CBS' "Garfield," "Care Bears" and "Winnie the Pooh," Hanna-Barbera's "The Jetsons," Fox's "Bobby's World" and Warner Bros.' "Tiny Toons." The company is also famous for their work on the overseas production for Nelvana's Care Bears franchise, Film Roman's Garfield and Friends and Bobby's World, Klasky Csupo's Rugrats pilot and first season, Disney's DuckTales and Stretch Films' Courage the Cowardly Dog. They also helped produce effects for the 1982 film Tron[2] and some Peanuts television specials, production ink & paint matting, and animation assistance. Thai Wang Film Productions [ edit ] Thai Wang Film Productions was a division of Wang Film Productions located in Bangkok, Thailand. Productions [ edit ] Hong Guang Animation [ edit ] Hong Guang Animation is a division of Wang Film Productions located in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Productions [ edit ] Feature films [ edit ] Films produced by Wang Film Productions Company Uncle Niou's Great Adventure (1982) (1982) Doraemon Robot Wars (1983) (1983) Funky Space Monkey Fire Ball (2005) (2005) Lin Wang (2018) (currently in production)[ citation needed ] Productions TV shows [ edit ] Outsourced from Disney Television Animation Outsourced from Hanna-Barbera Outsourced from Warner Bros. Animation Outsourced from other studios Television films and specials [ edit ] See also [ edit ]The giants who fight against Noah in Darren Aronofsky’s new film actually have a basis in Scripture, a fact more than one Catholic writer has also exploited. “Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:4) Darren Aronofsky, who co-wrote and directed the new film, Noah, starring Russell Crowe as the eponymous hero, is rumored to have taken quite a few liberties with the Biblical text. Not having yet had the opportunity to see the film, I take this claim on trust from A.O. Scott’s New York Times review of the film. As an example of Aronofsky’s creative expansion, Scott observes that “while the Bible does note that “there were giants in those days,” it does not specify that they were six-armed stone colossi with the voices of Nick Nolte and Frank Langella.” True, no translation of Genesis of which I am aware mentions Nick Nolte and Frank Langella (though I’m sure God loves them all the same). But it is interesting, “giants” are mentioned in Genesis Chapter 6, verse 4. In the Vulgate version of the Bible (the Latin version), the word being translated is gigantes: gigantes autem erant super terram in diebus illis. As the Douhay-Rheims translation puts it, “Now giants were upon the earth in those days.” The New American Bible translation reads, for the exclusively English reader, less colorfully: “The Nephilim appeared on earth in those days.” Why “Nephilim”? The word is transliterated from the original Hebrew text of Genesis. According to scholars, the word means “giants” but is derived from a root word meaning “fallen ones” or perhaps even “those that cause others to fall down.” So who are these giants and where did they come from? They appear in Genesis right before the story of Noah and the flood. We have been hearing about the two sons of Adam and Eve: Cain, the bad seed who murdered his brother Abel, and Seth, the good seed who replaced Abel. Cain’s descendants are the first to take two wives (Genesis 2:21-24), a perversion of the marital order established by God in the Garden of Eden (see the fascinating discussion of Genesis on the website of Scott Hahn’s St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology). Seth’s descendants, by contrast, develop a prayerful relationship to God, calling upon him by name (Genesis 4:26). Yet even they are prone to rebellion. They begin to take as wives the beautiful daughters of Cain’s line, and even seem to follow their cousins in taking more than one wife (Genesis 6:1-4). It is from the unions of men from Seth’s line with women from Cain’s line that the giants appear, monsters born from the mixture of good and bad seed. From the calamities his creation has wrought, God repents of having made it (Genesis 6:6), and the story of Noah, the flood, and the ark takes off from there. The giants, in fact, appear more than once in Scripture. In Wisdom 14:6, in an invocation of the story of Noah, we read: “from the beginning also when the proud giants [superbi gigantes] perished, the hope of the world fleeing to a vessel, which was governed by thy hand, left to the world seed of generation” (Douay-Rheims). And Baruch, meditating upon God’s creation, says: “here were the giants, those renowned men that were from the beginning, of great stature, expert in war. The Lord chose not them, neither did they find the way of knowledge: therefore did they perish. And because they had not wisdom, they perished through their folly” (Baruch 3:26-28, Douay-Rheims). These texts indicate that the giants were not called so only because of their “great stature.” As a note to the Douay-Rheims translation of Genesis 6:4 speculates: “it is likely the generality of men before the flood were of a gigantic stature in comparison with what men now are. But these here spoken of are called giants, as being not only tall in stature, but violent and savage in their dispositions, and mere monsters of cruelty and lust.” A giant is thus principally a moral monster, not just a proto-lottery pick in the NBA draft. The Catholic literary tradition has enjoyed making imaginative place for the giants of Genesis. I first came upon them in my study of the medieval epic poem, Beowulf, a story of a hero’s confrontations with three dreaded monsters. The first of these monsters, Grendel, is described by the Beowulf poet–whose name is lost to history but who assuredly was Christian and may have even been a monk–as a descendant of “Cain’s clan.” Here is how Grendel first comes on the scene, in the late Seamus Heaney’s masterful translation from the Old English: So times were pleasant for the people there until finally one, a fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world. Grendel was the name of this grim demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts. For the killing of Abel the Eternal Lord had exacted a price: Cain got no good from committing the murder because the Almighty made him anathema and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves and evil phantoms and the giants too who strove with God time and again until he gave them their reward (lines 99-114). The Beowulf poet precedes Darren Aronofsky in creatively elaborating upon the spare resources about the giants found in Scripture. Along with giants, the poet tells us that the issue of the unions between Cain’s descendants and Seth’s descendants include “ogres and elves and evil phantoms.” In reading this particular line it is worth taking a look at the Old English original, which in Heaney’s translation is happily reproduced on the facing page. For there we find, as the original of “ogres,” orcnēas. That is, transliterated, orcs–which name is given to the monsters who serve as the minions of Sauron and the evil wizard Saruman in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Although Tolkien’s myth makes no explicit reference to Genesis, his borrowing of the name “orc” from Beowulf imaginatively and morally links his myth, through Beowulf, to the story of Genesis. (Tolkien scholars can correct me, but I assume that the “elves” mentioned in Beowulf as part of Cain’s clan were “fallen” elves?) So in developing the role of the giants in his Noah, Darren Aronofsky is only doing what some very famous Catholic writers have done: that is, make imaginative use of the giants of Genesis, both as physical monsters that serve as antagonists in their tales, and as metaphors for all those who have not wisdom and perish through their folly. Daniel McInerny is editor of the English edition of Aleteia. He is also the author of the comic novel, High Concepts: A Hollywood Nightmare, as well as two books in the Kingdom of Patria children’s series, Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits and Stoop of Mastodon Meadow. You are invited to contact him at daniel.mcinerny@aleteia.org, find him on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter @danielmcinerny. You can also visit his author blog, danielmcinerny.com.Everyone has seen pictures of galaxies in their elementary school science books, but what you might not know is that not all galaxies are created equal. In fact, some of them are downright bizarre-looking. While the Milky Way may look pristine and almost flawless, the following galaxies are the poor, snaggle-toothed children of the cosmos. 5 Hoag’s Object 600 million light-years away Hoag’s Object almost looks like two distinct galaxies, with its bright yellow cluster of stars at the center and a blue ring of stars separated from the cluster by a large void of space. But no, this is one galaxy, much the same way Saturn is one planet and not a planet with a ring-shaped planet around it. When tasked with solving the problem of how Hoag’s object was formed, science came up with a resounding “what?” In the end, they just labeled it as a type of ring galaxy and moved on. Want an example of another galaxy of this type? Look just inside the top end of the ring. There’s one off in the distance, which is bizarre, since these kinds of galaxies are pretty rare.Apple has confirmed the date of its next keynote event, which will take place on March 21 in Cupertino, California. Invitations to the event don’t offer any details about what’s going to be unveiled, but feature a tagline (“Let us loop you in”) and close-up of the Apple logo. In terms of what we’re expecting to see at the event, look out for the official unveiling of Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone, which is expected to be called the iPhone SE, a new 9.7-inch iPad Air 3 (possibly called an iPad Pro), fresh Apple Watch bands, various software updates and more. Given that this event takes place one day before Apple’s standoff with the FBI goes before a federal court, the timing is certainly interesting — needless to say, Tim Cook will have a lot on his plate to deal with that week. As usual, you’ll be able to watch the event live on your Apple TV or the Apple website starting at 10 a.m. Pacific on March 21. We’ll be providing a blow-by-blow liveblog here at Cult of Mac. In the meantime, anyone want to speculate on what Apple’s cryptic tagline for the event means? Via: Tim Bradshaw/TwitterOneWeb representatives recently called on staff in the International Bureau’s Satellite Division at the FCC to reinforce previous comments filed with the commission and provide an update on OneWeb’s ambitious plans to launch a satellite constellation. OneWeb emphasized the immediacy of its plans: In less than one year, it anticipates its first satellites will be in orbit and operational, according to an ex parte filing (PDF). The company expects these efforts to result in a constellation that will serve as a critical component of the FCC-led efforts to bridge the digital divide in the U.S. By way of example, OneWeb said that starting in 2019, it will enable high-speed access for all of Alaska where homes, tribal health centers and tens of thousands of residents are without adequate broadband access. Within its first two years of service, OneWeb plans to make significant progress toward closing the digital divide in the U.S. Mobile World Congress 2019 Attend the 2-Day Executive 5G Panel Series FierceWireless is returning to Barcelona, Spain, during Mobile World Congress 2019 with a two-day Executive 5G Panel Series at the Fira Congress Hotel, conveniently located across the street from the MWC Convention Center. The panel events will take place on Feb. 25-26 and will cover 5G and The Fixed Wireless Access Opportunity, Taking 5G Indoors, and Making 5G Ubiquitous. Attendees will have the opportunity to network and hear from 5G leaders including Verizon, Vodafone, Orange, Sprint, NTT Docomo, Boingo Wireless, Qualcomm, and more over the course of two days. Secure your spot at the event today! Now is your chance to join fellow industry professionals for networking and education. Registration information and the schedule can be found on the website here. Register today OneWeb explained that its first satellites are currently set to be launched in March 2018. These satellites will be manufactured at the OneWeb facility in Toulouse, France, where the final assembly line is being inaugurated next month. OneWeb’s second and third final assembly lines will be located at OneWeb’s new state-of-the-art satellite facility in Exploration Park, Florida, which is currently under construction. RELATED: OneWeb breaks ground on new satellite facility, gears up for 5G While the company wants to connect the under-served or unconnected around
. As much as this was shown through his highly introspective music, he showed it as well during his actual battles. He took angles with opponents that were often very creative, and often would be self-deprecating to the point where he would beat himself better than his opponents would beat him; Caddy often won twice in the same battle. His struggles and weaknesses weren’t an angle to be used against him, they were an integral part of his battle persona. To ever get the full story of the entirety of Caddy Ron, you’d have to listen to his music, his interviews, and essentially immerse yourself in everything Caddy. But if you were to get to know about this West Coast legend through his battles, we feel the following five, taken together, give the best glimpse of the totality of Cadalack Ron. Cadalack Ron vs. Caustic Where: Grind Time West's "Battle Of The Bay 5" in Oakland, Calif. When: Sept. 4, 2009 Why you should watch it: This was an extremely competitive back-and-forth, and the desire to win on either side is more evident than in your typical Caddy battle. It's a Grind Time classic in every sense of the phrase: it has jokes, personals, multi-syllabics, short but very dense rounds, and live judging. Caustic actually took it with a unanimous decision, but it certainly wasn't for lack of effort on Caddy's end. Caustic was rising through the ranks and clearly hungry at the time, and it's a trip to watch Caddy expertly downplay him as the "kid from the forum." It's equally entertaining to watch Caustic roast Caddy with truly flawless punchlines, and it only made Caddy heat up as the battle went on. The rapid-fire style of his standout third might feel a little distant now, but he was snapping, and it was exactly what the crowd wanted to hear. Check out the lyrics to this battle. Cadalack Ron vs. Absyrd Where: Grind Time West's "Battle Of Los Angeles 3" in Los Angeles, Calif. When: Dec. 31, 2009 Why you should watch it: Though actually less controversial than usual, this is a quintessential Caddy performance. His opponent, Absyrd, took this battle incredibly seriously, and so did he, just in a different way. Absyrd’s effort is obvious, but Caddy presents a perfect foil for it in the way he lazily weaves haymakers together, chipping away at Absyrd’s appeal with utmost cruelty. Caddy had an extraordinary ability to simply absorb personal attacks — Absyrd got very personal with him — and hilariously return the hate, turned up in volume, with carefree abandon. This is a prime example, and his “Baskin Robbins” scheme is unforgettable. Cadalack Ron vs. Unorthodox Phrases Where: No Coast's "No Coast vs. The World" in Columbia, Mo. When: Sept. 17, 2010 Why you should watch it: During the second half of his battle rap career, Ron became known for overtly racist material and antics, and this battle is really the best early example of that. In front of a fairly new battle rap crowd in Missouri, Ron delivered a jarring performance that was both groundbreaking and controversial. There are multiple angles to talk about with this battle, from members of the crowd being legitimately outraged and trying to get law enforcement involved as it happened, to the footage being taken down and then eventually re-released. This battle also shows how masterful Caddy was at controlling an audience, as he does the unthinkable by flipping the crowd back to his side with his third round after disgusting them all for the first two. Be sure to watch until the end of the battle, as Ron explains the purpose of his offensive content. Cadalack Ron vs. Lex D Where: King Of The Dot's "Takeover" in Los Angeles, Calif. When: June 28, 2013 Why you should watch it: Pitted against reliable jokester Lex D, Caddy actually gave one of his most serious, bar-heavy performances. It didn’t really seem like he particularly disliked Lex; perhaps he just had a point to prove at the time that “bars”— read: wordplay— were slowly overtaking all other styles in battle rap. And prove it he did, as he was able to break Lex down in typically mean fashion, all while stringing complex bars together and even delivering a few elaborate schemes (his religion scheme in Round 3 is one for the ages). Although his humorous performance was a bit one-note, Lex was a great match for Caddy and also did his part to make this an entertaining back-and-forth. Cadalack Ron vs. Sicarii Where: King Of The Dot's "Back 2 Basics" in Los Angeles, Calif. When: June 27, 2015 Why you should watch it: This was Caddy’s first battle as “Caddy 3.0,” the sober, upgraded version of himself that was born in 2015. Frankly, he ran through relative newcomer Sicarii with an intensely alert, still totally merciless style. It came to light later that Sicarii was in dire health — he had heart surgery very shortly after — but it probably didn't matter since there was little he could do that was going to overwhelm the deadly calm Caddy on that day. After this battle, longtime fans and skeptics alike marveled at Caddy’s boundless potential when he was off the junk. It was a truly exciting moment in battle rap, and it hurts that much more to think of where he might have taken his renewed focus next. Words by Brad Danyluk, Jackson Yates and Tyler Franz. There are plenty of performances that could've been included in this list, so let us know your favorites in the comments below.A video posted to social media late Friday night shows a brawl between several people at a Wawa. The video, posted to Facebook by Marvin Lee, shows patrons inside the convenience store throwing food on the ground and yelling at an employee. Then, the group appears to turn on another customer, throwing punches at him. Eventually, some of the unruly patrons leave the store. The video can be viewed below (Disclaimer: Video contains plenty of explicit language): It is unclear which Wawa location the fight took place, when it happened or what caused the argument. Related: More details emerge about Wawa incident involving Fox News host Sean Hannity Several people who commented on the video suggested it took place at a Wawa in Torresdale. A call made to a phone number listed for Wawa's corporate office outside of business hours Saturday was met by a full voicemail. Lee did not immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking additional information on the fight.Roman "CyberFocus" Dergach and Alexander "spiker" Ivanov have parted ways with Empire, the organisation have announced on their website. The departures come after a frustrating campaign at the offline qualifier for ESL One Cologne, where Empire were one of the first teams to be sent home, following defeats against Cloud9, dignitas and Immortals. Empire's remaining players, Sergey "spaz" Skrypchik, Denis "electronic" Sharipov and Emil "kUcheR" Akhundov, are currently competing in ESEA Premier under the name ANOXmix, but it is unclear if they have also left the organisation, who ventured into Counter-Strike in January with the signing of the roster known as Rebels. CyberFocus is looking for a new team Before the CIS Minor Championship, Empire made headlines as they signed kUcheR. With the former HellRaisers member, the team finished second at the Minor to book their spot at the offline qualifier for the next $1 Million Valve-sponsored tournament. In a statement to Empire's website, Roman "CyberFocus" Dergach admitted to being "very pleased" with the level the team reached during his time on the roster and added that he is currently assessing his options." Empire currently have the following trio:This is the project page for my DNA on internet. The genomes are hosted as git repository on GitHub and as regular web download here. GitHub repository also contains my experiments (code, visualizations, reports) along with the raw genome data. So if you just want raw data then look into genome folder. I have blogged about my intentions behind uploading my DNA to the internet. It’s probably a better place start with. The same genome data is available at OpenSNP if you prefer to use that. OpenSNP also has some phenotypes. I will keep the profile and related info up to date. Personal Analytics I track almost every aspect of my life. I am making them public as of now. Its not complete yet. GPG Signing of Repo Thejesh GN <i@thejeshgn.com> Fingerprint: C7D4 1911 9893 ADAF 27B0 FCAA BFFC 8DD3 C06D D6B0 License Copyright (c) 2013 Thejesh GN under GNU GPL version 3 along with Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this sequence, to deal with it without restriction, except for uses related to non-research or insurance purpose.The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Sequence. THE SEQUENCE IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SEQUENCE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SEQUENCE.1 of 11 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × How do humans compare to a dinosaur seven stories tall? View Photos Explore these photos to understand the scale of what scientists say is the world’s biggest dinosaur, 130 feet long. Caption Explore these photos to understand the scale of what scientists say is the world’s biggest dinosaur, 130 feet long. 2013 In this 2013 photo released by the Egidio Feruglio Museum of Paleontology in Trelew, Argentina, the head of the museum’s technical laboratory, Pablo Puerta, lies next to a femur bone believed to be from the world’s largest dinosaur. Jose Maria Farfaglia/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. Take the elephant, today’s largest land-bound animal. Then stack 14 of them on top of one another. Then — and only then — would it be possible to conceive of the size of this mega-dino. It wasn’t the fiercest dinosaur in the world. That title still belongs to the T. Rex — or, as we reported two weeks ago — perhaps the newfound P. Rex. But this dinosaur, scientists say, was definitely the biggest. “Given the size of these bones, which surpass any of the previously known giant animals, the new dinosaur is the largest animal known that walked on Earth,” researchers told the BBC. “Its length, from its head to the tip of its tail, was [130 feet.] Standing with its neck up, it was about [65 feet] high — equal to a seven-story building.” The remains were found near the central Argentine town of El Sombrero. Initially stumbled upon by a local farmer, they hint at a dinosaur that weighed 80 tons — 10 tons heavier than the previous record holder, the Argentinosaurus. Belonging to a sauropod subgroup called Titanosaur, it stalked the Earth nearly 100 million years ago, its long serpentine neck swaying to and fro, munching on the vegetation of Patagonia. At the site, there was a cluster of seven of them amid nearly 200 bones. The animals likely died during a period of drought, researchers surmise, but the bones themselves were in “remarkable condition.” “It’s like two semi trucks, one after another, and the equivalent of more than 14 African elephants together weight,” says José Luis Carballido, who led a team of researchers from Argentina’s Museum of Palaeontology. According to a museum’s press release, he added: “It’s a real paleontological treasure. There were many and they were intact, which does not happen often.” Still, with any claimed discovery, there is always a need for skepticism. Many “world’s biggest dinosaurs” have come before this recent discovery. The most recent was the Argentinosaurus, originally believed to weigh a whopping 100 tons, but later scaled back to 7o. It’s possible the same could happen with this excavation. “Without knowing more about this current find it’s difficult to be sure,” says Paul Barrett of London’s Natural History Museum. “One problem with assessing the weight of both Argentinosaurus and this new discovery is that they’re both based on very fragmentary specimens — no complete skeleton is known, which means the animal’s proportions and overall shape are conjectural.” So for now the researchers are holding off on naming the dino. “It will be named describing its magnificence and in honor to both the region and the farm owners who alerted us about the discovery,” one of the researchers said. More from The Washington Post: Scientists call this new dinosaur the Chicken From Hell Girl’s 12,000-year-old skeleton may solve a mysteryRep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, writes in the Wall Street Journal that evidence abounds of the Trump campaign colluding with Russia to steal the 2016 election from Hillary Clinton. But rather than providing evidence, he proves the opposite: Democrats have absolutely no proof of President Trump colluding with Russia. And Schiff harms himself and the country by making such wild claims. To see why, take Schiff’s points in turn. Manafort, Papadopoulos, and Flynn First, Schiff claims that because the probe by Special Counsel Robert Mueller has led to charges, this must mean Mueller is on to something. Really? Paul Manafort was charged with crimes unrelated to his time as Trump’s campaign chair, and Manafort’s brief time as the campaign chair was only due to a lack of GOP operatives willing to work with Trump who understood the Byzantine process of a floor-fight at the Republican National Convention. As soon as Trump realized Manafort was problematic, he dropped him like a hot potato. The charges against Manafort are related to him failing to disclose work for, and payments received by, foreign governments. Yes, this is a problem, but many in DC who violate this statute go unprosecuted. During the time in question—before Manafort was Trump campaign chair—Manafort was working with Tony Podesta, the brother of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair John Podesta. We are all patiently waiting for Democrat Tony Podesta, and many others who ran afoul of this law, to be charged. George Papadopoulos, a 29-year-old, was made a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign in March 2016. At this time the Trump operation was desperate to show that Trump didn’t just get his opinions on world events from “the shows.” While in Europe, and after he was added to the Trump campaign, Papadopoulos met with a Russian “professor” on March 14, 2016. The professor introduced him to Vladimir Putin’s “niece,” and on April 26, 2016, the professor told Papadopoulos the Russian government had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of her emails. Schiff assumes the professor was talking about the WikiLeaked emails from the Democratic National Committee. As the president would say: Wrong! In April 2016, news of the DNC email theft had not been made public, and everyone living in conservative-ville was focused on finding the 30,000 emails Hillary Clinton deleted from her home-brew server. This was because many believed finding these emails would show Clinton doing favors at the State Department in return for cash from foreign actors. And while the professor, Papadopoulos, and Putin’s “niece” talked a lot about setting up high-level meetings between Trump and Putin, absolutely nothing came from this. Papadopoulos even proposed a meeting between Trump and Putin to the Trump campaign, and the Trump camp quickly shot this idea down. Mueller charged Papadopoulos with lying to the FBI. The “lie” was that Papadopoulos told the FBI the first meeting with the professor had occurred before he was made a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, when it occurred after he was made a foreign policy adviser. In truth, the meeting occurred after the Trump campaign had decided on Papadopoulos but before he had been officially announced. You can be the judge on whether this was a prosecutorial gotcha, or whether Papadopoulos was purposefully lying to protect the president. Either way, as Andrew McCarthy has noted, the Papadopoulos indictment is exculpatory to President Trump, and not damning in the least bit—because the Trump campaign clearly rejected Papadopoulos’ proposals. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn also pled guilty to lying to the FBI. The lie in question occurred during an interview that took place only four days after Trump took office. Flynn was interviewed by FBI agents, including Peter Strzok (whom we’ll get to later), at the behest of former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, an Obama holdover, who sought to nail Flynn for violating the Logan Act when he communicated with the Russian ambassador during the “transition” period after Trump’s election but before the inauguration. The act basically says that anyone outside of the executive branch can’t influence the decisions of foreign powers. Flynn allegedly did this by asking the Russian ambassador, on December 22, 2016, to delay or vote against a U.N. Security Council resolution that would declare Israeli settlements illegal (the Obama administration was planning on abstaining from the vote rather than voting against, a first for U.S. policy), and by asking the same ambassador on December 29, 2016 to not “escalate” after the Obama administration imposed last-minute sanctions on Russia (Russia did in fact not escalate, possibly due to Flynn’s request). Schiff says that this amounts to Flynn “conspiring secretly” with the Russians. Not only do we want incoming administrations to talk to foreign powers, and not only were Flynn’s conversations totally non-nefarious, but the Logan Act, signed into law by John Adams in 1799, has been flagrantly violated since its existence, violations have never been prosecuted, and there are serious doubts about the act’s constitutionality (a question that has never been directly examined by a court). On top of this, Yates never should have seen Flynn’s side of the conversation without a warrant, as it should have been redacted since he is a U.S. citizen. Unmasking Flynn’s side was not illegal per se, but it was an abuse of power using a loophole that Congress needs to address. The leak of that Flynn phone call to the media, which was politically framed as nefarious when it was not, was flagrantly illegal. Aside from using the Logan Act as the pretext for investigation, the other thing out-of-the-ordinary here was the foreign policy crap sandwich Obama was trying to hand Trump only weeks before the transition of power. Outgoing presidents aren’t supposed to make big changes like this before they shuffle out the door. Instead of being a legitimate response to Russian meddling, the action against Russia could have been purposed to hype claims of major Russian election interference. Even more egregious, Democrat politicians, including prominent senators, had been calling for a prosecution based on the non-crime of a Logan Act violation throughout the election. Is it downright appalling that politicians would call out a target, and our prosecutorial powers would dutifully aim and shoot. The Trump Jr. Meeting in Trump Tower Schiff then claims that the Russians “followed up” the Papadopoulos meetings with “an approach to the highest levels of the campaign—the president’s son, son-in-law, and campaign manager—once again offering dirt on Mrs. Clinton as part of what was described as the “Russian government’s effort to help Mr. Trump.” Schiff says the Trump campaign agreed to accept Russian help, and that when the Trump campaign was disappointed in what Russia offered during the meeting, Russia countered by delivering the stolen emails to WikiLeaks days later. Baloney. The two Russians who met with the Trump team, Natalia Veselnitskaya and Rinat Akhmetshin, didn’t offer dirt on Clinton but instead talked about their quest for a repeal of the Magnitsky Act during the meeting. That’s a law Congress passed to penalize Kremlin associates who had a hand in the death of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. They were doing so while working with Fusion GPS, the same firm the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid to come up with “evidence” of Trump and Russia collusion. Fusion GPS was behind the now-disproven stories about a secret server communicating with Russia in Trump Tower. Fusion GPS gave Democrats’ money to former British spook Chris Steele, who possibly gave the money to alleged or former Russian intelligence agents, who spun the stories that created the infamous Trump-Russia dossier—a document that claimed Trump was under Putin’s thumb due to blackmail that involved prostitutes performing abnormal sex acts in a Moscow hotel. This dossier is likely what sparked the FBI and Department of Justice’s investigation of Trump in the first place, even though FBI number two McCabe just testified to Congress that the only thing that could be verified in the dossier was Carter Page’s trip to Moscow—something that was already public information before the dossier was written. Back to the Trump Tower meeting, Fusion GPS head Glenn Simpson told Congress that he had no knowledge of the meeting, although he met Veselnitskaya both just before and immediately after the meeting occurred. To make things even more interesting, the only reason Veselnitskaya had the right to even be in the country at the time was due to a special entry request granted by the Obama DOJ. Again, this was still days before the existence of any DNC email theft was made public. When a music promoter from the U.K. emailed Don Jr. to set up the meeting in Trump Tower, it is entirely possible that Don Jr. thought the promoter was referring to Hillary Clinton’s deleted 30,000 emails. Here’s some news for the uninformed: no presidential campaign in the history of our country would have passed up the opportunity to get a hold of those missing emails. If anything, looking into these claims was a public service. If Hillary was elected, and a foreign government did have Hillary’s missing emails, she would be prone to the same blackmail that many, without evidence, are suggesting controls the actions of Donald Trump. Some say Trump Jr. should have gone to the FBI. This is the same “institution” that allowed those emails to be destroyed, no-questions-asked, in the first place. Uh-huh. The So-Called Social Media Support Schiff continues: “Days after the meeting in Trump Tower, Julian Assange of WikiLeaks announced receipt of the hacked DNC emails. The Russians also published stolen emails directly through their fictitious proxies, DC Leaks and Guccifer 2.0. At the same time, the Russians ramped up a massive social-media campaign using an extensive network of fake personas and accounts to help the Trump campaign, vilify Mrs. Clinton and sow general discord.” First, there are good reasons to doubt that Guccifer 2.0 and DC Leaks were related to the theft of emails and documents that led to the WikiLeaks disclosure, and there is even evidence that the non-damaging information Guccifer 2.0 released was harvested internally (as a side note, everything Guccifer 2.0 released was also at the fingertips of Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s corrupt IT aid Imran Awan). Second, Russia’s “massive” social media campaign amounted to about $200,000 spent between Google and Facebook, and 40 overtly pro-Trump Twitter accounts. This compares to the $90 million spent on social media advertising by the Trump campaign’s vaunted digital advertising operation. And most of the “Russian” Facebook ads ran in 2015, which, as Schiff surely knows, was not an election year. Even the widespread narrative of Russia hacking state elections systems started to fall apart, and then went radio-silent. In general, we still don’t have conclusive evidence that Russia orchestrated a massive interference campaign during the 2016 election, despite the Russian election-hacking narrative being treated as gospel truth by the Democrats, Mueller, and the media. Where Does the Evidence Lead, Then? Schiff concludes: “To claim that these facts show no evidence of collusion requires a willingness to avoid seeing what is in plain sight…” Here’s what is in plain sight. Hillary Clinton’s campaign, seeking to distract from her ethics troubles and the DNC’s mistreatment of Bernie Sanders, sought to blame Russia and the Trump campaign for the release of the DNC’s files by WikiLeaks. Crowdstrike, a private cybersecurity firm paid by Democrats, was the only party to examine the DNC’s server. The FBI was not allowed to, or did not want to, examine the server. This allowed the Clinton campaign to go into the Democrat National Convention and talk “Russia,” instead of talking about how poor Bernie was mistreated by corporatist Democrats. Whether or not the DNC was hacked by Russia (the later phishing of the Podesta emails did credibly add to the narrative), Hillary Clinton and the DNC then paid Fusion GPS to tie Donald Trump to the alleged Russian hacking. Fusion GPS was also working directly for Russian interests at the time, to repeal an American law that was passed after the murder of an innocent man in Russian prison. In its work for the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS used Democrats’ money to interview Russians who spun tales damaging to Trump. The result of the “information” gained by Fusion GPS from alleged Russian intelligence agents—the Trump-Russia dossier—was scooped up by an all-too-willing FBI and Obama Justice Department, after even the media wouldn’t dare publicly touch it. Deputy associate attorney general Bruce Ohr, who reported directly to Yates, met with Steele, author of the dossier, before the election, and met with Fusion GPS’s Simpson after the election. Ohr’s wife, who has ties to the CIA, worked for Fusion GPS with the specific role of trying to connect the dots between Trump and Russia. C-suite FBI agent Peter Strzok and other top officials at the FBI and DOJ—the same who had cleared Hillary Clinton, including by changing their assessment as to whether foreign actors accessed Clinton’s server, where an honest assessment would have been highly damaging to her political future—began to investigate Trump and his campaign before the election on the basis of a dossier that was totally unverified and rife with verifiable errors. Strzok was later added to Mueller’s crack team of investigators. It is likely that these same FBI and DOJ officials even obtained a FISA warrant to spy on the Trump campaign, or Trump campaign associates, based on the dossier paid for with Democrat money by Trump’s political opponents. We could know for sure, but on the issue of the FISA warrant or warrants, and on many other issues, the FBI and DOJ are currently flipping Congress the bird, refusing to even testify or present the documents that Congress has requested. After stalling, the FBI finally released pre-election texts between Strzok and his mistress, where Strzok talks about the need for an “insurance policy” because ostensibly he, FBI number two McCabe, and others “can’t take [the] risk” of Trump getting elected. We Are in Dangerous Territory The really sad part of all this, aside from the absence of justice in our country, is how much all this is harming America. There are some very powerful people, organizations, and an entire political party so invested in the Trump-Russia collusion story that turning up only dead-ends would be a catastrophe to their pursuit and maintenance of power. What’s more, if it turned out that the real collusion with Russia occurred on the Democratic side, and that the whole Trump and Russia collusion narrative was cooked up by a Democrat’s presidential campaign and a corrupted Justice Department and FBI, it would be an existential crisis for the media, the Democrats, and maybe even the federal bureaucracy. Even some Republicans would have something to lose if this were the case. Because of this, we are in dangerous territory. Like an animal trapped in a corner, many who have pushed the collusion narrative will now do and say anything to survive. Former director of national intelligence James Clapper was just on CNN and literally claimed that Trump was Putin’s “asset.” It is only so long before talk like this, including the babble coming from the likes of “Morning Joe,” will prompt some mentally deranged person to violence. Indeed, this has already happened. On the other side, some Trump voters, who have real concerns and have been ignored for years, won’t go silently into the night if the Democrats opt for impeachment without concrete proof of a crime. This certainly seems to be where the Mueller investigation is headed. In short, Schiff, and those like him, are pulling our country dangerously close to a ledge of division where we have been before, and dare not go again. Democrats and Republicans alike in Middle America would do well to keep a level head and try to remain as unified as possible going forward. If we don’t, nobody will.(Image: Head gears via Shutterstock)What a fascinating thing! Total control of a living organism! — psychologist B.F. Skinner The corporatization of society requires a population that accepts control by authorities, and so when psychologists and psychiatrists began providing techniques that could control people, the corporatocracy embraced mental health professionals. In psychologist B.F. Skinner’s best-selling book Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), he argued that freedom and dignity are illusions that hinder the science of behavior modification, which he claimed could create a better-organized and happier society. During the height of Skinner’s fame in the 1970s, it was obvious to anti-authoritarians such as Noam Chomsky (“The Case Against B.F. Skinner”) and Lewis Mumord that Skinner’s worldview—a society ruled by benevolent control freaks—was antithetical to democracy. In Skinner’s novel Walden Two (1948), his behaviorist hero states, “We do not take history seriously,” to which Lewis Mumford retorted, “And no wonder: if man knew no history, the Skinners would govern the world, as Skinner himself has modestly proposed in his behaviorist utopia.” As a psychology student during that era, I remember being embarrassed by the silence of most psychologists about the political ramifications of Skinner and behavior modification. In the mid-1970s, as an intern on a locked ward in a state psychiatric hospital, I first experienced one of behavior modification’s staple techniques, the “token economy.” And that’s where I also discovered that anti-authoritarians try their best to resist behavior modification. George was a severely depressed anti-authoritarian who refused to talk to staff, but for some reason, chose me to shoot pool with. My boss, a clinical psychologist, spotted my interaction with George, and told me that I should give him a token—a cigarette—to reward his “prosocial behavior.” I fought it, trying to explain that I was 20 and George was 50, and this would be humiliating. But my boss subtly threatened to kick me off the ward. So, I asked George what I should do. George, fighting the zombifying effects of his heavy medication, grinned and said, “We’ll win. Let me have the cigarette.” In full view of staff, George took the cigarette and then placed it into the shirt pocket of another patient, and then looked at the staff shaking his head in contempt. Unlike Skinner, George was not “beyond freedom and dignity.” Anti-authoritarians such as George—who don’t take seriously the rewards and punishments of control-freak authorities—deprive authoritarian ideologies such as behavior modification from total domination. Behavior Modification Techniques Excite Authoritarians If you have taken introductory psychology, you probably have heard of Ivan Pavlov’s “classical conditioning” and B.F. Skinner’s “operant conditioning.” An example of Pavlov’s classical conditioning? A dog hears a bell at the same time he receives food; then the bell is sounded without the food and still elicits a salivating dog. Pair a scantily clad attractive woman with some crappy beer, and condition men to sexually salivate to the sight of the crappy beer and buy it. The advertising industry has been using classical conditioning for quite some time. Skinner’s operant conditioning? Rewards, like money, are “positive reinforcements”; the removal of rewards are “negative reinforcements”; and punishments, such as electric shocks, are labeled in fact as “punishments.” Operant conditioning pervades the classroom, the workplace and mental health treatment. Skinner was heavily influenced by the book Behaviorism (1924) by John B. Watson. Watson achieved some fame in the early 1900s by advocating a mechanical, rigid, affectionless manner in child rearing. He confidently asserted that he could take any healthy infant, and given complete control of the infant’s world, train him for any profession. When Watson was in his early 40s, he quit university life and began a new career in advertising at J. Walter Thompson. Behaviorism and consumerism, two ideologies that achieved tremendous power in the 20th century, are cut from the same cloth. The shopper, the student, the worker, and the voter are all seen by consumerism and behaviorism the same way: passive, conditionable objects. Who are Easiest to Manipulate? Those who rise to power in the corporatocracy are control freaks, addicted to the buzz of power over other human beings, and so it is natural for such authorities to have become excited by behavior modification. Alfie Kohn, in Punished by Rewards (1993), documents with copious research how behavior modification works best on dependent, powerless, infantilized, bored, and institutionalized people. And so for authorities who get a buzz from controlling others, this creates a terrifying incentive to construct a society that creates dependent, powerless, infantilized, bored, and institutionalized people. Many of the most successful applications of behavior modification have involved laboratory animals, children, or institutionalized adults. According to management theorists Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham in Work Redesign (1980), “Individuals in each of these groups are necessarily dependent on powerful others for many of the things they most want and need, and their behavior usually can be shaped with relative ease.” Similarly, researcher Paul Thorne reports in the journal International Management (“Fitting Rewards,” 1990) that in order to get people to behave in a particular way, they must be “needy enough so that rewards reinforce the desired behavior.” It is also easiest to condition people who dislike what they are doing. Rewards work best for those who are alienated from their work, according to researcher Morton Deutsch (Distributive Justice, 1985). This helps explain why attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-labeled kids perform as well as so-called “normals” on boring schoolwork when paid for it (see Thomas Armstrong’s The Myth of the A.D.D. Child, 1995). Correlatively, Kohn offers research showing that rewards are least effective when people are doing something that isn’t boring. In a review of the literature on the harmful effects of rewards, researcher Kenneth McGraw concluded that rewards will have a detrimental effect on performance under two conditions: “first, when the task is interesting enough for the subjects that the offer of incentives is a superfluous source of motivation; second, when the solution to the task is open-ended enough that the steps leading to a solution are not immediately obvious.” Kohn also reports that at least 10 studies show rewards work best on simplistic and predictable tasks. How about more demanding ones? In research on preschoolers (working for toys), older children (working for grades) and adults (working for money), all avoided challenging tasks. The bigger the reward, the easier the task that is chosen; while without rewards, human beings are more likely to accept a challenge. So, there is an insidious incentive for control-freaks in society—be they psychologists, teachers, advertisers, managers, or other authorities who use behavior modification. Specifically, for controllers to experience the most control and gain a “power buzz,” their subjects need to be infantilized, dependent, alienated, and bored. The Anti-Democratic Nature of Behavior Modification Behavior modification is fundamentally a means of controlling people and thus for Kohn, “by its nature inimical to democracy, critical questioning, and the free exchange of ideas among equal participants.” For Skinner, all behavior is externally controlled, and we don’t truly have freedom and choice. Behaviorists see freedom, choice, and intrinsic motivations as illusory, or what Skinner called “phantoms.” Back in the 1970s, Noam Chomsky exposed Skinner’s unscientific view of science, specifically Skinner’s view that science should be prohibited from examining internal states and intrinsic forces. In democracy, citizens are free to think for themselves and explore, and are motivated by very real—not phantom—intrinsic forces, including curiosity and a desire for justice, community, and solidarity. What is also scary about behaviorists is that their external controls can destroy intrinsic forces of our humanity that are necessary for a democratic society. Researcher Mark Lepper was able to diminish young children’s intrinsic joy of drawing with Magic Markers by awarding them personalized certificates for coloring with a Magic Marker. Even a single, one-time reward for doing something enjoyable can kill interest in it for weeks. Behavior modification can also destroy our intrinsic desire for compassion, which is necessary for a democratic society. Kohn offers several studies showing “children whose parents believe in using rewards to motivate them are less cooperative and generous [children] than their peers.” Children of mothers who relied on tangible rewards were less likely than other children to care and share at home. How, in a democratic society, do children become ethical and caring adults? They need a history of being cared about, taken seriously, and respected, which they can model and reciprocate. Today, the mental health profession has gone beyond behavioral technologies of control. It now diagnoses noncompliant toddlers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and pediatric bipolar disorder and attempts to control them with heavily sedating drugs. While Big Pharma directly profits from drug prescribing, the entire corporatocracy benefits from the mental health profession’s legitimization of conditioning and controlling.Story highlights Adam Christopher's new novel, "The Age Atomic," spans the sci-fi and fantasy spectrum The book picks up with Christopher's previous novel, "Empire State," left off Private eye Rad Bradley is pulled into a secret plot to reconnect alternate universes Among science fiction and fantasy, there are a genres and sub-genres: hard science, swords and sorcery, cyberpunk, steampunk, apocalyptic stories, time travel and space opera, just to name a few. Each has its hardcore fans, and rarely do these stories stray from their roots by mixing elements. Someone forgot to mention
and small enterprises should be able to have the convenience of working within a cloud, while not having their data stored on a US server or elsewhere within the immediate reach of the NSA. Protonet devices offer generous storage capacity of up to 16 terabytes. While Protonet does not promise a totally NSA-immune digital environment, it boasts secure SSL encryption in all the communications within the cloud, which both Snowden and the June 5-launched #ResetTheNet campaign urge users to employ. Revelations about the scale of US mass surveillance and allegations of the NSA’s industrial espionage have prompted huge privacy concerns from European users. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who allegedly had her personal phone tapped by the NSA, as well as some other EU leaders, have since called for a separate European internet, bypassing American servers.Whistler, B.C., workers Dan Davies and Andrew James have learned to bundle up tight every night before they tuck themselves in. "This is probably the finest home on wheels you could ever have," said Davies, proudly showing off the pair's unheated 1970s van. Dan Davies and Andrew James bought a van so they would have somewhere to live while working in Whistler this winter. (Chris Corday/CBC) It has folded-down seats for a shared bed, rusted doors and barely enough room to store their bags and ski gear. Davies, a 24-year-old carpenter from Wales, arrived with his friend at the beginning of December hoping to work in the resort community. Getting a job wasn't a problem. Finding a place to live was. Whistler is booming and housing is in short supply. The pair from Wales are good humoured about their cramped and chilly living situation in Whistler. (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC) With nighttime temperatures often dipping below -15 C in Whistler, staying warm is a challenge. "We turn the car on for 20 or 25 minutes and then jump under the covers and go to sleep," said James. The pair bought a gym membership and use the showers and toilets there. James and Davies put this ad on Craigslist hoping to find a room, or even just a driveway to plug in their van overnight. (Facebook) Few options "It's not ideal but with the housing crisis we have here, we just deal with whatever we've got," said Davies. They say they are constantly coming across other workers camping in parking lots because they've been unable to find other places to live. This ad posted on social media asks $1,000 a month for a bunk in a studio apartment shared by 4 people. (Facebook) "There's a girl who works in the supermarket and she lives in a van by herself," said James. Whistler is considering a bylaw to restrict short term rentals like Airbnb in residential neighbourhoods. (Canadian Press) Rental sites such as Craigslist show how accommodation in the community is almost impossible to find. One recent ad for the top bunk of a bunk bed in an apartment shared by four people was listed for $1,000. Another for a condo in the Creekside area was asking $2,300 for the one bedroom. Seasonal squeeze Whistler is in the midst of the biggest boom in its history, even larger than before the 2010 Olympics. Demand is being fuelled by the low Canadian dollar and great skiing and boarding conditions. Whistler's Deputy Mayor Jack Crompton is hoping property owners in Whistler will consciously choose to rent their properties to local workers. (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC) Nestled in the mountains and with a community plan that limits new development, an already-tight housing market has become even tighter. "We have added 1,500 new jobs in two years and for a community of 10,000 people, that's a huge number," said Jack Crompton, deputy mayor of Whistler. Whistler worker Gayle Mansell has been sharing a bed in her daughter's shared room since the end of November. (Chris Corday/CBC) "It's a very real challenge. Businesses that can't provide housing to their staff end up not being able to hire," he said. Reverse empty-nester Gayle Mansell is a Whistler house cleaner whose apartment lease ran out in October. She says she was so desperate to find another place to live, her daughter, who also lives in Whistler, took to social media to plead with people to help. But she still doesn't have a place of her own. "I'm sharing a bed with my daughter. It's a king size, thank goodness," laughed Mansell as she scrolled through Whistler's limited Craigslist housing ads on a laptop. "You don't ever expect to be moving back in with your daughter." It can't be a long term solution as the landlord won't allow it, but so far she can't find anything within her $1,500-a-month budget. "People are begging almost. The carpet, the floor! I don't want to get to that point," she said. Homes for workers Thousands of people descend on Whistler every winter to work over the busy ski season. (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC) Whistler recently formed the Mayor's Task Force on Resident Housing to explore short and long term solutions. One of the first initiatives, launched just before Christmas, is to to pair local homeowners who have space to spare in their homes with businesses that need rooms for their workers. So far nine businesses, with a total of 60 employees have signed up, and three homeowners have expressed interest in taking people in. Marla Zucht, of the Whistler Housing Authority, says 75 percent of the resort municipality's workforce lives in Whistler. (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC) "We're asking if they have vacant space, whether it's a room in their house or an empty suite to consider renting it," said Marla Zucht, with the Whistler Housing Authority. The Whistler Housing Authority's new long-term rental apartments are under construction this winter near the site of the former 2010 Olympic athletes' village. (Chris Corday/CBC) The municipality is also building 100 new rental apartments largely funded by the province at a site near the former 2010 Winter Olympics Athletes village. They should be finished by the end of the summer. However, with 615 people already on a wait list, it could take more than two years to get one of the coveted apartments. Airbnb problem Whistler's accommodation crunch is hardly unique for resort communities that deal with seasonal workers arriving every year. MEI Secondary School says a student has died during a ski trip to Whistler. (Chris Corday/CBC) But of late, municipal officials say the problem has been exacerbated because homes that would normally be used for long-term living are being rented out to tourists instead. Whistler's bylaws permit nightly rentals in and around the village centre but prohibits them in most other subdivisions to try to preserve homes for people working there. But many homeowners have turned to sites such as VRBO and Airbnb and are using their properties for tourist rentals anyway. Some van-dwellers say they've been forced to leave Whistler after being ticketed too often for illegally parking overnight. (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC) "Our goal is to restrict the rentals to the core of the village where it was meant to be," said Crompton, the deputy mayor, adding a crackdown on the illegal rentals is also part of the municipality's housing strategy. Parking lot policing The village isn't fond of people camping out in its parking lots either. People discovered living in vans or campers get ticketed — or worse. "We could be towed away," said Davies. "But we're not too worried. If we get towed away, we're in the van!" The allure of a winter in Whistler, though, is strong for those looking for fun, parties, and arguably the best ski-lifestyle anywhere in the world. "It has been a dream of mine to come here for the last few years," said Davies. "So there's no chance I'm leaving. I'll stay in this van the whole winter."Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden is proud to welcome a baby Klipspringer (Oreotragus oreotragus) to the Zoo. This male calf, born on January 6, 2012, is with his mother and father in an exhibit near the zoo’s Entry Plaza. The father was born in Detroit in 2001 and has been at Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden since 2003, and the mother, born in Jacksonville in 2007, has been at the zoo since 2009. There are currently only about 30 Klipspringers in zoos across North America. Photo credit: Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden The word Klipspringer is Afrikaans for “rock jumper.” Klipspringers are small African hoofed animals that are very sure footed and can easily navigate rocky terrain. They typically only weigh about forty pounds and stand about twenty-two inches tall at the shoulder. These animals are strictly monogamous and stay within feet of their mate at all times, taking turns eating and keeping watch for predators. These delicate animals have large and widely spaced eyes, and the males have four to six inch long horns.Default and political survival in networked democracies since 1870 Jeffrey Chwieroth, Cohen Simpson, Andrew Walter Many fear that a Greek default would lead voters elsewhere in Europe to favour default over austerity. This column argues that it is more likely to have the opposite effect. Network interdependencies among countries affect the domestic politics of default because defaults are both rare and vivid. Foreign default increases the propensity for voters to punish their governments for failing to repay external private creditors. Governments in Ireland, Portugal, and Spain have adopted a conspicuously hard line stance in negotiations with the new Greek government, partly out of concern that a Greek default would strengthen anti-austerity parties at home (Wyplosz 2015).1 How do we know if a default would have such an effect? Since most of the academic literature on the politics of debt default overlooks political and economic interdependence, it is not of much help in answering this question (Jackson et al. 2015). Our new research starts with the simple premise that interdependencies among different countries in economic networks are likely to have a profound impact on the politics of default (Chwieroth et al. 2015). Specifically, we provide evidence that foreign defaults tend to increase the propensity of voters to punish their own governments for failing to repay external private creditors. Ultimately, our results suggest that a Greek default would be more likely to lower rather than to raise the political incentives for other European governments to default, contrary to the expectations of many commentators and political leaders. Default and political survival A standard argument is that a government’s willingness to repay its debts will in general be much more important in shaping decisions than its ability to repay (Eaton and Gersovitz 1981, Reinhart and Rogoff 2009, ch.4, Tomz 2007). If so, voters will plausibly view default as an exercise of political choice. Most studies agree that defaulting governments in democratic polities experience a significantly heightened risk of loss of office – one reason why default is rare in democracies (Borensztein and Panizza 2009, McGillivray and Smith 2008, Livshits et al. 2014). On the other hand, scholars have argued that elected incumbent governments may nonetheless choose default for various reasons: Public sector employees, pensioners, low-income and unemployed voters are numerous and favour prioritising short-term domestic transfers over repayments to creditors (Saiegh 2005); Voters believe creditors will be more forgiving in demonstrably hard times or cannot effectively sanction defaulters (Borenzstein and Panizza 2009, Bulow and Rogoff 1989, Tomz 2007); Domestic political institutions discourage creditor coalitions (Saiegh 2005, 2009, Stasavage 2003); or Foreign creditors can easily be cast as unreasonable and rapacious (Broner et al. 2010, Gelpern and Setser 2004, Reinhart and Rogoff 2011, Sturzenegger and Zettlemeyer 2007, Tomz and Wright 2013). The continuous re-election of Argentina’s ruling Peronists since 2001, the success of Syriza in the January elections in Greece, and the Greek government’s behaviour since then are recent examples of the role these factors play in the survival of incumbent political parties in the context of actual or near-default. How international networks matter While most of this literature assumes that the politics of default in different countries are effectively independent, studies have shown that the international context matters for the domestic vote (Duch and Stevenson 2008, Hellwig 2001, Hellwig and Samuels 2007, Kayser and Peress 2012). From a network perspective, two alternative possibilities arise – networked default either reduces or increases the propensity of voters to punish incumbents for failure to repay.2 Most of the literature on economic voting implies that networked default will reduce the propensity of voters to punish incumbents for default because it will indicate to voters that default is more ‘excusable’ due to exogenous shocks beyond the government’s control (Alesina and Rosenthal 1995, Duch and Stevenson 2008, Hellwig 2001, Hellwig and Samuels 2007, Kayser and Peress 2012, Persson and Tabellini 1990, Scheve 2004, on excusable default see Grossman and Van Huyck 1988).3 However, we think that this proposition is less applicable because default is both complex and rare. Excluding countries that have never defaulted, the average number of years between defaults among independent democracies in our dataset is 42 years over 1870-2009, making default on average a more or less once-in-a-lifetime experience for individual voters. By comparison, the US economy experienced a recession every 4.8 years over this period.4 The inexperience of voters with default will make it unusually difficult for them to assess its likely consequences, thus increasing the salience and perceived value of information provided by networked default. Rareness also enhances vividness, predisposing voters to weigh such events and their (presumed) consequences highly when assessing the competence of political incumbents and the likely effects of national default (Kahneman et al. 1982). Default also typically entails significant short-run costs, including large output losses, lower credit ratings, higher interest rate spreads, a decline in trade and trade credit, and a heightened risk of a banking crisis (Borensztein and Panizza 2009, De Paoli et al. 2006). Networked default also tends to occur in difficult global economic times. Thus, networked default will highlight the costs of default to voters, increasing their anxiety about default at home. Voters may also be sensitive to the argument that repayment in the context of networked default will constitute a helpful reputational counterpoint for their own country. Since 2010, the UK Conservative Party successfully used the Greek example to reinforce political support for fiscal austerity. In light of such costs and the inherent rareness of default, networked default should thus increase the risk that national default will incur voter punishment. Our research illustrates the importance of this effect using historical examples from Australia in the 1930s and Venezuela in the early 1980s. In both cases, incumbent governments faced significant exposure to default in their respective networks. In Australia, voters repeatedly rewarded a United Australia Party government for honouring its onerous repayment obligations via severe austerity at home. In Venezuela, by contrast, the incumbent Christian Democratic government suffered an avoidable default and in 1983 experienced the most severe election loss in the country’s postwar history. Empirical findings Our quantitative results for democracies over the period 1870-2009 support our expectations. We use a Partisan spells indicator to measure when incumbent political parties lost office, allowing us to compare results across different democratic systems.5 Our measures of default are taken from Reinhart and Rogoff (2009) and Standard & Poors (2013), and include all instances of a failure of a government to fulfil ex ante obligations to external private creditors in the first year of default.6 For reasons of data availability and because trade ties will be relatively tangible and visible to voters, we use the share of a country’s total exports in a given year which go to defaulting countries to measure each country’s yearly networked default exposure.7 We use this network variable and our measures of default to create an interaction term in a series of Cox proportional hazard models to assess the conditional effect of default across varying levels of default export market exposure on the expected rate of incumbency survival.8 Figure 1 plots the marginal effect for defaulters as default export market exposure varies from its observed minimum to one standard deviation above the mean (the median line summarises the central tendency from the simulations). The magnitude of this effect is large. A government with relatively high exposure to networked default is approximately ten times more likely to suffer a partisan spell termination than one with low exposure.9 These results are consistent with our argument that networked default negatively frames voter evaluations of national default, making them more likely to punish incumbents who replicate foreign misbehaviour. Figure 1. Marginal effect of sovereign default conditional on default export market exposure – R&R and S&P defaults in polity democracies Note: The ribbon represents the middle 95% of 1,000 simulations and the density of the ribbon indicates the set of values with the highest probability. We also include a rug plot of the distribution of the Default Export Market Exposure variable. Implications Our findings provide systematic evidence that, contrary to fear that a Greek default would lead voters elsewhere in Europe to favour default over austerity, it is more likely to have the opposite effect. A substantial Greek default would be highly chaotic and costly (at least in the short run), vividly framing default for foreign voters as something to be avoided rather than replicated, not least given the signs of recent recovery elsewhere. It would also likely highlight the potential advantages of debt repayment as a counterpoint to Greek misbehaviour. Economic misbehaviour elsewhere in an international network appears to reinforce the tendency of voters to eject leaders who also misbehave when facing severe financial shocks. Of course, political leaders could still misread voter preferences and default anyway. As the Venezuelan case demonstrates, they would do so at their peril. References Alesina, A, and H Rosenthal (1995), Partisan Politics, Divided Government and the Economy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Borensztein, E, and U Panizza (2009), “The Costs of Sovereign Default”, IMF Staff Papers 56 (4): 683-741. Broner, F, A Martin, and J Ventura (2010), “Sovereign Risk and Secondary Markets”, The American Economic Review 100 (4): 1523-1555. Bulow, J, and K Rogoff (1989), “Sovereign Debt: Is to Forgive to Forget”, The American Economic Review 79(1): 43-50. Chwieroth, J M, C R Simpson, and A Walter (2015), “Networked Default: Public Debt, Trade Embeddedness, and Partisan Survival in Democracies since 1870”, SSRN working paper. De Paoli, B, G Hoggarth, and V Saporta (2006), “Costs of Sovereign Default”, Financial Stability Paper No1, London: Bank of England. Duch, R M, and R T Stevenson (2008.), The Economic Vote: How Political and Economic Institutions Condition Election Results, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Eaton, J, and M Gersovitz (1981), “Debt with Potential Repudiation: Theoretical and Empirical Analysis”, Review of Economic Studies 48(2): 289-309. Friedkin, N E (2001), “Norm Formation in Social Influence Networks”, Social Networks 23 (3): 167-189. Gelpern, A, and B Setser (2004), “Domestic and External Debt: The Doomed Quest for Equal Treatment”, Georgetown Journal of International Law 35 (4): 795-814. Grossman, H I, and J B Van Huyck (1988), “Sovereign Debt as a Contingent Claim: Excusable Default, Repudiation, and Reputation”, The American Economic Review, 78 (5):1088-1097. Hellwig, T (2001), “Interdependence, Government Constraints, and Economic Voting”, Journal of Politics 63 (4):1141-1162. Hellwig, T, and D Samuels (2007), “Voting in Open Economies: The Electoral Consequences of Globalization”, Comparative Political Studies 40 (3): 283–306. Jackson, M O, B Rogers and Y Zenou (2015), “Connections in the modern world: Network-based insights”, VoxEU.org, 6 March. Kahneman, D, P Slovic, and A Tversky (eds) (1982), Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases, New York and Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Kayser, M A and M Peress (2012), “Benchmarking Across Borders: Electoral Accountability and the Necessity of Cooperation”, American Political Science Review 106 (3): 661-84. Livshits, I, T Phan and C Trebesch (2014), “Sovereign Default and Political Turnover”. McGillivray, F, and A Smith (2008), Punishing the Prince: A Theory of Interstate Relations, Political Institutions, and Leader Change, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Persson, T, and G Tabellini (1990), Macroeconomic Policy, Credibility, and Politics, New York: Harwood Academic. Reinhart, C M, and K S Rogoff (2009), This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Reinhart, C M and K S Rogoff (2011), “A Decade of Debt”, NBER Working Paper 16827. Saiegh, S (2005), “Do Countries Have a ‘Democratic Advantage?’ Political Institutions, Multilateral Agencies, and Sovereign Borrowing”, Comparative Political Studies 38 (4): 366-387. Saiegh, S (2009), “Coalition Governments and Sovereign Debt Crises”, Economics and Politics 21 (2): 232-254. Scheve, K (2004), “Democracy and Globalization: Candidate Selection in Open Economies”, Paper presented at the Conference on Globalization and Self-Determination, Yale Center for International and Area Studies, New Haven, CT. Standard and Poors (2013), “Default Study: Sovereign Defaults and Rating Transition Data”, 2012 Update. Stasavage, D (2003), Public Debt and the Birth of the Democratic State: France and Great Britain, 1688-1789, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sturzenegger, F, and J Zettlemeyer (2007), Debt Defaults and Lessons from a Decade of Crises, Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. Tomz, M (2007), Reputation and International Cooperation: Sovereign Debt across Three Centuries, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Tomz, M and M L J Wright (2013), “Empirical Research on Sovereign Debt and Default”, Annual Review of Economics 5: 247-272. Wyplosz C (2015), “The coming defaults of Greece”, VoxEU.org, 27 April. Footnotes Phillip Stevens, “How politics will seal the fate of Greece,” Financial Times, 21 May 2015; Gideon Rachman, “Europe cannot agree to write off Greece’s debts,” Financial Times, 26 January 2015; Wolfgang Münchau, “Eurozone’s weakest link is the voters,” Financial Times, 29 December 2014. 2 We define networked default as the degree to which default is prevalent amongst those countries with which a focal country is directly tied. 3 Networked default might also erode a social taboo against misbehaviour, making it easier to do (Friedkin 2001). 4 Default averages calculated using Reinhart and Rogoff (2009); US business cycle data from http://www.nber.org/cycles.html (accessed 27 April 2015). 5 Democracy is defined as years in which the Polity IV measure exceeds five for the full incumbent spell. 6 The R&R and S&P measures each yield 36 defaults in democracies over the whole period. The R&R sample of 56 democracies indicates 28 out of 561 partisan spells (5%) experienced default. The far more complete S&P sample of 99 democracies indicates 30 out of 709 partisan spells (4%) experienced default. 7 We also explored other country ties based on common region, language, religion, and joint membership in international organisations. However, we failed to uncover any significant effect. 8 Our control variables are the degree of democracy, age of the democracy, economic growth, global economic growth, GDP per capita, export receipts, and past default history using the cumulative number of defaults and the number of years since a country’s previous default. We also control for systemic variables (global GDP growth and export receipts) as a way of trying to isolate the causal mechanism we identify. 9 ‘High’/’low’ values of the default export market exposure variable correspond to one standard deviation above/below the mean in the R&R dataset.Surely you've heard of graphene, the one-atom-thick layer of pencil lead that has the potential to change the world of computers, batteries and screens? You might want to familiarize yourself with the term "silicine," too. It's basically a version of graphene constructed out of silicon, which doesn't naturally align itself into the same eminently useful honeycomb shape -- but, given a little prod here and a layer of silver or ceramic compound there, can do much the same thing, and with better computing compatibility. First proposed around 2007, it's reportedly been produced twice now by two different teams, which gives physicists hope that it could actually be useful some day. For now, researchers need to figure out a way to easily produce it so detailed experiments can be performed -- from what we understand, the good ol' scotch tape method just won't do the job.Yesterday, Ferguson was a community in mourning. Today, it is a city in revolt. For weeks, the word “justice” weighed on the minds and lips of so many of Ferguson’s residents. As they waited in anguish to learn the fate Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, some had held out on the hope that justice would come from the grand jury’s decision to send Mike Brown‘s killer to trial to make his defense in a court of law. Late Monday night, their hope evaporated. Mike Brown’s mother heard the news of the grand jury’s “no” verdict enveloped by a crowd of a thousand assembled in front of the Ferguson Police Department. At 11:15pm, she friends and family hugged her while a radio brought the announcement from a car with a half dozen people standing atop it. “They want him back in Ferguson, but I can’t get nobody back?” she said to the crowd, as calls rang back, “We’re with you!” “We love you.” Tears streamed down her face. “Why, lord, why?” she wailed before being led away, a sea of bodies and cameras parting to let her pass. Mother of #MichaelBrown is carried away from the #Ferguson PD after sobbing in reaction to Wilson not being indicted pic.twitter.com/1pww0bExWG — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) November 25, 2014 In the quiet Ferguson neighborhood of Canfield, a mood of somber contemplation hung quietly in the chilly air. A memorial to Mike Brown adorned the middle of the street, covering the spot where his body lay for 4½ hours in the hot summer sun on Aug. 9. On the block where he lived, his neighbors remembered him in vigilant silence, as they had for the 108 days since his death. “This is where it all began. This is a community in mourning,” said Sapphire Taylor, a resident of the Canfield Apartments. “Ferguson became a symbol of the racism that still lives in this country—but at its heart, this is really about a family that is going through a terrible, terrible loss.” “This is where it all began. This is a community in mourning.” At the Ferguson Police Department, the vigil of remembrance manifested first in a stunned pause—and then, furious reaction. After lying dormant through the slow and agonizing anticipation, fixated on the justice system’s morose dirge, Ferguson’s anger erupted. They knew this was coming. They expected it. Organizers even made a website at noindictment.org and planned to “shut the city down” in anticipation of the grand jury’s decision. Dozens of journalists swarmed the city, some more than two weeks ahead of the announcement to point their cameras at agitated residents and sound a droning harbinger of another outbreak of the violence seen in August. What they didn’t expect was that police would be wholly unable to handle the situation in any kind of responsible or successful manner. Despite thousands of dollars in new weaponry, backup from the National Guard, and the “five thousand hours” of training the Governor Jay Nixon said that the county’s 1,000 officers had managed to go through since August—the upheaval that came was worse than in August, and the forces of order utterly failed to quell or contain its wrath. When the cold reality of the news set in, the multitude stood shocked. Their voices had either not been heard or simply didn’t matter. Pushing at the barricades proved a useless folly, faced with the dozens of heavily armed and armored riot police. Storming the Bastille of Ferguson Police headquarters wouldn’t work. So the crowd took off on a spontaneous march, flush in the street down South Florissant Road. They were met with a line of riot police, and effortlessly marched right past it, swallowing the officers whole. Somehow, a lone St. Louis County police car was left defenseless, and became the first victim of the seething throng’s wrath. Its windows were smashed with bricks torn from the sidewalk, and it was nearly flipped over by four masked men. That was when the first shots were fired. AP Photo of #Ferguson protesters almost rolling a police car pic.twitter.com/1wwA7eOLPM — Dell Cameron (@dellcam) November 25, 2014 Police moved in swiftly, firing rubber bullets at close range at the would-be car flippers. The entire street filled with tear gas. The armored SWAT vehicles retorted with stun grenades and teargas, which filled the street. A downward wind carried the gas back toward the police phalanx, and the mass of bodies advanced. An elderly woman lied down in the street in front a roaring, screeching armored behemoth with snipers for horns and a hundred masked National Guardsmen for a tail. As she was carried away by two bulky sergeants, a dozen or more tear gas canisters sent the crowd running back in a stampede. The actions of the police belie their own assertions that “good” protesters, who are righteously gathered to have their voices heard become collateral damage when “bad” protesters use them as “human shields,” as St. Louis Police Union spokesman Jeff Roorda put it. Unable to keep from provoking individuals on one side of the street, police responded with the lazy-handed strategy of gassing the entire street. In the most egregious case, when a crowd tried to carry a shellshocked woman to safety out of the fray, screaming “She’s having a heart attack!” — police responded with stun grenades and a cloud of tear gas. The law kept advancing. With an armored mass pushing from the south, a flood of protesters set loose like a rhizome spreading out to the north. It was then that glass started breaking, and fire kept rising. It started with a trash can fire. Then a police car went up in flames. Its owners, with all their armaments, were powerless to prevent it. Storefronts windows that weren’t boarded up on South Florissant Road were shattered by blind rage. Police were nowhere in sight as aggrieved protesters took out their anger on a town that they felt betrayed them. And so the mission that officials had been hammering home for months was an abject failure once again. Having failed in August, Gov. Nixon and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay vowed time after time after time that the police would use minimal force to protect property while allowing protesters to exercise their right to free speech. But even judging from their own objectives, the police response last night was a miserable disaster on dual fronts, both in showing restraint and allaying criticisms that they were too lax in preventing businesses from being ransacked. What started as an agitated, yet concentrated, convergence quickly diffused into spontaneous chaos all throughout Ferguson and surrounding townships. Weeks, months, whole generations of repressed fury came unbridled on this night. Darren Wilson was not the first white man to walk free and face no consequences for taking a black life. Behind the curtain of an easily simplified narrative that paints protesters as savage animals, there is an unheard voice behind the rage crying: “not one more.” Dizzying reports poured rapidly out of protesters’ cellphones, becoming more and more difficult to follow. One after another, buildings were ransacked all over town in an unrehearsed symphony of revolt. McDonald’s was smashed. Twelve new cars ignited at the dealership. Two gas stations burned to the ground. The police stood by and watched. Garrisoned in front of the Ferguson police station, they lost track of the protesters dispersing in every direction. “Don’t go into a war unless you’ve got a plan to win,” an elderly gentleman would later mutter aloud while walking away from the impromptu battlefield, defeated but defiant. “This is only the beginning,” Ferguson activist Alexis Templeton vowed, bellowing electricity through a megaphone to a frenzied crowd. It will take time to assess the extent of the damage, and the financial impact of last night’s riots. Despite a handful of arrests for petty crimes, which police touted like trophies of “looters” in an apparent attempt to pull attention away from the fact that they had already spent millions in public funds and police overtime protecting one man from suffering a trial by a jury of his peers, none of the broken glass felt pain like Mike Brown’s mother does: “Do you know how those bullets hit my son? Do you know how I felt? Like they hit me, too?” Despite everything that was burned and broken, none of it will bring back Mike Brown. Photos by Shawn CarriéThe Guardians Of The Galaxy will debut its first trailer in just under a week. The Marvel Studios August tentpole film will be the last film of their phase two prior to the arrival of The Avengers: Age Of Ultron in May of 2015. The question remains for most of the general public as to who exactly The Guardians Of The Galaxy actually are, or perhaps importantly, why should they be the stars of a summer movie with a budget of over $100 million. Marvel Comics published the first issue of The Guardians Of The Galaxy way back in 1969. The comic never became a big seller for the company but over the years, grew its share of devoted diehard fans, although the title would fall by the company’s wayside before the end of the 1970s. During the mid 90s, the comic was relaunched and ran for only sixty-two issues before Marvel once again plugged the plug. The comic would see small runs and off-shoots before its moderately popular twenty-first century revival. In 2008, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning would create and write the modern version of the team that would go on to be the basis for the feature film adaptation. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige first made passing references to the possibility of a Guardians of the Galaxy feature film back in 2010 at the San Diego Comic Con. By June of 2012, rumors circulated that the film had been greenlit and would serve as a lead-in for phase three Avengers villain, Thanos. At the San Deigo Comic Con later that year, Kevin Feige confirmed that the film was in development and would feature a team made-up of Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, Drax The Destroyer, Gamora, Groot and Rocket Raccoon. The obscure and off-the-wall comic book adaptation was going to be directed by James Gunn of Slither and Super fame. Gunn quickly assembled an eclectic cast to play his far-out characters. Playing Peter Quill, the only human being on the team, is Parks And Recreation star Chris Pratt. In the film, Quill finds himself at the center of a manhunt after he steals a mysterious orb from the evil Ronan (Lee Pace). In order to escape the clutches of Ronan, Quill forms an uneasy alliance with a ragtag group of misfits. Once Quill discovers the true power behind the mysterious orb, he must rally the unwilling allies as the galaxy’s fate hangs in the balance. The Guardians are made up of a wide variety of interesting characters. Gamora, played by Avatar’s Zoe Saldana, is a former associate of Ronan’s as well as the adopted step-daughter of the suspected Avengers villain Thanos. Former WWE wrestler Dave Baustista plays the warrior known as Drax The Destroyer who is in search for vengeance against Ronan over something in their past. Groot is a tree-like humanoid capable of speaking only a single line, “I am Groot”. Vin Diesel has been cast to do the voiceover and motion-capture work for the sentient tree. Rounding out who The Guardians of the Galaxy are is the walking, talking, gun-totting Rocket Raccoon. Voiced by Bradley Cooper, Rocket Raccoon has been a Marvel fan favorite for many years and is considered to be the heart and soul of the film according to director James Gunn. Not including the post-credit stinger placed in Thor: The Dark World, The Guardians of the Galaxy will also mark the first big screen appearance of Benicio Del Toro’s The Collector character. Del Toro signed a multi-picture deal with Marvel Studios to reprise the character in several different films. Academy-Award nominated Glenn Close and John C. Reilly are also apart of the ensemble cast. Unlike the other entries into the Marvel universe, The Guardians of the Galaxy is rumored to be much-more of a standalone affair. The film itself is said to take place almost entirely in outer space. While the film is a
hyping their upcoming game, but still: Robbins was immediately cagey when the topic came up. I wondered why at the time, and I think this trailer may now provide the answer. Call of Duty: WWII doesn't just touch on the Holocaust; it forces the characters to confront it head-on. Nazi persecution of the Jews wasn't common knowledge outside of German-occupied territory, which means American soldiers were among the first U.S. citizens to glimpse the atrocities. We get a sense of that in this trailer. The urgent whisper to "lose the tags" is a late realization that Jewish-American soldiers have it tougher than other American soldiers. These men didn't go into battle with any awareness of that; it's a truth that presented itself only after they were on the ground. I still have lots of questions about whether or not Call of Duty is the right platform for addressing this sensitive topic. Doing so requires a careful touch, and I'm just not sure gaming's biggest blockbuster can deliver while still ticking the boxes that please a mainstream gamer. We'll see. Sledgehammer has a real opportunity to tell a meaningful World War II story, and this trailer — coupled with my conversations earlier in the year — fill me with hope that the studio might actually deliver.A three year basic research project has revealed the extent of the top secret political struggles and scientific tangles between the US and Denmark during the Cold War. BASIC RESEARCH As tensions grew between the USA and the Soviet Union after the Second World War, a newly liberated Denmark would find itself caught between the Cold War ambitions of two super powers. Free from the constraints of five years of foreign occupation, Denmark was keen to exert its position on the world stage and exert their scientific sovereignty over Greenland, which had become a strategically important island to the US during the Second World War. This story of top secret diplomatic wrangles, military operations, scientific research, and botched media cover-ups, is now documented in a new book “Exploring Greenland: Cold War Science and Technology on Ice.” “There’s no shortage of intrigue in this story,” says Associate Professor Kristine Harper, a former meteorologist and oceanographer turned historian of science, from Florida State University, USA. Harper was a senior researcher in the Exploring Greenland Project that ended in 2013 and co-edited the new book published in 2016. Read More: American adventurer captured 1930's Greenland on film Declassified documents reveal full extent of political struggles The book reveals the full extent to which the US government and military tried to gain territorial control of Greenland, and the increasingly three-way ‘David and Goliath’ style politics that ensued between Denmark, Greenland, and the US. “We already knew that the US was deeply interested in Greenland in the Cold War. But we didn’t know the full extent of their research programs,” says Ron Doel, an associate professor of history at Florida State University, USA, and one of the senior researchers on the Exploring Greenland project. Revisiting newly declassified archives revealed previously unknown details on the extent of US interest in Greenland and that Denmark had more influence on US activities than is often assumed, says Doel. The researchers trawled national and private archives on both sides of the Atlantic to reveal new insights on both Danish and US perspectives from the time (see Fact Box). Read More: Greenlandic fjords get their organic matter from Russia US interest in Greenland began in the Second World War The US government first became interested in Greenland during the Second World War, when Denmark was occupied by German forces. With its strategic position, located right in between the US and the war in Europe, the allies were certain that Greenland should not fall into enemy hands. Greenland was a vital stopover spot for allied aircraft, and weather stations around the country provided essential data for developing accurate European weather forecasts, which were crucial for allied success in battle. “[The allies] needed to occupy Greenland with their own military forces, as they certainly didn’t want the Germans to occupy it,” says Harper. Read More: Greenland melt linked to weird weather in Europe and USA 1941: US military moves in On the same day that German troops marched into Denmark on the 9th April 1940, the US agreed to provide military protection and supply goods to Greenland. When the US entered the war in 1941, Henry Kaufmann, the exiled Danish Ambassador to the US in Washington, agreed to allow them to build military bases in exchange for recognition of Danish sovereignty. They immediately got to work, building military bases, airstrips, and research stations. They trained around 7,000 new meteorologists and deployed some of them to weather stations around the Arctic. In 1944 there were 5,795 US military and civilian personal deployed at bases across Greenland--almost a quarter of the island’s total population (21,412). By the end of the war, the US Army Weather Service had installed 14 weather stations, as well as operating 13 Danish stations, built before the war. They had even claimed control of several clandestine German weather stations on Greenland’s inaccessible east coast. See the timeline of US military and scientific interest in Greenland in the video at the end of this article. War ends and a nuclear arms race begins After the war, Greenland lost none of its strategic importance to the US. Located almost equidistant between themselves and the emerging threat from the Soviet Union, many in government saw Greenland and the Arctic as the stage for World War III, and a warming, ice-free Arctic Ocean as a new gateway for a US invasion by the Soviets. “Greenland was absolutely central to the North American continental defence,” says Doel. “In one article I saw from Time magazine, January 1947, someone at the Pentagon had declared Greenland as the world’s largest stationary aircraft carrier. That captures it. It was their base of operations,” says Doel. But it was no longer enough to be allowed to operate in Greenland. With the Cold War already in sight, the US government now wanted to own it. Read More: Climate Change research was born in the Cold War Denmark is caught off guard “When the Danish Foreign minister visited the US in December 1946 the US Secretary of State asked him right away to sell Greenland,” says lead scientist Matthias Heymann, associate professor at the Centre for Science Studies in the Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University, Denmark, and co-editor of the new book. “The Danish Foreign Minister wasn’t aware that this would happen, he went there to tell his American colleagues that the US forces should leave the island,” he says. “The Danish government were rather shocked by the US interest,” says Heymann. “They weren’t aware, at that point at least, of the immense interest of the US forces in Greenland.” They offered Denmark 100 million USD, a tempting offer in the economic aftermath of war. But the offer was firmly rejected. “Denmark is a small country, and they’d just had an experience of being occupied by a strong foreign power in the Second World War. They didn’t want to let that happen again,” says Heymann. At the same time, tensions were still running high with the Soviet Union, who had only left the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea that spring. In rejecting the US offer, the Danish government had drawn a line in the sand: Greenland was not for sale. Read More: Greenland in numbers: eight key statistics to understand the world’s largest island Denmark establishes its own research agenda Denmark would now exert its sovereignty over Greenland in the only way they could. They immediately set to work clawing back control of key scientific institutions and research activities in Greenland. Almost immediately they established the Greenland Geological Survey, and funded explorations to map landforms and mineral deposits. And soon, weather stations became a bone of contention. “Arctic weather stations set up in the Cold War matter a lot in terms of sovereignty,” says Doel. “If you’re setting up a station in northern Canada with US observers, is this saying that the US has sovereignty over this part of Canada, because Americans are running the weather stations? That sort of plan concerned the Canadians, and it’s also why the Danes wanted to control stations in Greenland,” he says. Facts Newly declassified documents give fresh insights The new project synthesises perspectives of Cold War events from both Denmark and the USA. Their research showed that Denmark had more influence on US activities than previously thought: Denmark halted US reconnaissance flights to collect data on Soviet activities using air balloons. to collect data on Soviet activities using air balloons. Danish scientists collected top-secret data on the aurora activity on behalf of the US. on the aurora activity on behalf of the US. A plan to construct top-secret nuclear missile launch sites (Project Iceworm) was shelved partly in response to perceived Danish opposition. Sources: Ron Doel and Kristine Harper Read More: Greenland lags Alaska and Canada in involving locals in climate science Reality bites and US retains control The Danish Foreign ministry was keen to take control of the weather stations, but there was just one problem: “They couldn’t do it,” says Heymann. “They repeatedly promised to send staff, even signed contracts defining the amount of staff to be send, but for years to come they didn’t live up to these promises.” “Scientific institutions in Denmark, like the The Danish Meteorological Institute, were more realistic. They said, ‘We can’t do this, we don’t have the staff, there’s just no way.’ But the foreign ministry responded, ‘We have to comply to protect our sovereignty effectively, so you have to make it work.’ And this went on for years between 1940 and 1950,” says Heymann. Unable to provide enough trained meteorologists, the US continued to operate most of the stations. “It’s a small story, but interesting as it shows the enormous interest by the Danish foreign ministry to get full control,” says Heymann. Resignation in the face of US resources would be a recurring theme in the coming years. Read More: See what life is like when you study climate change in Greenland Sovereignty settled in 1951 but conflicts remain A formal agreement in 1951 set new ground rules for US research in Greenland. It guaranteed Denmark’s full sovereignty over the island, and allowed the US military to maintain their military bases in strictly defined areas. But all scientific and military activities outside these areas had to be approved by Denmark. “At that point, the Danish authorities felt much more relaxed as the sovereignty concern was settled once and all. But during the 1950s, concerns kept rising again. The Danish government were continually surprised by the enormous extent of US activities,” says Heymann. “The major place in Greenland became Thule Air Base in Northwest Greenland. Thule was the largest airbase outside the US territory, which shows how important it was. It was also the hub for all kinds of scientific activities,” says Heymann. Facts Methods Researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark, and Florida State University, USA, studied documents from: The Danish National Archives. Personal collections in Denmark. Four Presidential archives in the USA. The National Archives in Washington, DC, USA. NATO archives in Brussels. They investigated all aspects of scientific research and political struggles between the US, the Soviet Union, and Denmark during the Cold War. The results were published in a number of scientific papers between 2010 and 2013, and summarised in the new book. Source: Matthias Heymann Construction of Thule begun in 1951. In 1954, the US established the TUTO scientific research camp, amongst others, where they launched their explorations and scientific monitoring campaigns on the ice sheet. Later came Camp Century, a “city under the ice” powered by a nuclear reactor. Controversially, construction began in 1959 outside the designated military areas and without prior approval from Denmark. Read More: Climate change research was born in the Cold War Sovereignty challenged at a cocktail party in Copenhagen The first request related to the construction of Camp Century was an informal letter from the US in 1959. Denmark, fearful of a Soviet reaction, said no. “Then in August 1959, the US ambassador in Copenhagen informed the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs informally during a cocktail party, that US forces had already started to build Camp Century on the ice sheet,” says Heymann. The shocked minister immediately called emergency meetings with his colleagues to discuss their response, but in effect there was little that they could do. “They felt uncomfortable admitting in any way that the US exercised de facto military sovereignty, which was effectively ceded to the US as Denmark didn’t have the power to stop US forces,” says Heymann. Read More: International conference brings climate change to Greenland Danish media censorship failed Ultimately the project was allowed to continue, and in return, the Danish Foreign Minister insisted on a total media blackout. But it was too late. Just days before, and unbeknown to the Danish authorities, a US publication, “The Sunday Star”, had published a full feature on the camp. The story was out. Facts Scientific Sovereignty for Greenlanders? None of the documents studied in the new project came from Greenland. The researchers did not go to Greenland throughout the entire project. This leaves many avenues of research open. Researchers still have few insights into how Greenlanders viewed these changes and challenges brought about by the Cold War in their home country. For example, the forced removal of entire Inuit communities to prevent interaction with US military. Source: Exploring Greenland: Cold War Science and Technology on Ice. All the Danish Government could do now, was to convince the Parliament and the Danish public that the project was entirely civilian and control press access to the site. The Danish Embassy in Washington was already censoring journalists’ reports on US activity in Greenland, removing references to anything that was politically sensitive and rewriting the narrative to one of civilian science. Journalists were permitted to visit, but their trips were severely limited and Denmark forbade all contact between US personnel and the local Inuit. Read More: The majority of researchers in Greenland are foreign. Does it matter? US military: a headache for Denmark The official story told to both the Danish and the US public was that Camp Century was a civilian base, built to “permit year-round studies of weather and snow in a highly strategic area,” according to documents collected during the project. But Camp Century was much more than that. Here, the US studied all major sub-disciplines in geophysics--seismology, meteorology, climatology, glaciology, geomagnetism, and the properties of ice and snow, says Heymann. But the real purpose was a test site for innovative polar construction, intended to make way for an even bigger scheme: Project Iceworm, a 135,000 square kilometre military installation designed to hold 600 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles that could be launched from over 2,000 mobile launchers, hidden beneath the ice on a moving rail-road. Planning for Project Iceworm began unbeknown to the Danish government. Only the Danish Prime Minister at the time was aware of possible US nuclear activities in Greenland. The Danish parliament would not find out about plans for Project Iceworm until the 1990s, and many of details are still classified, held in the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Kansas, USA. Read More: Uncovered First World War documents reveal widespread state censorship Still a sensitive issue Facts Basic Research ScienceNordic takes you into the engine room of basic research to find out: What is it? Who does it? And how does it benefit us? Read More: What is basic research? By the late 1960s, the US military interest in Greenland had begun to subside. New technology made Greenland strategically less important, as medium and long-range ballistic missiles could now be launched from submarines. Camp Century was closed in 1967, as engineers realised that the ice was not as stationary as they had once thought. And operations at Thule Air Base, once the largest aircraft base in any US territory, were downsized. By 1968 only 1,189 US personnel remained. Even the question of who should maintain and operate weather stations became less sensitive as they were increasingly automatised. But the US never left. A fact that remains a politically sensitive issue to this day. “It’s still a flyover point and it’s still a place where the US military are listening and watching. There are big installations up there and no one will give that up any time soon,” says Harper. A recent study highlighted another politically sensitive issue brought about by climate change. Scientists predict that waste from Camp Century could once again be exposed as the Greenland ice sheet melts. Leaving a difficult question as to who is responsible for the clean up—Denmark, USA, or Greenland. Read More: Greenland lags Alaska and Canada in involving locals in climate science Greenlanders were side-lined Today, the technology developed by military research activities in Greenland laid the ground work for climate scientists from around the world to obtain long ice cores, both in Greenland and Antarctica. It was Danish, US, and Swiss scientists that established the first ice-core drilling project for purely scientific reasons. Today, scientists from all over the world fly to Greenland to study the changing ice and oceans every year. These data have allowed scientists to develop working models of ocean and atmospheric circulation, to reveal centuries of climate change, and confirm the existence of man impact on our climate and sensitive Arctic ecosystems. But the battle for scientific sovereignty is not over yet. “It’s a strange story, because it’s all about Greenland, but it’s in the hands of the US and Denmark. The Greenlandic population had no say in what was happening there.” says Heymann. The Greenland Home Rule was established in 1979 and today Greenland is an autonomous administrative division within the Danish Realm with its own ever expanding scientific research agenda. Organisations like the University of Greenland and The Greenland Survey ASIAQ in collaboration with both Danish and international research institutions continue to shape the future of scientific activities in Greenland.1 dead, 2 injured in shooting at Knoxville vacant home Copyright 2019 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Police activity shut down the roadway near 2535 Old Callahan Drive near Clinton Highway around 1 a.m. [ + - ] Video KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) - One person is dead and two more are injured in a shooting in Knoxville early Monday morning. Investigators say the shooting happened at a vacant house on Old Callahan Drive near Clinton Highway around 1 a.m. Police say there were seven people at the home at the time of the shooting. "I was coming down Merchants and all of a sudden I hear a bunch of gunshots and I see like five cops blow by me," Timmy Mahan, an eyewitness, said. Gunshots fired into the residence and hit a woman inside and a man sitting on the porch, according to the report. Investigators say the suspect, Randy Shelton, 32, then shot himself in the head. Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with several rounds of gunfire and dozens of Knox County deputies armed with guns and bulletproof vests, responding to the incident. "It was probably about eight to 10 rounds at the time," Mahan said. "It was just like, 'bam, bam, bam'. It scared me. I was in fear for my life. My life flashed before my eyes." Parents living in the area, like Curtis Hall, said the incident is raising safety concerns. "It concerns me," Hall said. "It appears like a safe safe neighborhood but you never know where things might happen." The victims were transported to UT Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.Back in March at GTC 2014, NVIDIA announced their forthcoming flagship dual-GPU video card, the GeForce GTX Titan Z. Based on a pair of fully enabled GK110 GPUs, NVIDIA was shooting to deliver around twice the performance of a single Titan Black in a single card form factor. At the time of NVIDIA’s initial announcement GTX Titan Z was scheduled for release in April. April of course came and went with no official word from NVIDIA on why it was delayed, and now towards the tail end of May the card is finally up for release. To that end NVIDIA sent out a release a bit ago announcing the availability of the card, along with putting up the card's product page and confirming the final specifications of the card. GTX Titan Z GTX Titan Black GTX 780 Ti GTX Titan Stream Processors 2 x 2880 2880 2880 2688 Texture Units 2 x 240 240 240 224 ROPs 2 x 48 48 48 48 Core Clock 706MHz 889MHz 875MHz 837MHz Boost Clock 876MHz 980MHz 928MHz 876MHz Memory Clock 7GHz GDDR5 7GHz GDDR5 7GHz GDDR5 6GHz GDDR5 Memory Bus Width 2 x 384-bit 384-bit 384-bit 384-bit VRAM 2 x 6GB 6GB 3GB 6GB FP64 1/3 FP32 1/3 FP32 1/24 FP32 1/3 FP32 TDP 375W 250W 250W 250W Width Triple Slot Double Slot Double Slot Double Slot Transistor Count 2 x 7.1B 7.1B 7.1B 7.1B Manufacturing Process TSMC 28nm TSMC 28nm TSMC 28nm TSMC 28nm Launch Date 05/28/14 02/18/14 11/07/13 02/21/13 Launch Price $2999 $999 $699 $999 First and foremost, with NVIDIA initially holding back on publishing some of the specifications of the GTX Titan Z at its announcement in March, we now have the final two pieces of the puzzle: the card’s official GPU clockspeeds, and the TDP. Our earlier estimation of the core clock, based on NVIDIA’s performance figures, turned out to be correct, with the card shipping at 706MHz. Meanwhile the boost clock is revealed to be at 876MHz. This makes for an especially large delta between the base and boost clocks – 170MHz – which is consistent with the TDP-constrained nature of this card. NVIDIA’s last dual-GPU card, GTX 690, also had a larger than average clock delta, so this is not unexpected though it is the widest delta we’ve seen yet. What this means is that it’s reasonable to assume that the performance of GTX Titan Z is going to be more TDP sensitive than on GTX Titan Black; in TDP-heavy scenarios the card is going to have to fall back more often, while in TDP-light scenarios it should still have the chance to perform near its maximum boost clock. Speaking of which NVIDIA doesn’t publish the maximum boost clock, so from these figures it’s reasonable to expect the GTX Titan Z to underperform the GTX Titan Black in SLI, but it’s not possible to tell how well peak performance will compare. Meanwhile we also have a final confirmation on the card’s TDP. As we suspected back in March, NVIDIA has configured the card with a 375W TDP, putting the TDP roughly 50% higher than a single GTX Titan Black and indicating that along with a wider range of clockspeeds NVIDIA is aggressively binning GPUs for this part. This lower TDP means that while we expect GTX Titan Z to underperform GTX Titan Black in SLI, it looks like it should significantly undercut the latter’s power consumption, improving overall power efficiency. Looking at the power delivery mechanism itself, NVIDIA has also sent over a shot of the bare board itself, along with a bit of information on how it’s configured. GTX Titan Z uses 12 power phases (split in half for each GPU), which as we can see mostly reside at the center of the card between the two GPUs. Delivering power to these VRMs is a pair of 8pin PCIe power sockets, which combined with the PCIe slot itself allow up to 375W to be pulled, the card’s TDP. This 375W beast will in turn be cooled via a triple slot cooler, owing to the greater amount of heat to dissipate. Triple slot cards are commonly seen in high-end partner designs, but this mark the first time we’ve seen a triple slot card as a reference design. The triple slot design is also going to be notable since when coupled with the split-blower design of the cooler, it further increases the amount of space the card occupies. Axial fan designs such as the one used on GTX Titan Z need a PCIe slot’s worth of breathing room to operate, which means that altogether the GTX Titan Z is going to take up 4 slots of space. Which in turn is notable because it means that in principle GTX Titan Z won’t save on any space compared to GTX Titan Black in SLI; the latter uses a tried and true blower design that allows the cards to be used directly next to each other (though it’s not preferable), consuming 4 slots of space in an SLI configuration. Moving on, today’s announcement also sees confirmation of the I/O port configuration and the number of displays supported for the card. NVIDIA’s specs say that GTX Titan Z will support up to 4 displays, indicating that all I/O ports are being routed through a single GPU. However NVIDIA’s port configuration is downright odd for a $3000 card: 1x DVI-I, 1x DVI-D, 1x DisplayPort, and 1x HDMI. This is admittedly us being picky, but the inclusion of the HDMI port in a $3000 card is genuinely odd. The DVI ports make sense in as much as they work with legacy DVI displays at a time when a DisplayPort-to-DL-DVI adapter is $100, but the HDMI port offers neither flexibility nor cost savings. Replacing the HDMI port with a second DisplayPort would grant the card far more flexibility – including driving a second 4K@60Hz monitor – all the while still allowing HDMI through a simple passive DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. But I digress… As far as pricing and availability are concerned, as per NVIDIA’s initial announcement the GTX Titan Z is retailing at $2999 (ed: or about £2350 in the UK), making it NVIDIA’s most expensive GeForce card yet. We’ve seen announcements from MSI, Zotac, and EVGA so far, so it looks like a decent selection of NVIDIA’s partners will be selling the card, though it’s not clear at this time which regions each of those partners will be selling in. With the GTX Titan cards thus far, NVIDIA has only let a couple of partners sell the card since they’re selling identical low volume products. In any case availability is immediate, with Newegg already listing the EVGA card as in stock as of press time. Of course it goes without saying that $3000 is going to be a steep price to pay for GTX Titan Z, both compared to the AMD and even the NVIDIA competition. A pair of GTX Titan Blacks would run for $2000, a full $1000 less, and as we discussed before the triple slot design of the GTX Titan Black doesn’t afford much in the way of space savings over dual slot cards. Which doesn’t mean we’re writing off GTX Titan Z – NVIDIA is many things, and diligent about their research is one of those – but it will be interesting to see what their end users and OEM/boutique builders do with the card. The benefits of GTX Titan Z over two single-GPU cards are not as cut-and-dry as with NVIDIA’s other dual-GPU cards, which means that it’s more of a lateral move than usual. A big part of how GTX Titan Z is going to be used will in turn depend on who the buyer is. NVIDIA’s compute group is pushing GTX Titan Z as the ultimate compute card at the same time as their gaming group is pushing it as the ultimate gaming card, and like NVIDIA’s other Titan cards this product will be serving two masters. That said it’s clear from NVIDIA’s presentations and discussions with the company that they intend it to be a compute product first and foremost (a fate similar to GTX Titan Black), in which case this is going to be the single most powerful CUDA card NVIDIA has ever released. NVIDIA’s Kepler compute products have been received very well by buyers so far, including the previous Titan cards, so there’s ample evidence that this will continue with GTX Titan Z. At the end of the day the roughly 2.66 TFLOPS of double precision performance on a single card (more than some low-end supercomputers, we hear) is going to be a big deal, especially for users invested in NVIDIA’s CUDA ecosystem. Gaming on the other hand looks to be murkier. Certainly GTX Titan Z can and will be used as a gaming card (expect to see this one popular in high-end boutique systems), but NVIDIA faces extremely stiff competition from AMD’s recently released Radeon R9 295X2, which at $1500 retails for half the price of GTX Titan Z. Given GTX Titan Z’s sub-Titan Black clockspeeds and higher price, NVIDIA faces an uphill battle here on price and performance, and it makes a lot of sense in light of this why GTX Titan Z is first and foremost a compute card. None the less, with NVIDIA controlling around 2/3rds of the discrete GPU market and GTX Titan Z consuming around 25% less power (on paper), we certainly expect it to appear in gaming systems, especially in builds where price is no object and two cards can be installed. Wrapping things up, the launch of GTX Titan Z appears to be the capstone for Kepler’s career over at NVIDIA. While we will likely see rebadges and reconfigurations over the coming generations, with NVIDIA now shipping a dual-GPU GK110 card they have assembled virtually every Kepler combination possible. And for that they go out with a bang, while on the long term we turn our eyes towards NVIDIA’s new Maxwell architecture and what it might mean for the high-end once it makes its way into NVIDIA’s most powerful GPUs.Rating System CRASH awards a star rating from 1 to 5 for each motorcycle helmet, following independent crash protection and comfort assessments by independent specialist laboratories. The rating system has gone through several significant changes with the aim of improving the level and clarity of information provided to motorcyclists. The rating system now provides a five-star rating system that better reflects the comparative performance beyond that required by AS/NZS 1698 or UNECE 22.05. In the crash protection assessments, the helmets were rated based on their individual performance test results. The results were ranked and weighted based on their importance in reducing the risk of head and brain injuries in a crash. A new test component was introduced in 2017 to the crash protection assessments to measure a helmet’s oblique impact energy management capability. The rating system was reviewed and redistributed as a result. The crash protection ratings for 2017 onwards are as follows: Energy reduction in a higher speed crash on a flat surface (30 per cent) Energy reduction in a higher speed crash on kerb surface (15 per cent) Energy reduction in a lower speed crash on flat surface (15 per cent) Helmet's ability to minimise the rotation of the helmet in a crash (15 per cent) Helmet coverage (10 per cent) Oblique impact energy management (15 per cent) The crash protection ratings pre 2017 were as follows: Energy reduction in a higher speed crash on a flat surface (30 per cent) Energy reduction in a higher speed crash on kerb surface (25 per cent) Energy reduction in a lower speed crash on flat surface (15 per cent) Helmet's ability to minimise the rotation of the helmet in a crash (10 per cent) Helmet coverage (10 per cent) Helmet chin-strap's strength (5 per cent) Helmet's ability to minimise rebound (5 per cent) For the comfort level performance, the helmets were rated using comfort features which were considered important by motorcyclists. These features were ranked based on results from a 2010 survey conducted by the European project COST 357–PROHELM (Accident Prevention Options with Motorcycle Helmets) involving 598 motorcyclists. The study found 71 per cent of the riders wore a helmet that was not of the right size and 69 per cent of the respondents reported discomfort using the helmet. The most common complaints related to noisiness of the helmet, followed by complaints about the visor steaming up too often and to the ventilation system not working adequately. The remaining features are ranked in the following order: Aerodynamics, helmet weight, peripheral vision and visor's ability to seal out water. In 2017 the comfort level rating system was also reviewed and redistributed. Due to these changes the test ratings from 2017 onwards cannot be compared to ratings pre 2017. The comfort level ratings for 2017 onwards are as follows: Operation and fit (20 per cent) Visor’s ability to resist fogging up (10 per cent) Ability to seal out weather (10 per cent) Noise inside helmet (20 per cent) Ventilation inside helmet (17.5 per cent) Aerodynamic neck loading (10 per cent) Helmet weight (5 per cent) Peripheral view (7.5 per cent) The comfort level ratings pre 2017 were as follows: Operation and fit (20 per cent) Visor’s ability to resist fogging up (20 per cent) Ability to seal out weather (5 per cent) Noise inside helmet (20 per cent) Ventilation inside helmet (15 per cent) Aerodynamic neck loading (10 per cent) Helmet weight (5 per cent) Peripheral view (5 per cent) Click on the helmet name listed under full face/flip up, open face or dual purpose helmet tabs on the Test Results page to view the protection and comfort rating breakdown for each helmet.What is a fate as bad as death? Many contemporary and ancient societies considered banishment at least equal. After all, in the past, estrangement from family or friends, along with the corresponding exile away from the campfire or town gates, meant literally getting thrown to the wolves. Not surprisingly, our brains are wired with circuitry so that we can scrupulously avoid such fates, whether that means expulsion to the desert as in the Biblical tale of Hagar and Ishmael or the heartbreak of not getting that long-awaited invitation to the high school prom. The neurological wiring that makes us feel pain, new research suggests, also means that a common painkiller could ease the sting. One brain area in question resides about an inch behind your forehead. Called the anterior cingulate cortex, it serves as one of the brain’s control centers for that “why me?” feeling when you get picked last for the dodgeball game. It also happens to be the same circuitry that induces the emotional component of pain, that desperate feeling provoked by the throbbing of a toothache. Evolution may have piggybacked brain functions that regulate social interaction on top of a more primal pain system. The way we speak (“I’m crushed”) even hints at just such a connection. Research from the 1970s in rodents on the overlapping functions of this brain circuitry showed that opiates tended to quell not only painful stimuli but also the tiny squeaks that signal distress. C. Nathan DeWall, a social psychologist at the University of Kentucky who has researched the neurobiology of rejection for nearly 10 years, wondered whether an extraordinarily simple step to tone down these double-duty pain circuits might work in the human brain, which has evolved to master playground politics and other complex behaviors. Instead of dosing subjects with Vicodin, he and colleagues simply handed out acetaminophen (Tylenol) or a placebo to 62 volunteers. “We didn’t have to use fancy drugs; we didn’t have to get prescriptions,” he says. “All we had to do was find a drug that was safe and effective in alleviating the type of pain that we’re interested in.” In one part of the study, published in the July Psychological Science, participants reported feelings of rejection on questionnaires. In another part, they played a computer game in which they were progressively excluded from a virtual ball-passing group as time elapsed. Brain imaging revealed that the Tylenol-gobbling group appeared to experience fewer feelings of rejection than those who received a placebo did. “I believe this study reports some of the best evidence that the systems that mediate our reactions to rejection evolved out of systems that signal the potential for physical harm,” says Kevin Ochsner, head of Columbia University’s social cognitive neuroscience lab. One study does not a combo headache and heartache drug make. “That’s a question I get a lot: Should I take some acetaminophen before opening the letter from a potential employer?” DeWall comments. “It’s a little too early to make a call for widespread use.” If validated, acetaminophen may become an invaluable research tool in seeking the neural underpinnings of not only exclusion but other mental processes related to social behavior. In one unpublished study, DeWall and his associates have found that subjects’ moral judgments change after receiving acetaminophen. They become less wracked by indecision when facing the classic moral dilemma in which one person must be sacrificed to save many; they reject out of hand what they perceive to be a ludicrous choice. If acetaminophen really does assist in resolving internal emotional conflict, it might help socially awkward individuals who become distraught when confronted by more routine moral choices. An ability to induce subtle shifts in perspective may give entirely new meaning to the Tylenol slogan of “Feel better.”As we wrap up Women’s History Month, it’s worthwhile discussing some of the major policy proposals intended to help women enter and stay in the workforce on levels equal to men. Many of these proposals are meant to address (1) the wage gap between men and women, (2) the lack of mandated maternity leave, and (3) the high cost of child care. All three of these issues can operate together to make it more financially sensible for women to stay at home after they give birth. But these supposedly woman-friendly policy proposals misunderstand women’s working lives and women’s choices. And some of these policies, while they may help middle-class women, are likely to hurt the most vulnerable women in the workforce — those who work low-skilled, low wage jobs. 1. The Wage Gap Let’s start with equal pay. There’s been a lot of good libertarian work on the wage gap, so I’ll just link to some of that rather than laying it all out here. Suffice it to say, the actual gap itself is much smaller than the figure of 77 cents for every dollar that is often thrown around in the media. Moreover, the causes of the actual gap are complicated. Some of it may very well be due to discriminatory policies or unconscious bias on the part of employers. But studies have shown that some of it has to do with women being less likely to ask for raises, as well as what they ask for when they do. Women frequently choose to focus on other things in their negotiations with employers, including more flex time, the ability to work from home, and better benefits. Finally, the biggest reason for the gap in earnings between men and women has to do with larger decisions about what kinds of fields they enter (women are more likely to enter human services fields, which pay less than STEM fields
On this DisableWinTracking installed PC, CheesusCrust found that at the end of the 30 hour period Windows 10 had still managed report back his data to Redmond based servers a whopping 2758 times to 30 different IP addresses. This means that even after disabling the telemetry options offered by Microsoft and installing anti spying software available in the market, Windows 10 goes on it’s merry ways of tracking user data. It would also seem that the ‘disable telemetry options’ provided by Microsoft after a huge outcry against Windows 10 spying, are actually doing nothing and only a showpiece installed to pacify the users. CheesusCrust has plenty more surprises in store for Windows 10 users when he will publish part 2 of his analysis.United Nations Security Council is expected to vote shortly on a Palestinian draft resolution that calls for a peace deal with Israel within a year and an end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by late 2017. Jordan's UN Ambassador Dina Kawar said Arab delegations had agreed the draft should go to a vote as soon as possible. It was later announced that the vote would take place at 22:00 GMT. The Palestinian resolution calls for occupied East Jerusalem to be the capital of Palestine, an end to Israeli settlement building and settling the issue of Palestinian prisoner releases. Palestinian officials also said the draft resolution calls for negotiations to be based on territorial lines that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in 1967. "We've been deliberating this issue for almost three and a half months. It is not a lack of flexibility, because we took some of the French ideas in our revised text," Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the UN, told Al Jazeera. Diplomats have said that it was unlikely that the resolution would garner nine votes under the current makeup of the council - a scenario that would allow the US to avoid resorting to its veto power. Reporting from the UN's headquarters in New York, Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey said that the move to push for a resolution comes out of Palestinian frustration. "The move was first discussed some months ago after the breakdown of the US-brokered peace talks. The US has said outright they will not support the resolution and will veto it," Saloomey said. Several European parliaments have adopted non-binding motions calling for recognition of Palestine. The Palestinians have warned that if the bid to win support for a UN resolution fails, they are prepared to join the International Criminal Court to file suits against Israel.The West's progressive circles have been waging an incitement campaign against Israel and Zionism for several years now. Many of the West's media outlets define what Israel is doing to the Palestinians in general, and in Gaza in particular, as genocide, crimes against humanity and an intentional murder of children and civilians. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter Blatant statements against Zionism, Jews and Israel, which usually include blatant and intimidating lies, are considered part of the circle of enlightenment and progress. They are given a platform in newspapers which are considered to be serious. Demographic Transformation The new Euro-Muslim states Guy Bechor Op-ed: The Westernization of the Arab world has been replaced with the Islamization of Europe. The Arab League boycotted Israel from its very first day, and the 'European Union' with its new Muslim masters may now follow in its footsteps. The new Euro-Muslim states The average Muslim viewer asks himself, rightfully, how are Western countries letting this crime go on. Why aren't there much more sanctions against Israel? Why is the United States bombing the Islamic State rather than Israel? Why are economic ties between Israel and Western countries only growing stronger? Considering the lies being presented in many of the leading media outlets about these unstoppable crimes, these questions are correct. Anti-Israel protest in London. 'The propaganda of lies against Israel is turning not only Israel, but the entire West, into an accomplice in the crimes against Muslims' (Photo: Gettyimages) The Muslim viewer is angry about the hypocrisy, and rightfully so. Try to explain to him that these are lies. Try to explain to him that the Muslims' problem is not Israel but global jihad and all its branches, from Boko Haram to the Taliban, from Hamas to al-Qaeda. Try to explain to him that in any place with global jihad, the result is destruction and killing and wreckage. Try to explain to him that the Islamic jihad murdered more than 30,000 people in 2014, mostly Muslims. Try to explain to him that radical Islam violates human rights, crushes women and minorities, and is an oppressing regime which results in hundreds of thousands of dead people and millions of refugees. All these explanations don't help. Because when it comes to the global media, one receives the opposite impression. About 2,000 people murdered in Nigeria last week by one of the global jihad branches get a marginal reference compared to a young Palestinian who threw stones and was killed by Israeli soldiers. If this is what happens in leading news outlets, from CNN and the BBC to Le Monde and the New York Times – in the Arab news outlets, led by al-Jazeera, the situation is much worse. Israel is presented as the biggest monster on earth. And the decadent West, which pretends to be advanced and enlightened, cooperates with the monster. Attack against Charlie Hebdo newspaper. 'If the free world is so corrupt, if it doesn’t care about Muslim life, and if, in addition, it mocks Prophet Muhammad – then this attack is completely justified' (Photo: AFP) In some cases, this misrepresentation encourages and justifies the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, whose unconcealed goal is to deny Israel's right to exist. In other cases, it leads to real action. If the free world is so corrupt, if it doesn’t care about Muslim life, and if, in addition, it mocks Prophet Muhammad of all people – then the terror attack against the Charlie Hebdo newspaper is completely justified. One of the guests of honor on every Western media channel is Europe's leading Muslim intellectual, Tariq Ramadan. He has been receiving huge exposure even in the past few days. We should listen to him. He is against terror. Of course he is. But he immediately goes on to provide justifications for terror. How is it possible, he asks, that the West and Israel are slaughtering Muslims and no one speaking out? Slaughtering Muslims? Why it's jihadists who are slaughtering Muslims. But the Ramadan the eel is misleading everyone. Almost every second sentence of his is a distortion, deception or manipulation. The last person to defeat him in a public debate was Nicolas Sarkozy, before he was elected president in France. But usually the man spreads his doctrine without being undermined. And this doctrine mainly includes an understanding and justification of terror. So terror must be fought. But we must not forget the anti-Israel propaganda of lies. It's not guilty of terror. It's only guilty of encouraging terror.Over the course of the last month, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has been scrambling to do damage control in the wake of revelations about one of his signature economic programs. In the name of creating jobs, this trademark initiative of the potential Republican presidential candidate handed hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to businesses across the state. But Walker’s administration apparently neglected to check if these companies actually hired any new employees as a result. Wisconsinites have been understandably roiled — but this is not a problem that’s confined to their state. Across the country, “economic development” programs in states such as Texas, Florida, Michigan and New York are handing out public resources to private hands in the name of spurring “job creators.” Astoundingly, they often fail to uphold even the most minimal level of accountability and oversight over how this public money is used. The solution to this problem is simple: When corporations fail to deliver on job creation promises, they should be forced to pay back the money. Elected officials need to enforce rules that not only track whether private beneficiaries of subsidies and tax abatements follow through on their end of the deal, but allow the public to reclaim funds that have been misused. Job scams In 2011, under the direction of Walker, Wisconsin created a new economic development agency called the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Within its first year, it awarded $41.3 million in grants, $20.5 million in loansand $110.8 million in tax credits to private entities, all for the purpose of “nurtur[ing] … business growth and job creation.” Walker’s WEDC set job creation targets — but did little to ensure that they were met. Far short of the 250,000 jobs that he promised to create, Walker could only report 5,840 new jobs from the WEDC after its first two years, according to the Center for Media and Democracy. Wisconsin mandates that companies receiving public funds must disclose payroll records and other information proving they have met certain wage, healthcare and job-creation requirements. But according to the non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau, that didn’t stop Walker from transferring public resources to private coffers with little more than a wink and a nod to ensure that the state’s residents actually got anything out of it. When a business fails to live up to its obligations, the public should get their money back. What is more, the amount of cash available for the WEDC to carelessly dispense has grown. By the end of 2013, the state had awarded over $970 million in tax credits, loans and grants, according to the watchdog group One Wisconsin Now. That same year, the Wisconsin State Journal found that “employees of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp … made a number of questionable and unexplained purchases, including season tickets to UW-Madison football games and iTunes gift cards, and contracted for services without conducting open and competitive selection processes.” It will shock no one to learn that some of the leaders who have been top recipients of WEDC funds were major donors to Walker’s reelection campaign. Wider problemUTEP students create tool for NASA EL PASO, Texas - A group of UTEP students will experience the opportunity of a lifetime. The Space Miners are headed to NASA's Johnson Space Center. They'll test a device they've worked on for months that may one day be used by astronauts themselves. UTEP's group is one 18 chosen for this exciting project. The students were selected to be part of NASA's Micro-g NExT program. It challenges students to work in teams to design and build prototypes of tools to be used by astronauts during spacewalk training. By 2020, it could be used by NASA astronauts "It took us three or four full designs to actually get here," Esteban Salcedo, said. It's called a float sample grabber, with adjustments by NASA engineers, it'll collect rock samples from the surface of an asteroid. "They're hoping that once they obtain samples and different materials from these asteroids, they'll get a lot better understanding of the origins of the actual whole solar system," UTEP student Michael Torres, said. In January, the students were given the task by NASA with a strict set of guidelines. "Tt needs to weigh less than 15 pounds, grab 3 different samples form 3 different sites, all without cross contamination so it should be able to pick up a sample and seal it and contain it," Salcedo said. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to collect materials properly. "It wouldn't close fully, so we changed it, changes the shape of the jaws and eventually, we go to this one,"Salcedo said. After five months, they had their finished product: a pin screen device, with steel rods and a plastic handle. "Ours is obtain the sample and be able to store them and bring them back to space," Torres said. Now is where the real test takes place. They'll test it out NASA's Nuetral Buoyancy lab. It's a 6.2 million gallon indoor pool, used to train astronauts spacewalking. "The astronauts train there in a zero gravity simulated environment." If successful, the device will be used by astronauts in future training. "We think, oh, we're just trying to get through school, but things turn out," Torres said. "The amount that you get out, is just really satisfying," UTEP student Ember Sikorski said. "It started here in El Paso, at UTEP." The students leave to Houston on Sunday.The last installment of the blockbuster Halo series has been announced. Keith Stuart talks to Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries about the latest game – and digs for clues about where the series is going Spoiler alert: the first paragraph of this story contains plot details about the end of Halo 4 Master Chief, the troubled hero of the Halo game series, has changed. The end of Halo 4 saw him battered and exhausted after his epic battle with The Didact. His best friend – the AI assistant Cortana – is dead, ravaged by a computerised sickness and then sacrificed to save humanity. We leave him contemplating his role in the UNSC, questioning everything he's fought for. So when 343 Industries revealed the next Halo instalment on Friday, the obvious questions were, where does the series go next? In her Xbox Wire post, general manager Bonnie Ross spoke mostly about the technical aspects of bringing the game to Xbox One, the new engine, the ambition behind it. So what of that ending? What does it tell us about the mood of the next title? Well, speaking to Ross as well as development director Frank O'Connor, we know that Halo 5 will take place soon after the previous game: "This is a continuation of the story from Halo 4," says O'Connor. And Chief? "When we left him in Halo 4, he's in a really challenging position," says Ross. "He's questioning many things he once firmly believed were true. He's lost his best friend, he's questioning his past and his purpose, he's question who he is fighting for. "For us this is a really interesting point. For the first time he's questioning everything he's done for the UNSC in the past. Just as with past titles, we're being really open about the fact that we want to tell this story over more than one game – this is about Master Chief's journey: it's about his past and his future." The reference to the past is interesting. We know that 343 Industries has something planned for 2014 as well as 2015, and there have been consistent rumours – reiterated on Eurogamer in February – that a Halo 2 Anniversary edition may be in the works. Perhaps that will form a taster, a bridge to the events of Halo 5? Facebook Twitter Pinterest Is that Master Chief in the cloak, looking out over a rugged terrain? We've also seen the intriguing opening images from the new title, with Master Chief shrouded in a cloak on some desolate planetscape. Is the 343 development team going to give us a much darker, more personal adventure? "For us, it's super interesting," says Ross. " If you look at Halo 1, 2 and 3 and know the origin story and know the fiction well, Master Chief is our hero, he is you, and he is saving humanity... but its been at a huge cost to his life and there are things going on – you saw them in 4 – that make him question who is calling the shots. Is he doing the right thing? That's very interesting for us to explore." We did try to get some more information on the structure of Halo 5. How much has 343 Industries looked across at the likes of Dark Souls, Titanfall and, of course, Destiny - how much has it considered elements like seamless multiplayer/single-player crossovers and cloud-based persistent worlds? Ross laughs. "You're asking questions we just can't answer! We learned a ton from Halo 4, and having the abilities we have with Xbox One... it has opened up doors on things we could never have done before. We're very excited but we can't talk about any of it." But this is a new beginning right? And a lot will ride on this title. Who knows where the PS4 vs Xbox One fight will be by then. Halo is, and always has been, a flagbearer for Xbox as a platform. "Any time you have a platform launch, it's an opportunity to take a step back and think more broadly," says Ross. "For us, it's almost a blank canvas. What are the stories we want to tell, how do we want to tell them, how do we use Halo to push the new platform? "It's also a time to listen to our fans and take their feedback on what's important to them going forward. It's about how do we start and where do we go on Xbox One?" Halo 5 is launched on Xbox One in autumn 2015 • Halo 5: Guardians announced for Xbox OneThis stock photo shows police special forces in training. [Photo by Namkung Jinwoong] South Korea formed a special army brigade aimed at decapitating North Korea's leadership in a ceremony on Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported.Yonhap quoted an army officer as saying that the brigade involved about 1,000 well-trained soldiers from the special warfare command as well as an unspecified amount of equipment.The brigade would carry out its contingency mission to "decapitate" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other top commanders in charge of nuclear weapons. Pyongyang has threatened to strike Seoul's presidential office as the first subject of retaliation for any attempts to decapitate its leadership.The North's aggressive push for the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles prompted South Korea to revise its old strategy and draw up a more aggressive operational plan. A joint exercise conducted by U.S. and South Korean troops last year tested their ability to mount preemptive attacks against North Korea ahead of its possible invasion.There's another first-year head coach in the state of Texas with interest in the South Carolina job and it's a name that should be familiar to most Gamecocks fans. SMU head coach Chad Morris, who was the offensive coordinator at Clemson from 2011-14, is interested in returning to the Palmetto State and leading the Gamecocks, according to sources familiar with him. Morris has struggled to a 1-5 record during his first season with the Mustangs, but under his watch they've shown signs of life without having very much talent to work with (they literally have the least-talented roster in the American Athletic Conference). SMU was competitive against Big 12 titans Baylor and TCU earlier this season. Link- SMU 2015 Schedule Sources indicate Morris feels he could win at South Carolina if given the opportunity and could assemble a high-level coaching staff that could recruit. Also, there is a feeling that he could help turn the tide with in-state recruiting given his contacts he established in the Palmetto State during his time with the Tigers. On South Carolina's end, we have not heard Morris mentioned, but new candidates are popping up every day. 247Sports National Recruiting Insider Ryan Bartow contributed to this reportOn Tuesday, Raphael Orlove and Bill Caswell posed the question on Jalopnik, “Why Aren’t There More ‘Out’ Gay Race Car Drivers?” Actually, there are more than you think. Evan Darling is an openly gay driver known best for his efforts in road racing. Evan raced in the GRAND-AM Road Racing Series as a part of the Street Tuner class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge — then known as the Koni Challenge. Justin Mullikin is an out and open race car driver running in the NASCAR Grand National Sportsmen division, which falls under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Last season Justin was chosen, by the track officials and tech directors at Lacrosse Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin for the Competition Achievement Award. It’s an award for someone who had an outstanding achievement at the track, is well respected by competitors and has an overall positive impact on the speedway. Stephen Rhodes is a long time late-model stock car racer and he raced in NASCAR’s Truck Series in 2003. Stephen took time off from racing to help his partner open a restaurant in North Carolina but he plans to return NASCAR’s Truck Series in 2014. Advertisement The now-defunct SPEED Network’s Race Hub recently profiled Stephen and his efforts to return to the track. With one small exception, Rhodes had no problems being out in the garage. "Everyone knew, everyone was aware; never really had any confrontations," Rhodes said to NASCAR Race Hub. "There was one, little incident that happened that I felt was geared towards who I was, more than anything. That kind of made me second-guess the sport for a second, but at the end of the day, it didn't really bother me." But how would the people in the garage and the other drivers react? In an exclusive interview with Queers4Gears, the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, Brad Keselowski said, “I don’t think anyone cares (if a driver is gay.) If you can win, you’ll have a ride in NASCAR.” Keselowski added, “If you can win, people will want to be a part of what you can do.” Advertisement After NBA player Jason Collins came out of the closet, driver Carl Edwards went a step further speaking on ESPN’s NASCAR Now. Edwards said, “I don’t really think it would be that big of an issue. I always tell people, at the end of the day, one of the greatest things about auto racing is you don’t have to be a certain size, shape, color or gender.” Edwards added, “If you can go out there and drive a race car, and you can do it well, you’re a respected race car driver.” NASCAR, the sanctioning body, released a statement saying, “NASCAR is a community made up of people from every walk of life. Our employees — regardless of their race, age, national origin, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, faith or physical abilities — do an outstanding job of helping to bring the best racing in the world to our fans every week and that is what matters. It's a stated goal for our sport to reflect America's diversity. Exclusion or intolerance of any kind — whether behind the wheel, on pit road, or in the garage — is not part of that philosophy.” That statement is accurate, as the representation of openly gay people in the sport is not limited to drivers. Advertisement ESPN recently profiled Matthew Pattison, an openly gay official who’s worked in the sport for 15 years and is one of the main officials in the Timing and Scoring Tower. Queers4Gears profiled an openly gay employee at Michael Waltrip Racing — who works in the organization with his partner. Craig Wadsworth has been working in the sport for 20 years and feeds the entire MWR Team every weekend. Ty Norris, the Vice President and General Manager of MWR told Q4G, “Michael Waltrip Racing is a reflection of all society. We are a welcoming workplace who cares only about the quality of people’s performance and Craig in an exemplary employee.” Advertisement But what about the sponsors you ask — would an openly gay driver be able to attract a sponsor? I think that answer is yes. Queers4Gears took a look at all of the major sponsors in NASCAR and how they scored on the HRC Equality Index. The CEI (Corporate Equality Index) is published every year by the HRC. It provides an in-depth analysis and rating of large U.S. employers and their policies and practices pertinent to LGBT employees. So how does the NASCAR Garage rate? Quite well actually! Nearly half of the sponsors score a perfect 100 and the average score for all sponsors was 75.62. Advertisement It’s worth noting that average was dragged down by the abysmal score of (-)15 given to Exxon/Mobile. Do you remember in school when the teacher told you how many A’s it would take to bring up a zero on your quiz — that same math applies here. Without the negative rating for Exxon/Mobile, NASCAR Sponsors as a whole would score even higher. What about the fans? NASCAR is most popular in the South and the fan base does lean towards the conservative. Will there be fans that refuse to accept an openly gay driver? Sure there will be. But you know what will start to change those attitudes? Openly gay drivers. Nothing changes a person’s views more than them knowing and caring about a gay person in their life. You don’t need to look much further than Dick Cheney to see that. Cheney’s political views are to the right of Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity’s love child. But Cheney’s view on LGBT rights is squarely in the progressive camp — because he has a gay child. Advertisement Attitudes about gay people are changing in America and the grandstands at the race track will not be immune to this shift. Michael Myers is the editor and founder of Queers4Gears. Michael enjoys nice romantic golf cart rides along the beach and burning trash in his back yard. He’s never been arrested and has only been in hand cuffs once. Photo Credit: Jason Torchinsky, base photo AP Images, FacebookIn a classic Friday night news dump, the Mormon Church released a report late yesterday that reveals at least $190,000 in previously unreported expenditures in the Proposition 8 campaign to repeal gays’ right to marry in California. Failure to disclose campaign expenses is illegal, and these expenditures were not reported in an earlier filing. The report included a $96,849 charge for “compensated staff time” for church employees who worked on Prop 8. The report was released in response to a complaint filed in November by Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate. In the sworn complaint, Karger contended that “the Mormon Church organized phone banks from Utah and Idaho, sent direct mail to voters, transported people to California over several weekends, used the LDS NewsRoom to send out news releases to promote their activities, walked precincts, ran a speakers bureau, distributed thousands of lawn signs and other campaign material, organized a ‘surge to election day,’ had church leaders travel to California, set up very elaborate web sites, produced at least nine commercials and four other video broadcasts and conducted at least two satellite simulcasts over five Western states.” Karger’s complaint underscored that these activities were targeted, not at church members, but at the general public, which classifies the communications as political propaganda. Churches risk losing their nonprofit status if they engage in partisan politicking. The document filed late on Friday appeared to bolster Karger’s allegations: The report … listed a variety of California travel expenses for high-ranking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and included $20,575 for use of facilities and equipment at the church’s Salt Lake City headquarters and a $96,849 charge for “compensated staff time” for church employees who worked on matters pertaining to Prop 8. “This is exactly what we were talking about when we filed the suit,” said [Karger]. “They said they reported all their travel … now, when there is a [complaint filed] they disclose 25 Southwest tickets just in October,” Karger said, in a Los Angeles Times report. “They were required to report this,” he said. Church spokesmen have not yet responded to reporters’ questions about the report, which has prompted speculation that the church has something to hide. Mormon leaders in Utah and elsewhere have been accused of politicking during the campaign when they urged church members to contribute to the fight to strip the right to marry from California gays. Judging by the results, the accusations appear to be correct. At their leaders’ behest, Mormon contributions made up about half Prop 8’s budget of $40 million. Here’s the pertinent section (PDF) of the IRS law regulating non-profit corporations: In general, no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying). An IRC section 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status. If the church were to lose its 501(c)(3) status, it would have to start paying taxes on holdings said to be worth at least $13 billion, including the world’s largest beef ranch, near Orlando, Fla., and Bonneville International, a wholly owned radio network with stations that broadcast mainstream rock ‘n roll, country music and right-wing talk radio in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and other markets.ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The US-led anti-ISIS coalition announced that they have killed a prominent leader of the radical group in an air strike in Mosul. Rachid Kassim, one of the group’s most notorious members who is a French national and believed to have masterminded some of the Paris terrorist attacks was killed near Mosul, the coalition said. The air strike that killed Kassim was said to have been carried out in the past three days. “We are currently assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information when it becomes available.” US Marine Corps Major JT Rankine-Galloway, a Pentagon spokesman, said. The eastern side of Mosul has been cleared of ISIS since early January and most coalition air strikes and Iraqi attacks are directed at the western bank of the city where the militants are expected to put up fierce resistance. Iraqi and coalition leaders are speculating the whereabouts of the ISIS leader Abubakir al-Baghdadi himself as his group is being pushed back on all fronts in Iraq and Syria. Other senior ISIS figures have been killed in targeted strikes in recent days. One was a Kurdish national known as Abu Ali al-Kurdi. "At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Walid Sarhan al-Kurdi known as Abu Ali al-Kurdi, an ISIS Sharia leader from Tel-Kaif, the area [north of Mosul], was killed in Mosul's al-Zanjili neighborhood, western Mosul," said Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) in a statement.The true story of the young coyote who was chased by crows and ended up quivering in a downtown Seattle building. He was a young coyote who found himself on First Avenue in downtown Seattle. Suddenly, divebombing crows went after him. What else could he do, but try and find shelter in an office building? This is the true story of what happened at around noon on Dec. 3, 1997. After our recent story of how coyotes won the battle of turf — and now are our neighbors whether we live in the city or country — numerous readers emailed their own stories. Marsha Milroy, former news researcher at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and attorney Bob Gibbs, were among those remembering the 1997 incident. If coyotes are found in Chicago and Manhattan, why not in our downtown? They’ve certainly managed to make themselves at home in our other neighborhoods. Maybe he had wandered down the railroad tracks. Maybe he lived in a den by the waterfront. In any case, if cars weren’t enough, now crows had decided to stalk the 30-pound coyote. Those crows. The panicked coyote ran down First Avenue and into the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, through a door that automatically opened, past security guards. “It was just a frantic, wild animal — bouncing off the glass and everything,” one of the guards was quoted in a Seattle Times story. Then the coyote ran into an empty elevator. Building workers took the elevator out of service, and there sat the animal. For two hours. The General Services Administration wasn’t sure whom to call, and then there was the problem of telling the Seattle Animal Shelter “that they weren’t joking,” says the story. The scene then turned into some 10 people “huddled in front of the elevator carrying nooses, a net, crate and blankets.” A lot of conferencing. By then, as is fitting with a story like this, a guy who went by “Crazy Bob Jones” also arrived. He was a volunteer with the Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington, and his life’s mission was rescuing stranded and hurt animals. Jones died a number of years ago, says the center, but he was profiled in a 1999 Seattle Times story. Crazy Bob decided he would deal with the panicked coyote by joining him in the elevator. “I talked to him. I petted him. He lay down. I picked him up and brought him out,” he remembered. The coyote was put in a cage and the state’s Fish & Wildlife Department released it into the woods near North Bend. Crazy Bob said he preferred the company of animals. “Animals are a lot more honest, a lot more straightforward, and a lot more dignified,” he said.He earn a shot against the big hitting Danny Lopez, he of nine successful title defenses. It will be 25 years next August that Salvador Sanchez was killed. He would have been 48. Instead the 23-year-old died when driving his favorite of the cars that he loved so greatly. It was the Porsche that he was driving that morning as he careered into a pickup truck. How many boxers at 23 would have a résumé strong enough to leave them as one of the top fifty boxers of all time? Not many! Sanchez easily gets inside that top 50 and really the only question is what could have been? Imagine if Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired before boxing Diego Corrales! Or if Sugar Ray Leonard never returned after beating Wilfred Benitez! That is the stage at which Salvador Sanchez saw his career ripped away from him. Sanchez would fight anyone, something that cost his perfect record at a young age, having debuted at 16. His first mark came against Antonio Becerra for the Mexican Bantamweight Title. The decision was split and many suggest that home advantage got Becerra that decision. Just a few fights later he would have his first fight outside of Mexico. It was in the United Stated against Juan Escobar and he was floored twice, barely managing to survive to hear the final bell. The crowd booed the decision and it would be a life changing draw. Sanchez changed his management after the Escobar fight and hired trainer Enrique Huerta. Huerta worked with him and converted his style. He would rebound from that defeat with 13 consecutive wins to earn a title shot against the big hitting Danny Lopez, he of nine successful title defenses. Sanchez was too clever with his countering and combinations. He turned Lopez into a bloody state and it finally ended in round 13. He would dominate Ruben Castillo, Patrick Ford, Juan Laporte, Roberto Castanon and Nicky Perez. Sanchez was once again heavy underdog against Wilfredo Gomez. He was a highly ranked pound-for-pound boxer who had won 14 title bouts. He backed Sanchez up on the ropes in round one but it was Sanchez who landed a big left hook, right hand combination to drop Gomez. Sanchez controlled the fight all the way through to the eighth where he finally finished Gomez with a barrage up against the ropes. Pat Cowdell and Rocky Garcia were defeated in the following bouts. His final defense was against Azumah Nelson, a Ghanaian in his 14th bout. In the 15th round after an epic he finally stopped Nelson. It was three weeks later when Sanchez took that fateful drive. It did show some of the greatest characteristics of Sanchez. His toughness was always incredible and he had stamina for absolute days, no matter the pace of the bout. He had a chin which was able to take absolute bombs and he would just walk through them. He was also adaptable, able to change his style to suit a bout in a way that would lead you to describe him as a complete boxer. He could box with the best of them, displaying a sharp and accurate jab. His movement was also something to behold. The power in both hands was also there so he could slug it out when necessary. His speed and accuracy was superb while his tall frame meant he often had the length to hit opponents who were not expecting it. The next fight for Sanchez had already been arranged. He was set for a rematch against Juan Laporte. He had developed over the previous two years, giving Eusebio Pedroza a tough bout. You have to imagine the bout would play out in a very similar way. The aggressive Laporte would struggle with Sanchez’s speed and movement taking a loss by decision. Following this loss, Sanchez would surely look to move up in weight. He had already had struggles making the weight but there were some possible bouts. Mario Miranda was the man he was meant to box when he faced Azumah Nelson. Nelson was a potential rematch in the making along with Wilfredo Gomez. A unification bout with Eusebio Pedroza also lingered. Despite this, Sanchez would move up. He had simply grown too big for the weight. Given he was WBC Champion for such a long period he would surely be given a chance fight for the title. Bobby Chacon was also the champion after defeating Rafael Limon in the fight of the year. Chacon was an aggressive boxer with a great amount of heart. What does he do to trouble Sanchez? Nothing. Sanchez may struggle early but he takes this fight over in the middle round and probably forces the early stoppage. Chacon wanted a defense against Cornelius Boza-Edwards but was stripped for not defending against Hector Camacho. Sanchez has a bigger reputation and name than Chacon did so you imagine he would have more pull. With that I believe he has a mandatory defense before taking on Camacho. The name I can see Sanchez meeting is Rafael Limon. Limon was a former world champion who was in exciting bouts and like Sanchez, a Mexican. Limon was wild, happy to go to war and had a granite chin. Sanchez would precisely pick Limon apart with accurate, powerful shots. There may be an off balance knockdown in there but Limon’s chin would hold up. Instead the doctor would step in to stop the punishment. Then would come the fight that was becoming more hyped by the day. Hector Camacho. Another brash Puerto Rican expecting to dispatch of Sanchez. It was a buildup similar to that of the Gomez fight as Camacho promised to destroy Sanchez. The speed of Camacho would cause issues for Sanchez. The early speed and southpaw stance were big factors for Camacho but late on the accuracy and sharpness of Sanchez would tell. Perhaps the inexperience of Camacho told but Sanchez would edge a split decision. Mario Martinez would be next up in what was seen as an easier bout. This would be a late stoppage win for Sanchez. At this point, Sanchez was looking towards the biggest fights he could take. He had a supreme résumé and with all respect to Roger Mayweather—who in February ‘84 lost to Rocky Lockridge—he was not the superstar that Sanchez would want to box. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini in the headline grabbing lightweight division. Mancini was not the same guy after the Kim fight but at this point in his career was unbeaten and a whirlwind. It is really hard to predict Sanchez accurately as he had only fought at Featherweight. Mancini was a great deal
with OneNote. Frequently asked questions Q. Who organized the Learn OneNote Conference? A. The conference is being organized and hosted by OneNote super-fan Jared DeCamp. Q. How can I get involved? A. Register your participation on the Learn OneNote Conference website. Don’t forget to confirm. If you like, submit a video in your own language. It would be great if you would announce the event to your own followers on social media. Q. What is the hashtag for the conference? A. The hashtag for this conference is #ONconf2016. Q. What happens after the event? A. After the event, access to the videos will be exclusive to participants who have purchased a Lifetime Access Pass. This is also a great way to catch up with videos you haven’t been able to watch. Details about this are sent to you after registration. Q. Who and what should I be following on Twitter? A. Here are all the Twitter accounts you can follow: @MSOneNote—Official Microsoft OneNote account @OneNoteEDU—Official Microsoft OneNote in Education account @Jared_DeCamp—Organizer and host of this conference @OneNoteC—OneNote Central, Marjolein’s account with daily tips and pointers about OneNote Q. Where can I send ideas and feedback that I have about this initiative? A. Reach out to Jared on Twitter: @Jared_DeCamp.Humans prefer faulty robots over perfect ones Faced with rising labor costs, China is making a strong move to establish itself as the world's leading manufacturer of robots. The country is already the world's largest buyer of industrial robots, but it's lagged behind Japan, its perennial Asian market rival, when it comes to technology development. There are big signs that's changing rapidly. According to a report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China will triple its sales of robots by 2018. By 2019, the IFR predicts that more than 1.4 million new industrial robots will be installed in factories around the world, and China will account for 40 percent of global robotics sales. The trend makes sense. Labor costs are rising, threatening the manufacturing base and infrastructure that turned China into an economic powerhouse. IDC predicts that China will spend $59.4 billion on robotics and related services by 2020. The government would certainly like to keep as much of that on its shores as possible. That was the thinking behind the Made in China 2025 plan. Unveiled in 2015, the plan provides a blueprint for Chinese self-sufficiency in a number of sectors, including robotics. It seems to be working. Last month's World Robotics Conference in China brought together 300 artificial intelligence specialists and more than 150 robotics enterprises from around the world. Chinese automation applicable to fields like healthcare, transportation, and fulfillment was on display alongside the latest industrial robots for both heavy and collaborative manufacturing. You would expect Chinese firms to dominate a trade show held in Beijing. But signs of China's coming domination in robotics are visible elsewhere. As reported by Nikkei's Asian Review, about 90 percent of the personal robots on display at the IFA consumer electronics trade show, which just wrapped up in Berlin, were developed and manufactured by Chinese companies. That's especially surprising considering Japan, which has an aging population, has been pursuing personal robotics especially vigorously. In the US, The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry's trade group in North America, just announced that Siasun Robot & Automation Co. Ltd., China's largest robot supplier, has joined RIA as its first Chinese member. "We sought out a membership with RIA because we recognized that if we are to expand in North America and other countries, it's important to have a relationship with an organization that can offer the support and connections we need to achieve our growth goals," said Dr. Daokui Qu, CEO and Founder of Siasun. It's another sign of the rising technological influence of Chinese firms, and the large role the country is poised to play in an automated future. PREVIOUS AND RELATED COVERAGE This roving robot learned pedestrian manners Humans are social creatures. Can robots learn to politely engage? Robotics in business: Everything humans need to know An executive guide to the technology and market drivers behind the $135 billion robotics market.American president Harry S. Truman once observed that “the C students run the world.” If Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak gets his way, they won’t even obtain a post-secondary education — at least one funded by government loans. In his most preposterous policy position yet, Hudak says university and college students should receive loans only if they reach a certain — undefined — level of academic success. Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak, left, with his Colleges and Universities critic Rob Leone, released his vision for higher learning at Queen's Park Tuesday. ( Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS ) It’s an absurd idea, tucked into an otherwise innocuous 27-page plan detailing Hudak’s vision for higher learning. As Truman (a Democrat) noted, it’s not just academic marks that propel people to success: character, drive and ingenuity are even better predictors of future triumph. But Hudak wants bureaucrats to create an academic cut-off point, blocking students with middling grades from getting student loans. “We feel it prudent to inject the student financial aide system with more market discipline,” his report says. It’s worth noting that a political leader who preaches the merits of smaller government now wants bureaucrats to decide the academic future of our youth. Did he give any thought to this? Article Continued Below Many middle- or lower middle-class students rely on loans — which they pay back, with interest — to get an education. Curiously, wealthy students who don’t need to borrow will be free to explore academic mediocrity with no government slap-down. It is true that many graduates struggle to find jobs in these challenging economic times. But the new reality is that most need more than one degree to find a viable career. Blocking education will not create economic growth. While it’s not a new idea, Hudak’s plan rightly focuses attention on Ontario’s desperate need to train youth in the skilled trades. But not all young people should, or even could, become electricians or plumbers. It’s already hard enough for young people to get ahead, and the government should not add more restrictions. Before an Ontario election is called, Hudak should drop this silly plan. Perhaps Hudak needs inspiration from the words of Republican President George W. Bush in a speech to the 2001 graduating class at his alma mater, Yale: “To those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students, I say, you, too, can be President of the United States.” In other words — with a little financial help — you never know what a student might become.Story highlights Roofer Bill Keith started a solar fan business nearly a decade ago He aimed to make the fans using all American parts and labor His success attracted the attention of the Obama administration Now, a new trade policy could put him out of business With just his dream, determination and hard work, Bill Keith started a solar fan business nearly a decade ago out of his garage in northwest Indiana. The one-time roofer simply wanted to make enough money to care for his family and to create a ripple effect for other workers, particularly in this economically depressed area outside Chicago. Keith vowed to create his solar attic fans entirely out of parts made in the United States. Using only the sun's energy, the fan pumps hot air out of the attic -- lowering cooling bills -- and doesn't have to be in direct sunlight to work. His first year, Keith said he barely made enough to scrape by -- about $39,000 in sales. "It wasn't enough to cover expenses," Keith recalled. But he stuck with it and his promise to buy American parts. Keith's company, SunRise Solar, steadily grew to the point that he couldn't keep up with the influx of orders. He looked around for companies that could help him manufacture the fans, concentrating his search in his own backyard. He eventually found a company that could help and needed the extra work about 90 miles away in Warsaw, Indiana. He bought molded plastic in Indiana as well as fasteners, nuts, bolts and steel. Wire for the fans came from workers in New Jersey, while the motors were from Pennsylvania and Chicago. Even his cardboard boxes were manufactured in nearby South Bend. Keith had achieved his own small part of the American dream: He became a self-made small-business owner. And in 2008, his success attracted the attention of the soon-to-be next president of the United States, Barack Obama. That year, he got an unexpected call from a representative of the new administration. "He said he was with the Obama transition team looking for small companies," Keith recalled. He later met with the man who told Keith, "we want to interview you, vet you." "Guy sat right there talking with me, said 'I really love your story and I'm going to push it up the rank,'" Keith said. JUST WATCHED Romney accused of hypocrisy for Solyndra Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Romney accused of hypocrisy for Solyndra 03:06 JUST WATCHED Durbin: 'Wrong' to condemn Solyndra loan Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Durbin: 'Wrong' to condemn Solyndra loan 02:18 JUST WATCHED Renting solar panels to save money Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Renting solar panels to save money 01:56 And that's exactly what happened. Shortly after he was inaugurated, Obama held a town hall meeting in the economically devastated city of Elkhart, Indiana. Keith and his wife were asked to come and -- prodded by his wife -- he stood up and told the president about his solar business. He asked Obama what he planned to do to encourage small business owners like himself. The question turned Keith into a White House solar superstar. ABC, CNBC and other media came calling to tell the story of the roofer who built a solar company out of his garage -- and he did so without a government handout. "Move over Joe the Plumber," one blog headline declared after his Elkhart appearance. "There's a new poster child for hard-working Americans -- and he's green." Keith's success story provided good publicity for the White House which called again and again, using Keith to underscore the Obama administration's goal of pushing America towards new sources of clean energy. "'Can you come to Washington? Can you come to Philly? Biden doing this,'" Keith said of the numerous requests he received from the administration. There's the photo of him with the president and Vice President Joe Biden in Kokomo, another Indiana city hard hit by the recession, as well as an appearance with Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and many others. Keith's story resonated with groups of all political stripes. Republicans got in on the act when Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar named him "an energy patriot" and the GOP-leaning U.S. Chamber of Commerce cited his work. Environmentalists also contacted him, and featured him in one appearance after another. Strange bedfellows, perhaps, but it was a feelgood story of what one American could do in a time when the recession was strangling so many. "They were continually inviting me to these things called 'advocacy days' where they wanted me to meet with senators and congressmen," Keith said, noting that he attended many with his wife. At these events, lawmakers talked about "how I created a solar product, how it's good for the environment, for business," he said. "(I) won't say they were putting words in my mouth but they had a lot of talking points," Keith said. "I was happy to do it from that point of view. It is friendly to the environment; it is creating jobs." It also was good advertising for Keith, who could never have afforded the publicity these appearances offered. Orders for the fans, which retail at about $500, came pouring in from places as far away as Hawaii. "It grew to where our peak was $2 million (in revenues)," he said, referring to sales in 2009. SunRise Solar started exporting fans all over the world. While his home-based business employs only about 21 direct and indirect employees, it brought a much-needed economic boost to an area of the country hard hit by the recession. Today, Keith's solar star appears to be on a collision course with another Obama policy that may put him out of business. The irony is not lost on Keith: A man whose profile and company soared because of the administration's energy policy is now falling apart because of a new Obama anti-dumping policy involving China. While 95 percent of Keith's fans are American-made, he has yet to find a U.S. company that can make the small customized solar panels that make his fans run. It's not that he hasn't tried. He initially used a company in Michigan but they stopped manufacturing the kind of panels he needed. Then Keith turned to a New York company but the quality was so bad that he was replacing the defective parts faster than he could sell the fans. Over the years he begged environmental groups as well as the Commerce Department for help in finding an American company that could make the key solar component. Reluctantly, he agreed to purchase them from a major company in the United States, which bought their panels from another country and then had them customized in Hong Kong. Eventually that manufacturer told Keith to deal with the Hong Kong customizer directly. Keith said the U.S. Customs Department has accused him of using Chinese-made solar panels, in violation of a tough import policy adopted in May at the behest of major U.S. solar companies. The policy is intended to thwart China from undercutting prices and flooding the U.S. market with cheaper solar panels. The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently reviewing the policy, and is scheduled to make a determination in the fall. Keith denies that any of part of his solar fans are produced in China, but he admits he can't totally prove it. According to Keith, the owner of the Hong Kong company that customizes his solar cells has stated in an affadavit that it buys the cells from the United States, Taiwan and Germany. But Keith worries that testimony won't be good enough. "The solar panel tariff is a broad-reaching tariff. In my estimation it shouldn't be geared toward small niche markets like mine," Keith said. Unless he can show specific manufacturing documentation by August 29, Keith said he could be fined as much as 250 percent on his solar panels -- an effective rate of $270,000. If that anti-dumping fine is levied, Keith said he will have to shutter his business. "These guys are going to put me out of business," Keith said. "I don't have any help. I've been trying to get help, no one can help me." Keith said he has never received government financial assistance and is taxed in the 40 percent bracket. He said he has sat by and watched companies like the now bankrupt Solyndra run through taxpayers' money and not return on the government's investment. He said he doesn't want a handout -- just a helping hand. So he went back to the well one more time, pleading with Greg Nelson, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement who Keith said had been his contact with the Obama administration. Under the subject line his e-mail to Nelson, Keith wrote, "Hanging on for life here." "Can you help me before I have to close my doors and let everyone go?" Keith asked in the e-mail. "Please... I'm pleading with you." Nelson responded, "Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I don't know what is possible, but let me talk to a few folks asap. Will circle back soon." That was nearly a month ago and Keith is still waiting. CNN sent three e-mails to the White House asking about Keith's situation, and received a reply from a spokesman late Wednesday afternoon. The spokesman stated that the tariff "highlights the degree to which solar panel manufacturers have faced unfair competition from countries like China" and the president's move to impose a tax on Chinese-made goods is a way to establish "a level playing field with China for American businesses and workers." The reply did not address Keith's situation. "When Obama came in office, there were a lot of small business owners who said, 'Hey maybe he'll help break barriers and help owners' or he says he will, but it never trickles down that far to help us," Keith said. "Maybe it's because we don't have big budgets to donate to campaigns. I don't know. I'm just trying to run my company."Double Fine’s playful mech-tower defence mash-up Iron Brigade (née Trenched) arrived on PC just over a week back, far too many months after its console version. I’ve been meaning to write about it for some time, but became waylaid by a different kind of big stompy robot and by creating big trouble in little Hong Kong. Now I am ready. Ready for what? Why, to tell you exactly what I think, of course. Let slip the trenches of war! I love it, basically. I have a nagging feeling that perhaps I shouldn’t, because it doesn’t run too far with its concept and it’s causing me to grind, but it would take an awful lot of error to rob the joy of controlling a trench on robot legs while being shouted at by a mad Russian who lives inside a television. The trio of quick, small, high-concept games from Double Fine in the wake of their foiled attempt to go big-budget have been a joy. Costume Quest hit its own ceiling far too soon but was swathed in the charm of a dozen Michael Palins, while Stacking was a simply glorious adventure game that I’m baffled went largely ignored by those same people who feverishly funded Double Fine’s point and click Kickstarter as though it was the last and only hope of such things ever existing again. The sillies. Iron Brigade, the artist formerly known as Trenched, has just joined its pint-sized brethren in moving to PC, and it’s just as deftly joyful, and surprisingly able to turn a very silly idea into something that immediately and completely makes sense. Specifically, defeating a monster invasion by piloting a mobile trench. You might well have seen it described as a tower defence game, which is both wildly inaccurate and has perhaps steered genre snobs away from it. It does have towers. It does involve defence. It does not require placing dozens of towers in convoluted rows to manage the movement of dumb legions of enemies. It requires going BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG while stomping around large, third-person-perspective maps in World War 1-themed mech, and depending on which type of Word War 1-themed mech you’re using, there might be a handful of towers also going BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG to help you deal with the weight of numbers that are seeking to trash the base(s) you defend. Even were you to pick the most tower-centric mech (as opposed to the most heavy weapon-centric ones), you will be directly in the fray and going BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG at all times. It’s a third-person action game in a string of arenas, with the focus on finding and buying better weapons for your walking trench as the number and deadliness of enemies – alien-esque thingies constructed out of monitors and radio equipment – steadily increases. There isn’t much to it, as while there are dozens of weapons and turrets they’re just stat-upped variations on around 10 types, but the pursuit of upgrades, the slow stream of new enemies and an unfailing air of cheerful b-movie weirdness, that scarcely matters. Simply, it feels good to blow up those TV-beasts by stomping around and unleashing massive guns, and on Normal the challenge is not too cold, not too hot – just right. Never quite frustrating, and always that sense I could do better if applied my brain more rather than lazily went BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG. While simple and low-priced, it’s reasonably long and also heads off the risk of over-familiarity at the stompy pass by deciding to up-sticks to Mars in the latter stages of the game (I believe these levels were DLC for consolekin, but are part of a seamless whole here). Plus, there are funny hats and outrageously horrid mech colour schemes to unlock. Like I say – I love it. It’s characteristic Double FIne ludicrousness, applied to something that works, both as bare-chested entertainment and as a tactical action game. The bad news is Games For Windows Live if you want to play co-op, though I would say it’s the most buttoned-down, low-key use of MS’s loathed multiplayer infrastructure I’ve yet seen, any issues involving installation and profile recognition your might encounter aside. Between enjoying being thoroughly self-interested in my own odyssey of destruction and collection and a deep-seated, unprofessional distaste for GFWL, I’ve felt absolutely no pull towards the co-op, but like Orcs Must Die 2 (which is a very useful reference point in terms of that halfway point between action and strategy Iron Brigade squats in) it ups the carnage and the ability to manage to overwhelming odds. It doesn’t meaningfully change what’s a very simple, straightforward game, nor does it need to. Like Stacking before it, it’s been released too late and with too little fanfare, even by an audience who supposedly hang on Double Fine’s every move. This is a shame, because it’s great. I can’t put it any more clearly than that. Oh, maybe I’ll try: IRON BRIGADE IS GREAT YOU SHOULD BUY IT. Also, in the later levels the baddie remote-controls a giant bear by sticking a TV on its head and a mighty bear on its chin, so there’s that.Shape-shifting Jesus spent his last supper with Pontius Pilate, claims just-deciphered 1,200-year-old Egyptian manuscript Claim explains why Judas used a kiss to betray Jesus, since he could have transformed to foil any attempt at description Manuscript also claims that Pontius Pilate offered his own son for crucifixion in place of the Messiah - but Jesus declined A 1,200-year-old Egyptian manuscript tells the story of the crucifixion with incredible plot twists - including the revelation that Jesus could change shape. The ancient illuminated text's claim explains why Judas used a kiss to betray Jesus, since the Christian Messiah had the ability to transform his appearance. It also claims Jesus in fact spent his last supper with the man who ordered his execution, Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, who is said to have offered to sacrifice his own son in Jesus' place. Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper': A newly deciphered manuscript claims Jesus could change shape at will and in fact had his last supper with Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who sentenced him to death And it defies the official Easter timeline by putting the day of Jesus' arrest on Tuesday evening, rather than the canonically agreed Thursday. The translation from the original Coptic has been revealed for the first time in a new book by Roelof van den Broek, emeritus professor of the History of Christianity at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. In the commonly-accepted Bible story it is claimed that the apostle Judas agrees to betray Jesus in exchange for cash, then kissed him to reveal his identity. DID JESUS AND MARY MAGDALENE MARRY AND HAVE CHILDREN? A recently uncovered fragment of ancient papyrus makes the explosive suggestion that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were man and wife, researchers say. The 8cm by 4cm fragment supports an undercurrent in Christian thought that undermines centuries of Church dogma by suggesting the Christian Messiah was not celibate. The centre of the fragment contains the bombshell phrase where Jesus, speaking to his disciples, says'my wife', which researchers believe refers to Magdalene. In the text, Jesus appears to be defending her against some criticism, saying'she will be my disciple'. Two lines later he then tells the disciples: 'I dwell with her.' If genuine, the document casts doubt on a centuries old official representation of Magdalene as a repentant whore and overturns the Christian ideal of sexual abstinence. However, since the papyrus emerged last November, scholars have queued up to cast doubt on its authenticity. The newly-deciphered text explains that, far from a sign of affection or guilt, the kiss was Judas' way of forestalling any shapeshifting confusion. 'The Jews said to Judas: How shall we arrest him [Jesus], for he does not have a single shape but his appearance changes. Sometimes he is ruddy, sometimes he is white, sometimes he is red, sometimes he is wheat coloured, sometimes he is pallid like ascetics, sometimes he is a youth, sometimes an old man...' it reads. For a man who could walk on water, raise the dead, feed 5,000 people with just a single loaf of bread and a fish, and turn water into wine, such abilities are perhaps unsurprising. But shapeshifting is not the only superpower the ancient manuscript attributes to Jesus - it also says that he could even turn himself invisible. It claims that on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus ate dinner with Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect who decided his sentence - who, it is said, remarkably offered his son to be crucified in place of the Messiah. Jesus declined the offer, explaining that if he could escape from his fate if he wanted to. 'Pilate, then, looked at Jesus and, behold, he became incorporeal: He did not see him for a long time,' the text says. Later that night, according to the manuscript, Pilate and his wife dreamed of an eagle representing Jesus being killed. The incredible text, which is thought to be some 1,200 years old, is written in the name of St Cyril of Jerusalem, although, Professor van den Broek says, it was probably written by someone else. Back then it was looked after by monks at the Monastery of St Michael in the desert of north-west Egypt, south of Cairo. The text was rediscovered in 1910 and, the following year, it was bought along with other manuscripts by the wealthy Wall Street financier JP Morgan. Morgan's collections were later given to the public and they are now kept in the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. A scene from the film 'The Passion of the Christ': The new manuscript offers a very different account of the days and events leading up to the death of Jesus from the conventional one given by the Bible Professor van den Broek told LiveScience that the Bible was already canonised in Egypt by the time the text was written, but that such apocryphal stories nevertheless remained popular among believers. He said he was not convinced that the monk who wrote down the story necessarily believed all the details in it, 'but some details, for instance the meal [Pontius Pilate had] with Jesus, he may have believed to have really happened.' 'The people of that time, even if they were well-educated, did not have a critical historical attitude,' he added. 'Miracles were quite possible, and why should an old story not be true?'Third parties could see unusually high support in 2016. Hillary Clinton’s post-convention numbers look promising for Democrats. And America’s voter turnout rate lags behind most of its peers. Sad! This is HuffPollster for Wednesday, August 3, 2016. THIRD-PARTY VOTERS AND NONVOTERS ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION THIS YEAR - Samantha Neal: “Disaffected voters who refuse to support either Trump or Clinton are increasingly turning to third-party alternatives. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is currently polling at a level of support higher than third parties in the previous four election cycles: 8.5 percent, according to the HuffPost Pollster general election average. At this point in the 2012 election, Johnson polled at only 3 percent. The most popular third party candidate in 2008 and 2004 was Green Party nominee Ralph Nader, who averaged between 3 and 4 percentage points….Johnson’s impact in the general election becomes more pronounced at the state level: He’s polling at high single digits in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to July research from Quinnipiac University. Factoring in Green Party candidate Jill Stein, the third-party candidates collectively occupy between 11 and 13 percent of the vote share in those states.” [HuffPost] CLINTON’S CONVENTION BOUNCE IS MORE PROMISING THAN TRUMP’S - Nate Cohn: “At the end of a series of tumultuous events and two political conventions, the presidential race is more or less where it was before it all began: Hillary Clinton has a clear lead. All seven national surveys conducted since the Democratic convention show her ahead, by an average of nearly seven percentage points. It’s a seven-point boost over where those same surveys showed the race after the Republican convention — enough to erase Donald Trump’s bounce and more. She is about three points ahead of where she was before the two conventions. Convention bounces often prove to be short-lived, as the name implies and as Mr. Trump’s experience proves….With that history in mind, Mrs. Clinton’s lead would be expected to fade a bit over the next few weeks. But her comfortable advantage in the post-convention polls suggests that her support can fade and that she can still maintain a clear lead. There are also reasons to think that Mrs. Clinton’s bounce is likelier to stick than most. In general, convention bounces are most durable when they help unify the parties — something that’s largely inevitable and hard to undo.” [NYT] WHY ‘SHY TRUMPERS’ PROBABLY DON’T EXIST - HuffPollster, with Sam Stein: “Former poll lover Donald Trump, now trailing in post-convention surveys, has come up with a new theory to explain why he’s not ahead: His supporters are lying to pollsters. While ‘people are too embarrassed to admit they support me’ may not be an especially winning campaign message, the idea itself isn’t particularly far-fetched. Pollsters recognize something called social desirability bias, when voters are reluctant to tell an interviewer they hold an unpopular position….But pollsters for both parties say there is little evidence to suggest that Trump is facing a similar issue….Trump did not reliably outperform the polls in actual voting during the Republican primaries…[D]ata from HuffPost Pollster’s tracking of the presidential race suggest that support for Trump varies little between live-interviewer surveys and those conducted online or using automated calls.” [HuffPost] VOTER TURNOUT IN THE U.S. IS LOWER THAN IN MANY OTHER COUNTRIES - Drew DeSilver - “With less than 100 days left till the U.S. presidential election, we thought it was time for a fresh look at how U.S. voter turnout – regularly decried as dismal – compares with other developed democracies. As is so often the case, the answer is a lot more complicated than the question. Political scientists typically measure turnout by looking at votes cast as a percentage of eligible voters. Since many hard-to-measure factors can affect eligibility (citizenship, imprisonment, residency rules and other legal barriers), in practice turnout calculations usually are based on the estimated voting-age population. By that measure, the U.S. lags most of its peers, landing 31st among the 35 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, most of whose members are highly developed, democratic states.” [Pew Research] HUFFPOLLSTER VIA EMAIL! - You can receive this daily update every weekday morning via email! Just click here, enter your email address, and click “sign up.” That’s all there is to it (and you can unsubscribe anytime). WEDNESDAY’S ‘OUTLIERS’ - Links to the best of news at the intersection of polling, politics and political data: -Harry Enten profiles anti-Trump Republicans. [538] -A surprising Utah survey turned out to be non-existent. [HuffPost] -Fewer Americans plan to watch the Summer Olympics this year than in previous years. [Gallup] -A new report finds the number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe surging to a record 1.3 million. [Pew Global] -A new poll shows the British public on a “collision course” with French and Germans over the terms of Brexit. [YouGov]AUSTIN, TEX.—Michael Hollett, the founder of Toronto’s North by Northeast festival, has created quite a stir in recent days by announcing a major format change for one of Toronto’s flagship music events and publicly musing that its time-honoured, get-a-wristband-and-go-club-crawling model had run its course. It seemed fitting, then, to corner Hollett for a chat this week in Austin at South by Southwest — the festival upon which NXNE was originally based 22 years ago and which still holds a large stake in its Toronto counterpart —to suss out exactly what’s going on in Toronto in 2016. We caught up with North by Northeast co-founder Michael Hollett at its sister festival, South by Southwest, in Austin, Tex., this week. ( Thomas Meredith / Special to the Star ) There will still be some free programming at Yonge-Dundas Square this year, including live videogaming as well as music. ( Adrien Veczan / CP FILE PHOTO ) North by Northeast was criticized last year for giving controversial rapper Action Bronson a free showcase at Yonge-Dundas Square, a concert that had to be relocated to a ticketed venue. ( Jordan Stead / AP FILE PHOTO ) Yes, NXNE 2016 will indeed look very different from North by Northeasts past. There will still be some club shows in major venues about town during the festival’s June 15-19 run. There will still be some free events at Yonge-Dundas Square — where a planned Action Bronson concert was relocated last year after an uproar over his lyrics. But most of the action will be centred on the Friday and Saturday nights in a single, 40,000-capacity space in the Port Lands, the same location that Cirque du Soleil has called home in Toronto numerous times in recent years. The wristbands are gone — for the time being, anyway — but Hollett promises NXNE will still “definitely be the most inexpensive festival of the summer” in a city that, he admits, has lately become somewhat cluttered with festivals. He just feels that Toronto has grown, and grown difficult enough to get around in, to the point that a citywide club crawl has become unwieldy. Article Continued Below For one thing, he says, it’s unfair to expect a band from, say, Saskatoon to drive all the way to Toronto only to get stuck playing to 13 people in “a Hungarian restaurant I’ve turned into a venue for the night” when everybody’s just parked themselves at the Horseshoe or Lee’s Palace for the evening. Also, most NXNE-goers aren’t as committed to flitting about the city in search of new sounds as they once were, in an age when they can simply Google every act in the program and figure out whether or not they want to hit the show well ahead of time. “This event is 30 years old, mine is 22, and things have changed dramatically,” says Hollett over a beer at a hotel in the epicentre of the SXSW madness. “You’ve got to embrace the change and listen to the change.” Back in the day, “we used to have as many as 60 venues and 1,000 bands playing, and people were prepared to go out on a whim and a promise and completely take a chance on something they’d never heard about before. Now it’s almost impossible not to have heard about something before you experience it. The most obscure band has got an existence on social media and on YouTube.” The proliferation of audience-tailored “boutique” festivals such as T.U.R.F., Field Trip and WayHome in and around the GTA has convinced Hollett that creating a distinctive festival environment is now just as important as curating a decent festival lineup, too. As he puts it: “People don’t want to be at a show, they want to be at the show.” Article Continued Below The Port Lands space thus provides NXNE an opportunity to trick out and have fun with a part of Toronto that’s still neglected enough to feel like an adventuresome, untamed wilderness even for locals for a couple of days. “It sounds corny, but I’m really looking forward to dressing the site,” says Hollett, who relishes the idea of trying to mount a festival somewhere other than Fort York (home to Field Trip and T.U.R.F.) or Toronto Island, recently abandoned by Bestival due to last year’s logistical snafus, for a change. “You’re going to enter NXNE Land... If you’re not from Toronto, it’s pretty bloody urban. It’s really urban and gritty and kinda cool, which makes it more exciting.... “People want a more immersive festival experience. You go in there and you get your war stories and you have an experience and the music is obviously a huge, huge part of it. But so is the setting, so is the interacting, so is the meeting strangers. And I think that’s easier to achieve in a gated festival space.” To the critics who have lamented that NXNE will now simply be another festival on a very busy summer calendar in Toronto, Hollett says he hopes the festival will still be distinguished “by the artistic choices we make” — one of which, on the Friday night in the Port Lands this year, will be a huge emphasis on Toronto hip-hop, an exploding musical sector still given short shrift by most Toronto festival programming. NXNE is still taking submissions from “discovery” bands, too — acts can petition the festival for one month for free through the oft-maligned SonicBids website — so the element of the “next” won’t be totally lost in the new format, he promises. Is there private panic on his part over what might happen? “Tons,” says Hollett. “But in that exciting way, like skating too fast or skiing too fast or whatever your thing is.... “I think Toronto is a long way from being saturated with festivals. Is there too much live theatre in New York? I don’t think so. There’s one beside the other beside the other. We can be like that. There’s nothing in the way of that.” Read more about:A vanity section in one of the fitness centers comes complete with golden features. Centuryon In Asia, people are paying as much as $
I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin in the eyes of the church," Johnson told ABC News affiliate WJLA. Her older brother, Larry Johnson, couldn't believe what he had seen. "I walked to the side of the church to console her, because she was clearly distraught," Johnson told ABC News. Larry Johnson said his sister, who has been in a committed gay relationship for 19 years, composed herself enough to give her mother's eulogy, but then he was shocked at what happened next. The priest left the altar, Johnson said, and didn't return until his sister was nearly finished speaking. Family members added that the priest failed to come to the grave site, and the burial was attended by a substitute priest found by the funeral director. Larry Johnson and his sister were outraged at what occurred on "what would already have been the worst day of my life," he said. They want the priest, the Rev. Marcel Guarnizo, removed from dealings with parishioners. They also believe he owes them an apology. "This isn't about gay rights and it isn't about Catholic bashing, it is simply about the conduct of a reprehensible priest," said Johnson. But the head of DignityUSA, a group that focuses on gay and lesbian rights and the Catholic Church, sees the incident as part of a wider problem. "The reality is, in some ways, it is very emblematic of the hierarchy's approach to gay people, transgender people," said Marianne Duddy-Burke. "There are little messages of rejection that happen all the time." Guarnizo did not return an email asking for a comment about the incident. The Archdiocese of Washington had no public comment about the priest's behavior, but issued a statement that indicated Guarnizo should have taken up the matter of whether Johnson could receive communion in private. "When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion," the statement said, "it is not the policy of the Archdiocese to Washington to publicly reprimand the person." The archdiocese said it is looking into the incident and that it would handle it as a personnel issue. Duddy-Burke of DignityUSA believes the response misses the point. "I would hope that it provides a wake-up call to church leaders to make them see where the extremes of their policy are leading," she said. "My concern is they will just see this as an isolated incident and fail to see the context." Both Larry and Barbara Johnson have received letters from the archdiocese of Washington apologizing "that what should have been a celebration of your mother's life … was overshadowed by a lack of pastoral sensitivity." Larry Johnson appreciated the letters and the sentiment behind them. But in his letter to the archdiocese, Johnson noted that the Church's teachings in relation to personal behavior are complex issues. And he wondered if the priest has any right to determine who is able to receive communion "without any discussion, insight or spiritual awareness" of the person presenting themselves before him.A view of the Italian town Pescara del Tronto, which was destroyed by an earthquake in August 2016. (Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images) Rebecca Bendick would like you not to panic. The University of Montana geophysicist knows you may have read the articles warning about “swarms of devastating earthquakes” that will allegedly rock the planet next year thanks to a slowdown of the Earth's rotation. And she feels “very awful” if you've been alarmed. Those dire threats are based on Bendick's research into patterns that might predict earthquakes — but claims of an impending “earthquake boom” are mostly sensationalism. Here's what the science actually says. There is no way to predict an individual earthquake. Earthquakes occur when potential energy stored along cracks in the planet's crust gets released, sending seismic waves through the Earth. Since scientists know where those cracks exist, and how they are likely to convulse, they can develop forecasts of the general threat for an area. But the forces that contribute to this energy buildup and trigger its release are global and complex, and we still cannot sort out exactly how it might unfold. In a paper published in August in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Bendick and colleague Roger Bilham, a geophysicist at the University of Colorado at Boulder, did find a curious correlation between clusters of certain earthquakes and periodic fluctuations in the Earth's rotation. By examining the historical earthquake record and monitoring those fluctuations, scientists might be able to forecast years when earthquakes are more likely to occur, they suggest. “Something that people have always hoped to find... is some kind of a leading indicator for seismicity, because that gives us a warning about these events,” Bendick said Monday. But that conclusion is by no means set in stone. It hasn't been demonstrated in the lab or confirmed by follow-up studies. Several scientists have said they're not yet convinced by Bendick's and Bilham's research. “The main thing I came away thinking was real old-fashioned scientific ‘let's check this’ kind of thoughts,” research geophysicist Ken Hudnut told Popular Science. Hudnut, who works on earthquake-risk programs at the U.S. Geological Survey, was not involved in the paper. And that reaction is okay with Bendick. That's how these things are supposed to go. “Someone says something kind of marginally outlandish, and everyone checks their work and that’s how science progresses,” she said. Historically, the field of earthquake forecasting has seen some particularly outlandish claims. People have tried to predict temblors based on the behavior of animals, gas emissions from rocks, low-frequency electric signals rippling through the Earth — all without much success. For that reason, Bendick said, “it's a little bit scary to get into the game.” But getting a prediction right can mean the difference between life and death for countless people. The stakes are too high not to try. For their recent paper, she and Bilham looked through the century-long global earthquake record to see whether they could spot any signs that temblors around the world are linked. Initially, the data appeared completely random. But then Bendick and Bilham added a new number to their analysis: the “renewal interval,” or the amount of time a given earthquake zone requires to build up potential energy for a really big quake. “Basically you can think of earthquakes as something like a battery or a neuron; they have a certain amount of time they need to be charged up,” Bendick said. A certain class of earthquakes — those with a magnitude of 7.0 or more, and a short renewal interval between 20 and 70 years — seemed to cluster in the historical record. Every three decades or so, the planet seemed to experience a bunch of them — as many as 20 per year, instead of the typical 8 to 10. It was as if something was causing the earthquakes to synchronize, even though they were happening in spots scattered around the globe. Contrary to some reports on the study, “it's not exactly the case that every 32 years we have a bad patch,” Bendick said. “If it were that, people would have found [the pattern] ages ago. That would be super obvious in the record.” Instead, she explained, “events with that renewal interval happen together more often than they happen at random, and that pattern is statistically significant.” Sure, it's a less flashy finding than, “we know when earthquakes will happen,” she acknowledged. But that's geophysics for you. “We're scientists, not magicians,” she said. Next, Bendick and Bilham tried to figure out what mechanism might explain these earthquake clusters. They studied a wide variety of global phenomena that unfold over the same time scales: sloshing of the molten rock in the mantle, ocean circulation changes, momentum transfer between the Earth's core and the lithosphere (the planet's solid, outermost shell). The best fit were tiny, cyclical changes in the speed of the Earth's rotation. The planet slows down infinitesimally every 30 years or so, and about five years later, a cluster of these severe, short-interval earthquakes appears. Russian geophysicists Boris Levin and Elena Sasorova have pointed out this correlation before, Bendick noted. So she and Bilham tried to take it a step further: They found a mechanism that might link the Earth's rotation and clusters of quakes. See, when the Earth's rotation rate changes, its shape shifts. As the planet speeds up, mass moves toward the equator, much the way a dancer's skirt flares out when she spins. When it slows, that mass shifts back toward the poles. The cumulative effect is tiny — a millimeter difference in the width of the globe. But if potential energy has already built up at a number of faults — “if they're locked and loaded, as we'd say in Montana,” Bendick noted — “that tiny change is enough to kick some proportion of the faults over into their failure mode, which is earthquakes.” Earth is at the end of a slowing period, Bendick pointed out, and the historical record would indicate another “cluster” may be on its way. She and Bilham hope the pattern might help scientists and public officials make some sense of the Earth's unpredictable shaking. If disaster planners can say with some assurance that the planet is entering a period in which quakes are more likely, they might have an easier time making the case for preparedness measures. But that doesn't necessarily mean 2018 will be a particularly devastating year. For one thing, the kinds of temblors Bendick and Bilham analyzed happen in areas that are already earthquake-prone — Japan, New Zealand, the West Coast of the United States. For people who live in those regions, there is always a risk of a quake, and it is always good to be prepared. Their study is about probabilities, not predictions, Bendick cautioned. Earth's slowing doesn't mean that a quake will happen in the next year or so, just that the likelihood may have gone up. Moreover, this pattern of earthquake occurrence is definitely not the only factor influencing the Earth's behavior — if it were, scientists would have noticed the pattern a long time ago. There are doubtless other earthquake cycles on the planet, driven by phenomena not considered in the paper. The research got a lot of attention after Bilham presented it at the October meeting of the Geological Society of America. Several critics noted that correlation is not causation — earthquake clusters and fluctuations of Earth's rotation might happen on the same time scales, but that doesn't mean they are linked. Bendick acknowledged that there is less evidence for the proposed mechanism than for the pattern itself. But she's confident the pattern is there. “I think this is likely to inspire many people to look at this pattern, and it's possibly someone will come up with an even better explanation,” she said. Read more: Perspective \| Please stop annoying this NASA scientist with your ridiculous Planet X doomsday theories 7 million Americans at risk of man-made earthquakes, USGS says Could major earthquakes be caused by the moon?For un-drafted players, opportunities to make an impact at the NBA level usually come few and far between. Many spend years dwelling in the D-League or overseas, in hopes of securing a ten-day contract at basketball's highest level. In that regard, Sixers point guard Ish Smith has had an easier journey than some of his un-selected brethren. While Smith was able to latch on with an NBA team as a rookie free agent out of Wake Forest in 2010, playing time is a luxury he had not seen in his first five NBA seasons. Now in Philadelphia, the Charlotte, North Carolina native feels he's finally getting the opportunity to prove his worth. "People look at me like ‘Man, this is your fifth year,'" Smith said. "People don’t understand I haven’t played, so really being out there this is my second year...playing consistent minutes." Smith began his career with Houston in the 2010 season, where he spent 26 games there before beginning his North American tour of teams. He spent time with seven different teams before landing in Philadelphia, never averaging more than 14.4 minutes per game in his frequent stops. The 26-year-old did his best to stay motivated despite the issues in securing a long-term home. "You never get used it," Smith said about the constant change in teams. "But it happens, it’s the job, you keep moving. "The next city is the next opportunity, that’s how you got to look at it. Once you get the opportunity to play you hope and pray God brings out your best gift, and that works." It's an opportunity he received when Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, who Smith got to know during his stint in Houston, claimed him off waivers on February 22. "I’ve been the third point guard since I’ve been in the league, [Sam Hinkie] was like this was a great opportunity. Just go out there and do what you do." Smith has played 11 games since joining the team, averaging 23.8 minutes per game. While playing every night is a plus, he noted how excited he is about the team's culture as well. "People get misconstrued judgement about [the Sixers], and it’s the total opposite," Smith said about the Sixers. "We come into practice, we practice hard. Coach keeps it light, we joke around and laugh but at the same time he puts us in our place. "When I walked in the locker room the first month, I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s been the total opposite of what I thought. You couldn’t tell that we only won 15 games." Out of all the teams he's been with, he likens the Sixers to the Oklahoma City Thunder for their focus on player development. The coaching staff has taken strides to improve Smith's game as well. "Coach Pierce is talking to me about playing with pace, changing different gears. [Coach Brett Brown] has been talking to me about taking my three ball, saying it’ll open up so much in the paint," Smith said. "So many of my other shots too. Floaters, lay ups, finishes. So he encourages me to take more three’s when I’m open." Smith has also noted head coach Brett Brown's attention to the defensive side of the ball. "Offensively he lets us play freely, but defensively he don’t play that. He knows that was a key for him when he was with the Spurs," Smith mentions about the team's philosophy. "People never really paid attention to defensively how San Antonio makes you do things you don’t want to do. So it’s all coach preaches to us." It certainly seems as though Smith is taking the coaching points to heart. He's shooting more three's than ever, with 22 of his 96 career attempts from beyond the arc have come during his time with the Sixers alone. Smith is also playing stifling defense, and the team is much better with him on the court (96.7 DRTG) than off (102.5 DRTG) in that department. "You can’t keep yourself in a box," he said. "If it’s uncomfortable, that’s usually not good for you. So you gotta get out of your comfort zone, and expand, and hopefully take your game to the next level." Smith insists he's not focused on his future, an impressive quality for someone who has bounced around as much as he has. But if he continues to play as strongly as he has, he won't have to worry about leaving Philadelphia any time soon.Crime in England and Wales is at its lowest level since 1981 after a record 16% fall in the past 12 months, according to the Office for National Statistics. The authoritative crime survey shows a decline in most offences, including a 23% fall in violent crime, a 20% drop in criminal damage and a 12% decline in theft. The survey estimates that there were 7.1m crimes in the 12 months to June 2014. However, separate police recorded crime figures – which no longer carry the national statistics gold badge – show a 21% rise in sexual offences, including a 29% increase in rape. The figure of 22,116 attacks is the highest for at least 10 years. The data also shows an 8% rise in fraud and a 5% increase in shoplifting. ONS statisticians say the police recorded figures show no overall change from the previous year, with 3.7m offences recorded. The statisticians put the increase in fraud and an 11% rise in violence against the person down to increased police compliance with national standards in recording crime. However, they said the 5% rise in shoplifting was probably the result of a genuine increase in crime rather than a change in recording practice. The detailed figures show that rapes carried out at knifepoint rose by 48% in the past year from 199 to 294, while sexual assaults by knifepoint were up 22% from 91 to 111. ONS statisticians said the 21% rise in rape and other sexual offences was driven by an increase in the willingness of victims to report the attacks to police, as well as an improvement in police recording practices. Separate Home Office figures published on Thursday show that hate crimes in England and Wales rose 5% to 44,480 in 2013/14. Race hate crimes rose by 4% to 37,484 and religious hate crimes were up 45% to 2,273 offences. Statisticians say most of the increase in race and religious hate crimes came in the aftermath of the murder of the soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. More than one motivating factor was recorded for many of the incidents. The ONS statisticians added that the 16% overall fall in crime levels on the authoritative crime survey of England and Wales represented a drop of about 1.3m offences. They said a separate estimate of 300,000 plastic card fraud offences online not captured by the official crime survey would have reduced that fall to about 1m fewer crimes. Norman Baker, the crime prevention minister, said the latest set of quarterly crime figures showed there were positive signs that police recording of crime was improving, and that more victims of crimes such as sexual offences and fraud were coming forward. “It is vital that police recorded crime statistics are as robust as they can be. That is why the home secretary asked Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary to carry out a detailed investigation of recording practices in all 43 forces. HMIC’s final report is due shortly and we expect chief constables and police and crime commissioners to act on its recommendations.”(CNN) Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, a Republican candidate for US Senate, has cast doubt on former President Barack Obama's citizenship repeatedly and as recently as December 2016, fueling the debunked "birther" movement that sought to delegitimize Obama's presidency. Moore, who started questioning the legitimacy of Obama's citizenship back in 2008, last year told a meeting of the Constitution Party that he personally did not believe Obama was a natural-born citizen. "My opinion is, there is a big question about that," Moore said when asked how he defines natural-born citizen as it relates to qualifications for president. CNN's KFile reviewed video from the event. "My personal belief is that he wasn't, but that's probably over and done in a few days, unless we get something else to come along," he added. Moore's comments came three months after then-Republican nominee Donald Trump conceded that Obama was born in the US after pushing the racially charged birther conspiracy for years. Trump endorsed Moore's opponent Sen. Luther Stranger during the Republican primary and congratulated both candidates on proceeding to the runoff. Moore finished ahead of Strange in last week's Republican primary, with 39% of the vote. The runoff election is set for September 26. Moore's campaign declined to make him available for interview and did not respond to follow-up emails about the details of this story. Moore has made headlines for years by publicly championing hard-right causes. Last May, the state Court of the Judiciary suspended Moore as chief justice over his refusal to comply with the US Supreme Court's decision striking down same-sex marriage bans nationwide. Over a decade prior, Moore was removed as chief justice for defying a court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the grounds of the Alabama Supreme Court. Speaking with World Net Daily (WND) in 2008, where Moore served as a columnist for years, he said a "major investigation" into Obama's citizenship was needed. "I don't see any reason a candidate who has such a serious question would not come forward with the truth about where he was born, Moore said in December of that year. "Obama has the answer," Moore added. "He knows where he was born. If he tells something that's untrue that's another matter. It's not an Obama issue, it's an American issue. It's about the Constitution of the United States." In March 2009, Moore spoke at length with conservative Internet radio show host Andrew Shea King about the birther issue. "Now, I haven't seen one thing in the press about this, and yet the President of the United States will not produce his birth certificate," Moore said. "They produced a certificate of live birth from Hawaii that says he's got the birth certificate, but nobody can see that birth certificate. My son had to show his birth certificate to get his driver's permit to the county courthouse. He had to show his birth certificate to get on the little league team. My other son that's in AIT [Advanced Individual Training] right now, before he went to basic training, he had to produce his birth certificate. I've had to produce my birth certificate, and I think most people have had to, but not the President of the United States? That's very strange indeed. Why we don't hear about it, because the press won't report it." "Why doesn't the President have to show he's a natural-born citizen?," Moore asked. "There are so many questions about that, and yet the Constitution requires that the President be a natural-born citizen, and we've had all kind of suits filed. The press doesn't mention them and the courts continually reject them. I don't understand it; I think -- they can holler political question all they wish, but it's a simple fact that if he's not a natural-born citizen, he's not qualified to be President, and I don't care who he is." In 2010, speaking with WND again, Moore said there is substantial evidence that Obama is not a natural-born citizen. "The President has never produced evidence in the face of substantial evidence he was not born in our country. People are accepting it blindly based on their feelings, not on the law," Moore said. In 2011, Hawaiian officials, at Obama's request, released the long form of his birth certificate. It indicated that he had, indeed, been born in Hawaii. Conspiracy theorists continue to allege the document was a forgery. Moore also alluded to the birther issue when he formed a presidential exploratory committee in 2011. On his website for the committee, he included a copy of his birth certificate, according to the Associated Press and Washington Post In 2013, Moore dissented in an Alabama Supreme Court case closely tied to the birther conspiracy. The court ruled 7-2 in dismissing a 2012 lawsuit that sought to have Alabama's Secretary of State certify the birth certificate of presidential candidates before their names could appear on the general election ballot. Moore wrote in his dissent, "presentation of a birth certificate is indeed a common means of determining age and citizenship" and the Secretary of State should "investigate the qualifications of those candidates who appeared on the 2012 general-election ballot." "Furthermore, I believe the circuit court should have granted the petition for a writ of mandamus to order the Secretary of State to investigate the qualifications of those candidates who appeared on the 2012 general-election ballot for President of the United States," Moore added.#PuertoRico being told to adjust to no electricity for next few months. This is what modern colonialism looks like. https://t.co/KmHXuFBoS5 pic.twitter.com/CWhn6oMRxM —Alex Shams (@seyyedreza), September 21, 2017 Electricity is central to life on the island, just as it is in modern societies across the globe -- and, no, it's not just a matter of running televisions and toys. Puerto Rico's sole energy provider powers everything from hospitals and food-storage facilities to air-conditioning and communication services. Most of Puerto Rico today is running on generator power, leading to extremely long lines at temporary gas stations as residents attempt to secure a canister of the scarce resource. Water is one of the most pressing issues, however. Without power, there's no way to pump water into homes and businesses, and some residents are collecting it where they can, including out of open-road drainage tracts and fire hydrants. People in Utuado, a city of 30,000, are relying on a pipe tapped into a mountain spring by the side of a highway. Until help arrives, that's the only water available for drinking and cleaning in the area, CNN reports. This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated that 42 percent of Puerto Ricans were without access to potable water. As of Friday, just nine of the island's 52 wastewater treatment facilities were operational. Eighty percent of the island's overhead transmission lines were damaged in the storm. While underground lines were mostly unaffected, most of Puerto Rico's power system is aboveground. This devastation knocked out air-conditioning and refrigeration systems -- many people were stranded by debris clogging the island's roads, in need of food and ways to safely store it. In the most isolated cities, families are rationing crackers and watching their food and medicines go bad. Hospitals are another beast altogether. Roughly 70 percent of Puerto Rico's hospitals are not operational, but one facility that is, San Jorge Children's Hospital in San Juan, needs 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel every day to function outside of the power grid. With rampant supply and transportation issues, keeping the lights -- and lifesaving medical equipment -- on is nearly impossible. This week, San Jorge lost power for an eight-hour stretch, from 6 PM to 2 AM. Ventilators and other essential machines were kept on via emergency backup power, but the hospital was forced to discharge 40 patients. As of Thursday, the hospital had just enough diesel to last through this Saturday. The death toll is mounting, and there are far more fatalities linked to Hurricane Maria than has been officially reported, according to The Miami Herald. The official number is 16 deaths, though most hospital morgues (there are 18 operating at least partially) report being at full capacity. The longer power is out, the more likely it is that illness will spread. Without power to provide clean water, storage and medical help, doctors and experts expect the number of deaths to rise. "It's coming," Dr. Norbert Seda of the Canovanas Medical Center told CNN. "When there's a shortage of water and sanitation issues, it will come out. We are expecting something like that to happen." Billions of dollars in debt and facing an islandwide humanitarian crisis, Puerto Rico is not equipped to rebuild its power grid on its own. One of the most likely paths it'll take is privatization. What's next Privatizing Puerto Rico's power grid isn't a new idea. Officials have been floating the possibility for years, and in June, four members of Puerto Rico's Financial Oversight and Management Board penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal called simply "Privatize Puerto Rico's Power." Congress established this seven-person board under President Barack Obama in 2016, as part of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, which aimed to dig the territory (and PREPA) out of its massive debt via increased US oversight. The board is able to seize public assets, break union contracts and cut pensions, and its austerity measures include lowering the minimum wage from $7.25 to $4.25 an hour. PROMESA was contentious from the outset -- a handful of Democrats in Congress likened the oversight board to a form of colonialism, decrying how the legislation stripped away even more of Puerto Rico's autonomy. Despite PROMESA's financial goals, PREPA filed for bankruptcy just a year later. That was when four members of the oversight board wrote the following: "We believe that only privatization will enable PREPA to attract the investments it needs to lower costs and provide more reliable power throughout the island. By shifting from a government entity to a well-regulated private utility, PREPA can modernize its power supply, depoliticize its management, reform pensions, and renegotiate labor and other contracts to operate more efficiently." No power companies have made overt moves in Puerto Rico so far, but one US-based business springs to mind as a natural partner in this space: Tesla. Not only is Tesla the leading name among renewable-energy companies, but it has experience in bringing power to another US island, Hawaii. Tesla and Hawaii's Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative are currently maintaining a 45-acre solar farm in the hills of Kapaia, supported by a 53 MWh array of Tesla Powerpacks. The Powerpacks are essentially giant, commercial-grade white batteries that store the energy captured by solar panels, resulting in a more stable system and less wasted power. Batteries are essential for sustaining large-scale renewable-energy systems, and this technology is just now becoming a reality. Hawaii's energy problems mirror Puerto Rico's in a few ways: It's not connected to the mainland, so there's no backup if its power plants are destroyed, and it has some of the highest energy costs in the country. Puerto Rico's energy costs are generally two to three times those on the mainland. Tesla has already shipped hundreds of Powerwalls -- the residential-size version of the Powerpack -- to Puerto Rico in an effort to help the commonwealth get back online. The company hasn't signaled any interest in setting up permanent shop in Puerto Rico, but if it does, it'll need to make a deal with the US government. Puerto Rico is no stranger to this scenario. One thing I'm worried about—in addition to my family's safety—re: #Maria in #PuertoRico is how #colonialism capitalizes on #NaturalDisaster — Jorge J Rodríguez V (@JJRodV), September 20, 2017 The island found itself in a similar situation just one year after becoming a US territory -- in August 1899, Hurricane San Ciriaco devastated Puerto Rico with winds of 100 MPH and 28 straight days of rain. The hurricane killed more than 3,000 people and deleted nearly every acre of farmland, hitting coffee plantations particularly hard. As recovery efforts carried on, US interests scooped up land from former farmers and planted a booming investment crop: sugar. Control of much of Puerto Rico's farmland transferred from citizens to US businesses, which have no obligation to ensure the health or sustainability of the territory or its people. For example, The Intercept lists real-life problems caused by the partial privatization of PREPA's power grid: It's not as if Prepa's existing experiments with privatization have been success stories. The utility currently purchases around 30 percent of its power from two private sources, an AES coal plant in Guayama and a natural gas plant in Peñuelas, owned by the Spanish company EcoElectrica. AES sparked a major fight in the area and abroad for the plant's dumping of coal ash, which can seep into waterways and cause a number of health problems. Post-Irma, UTIER -- the Prepa utility workers' union -- denounced both of the private providers for shutting down during the storm to protect their infrastructure, straining both public providers and the unionized workforce. Were large swaths of Prepa to be privatized, it's also likely UTIER would be disbanded. Privatization could modernize and stabilize Puerto Rico's energy infrastructure, but the island has a complicated history with both US businesses and the federal government. After Hurricane Maria, however, it doesn't have the luxury of negotiating.The 2017-2018 school year is just around the corner, as parents are preparing their children for school, Maryland Partnership for Prevention and Kaiser Permanente Largo Medical Center are doing their part to ensure all students are immunized. Maryland State law requires all students enrolled in public schools from prekindergarten through grade 12 to receive immunizations. Before children can enter kindergarten, they must receive two doses of chickenpox vaccine or Varicella. Seventh graders will need two vaccines, meningitis and Tdap. Starting this week and throughout August, parents of PGCPS students can take their children to free immunization clinics provided by the Maryland Partnership for Prevention. Northwestern High School 7000 Adelphi Road Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 August 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Beltway Plaza Mall 6000 Greenbelt Road Greenbelt, Maryland 20770 August 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Shops at Iverson 3737 Branch Avenue Hillcrest Heights, Maryland 20748 August 19 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Prince George’s County Health Department will also be hosting immunization clinics for children up to age 18, with no or limited health insurance. Cheverly Health Center 3003 Hospital Drive Cheverly, Maryland 20785 Leonard Dyer Regional Health Center 9314 Piscataway Road Clinton, Maryland 20735 Contact the Health Department to make an appointment at (301) 583-3386.White House officials vetoed all public airing of a video of President Obama thanking the American Library Association Sunday for helping inform the public about Obamacare. “We were specifically told by the White House to only show it [the video] once to conference attendees, and [the] White House said we aren’t able to send it out,” Jazzy Wright, Press Officer for ALA’s Washington, D.C. office, told the Washington Examiner. The ALA, which is a tax-exempt 501(C)(3) foundation, agreed last weekend during its annual meeting in Chicago to help the president get the word out about Obamacare. As a result of the partnership between Obama and the group, librarians across the country will be “navigators” handing out White House-approved information about the new government health insurance program. In the video, the chief executive thanked conference attendees “for helping enroll for health insurance as part of the Affordable Care Act,” according to the ALA’s blog. A White House spokesman declined to comment when asked why the ALA was instructed not to show the video after its single airing.We know all about Diablo 3, Mass Effect 3 and Borderlands 2, but what brand-spanking new titles should we be looking forward to this year? Here's part one of our rundown If you had a bit of time on your hands over the festive break, you may have already cast your eyes over half a dozen "most anticipated games of 2012" lists. You'll have noted repeated mentions of Guild Wars 2, Borderlands 2 and Darksiders II, not to mention Diablo III, Mass Effect 3, Max Payne 3 and Far Cry 3. You'll have felt a lot of love for Bioshock: Infinite and Metal Gear Solid Rising, and led by a deep sense of nostalgia, you may have already prepared a space on your shelves for re-boots like Tomb Raider, Syndicate, Xcom and SSX. But what of the new games – the originals, the titles that don't belong to a rolling franchise? Are there any of those to look forward to this year? Yes, of course there are – and we've tracked down 25 of them for your anticipatory pleasure. Yes, many of the following titles do look rather familiar, but there is some genuine innovation in here and – I'll stupidly venture – one or two potential game of the year contenders. If you're determined to limit your intake of heavily processed, endlessly re-packaged entertainment brands this year, this is a good place to start. Look out for Part Two on Thursday. Journey (Sony/thatgamecompany, PS3) Developer thatgamecompany has purposefully kept the narrative details of its intriguing adventure title secret, but the gist is, you're in a desert kingdom trying to reach a distant mountain, and you can team up with another player to get there. Everything else is a delicious mystery. We wrote a lot about this fascinating and highly experimental project last year and we're desperate to see how the unique anonymous co-op mode works. For now, check out our interview with producer Robin Hunicke, which provides a glimpse into the ideas behind the game. The Last Guardian (Sony/Team Ico, PS3) There were fears at the close of last year that we'd never see this third endeavour from celebrated Sony development studio, Team Ico – but despite the departure of the director Fumito Ueda (who retains control in a freelance capacity), it seems the title will arrive in 2012. Although details are sketchy, we can expect another mournful third-person adventure in the style of predecessor Shadows of the Colossus, but this time revolving around a boy trying to rescue a giant feathered creature named Trico from a looming citadel. Heartache, wonder and beauty are sure to follow. Lollipop Chainsaw (Warner Bros/Grasshopper, PS3, Xbox 360) Ah yes, it's the latest Grand Guignol slaughter-fest from the wonky mind of creative director Suda 51, previously responsible for the likes of Killer 7, No more Heroes and Shadows of the Damned. Set in a US high school that's suddenly overrun with zombies and featuring a sexy cheerleader as its lead character, we're expecting a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawn of the Dead, as re-imagined by Troma Entertainment. Boasting oodles of gore, politically incorrect sex appeal and hallucinogenic visuals – it could either turn out to be the exploitation hit of the year or a leering, misogynistic fantasy with lots of swearing. Either way, we're keen to see it. Overstrike (EA/Insomniac, PS3, Xbox 360 Having spent the last decade as a PlayStation-only developer cranking out hit franchises Ratchet and Clank and Resistance, Insomniac is going multi-platform in 2012. Overstrike is a four-player co-op shooter, where a ragtag group of mercenaries, thieves and scientists must prevent a global terrorist group from destroying mankind. Boasting slightly cartoon-ish visuals, ridiculous gadgets and over-sized weaponry, Overstrike's metaphorical tongue is placed firmly in its cheek here – and while the set-up hardly screams innovation, we're hoping the co-operative dynamics lead to lots of fun sci-fi blasting. Devil's Third (THQ/Valhalla
, mountain boarding, kitesurfing and wakeboarding.[28][29] Several of these sports have national governing bodies, such as the Irish Surfing Association, and national competitions, such as mountainbiking's national series. Since 2005, skateparks (for skateboarding, rollerblading, and other sports) have been developed in several places, including in Greystones, Bushy park (Dublin) and Lucan (Dublin). Modular parks can be found in other parts of Ireland.[30] Greyhound racing [ edit ] A racing greyhound Greyhound racing began in Ireland in 1927; there were greyhound races in Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April of that year and the Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium opened in Dublin four weeks later. Hare coursing was already a well established sport in the country and greyhounds were bred for racing in Ireland from the very start. Mick the Miller, winner of the English Derby in 1929 and 1930, was an Irish greyhound and Ireland continues to export greyhounds. There are twenty licensed greyhound stadiums in Ireland. There are seventeen in the Republic where the licensing authority is Bord na gCon, the Irish Greyhound Board. This is a semi-state body and was established by the Irish government in 1958. The three stadiums in Northern Ireland are licensed by the Irish Coursing Club, which also organises hare coursing throughout the Island. Gymnastics [ edit ] Gymnastics Ireland logo Gymnastics is governed by Irish Gymnastics which was formed in 1999,[31] following the merging of the Irish Amateur Gymnastics Association and the Irish Sports Acrobatics Federation. There are 83 registered gymnastics clubs in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). Gymnastics includes four Olympic disciplines, women's artistic gymnastics, men's artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, and rhythmic gymnastics, and four non Olympic disciplines, acrobatic gymnastics, tumbling gymnastics, gymnastics for all, and sports aerobics. Kendo [ edit ] While still a minority sport in Ireland, there are a number of Kendo clubs based in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Cavan.[32] The Irish Kendo Federation is the governing body for the country.[33] The Irish National Kendo Squad participates in the European Kendo Championships and the World Kendo Championships, as well as other international competitions. The main Kendo event in Ireland is the annual Irish National Championships (INC) which takes place in June each year. Kendo in Northern Ireland is governed by the British Kendo Association (BKA). Martial arts [ edit ] The National Governing Body of Martial Arts in Ireland, as appointed by the Irish Sports Council, is the Irish Martial Arts Commission.[34] The Irish Martial Arts Commission represents the martial arts of Aikido, Ju-Jitsu, Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Kung-Fu, TaeKwon-Do, Ninjutsu, Sambo and Tai Chi.[35] The Executive Committee of the Irish Martial Arts Commission is made up of 2 representative elected within the membership of each Martial Art. Taekwondo and Karate are represented by various clubs throughout the country. The All-Ireland Taekwondo Association works to promote the sport and to organise competitions.[36] Kickboxing Ireland (formally known as Allstyles Kickboxing Association of Ireland) was founded in 1985 to unify and structure the sport in Ireland. It was recognised by the Irish Sports Council as a national governing body of sport in 1993 under the auspices of the Irish Martial Arts Commission.[37] Motorsport [ edit ] Motorsport also has a presence in Ireland with Motorsport Ireland being the governing body throughout the country.[38] Rallying is one popular form of motorsport, with various international rallies hosted across the country such as the Donegal International Rally, West Cork Rally, and others at national and club level, drawing thousands of people to various towns and cities to spectate over the rally weekend. Ireland also hosted a round of the World Rally Championship in 2007 and 2009, with stages being held in the Republic and also across the border in Northern Ireland.[citation needed] Circuit racing is also present in the country with Ireland having only one international venue, Mondello Park in County Kildare which formerly hosted rounds of several international events and still hosts national events today. The country has produced many drivers who climbed the international ladder such as Derek Daly, Peter Dempsey, Tommy Byrne, Eddie Jordan and David Kennedy. Kart racing is also a popular form of circuit racing in Ireland.[citation needed] Olympic Handball [ edit ] Olympic Handball is a minority sport in Ireland, with the Irish Olympic Handball Association acting as the national governing body. In 2011, Ireland hosted the European Challenge Trophy in Olympic Handball (a competition for developing nations).[39] Orienteering [ edit ] Orienteering in Ireland is regulated by the Irish Orienteering Association. Every two years, the Shamrock o-Ringen, Ireland's largest Orienteering event, is held in Cork or Kerry. Irish orienteers compete at all levels, sometimes reaching the finals at the World Orienteering Championships.[40] Pitch and putt [ edit ] The sport of pitch and putt originated in Cork in the 1930s, and was developed throughout Ireland during the 1940s.[41][42][43][44] Since 1960 it has been overseen by the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland,[45] in turn a member of the European Pitch and Putt Association and Federation of International Pitch and Putt Associations.[46][47] The Ireland men's national pitch and putt team won the 2008 Pitch and Putt World Cup.[48] Racquet sports [ edit ] Tennis, badminton, racquetball and squash are common in Ireland. In Tennis, Tennis Ireland is the governing body and runs several competitions between the approximately 200 clubs throughout Ireland. Ireland competes in tennis internationally in the Davis Cup (men's) and the Fed Cup (ladies). Badminton in Ireland is run by the BUI. Road bowling [ edit ] Irish Road Bowling is an ancient sport. It is centred in Ireland (particularly Cork and Armagh) but is also played in the United States and the United Kingdom. Similar sports are played in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy and since the 1960s there have been international championships held with athletes participating from these countries.[citation needed] Rowing [ edit ] Rowing is an Olympic Sport which is regulated by Rowing Ireland. During the winter there are Head of the River Races (processional timed races) and during the summer there are Regattas (side by side racing). The Irish Championships are held at the National Rowing Centre in Cork. Rugby League [ edit ] Rugby league in Ireland is governed by Rugby League Ireland, which runs the Irish Elite League (known as the Carnegie League for sponsorship purposes),[49] which is the top level rugby league competition in Ireland. There are approximately 20 teams across Ulster, Munster and Leinster.[50] The Irish rugby league team compete in the European Cup and the Rugby League World Cup. It is made up predominantly of players based in Great Britain. Ireland reached the quarter-finals of the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[51][52] Sailing [ edit ] Sailing in Ireland is governed and regulated by the Irish Sailing Association in Dún Laoghaire. Events are organised by the various clubs on the coasts and on the reservoirs and lakes. The first sailing club was the Cork Water Club (now the Royal Cork Yacht Club), which was founded in 1720.[53] Snooker and pool [ edit ] Snooker and pool hold some interest in Ireland,[1] with media coverage of most major international tournaments. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland have produced some of the world's most successful snooker players, including Ken Doherty, Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor. Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Pistol at Intershoot 2012 Member of the Irish Team competing in 10m Women's Air Rifle at Intershoot 2012 Shooting in the 50m Men's Prone National Championships at the Midlands Rifle Club range Target shooting [ edit ] Target shooting in Ireland comprises a number of disciplines. These include the Olympic rifle and pistol shooting disciplines (administered by the NTSA),[54] metallic silhouette shooting (administered by the NSAI),[55] precision pistol, benchrest rifle, gallery rifle and sporting rifle disciplines (administered by the NASRPC),[56] the Tetrathlon (administered by the Pony Club) and Olympic Penthathlon (administered by the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland), both Olympic and non-Olympic clay pigeon shooting (administered by the ICPSA)[57] and various long-range rifle shooting disciplines (administered by the NRAI).[58] Ireland has had representation at international target shooting competitions, including the Olympic Games.[59] The Irish Olympic clay pigeon team won the World Championships team event in Olympic Trap in 2002 and Irish shooter Philip Murphy claimed the silver medal in the 2007 World Shotgun Championships; he has also placed in the top ten in two World Championships and two World Cups.[60] His teammate Derek Burnett won bronze in the 2010 European championship, silver in the 2007 World Cup in Maribor, has been ranked 5th in the 2002 World Championships in Lathi and 9th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and has placed in the top ten in three World Championships, two World Cup Finals, 13 World Cups and two European championships, and he has been ranked in the top 20 trap shooters in the world.[61] Another teammate, David Malone, won gold in the 2004 World Cup in Cairo, and has ranked in the top ten in two World Championships, one World Cup Final, five World Cups and a European Championships.[62] The team has also won several World Cup medals in both team and individual events. The clay pigeon high performance director has also been appointed head of the ISSF coaches' committee[63] and the head clay target instructor with the ISSF Training Academy.[64] Ian O'Sullivan also became the World Junior Champion in Olympic Trap in the 2014 World Championships.[65] Ireland became world champions in Centrefire Gallery Rifle in the inaugural World Championships in 2013, in which the Irish team beat Great Britain and Germany. Gallery Rifle events are administered in Ireland by the NASRPC.[56] Triathlon and adventure racing [ edit ] The triathlon, as well as the duathlon, pentathlon, and decathlon, are gaining interest in Ireland.[citation needed] The Irish Triathlon calendar of events runs to 200 events annually.[66] The national body for the triathlon is Triathlon Ireland which organises competitions between various clubs throughout the country.[67] Participants are often members of clubs that specialise in swimming and cycling as well as Triathlon clubs.[citation needed] The Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland was set up in 2004.[68] Pentathlon and Decathlon are track and field events and organised by an athletic association, whereas Triathlon and Duathlon are organized by multi sport associations such as National Governing bodies for Triathlon and the ITU, International Triathlon Union.[citation needed] Adventure racing also takes place in Ireland. The majority of adventure races in Ireland fall into what's often called multisport, with run, cycle and kayak stages in events like WAR (Wicklow Adventure Race) and Gaelforce West, which are won in under 4 hours. There are also a few longer international-style adventure races lasting 24 hours and 36 hours, events like Beast of Ballyhoura and Cooley Raid.[69] Tug of war [ edit ] Tug of war has been in Ireland for a long time and the creation of the Irish Tug of War Association in 1967 boosted the competition among clubs in Ireland and also enabled Ireland to compete in international events, such as the Tug of War International Federation (TWIF) World Championships. Underwater sports [ edit ] Ireland, being an island on the western edge of Europe and on the continental shelf, is well-suited for recreational diving activities such as scuba diving and snorkelling. The dive season in Ireland generally starts around March and ends around October.[citation needed] Recreational diving started in Ireland in the early 1950s with the founding of the Belfast Branch of the British Sub Aqua Club.[70] In the early 1960s, diving clubs in the Republic of Ireland formed the Comhairle Fo-Thuinn (CFT) (English: Irish Underwater Council). This voluntary body regulates all aspects of diving for its members, is the national governing body recognised by the Irish Government and represents the Republic of Ireland at the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (World Underwater Federation). The Northern Ireland Federation of Sub-Aqua Clubs which was formed in 1975 is the corresponding national governing body in Northern Ireland. As of October 2013, underwater hockey is the only underwater sport being practised. This activity is limited to the Republic of Ireland where regional competition takes place in both Dublin and Cork. Irish national teams have played internationally with attendance at European championships.[71][72] Water sports [ edit ] Water sports practiced in Ireland include canoeing, swimming, surfing, diving, water polo, sailing, and kayaking. Whilst many people participate in these, few do so competitively. Ireland has had only one Olympic medalist in swimming, Michelle Smith, and her medals have since been tarnished by drug allegations. The National Aquatic Centre was opened in Ireland in 2003 and held the European SC Championships in December 2003 – the first time the country hosted such a competition. At the competition, Ireland won its first medal at the European SC Championships ever, a silver in the 200m breaststroke by Andrew Bree. The National Aquatic Centre also hosted the 2018 World Para Swimming European Championships. Swim Ireland is the national governing body of swimming in Ireland. Winter Sports [ edit ] The Ski Club of Ireland is the national snowsports centre for Ireland, and consists of four outdoor dry slopes in Kilternan, Dublin. A team representing Ireland has competed at the Winter Olympic Games since 1992. North American sports [ edit ] Baseball [ edit ] Baseball is an emerging sport in Ireland. The sport is played on an organized level in Dublin, Greystones, Belfast, Cork, Clare and Kerry. The Irish National Baseball Team won the bronze medal at the 2004 European Championships in Germany and followed up that performance with a silver medal in the 2006 European Championships in Belgium. On a club level, baseball is organized through Baseball Ireland, which operates an adult league established in 1997 with teams in Dublin, Greystones and Belfast. Irish baseball was the subject of an award-winning documentary The Emerald Diamond in 2006. Basketball [ edit ] See also Ireland national basketball team Basketball is overseen by Basketball Ireland.[73] This governing body organises the sport's main competitions such as the SuperLeague. The main basketball arena in Ireland is the ESB Basketball Arena in Dublin. The sport receives small amounts of media attention, with a few games broadcast on television annually. Basketball is mainly driven by school, college and club support. Pat Burke is the only Irish born to play in the NBA, he played for Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns. Ice hockey [ edit ] Ice hockey has a measure of popularity in Northern Ireland, with one professional team, the Belfast Giants, playing in the Elite Ice Hockey League. The Irish Ice Hockey League comprises a number of amateur teams from both sides of the border. Softball [ edit ] See also Softball in Ireland Softball in Ireland can be traced back as far as 1982, with the first organised competition, the Dublin Softball League, taking place in 1984. The Irish Softball Association is the governing body of softball in Ireland and is responsible for the running of tournaments, Leagues, development and international competition in both co-ed slowpitch and ladies fastpitch softball. The National Team (Co-Ed) has competed at European level since 1998, with the best results being Silver in 2002 and 2004. Volleyball [ edit ] Volleyball has men's, women's, schools' and beach-volleyball participants. The sport is governed by the Volleyball Association of Ireland.[74] The Northern Ireland Volleyball Association govern the sport in Northern Ireland.[75] Men, Women and Junior National Teams regularly compete in international competition including the European Small Nations Championship. The NI Men's National Team competed in the first round of the World Championships. Club volleyball is played in several divisions both North and South. Men and Women's club teams can compete in the national league. For women, there are three divisions: Division 2, Division 1, and Premier. For men, there are only two divisions: Division 1 and Premier. Beach volleyball tournaments also run during the Summer months. The Volleyball Association of Ireland (VAI) also run school competitions throughout the school year: a first and second year competition, a cadette competition, a senior competition, and a general schools competition. Spikeball tournaments are also held around the country throughout the school year.[74] Competitions and events [ edit ] National [ edit ] The various GAA discipline finals are the largest sporting events regularly held in Ireland, in both terms of attendance and media coverage. The biggest national sporting event in Ireland is the final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, held annually in Croke Park, usually in September. It usually attracts a sell out crowd of 82,500 to croke park. Many of the matches in the championship attract crowds of 50,000+, depending on who is playing. Aside from the GAA, the biggest multi-sport event held in Ireland regularly is the Community Games. The games are organised every year from a local level, where hundreds of thousands of young people compete in different disciplines such as athletics, swimming, and cycling, in the first half of the year. Winners progress to county level, and then to the Community Games finals. The finals are held over two weekends in the summer where over 3,000 children sleep over at a campus-style facility. International [ edit ] On an international level, Ireland has had mixed fortunes. Ireland has been particularly successful in recent years in rugby union, horse racing, show jumping, snooker, amateur boxing, and golf. Twenty four Irish people have won Olympic medals as of 2012. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Ireland had one of its smallest contingents in its history at the games, with only 106 individuals participating. This was due to the strict policy followed by the Olympic Council of Ireland of only allowing A time athletes and swimmers to attend the games. This prevented several sportspeople from competing.[citation needed] One of the biggest international events in Ireland is international soccer. The Republic's national team first qualified for a FIFA World Cup in 1990, reaching the quarter finals of Italia '90. In rugby union, as of 2018, Ireland's national team is ranked 2nd in the world.[15] Ireland has produced major stars such as Keith Wood, Brian O'Driscoll and Jonathan Sexton.[76] In golf, Ireland has produced several top golfers such as Pádraig Harrington. The traditional Gaelic games of Gaelic football and hurling are played by Irish expats, with increasingly local involvement in communities around the world, however no nation has enough players to compete with Ireland. To compensate for this the GAA has entered into a partnership with the Australian Football League (Australian rules football) and plays a hybrid annual series called International rules football – this series has been going in various forms since 1967. Also the GAA plays an international hurling hybrid match with Scotland's national shinty team (although Ireland do not select players from the best hurling teams in Tier One of the All-Ireland championship for this game). In 2003, Ireland hosted the Special Olympics World Summer Games, as well as the European SC Championships 2003. In 2006, Ireland hosted the Ryder Cup Matches. Stadiums [ edit ] Ireland's largest stadium is the GAA's Croke Park in Dublin, which can hold 82,300 people.[77] It is the third largest stadium in Europe. Until the late 20th century, it was only used for Gaelic games and concerts. Other GAA facilities capable of accommodating 40,000 or more people are Semple Stadium, Thurles, Gaelic Grounds, Limerick and Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork. International soccer and rugby in the Republic of Ireland are played at the 52,000 capacity Aviva Stadium. Built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road, this all-seated stadium was opened in May 2010. Thomond Park, a rugby ground in Limerick, has been rebuilt into a modern 26,000-capacity stadium, though not all-seated. Ireland has three Olympic-sized swimming pools – two of which are open to the public. The largest – located at Sports Campus Ireland – is the National Aquatic Centre. Ireland has several large horse and greyhound tracks such as Fairyhouse. Plans to develop a Northern Ireland stadium at the site of the former Maze prison in County Antrim to cater for Gaelic games, rugby and soccer were scrapped in 2009 after opposition from unionists and soccer fans.[78] The Ireland national cricket team play One Day Internationals at Stormont in Belfast and at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin. Ireland also plays Intercontinental Cup matches at the Woodvale Road ground, and has played test cricket at Malahide Cricket Club Ground in Dublin.[79] Media coverage [ edit ] Newspapers: All major newspapers dedicate space to sports coverage, particularly to soccer, Gaelic games and equestrian events. All major newspapers dedicate space to sports coverage, particularly to soccer, Gaelic games and equestrian events. Television: Gaelic football, hurling and soccer receive most of the sports coverage on domestic channels. RTÉ Two and TG4 hold rights to broadcast Gaelic games in Ireland. Coverage of the League of Ireland is shared between RTÉ and other channels. TV3 and RTÉ Two both have rights to various European soccer competitions, such as the Champions League and the English Premier League. Satellite and cable subscribers have access to other foreign channels such as Sky Sports, Eurosport and Attheraces. Gaelic football, hurling and soccer receive most of the sports coverage on domestic channels. RTÉ Two and TG4 hold rights to broadcast Gaelic games in Ireland. Coverage of the League of Ireland is shared between RTÉ and other channels. TV3 and RTÉ Two both have rights to various European soccer competitions, such as the Champions League and the English Premier League. Satellite and cable subscribers have access to other foreign channels such as Sky Sports, Eurosport and. Magazines: There are relatively few Irish based magazines apart from GAA ones such as the Hogan Stand. See also [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ]No wonder some people find clowns so disturbing. Consider Bill Nye, who was never a scientist but used to be a comedian — i.e., a clown. The Washington Post says everybody loves him: Outside WaPo’s liberal ruling class bubble, it would not be hard to find people who loathe Bill Nye. He is not merely creepy but genuinely malevolent. Here is video of him advocating white genocide and prison terms for anyone who won’t play along with the global warming hoax: Watch: @BillNye (The Vagina Guy) has had enough of your 'extra kids' wants a one-child policy in the US, & wants to jail climate skeptics. pic.twitter.com/n5AUWBNyyT — The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) April 26, 2017 Radical environmentalists like Nye hate the human race in general, but as the video above demonstrates, they hate whites in particular. By restricting white reproduction as black reproduction explodes, they can create a world more to their liking — i.e., one that looks like Niger. Like Bernie Sanders, Nye is not a flaky but well-meaning dork; he is a flaky and evil dork. Like Al Franken, a former clown who is now scary instead of funny. On tips from J, Torcer, Jester, and Byron. Hat tips: The Federalist, RedState.There is a psychologist at Harvard Business School who is dutifully working away at solving one of the biggest problems facing knowledge workers today; I am speaking, of course, of the pervasive problem of awkwardness. Over the past several years, Francesca Gino has published academic papers and popular press articles dissecting the particular social discomfort associated with the workplace. Often, her work has focused on networking, or the gentle art of forming relationships with others who work in your field. She’s found, for example, that people associate networking with actual disgust; she’s also found that the activity becomes markedly more palatable if you focus less on yourself. Her latest piece, published last week in Harvard Business Review, provides a third tip that is just as useful as the first two: Meeting someone new in a work context will go much more smoothly if only you would stop trying to guess what it is they want from you. In two experiments — one involving students in a laboratory setting and the other involving actual entrepreneurs — Gino and her colleagues find that “catering to another person’s interests and expectations, as opposed to behaving authentically, harms performance.” For the study on entrepreneurs, for example, the researchers examined real pitches to potential investors, and found that when entrepreneurs tried to shape their pitches around what they believed their investors wanted, they were less likely to receive funding than those who simply stuck to a truthful depiction of themselves and their ideas. Likewise, in the lab study, the researchers held a mock job interview, and either told the participating students to try to mold themselves to what it seemed like their interviewer wanted (they called that the “catering” condition) or to behave normally, by presenting their strengths honestly and accurately (this they called the “authenticity” condition). The “interviewer” in this case was a study volunteer, too, who wasn’t aware of the purpose of the research. More often than not, the students cast in the role of interviewer told researchers that they’d be less likely to offer the job to the students in the “catering” condition. One explanation for this: People are generally pretty bad at guessing at what’s going on in someone else’s head. Research has suggested, for example, that your understanding of what others think of you is more informed by your own opinions of yourself than the feedback that others provide. (Perhaps this can help explain the depressing study out this summer, which announced that “Half Your Friends Probably Don’t Think of You As a Friend.”) Beyond that, in the fake job-interview experiment, the interviewees were also asked how nervous they felt, and those in the catering condition reported more anxiety than those in the authenticity condition. So: Trying to guess what a job interviewer or potential investor wants out of you will probably make you nervous, and, chances are, you’ll guess wrong, anyway. As so often is the case, the best advice is the simplest — just be you. Or, at least, a slightly-more-pulled-together and generally-on-top-of-things version of you.Following months of uncertainty, the Senate has rejected for a second time a package of higher education reforms that were first announced like a bolt from the blue on budget night last May. Respected columnist Paul Bongiorno captured it well when he wrote: The whole saga from the moment [Christopher Pyne] shocked the nation with a massive broken promise in last year’s budget has been marked by bluster and bravado. During the entire fiasco, the package was amended in ways which would make the proposed system more expensive to the taxpayer than the current system. This revealed that, at their core, the measures were about ideology and not budget savings. They were about strengthening competition and private markets in higher education. Also, the higher education sector saw unworthy tactics, such as threats to cut research infrastructure funding and Future Fellowships, if a package mainly about teaching was not passed. However, the sector needs to try to extract positives from experiences like these in order to chart a way forward. The public has become more alerted to the importance of universities and fair access to higher education in the last ten months than it has in the previous ten years. This means that any way forward has to be through a debate in which the public is able to participate. There is also now a greater understanding of the way that HECS really works. Fundamentally, it is incompatible with the uncapping and deregulation of fees. If Australian universities are really to delimit domestic fees, something would have to change about HECS. If not, young people will take on debts which will last for more than half their working lives; the taxpayer will fund it all upfront by borrowing money at a higher rate than it is charging back to students; and the Consumer Price Index will increase with unknown effects on other government outlays. Another curious positive from the last ten months is at least a side-debate over whether there is even a problem. If one starts from the premise that vice-chancellors have a conditioned reflex to say that they need more money (and according to one former vice-chancellor they have been saying this since 1947), we are now alerted to the need to greet with suspicion claims that arrangements are not “sustainable”. A fair examination of the evidence would show that overall investment in Australian universities is around the OECD average. The latest data about Australia’s public investment in higher education as a percentage of GDP compared with other OECD countries is from 2011. At that point, the Australian public contributed well below the OECD average (30th out of 31 nations) but students contributed among the highest proportion. This is after allowing for an implied public contribution inherent in the way that Australia’s HECS system works. Since 2011, uncapped places have led to significant extra amounts being paid by the government. This might have increased the Australian public investment by around 21.5% relative to GDP growth – but this would still leave Australia below the OECD average. A good faith estimate of the gap yet to be filled is 8.6%. If that gap were now filled on top of existing student contribution levels, it would be a significant boost to university funding without the unpredictable effects of fee deregulation for students and for society. Step back from this for a moment. The existing funding system has enabled more Australian universities to enter world rankings in the last decade. Scaled for population size and GDP, Australia already has one of the very best systems in the world. And if the public investment were to rise even to the OECD average while student contributions remain the same, Australia could inject a further 8.6% into the system. Put this way, possibly the Australian public would be receptive to the need to fund universities better through taxes if they saw that we would still only be reaching the OECD average of public investment. Coming back to earth for a moment, I would now support a higher education funding commission – as exists in England and some other jurisdictions – to take the day-to-day financing of universities out of the hands of politicians. I did not imagine I would ever support the re-introduction of another layer of bureaucracy into the sector. But given the instability we have just experienced, it might be the lesser of two evils. Australia needs a sensible debate on higher education financing based on evidence and careful analysis – not scare-mongering. This debate now has the clear air to take place. If there are alternative visions for higher education between political parties then those can be put to the electorate. If Education Minister Christopher Pyne is so unwise to see it as a potential double dissolution trigger and re-present the same bill, this could be sooner rather than later.*** Update June 2017: The basic concept behind Lerner’s SegWit2MB has evolved into “SegWit2x” and an agreement reached by many important industry participants at Consensus 2017 in New York in May. All the arguments for, and my endorsement of, SegWit2MB apply equally to SegWit2x. I am hopeful SegWit2x finally breaks the impasse that has afflicted Bitcoin for 2+ years. http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoins-new-scaling-agreement-reaction/ http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-miners-unite-behind-scaling-proposal-segwit2x/ https://medium.com/@jimmysong/segwit2x-what-you-need-to-know-b747e6326266 *** On March 31, Sergio Lerner and the RootStock team proposed “SegWit2MB” to the Bitcoin Core mailing list. The basics of the proposal… 95% miner support required for consensus Upon consensus: SegWit is immediately activated 2MB hardfork countdown begins (to occur Dec 14, 2017). SegWit is Bitcoin Core’s version (soft fork). The 2MB hardfork aspect is BIP 102, as coded by Jeff Garzik. Stated plainly, SegWit2MB is a combination of SegWit and a hard fork to a 2MB base block size cap. The two are tied together such that 95% miner support triggers both. What’s the purpose? In Lerner’s words, “Segwit2Mb is the project to merge into Bitcoin a minimal patch that aims to untangle the current conflict between different political positions regarding segwit activation vs. an increase of the on-chain blockchain space through a standard block size increase. It is not a new solution, but it should be seen more as a least common denominator.” And I’d like to make the case that it should be considered… Status Quo: A State of Atrophy Nobody Wants Let’s start with some common ground: Bitcoin is immensely important. Can we still agree on that? Society needs what we’re building, not to be forced upon them, but rather offered; a kind and reliable refuge from the tyranny of the world’s financial manipulators. That’s why many of us are involved. That’s why this project got off the ground. Yet in the six years I’ve had the pleasure to be involved in this project, there has been a fundamental change in the community. The former friendship among strangers, a rare camaraderie derived from the justness of a great cause, has decayed into conflict. We all see and feel this, and for those of us who truly care about this project, it is miserable. Perhaps many have even forgotten what the community felt like just a few years ago, when the enemy was not ourselves. Bitcoin suffers now from a 2+ year impasse between angry factions. The anger has grown with the passing months. The cause of this impasse is a fundamental disagreement between large portions of the community (all claiming to be the important majority by one metric or another) over the technical path to scalability on the platform. Both sides have good arguments and bad arguments, and they’ve all become wound up in a horribly intricate knot. The rhetorical mess has become at least as bad as the underlying technical problem. Further, the unfortunate context in which this is occurring is one of diminishing utility on the platform: transactions are getting more expensive and less reliable. The user experience of sending a Bitcoin transaction today is worse than it was two years ago. While the price has risen, fundamental utility has actually declined. This is unsustainable, and will be inevitably resolved by utility once again rising, or price declining to meet it. Do not let yourself be tricked into thinking that the rising price implies fundamental soundness. Prices follow utility, and the latter may fall well before the former realizes it. At the same time, innovation and growth on other blockchain platforms continues rapidly. This doesn’t mean any other blockchain is “better” than Bitcoin, but it does mean other blockchains are improving relatively faster than this one. Again, this will be inevitably resolved by Bitcoin gaining steam once again, or stagnating and awaiting its day in the court of market sentiment. If measurements matter, Bitcoin is at an all time low in market dominance relative to altcoins. Valuable members of the community have become disillusioned. While new people are always joining Bitcoin as it grows, at the same time some users are leaving partially or in full, preferring other projects that are more exciting to them, or simply less antagonistic. There is clearly a problem, and we need to fix it. A number of technical solutions have been proposed, but fundamentally while they may fix ills on the technical level, they ignore, dismiss, or worsen ills on the social level. They thus cannot be considered solutions… especially if they aren’t happening. The Hollow Blockchain Bitcoin is a technical project, absolutely. Yet it is a social project as well. Some readers will scoff at that… but consider that a scoff is an emotional response, which actually proves the point. Bitcoin, as a technical project, is a brilliant machine, but it is still a machine operated by and among people. Humans, with all their characters and personalities, are the complete benefactors and beneficiaries of this vast abacus. Without the human utility derived, the invention is irrelevant. Without the invention, the human utility is impossible. Indeed, the utility of money itself arises from our social needs; our desire to trade and exchange with each other fairly and without coercion or censorship is the ultimate purpose of Bitcoin. This is social. To misunderstand Bitcoin as only technical is to dismiss its very purpose and utility. Regardless of the talents one contributes to the project, this truth must be appreciated. Bitcoin is as much social as technical, and always will be. The blockchain stands hollow without our souls attached. The Cost of Conflict This current impasse is similarly both technical and social, and it continues at great cost. It slows the growth of the project. It depresses enthusiasm, from which all great art and invention arise… and that art and invention go elsewhere. It invites competition. It signals weakness, and demonstrates disorder. It precludes harmony and the collaborative production of disparate strangers. And while this is endured, the gears of Bitcoin’s true enemies turn slowly, yet they do turn. Bitcoin cannot afford to sit idle in this morass. It does not have the luxury of eternal opportunity. It has a window, and Bitcoin will rise to fill it, or be supplanted by another. If one doesn’t care which blockchain brings the utility of honest money to the marketplace, then Bitcoin’s situation is of little concern. But if one prefers Bitcoin to fill this role, then the situation is immensely important. A truth many are not appreciating is that stagnation and replacement are as much threats to Bitcoin’s security model as are software glitches and coordinated attackers. Bitcoin has no monopoly on its core virtues: that of storing value without interference, and that of moving value across distance. That it is the best for these today is irrefutable, that it is the best
erry Resort Corp’s Solaire Manila has earned Php578.3 million in revenues, according to a disclosure the casino operator made to the Philippines Stock Exchange. For the first quarter of the year, Bloomberry did report a net loss of Php1.06 billion, 688.6 percent higher than its numbers in the first three months of 2012. But take that with a dose of perspective because the net loss can be attributed to higher pre-operating expenses leading up to the resort’s highly anticipated opening last March 15. Plus, operating expenses after opening, as well as cost of sales (Php32.2 million), interest and financing charges (Php42.4 million), and foreign exchange losses (Php38.2 million) during the first 15 days it opened to close out March also attributed to the rise in net losses. CalvinAyre.com reached out to representatives from Bloomberry Resorts for comments but has yet to receive a reply at press time. Breaking down its revenue pie, the biggest chunk came out from its gaming business with Php495.6 million in revenues, representing 85.6 percent of the total revenue it earned in the last two weeks of March. Meanwhile, its hotel and dining outlets accounted for Php57.1 million in revenue or 9.8 percent of its total revenues. Retail sales, lease of rentals, and communication and transportation services also contributed in the total revenue generated by the casino operator in its first 15 days of operation. Now that it’s gotten the early day jitters seemingly out of the way, Bloomberry is moving forward with improving Solaire’s gambling business. Junket operators have already been lined up, which will target a steady stream of foreign VIP players to play in the casino. Promotional programs have also been started, as well as strategic marketing activities, all of which are targeted to increase the establishment’s profile both in the Philippines and in the entire Asian region. CommentsCowboy’s Draft Nugget from Rob Ryan @ Senior Bowl Byron Lambert, Rosterwatch.com I had a chance to catch up with Cowboy’s defensive coordinator,Rob Ryan,towards the end of today’s North squad practice (2nd practice). My specific question was whether he had noticed a couple of the defensive lineman and what his initial feelings were regarding those players. Rob’s answer? He hadn’t paid one ounce of attention to the lineman and was completely focused on evaluating the defensive backs. This should give Cowboys fans a pretty good grasp on the Cowboy’s draft priorities this year and how they will approach April,2012. Take it for what is worth but we did also over hear that Ryan was speaking with his scouts and praising Iowa State DB, Leonard Johnson. In other news, Rob’s more famous brother, Jet’s coach Rex Ryan wouldn’t give up any juicy information. I guess he is a little more tight lipped than his brother!According to the Washington Post, President Donald Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and members of his delegation during a May 10 meeting in the Oval Office. In a May 15 story, the Post reported that White House staffers tried to contain the damage by striking Trump’s allegedly inappropriate comments from internal memos. So how did the Washington Post get the story? The newspaper story cites “current and former U.S. officials” as sources. Later, the reporters offer more detail, describing one source as “a former senior U.S. counterterrorism official who also worked closely with members of the Trump national security team.” Translation: The public learned of Trump’s apparent overstep because more than one member of the U.S. intelligence community was willing to leak the information. As a professor and director of the Applied Intelligence master’s program at Georgetown University, I study, teach and write about homeland security and law enforcement intelligence. I’m curious about why intelligence officers disclose classified information and how that affects their work. Why whispers start Leakers and whistleblowers often are motivated by a lack of trust in their chain of command. They denounce wrongdoing and express their dissent through leaking information to the media or advocacy groups. In my view, one example of wrongdoing that is particularly salient today is political interference in intelligence activities. Trust is undermined when the gathering or sharing of intelligence influences politics or is influenced by politics. Bottom-up politicization happens when members of the intelligence agencies themselves target individuals or issues for political reasons. For instance, intelligence agencies may go after political opponents to maintain or increase the level of influence they enjoy with the government. J. Edgar Hoover was renowned for using the resources of the FBI to interfere in politics and keep his job as the head of the FBI for 48 years. Top-down politicization happens when policymakers – all the way up to the president – spin intelligence and investigations to support their political agenda. A famous case study is the 2002 national intelligence estimate on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Then-Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly pressured CIA analysts to quickly produce a report confirming the existence of WMD. Although the evidence was rather tepid, Cheney and George W. Bush used that intelligence to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Another famous example of top-down politicization comes from President Richard Nixon, who obstructed the special investigation in the Watergate scandal. Plenty of bad blood How does this relate to Trump’s most recent meeting with Lavrov? This latest political drama happened in the midst of a high-profile investigation regarding possible collusion between the Trump campaign staff and the Russian government. And it comes just a week after the dismissal of FBI Director James Comey escalated the tension between the White House and intelligence agencies. The firing of Comey rattled the FBI, spurring some agency employees to express anonymously their intention to wage a “concerted effort to respond over time in kind.” But the bad blood goes back even further. In February, Trump accused the FBI of leaking information about the Russian investigation. And, in March, the president expressed his belief that Trump Tower was wiretapped by former President Obama with the help of the Department of Justice. Hostility between Trump and the intelligence agencies has been heightened by a series of decisions by the White House. First, on Jan. 31, 2017, Trump fired Sally Yates, acting attorney general, after she informed the White House several times that then National Security Advisor Michael Flynn had lied about his contacts with Russians. Then, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any investigation related to the Russia meddling with the 2016 presidential elections because he omitted to disclose two meetings with the Russian ambassador. In addition, Rep. Devin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, had to recuse himself from the investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 election because he was being investigated by the House Committee on Ethics for making unauthorized disclosures of classified information. Finally, Comey was dismissed a few days after he requested more resources to accelerate the probe on Russia’s interference in the election. These events undermine the perception of integrity of the investigative process – not just by the general public, but by intelligence officers and investigators. In this environment, it should be expected that more classified information will be disclosed and whistleblowers will come forward. And, there’s a real possibility of an intensified political tug of war in which leakers and whistleblowers deliberately undermine the White House while President Trump tries to do the same to the Russian investigation. Frederic Lemieux, Professor and Program Director of the Master's Degree in Applied Intelligence, Georgetown University This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Photo: The ConversationWritten by: Dave Owen Prototype scours the internet and prevents user taking generic photos We all love travel, but there are few things more tiresome than seeing photo after photo of the same old famous landmark popping up in your Facebook or Instagram feed. Now a German designer has created a new digital camera that stops the user from taking too many photos at popular tourist spots, describing it as a 'disobedient tool.' Camera Restricta from Philipp Schmitt on Vimeo. Philipp Schmitt's Camera Restricta uses GPS and other tools to limit the number of pictures the user can take in one location, based on how many images of the place already exist online. The camera is essentially a smartphone in a 3D printed case, and uses an app to search photosharing websites like Flickr for geotagged images taken nearby. So if you try and take a picture of the Eiffel Tower, for example, the camera might stop you altogether. The purpose of the project is to challenge people to take more original photographs of the world around them, and to create a discussion about censorship. "Camera Restricta could be a controversial tech product," wrote Schmitt on his website, "promising unique pictures by preventing the user from contributing to the overflow of generic digital imagery." He also claims similar technology could potentially be used by governments or corporations as a means of censorship. If the camera decides that too many photos of your location exists, it will automatically retract the shutter and block the viewfinder, where a 'Nein' message will be displayed. If that happens, you won't be pretending to hold up the leaning tower of Pisa any time soon.Instant skin-grafts: Sci-fi style spray-gun heals severe burns 'within days' The skin gun is no longer science fiction. A doctor has created a prototype medical device that literally sprays skin cells onto burn victims to re-grow skin. Once grafts took weeks, but now the skin gun does the work in under two hours and the burns heal within days. It has successfully treated over a dozen patients so far. Doctor Jörg Gerlach, of the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, has discovered a method which regenerates healthy skin stem cells from the victim and sprays it on the burned skin. Scroll down to view video How the skin gun works in three stages. The operation takes about about 90 minutes to spray on the new skin and the healing takes days rather than weeks Though scientists have been able to regenerate sheets of skin for decades, it is a lengthy process and the resulting skin is extremely fragile. Patients are open to dangerous infections as they heal and some burns victims can die while they are waiting, even with the right care and dressing. The stem cell shooting spray gun treats the skin in 90 minutes and reduces healing time to days. Stem cells are known for their ability to renew themselves and act as a repair system for the body. Revolution: Doctor Jörg Gerlach, of the University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute has created a method of creating healthy skin stem cells which can be sprayed onto a victim's burned skin Hope: The revolutionary process can dramatically speed up the process of healing burns victims Dr Steven Wolf, of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research in San Antonio said: 'The standard techniques we have now takes weeks and months and people can die while waiting for the skin to heal. 'So if we can find a way to get as much normal healthy skin as we want within a week - well that is the holy grail of burn surgery.' It works by isolating stem cells from healthy parts of the patient's skin and adding them to a solution which is prepared for spraying. The cells are then applied to the damaged area via a spray mechanism. Matthew Uram, a state police officer from Pennsylvania, was one of the first people to be treated by the gun after he received severe second degree burns after attending a friend's July 5th party. While he was standing next to the bonfire, someone threw a cup of gasoline over it and the flames leapt onto his body. Revolutionary development: The stem cell spray gun treats burns in 1.5 hours Lengthy process: The standard method of regenerating skin takes weeks and sometimes months, during which time patients can die from infection He said: 'The worst part was my face. The whole right side of my face - my ear, my neck, my shoulder and the entire top part of my arm. 'The arm kinda looked like a piece of char grilled meat, like a hot dog that was left on the grill for too long.' The doctors told Mr Uram he was a candidate for the new procedure and asked him if he would be interested. He said: 'It looked like a gun from Star Wars or something. But I agreed.' Four days after the stem cell spray treatment, his skin was completely healed. Doctor Gerlach said: 'It is like a paint sprayer but you need a more sophisticated, computer-controlled device. Miracle cure: Matthew Uram, left, was one of the first patients to be successfully treated by Dr Gerlach's revolutionary skin cell gun after he was burned at a party 'We isolate the stem cells from the healthy part of the skin which can be taken in a water solution and is then prepared for cell spraying. 'It takes one and a half hours to take the biopsy, to isolate the cells and to spray the cells.' Mr Uram's skin is now completely healed with no obvious signs he was ever burned. He said: 'They did the procedure on a Friday and my follow up was a Monday and the burns unit said it was completely healed.' The cell spray gun will be featured on the National Geographic Channel's How to Build a Beating Heart, which will be shown on Monday February 7. The programme delves into the science of tissue engineering and shows how scientists are beginning to harness the body's natural powers to grow skin, muscle, body parts and vital organs, even hearts.03 January 2017 By BEN FLANAGAN JEDDAH: Citizens of the UAE have been warned against traveling to Turkey following the deadly Daesh-claimed attack on a packed Istanbul nightclub, in which 39 people were killed. The news came as a travel expert warned that Turkey’s tourism industry will suffer after a string of terror strikes in Istanbul and elsewhere. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued the travel warning to its citizens on Monday, in the wake of the New Year’s Day attack. The statement called on UAE citizens to avoid traveling to Turkey for the time being and until further notice. Twenty-five of those killed at the Reina nightclub on the shores of the Bosphorus were foreigners, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency. They included nationals of Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Morocco, Libya, Israel, India, Canada, a Turkish-Belgian dual citizen and a Franco-Tunisian woman. Daesh claimed responsibility for the bloody attack, which was carried out by a lone gunman who remains at large. The terrorist group has been blamed for at least half a dozen attacks on civilian targets in Turkey over the past 18 months. The most recent attack came five months after a failed military coup, in which more than 240 people were killed, many of them in Istanbul. Travel and aviation expert Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at the UK-based StrategicAero Research, said that the numerous terror attacks would likely see Turkey’s tourism industry suffer. “Having done nothing to prevent people filtering into Syria to join an array of terror groups like (Daesh)... Turkey is now on the front line from those very same folks crossing back and causing carnage,” he told Arab News. “This will damage Turkey’s appeal as a holiday destination as well as call into question what politicians can actually do to stem these attacks, because right now, there doesn’t seem to be any cohesive policy to prevent or bolster intelligence.” AdvertisementAt first glance, humans and cats are incredibly different. No one would ever get the two confused. However, it may not surprise too many cat lovers to learn that cats and humans are more alike than they appear. As the cat genome has been mapped out and studied, there is more and more evidence that we are more like our kitties than we ever knew. Title Photo Credit: OneSharp via Flickr What is a genome? Simply put, a genome is all of the genetic information contained within a cell. This is the information that controls all of the physical characteristics that a living organism will have; it is what makes a cat have cat characteristics and a human have human characteristics. The genome is made up of several thread-like structures called chromosomes. Chromosomes are tightly packaged bundles of genetic information; Each bundle contains a different piece of the creature’s physical make up. The genetic information within the chromosomes is broken further into genes and DNA. DNA is a long strand of bonded amino acids in a very specific order. It is famously shaped like a double-helix. Genes are segments of DNA that give the directions for creating specific proteins. We inherit genes from our parents that come together to create our physical traits. Segments of DNA that are between genes can turn the genes on or off. Cats Versus Humans Scientists have long been working on mapping out the genomes of living creatures. Mapping out the human genome was not complete until April of 2003. It has been found that cats and humans are 90% genetically similar. That is a higher percentage of similarity than humans with dogs (82%), cows, mice, or rats. It seems that the only animal more similar to humans is the chimpanzee at 98% similarity. To take a look at just one piece of the cat genome, a study done in 1999 compared the X and Y chromosomes of cats to those of humans. These chromosomes are known for creating the male and female characteristics in mammals. All mammals have these chromosomes and they all contain the same genes. However, in most mammals, these genes are in a different order than they are in humans. In cats, the X chromosome is an exact match to humans and there is only 1 gene out of order on the Y chromosome. At the time the study was completed, there had never been another mammal tested that had more similar X and Y chromosomes to humans than cats. How the Cat Genome Can Help Humans There is a method to the madness of putting the cat genome in order. Scientists believe that the cat genome could change the medical world for the better. There are more than 250 hereditary illnesses in cats that have a human equivalent. Figuring out how these diseases work in cats could hold the keys to solving them for humans as well. Some of the illnesses scientists believe cats could help to solve include: Cancer (several types) Male infertility Heart disease AIDS Hemophilia Polycystic Kidney Disease Diabetes Liver disease For those that love a good mystery – the cat genome also provides an interesting addition to forensic science. Now that they know how to sequence cat DNA, it is possible to do DNA testing on cats reliably. Should cat hair be found at the scene of a murder, it can be matched to the murder’s cat. This evidence is solid enough to be used in court too. Do you think that your cat looks or acts like you? Sources & Digging Deeper Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome -Genome Research Why does your cat love you…sort of? DNA unravels feline mysteries – Genetic Literacy Project Cats and humans share similiar X and Y chromosomes – Genome News Network Feline Genome Research Advances – The ScientistRecent research in North America has failed to find evidence of sexist attitudes on measures of explicit sexual attitudes. This suggests that social desirability may affect self-reports of gender-related attitudes. This study used an indirect means to assess gender-related attitudes—individual's interest in experiencing being the other gender. Participants were 209 individuals (107 men, 102 women) who completed an online survey. Participants indicated whether they would choose to be reincarnated as a man or a woman and whether they would choose to experience being the other gender on a temporary basis. They also provided the reason for their choices. We found that 30% indicated that they would choose to be the other gender if reincarnated, 56% for a week, 67% for a day, and 65% for an hour. There were no significant gender differences. Content analysis of responses indicated three primary reasons for choosing to experience being the other gender: wanting a new experience or perspective; the perceived positives of being the other gender; and, the perceived negatives of being their current gender. It also yielded three primary reasons for choosing not to experience being the other gender: desire to maintain the status quo; the perceived positives of their current gender; and, the perceived negatives of the other gender. Many participants also identified the temporary nature of the change as important to their decisions regarding a time-limited experience of being the other gender. The results are discussed in terms of the insights they provide on implicit gender-related attitudes.Here are some comments we received from undergraduate students about how the library is doing: "I believe there needs to be more seating for students in the library. Ideally there would be another level to the library. I have had to turn around and leave the library a couple times as I have been unable to find a seat." "Our library is great! Only suggestion is making the cafe feel more like a lounge with low seats so we can do work there as well." "I get frustrated when the printers are out of ink/paper and I am in a rush to print something. That would be my biggest complaint. And I wish there were snack and drink vending machines!" "I would love to see the presence of a fiction collection at SCU. Currently the fiction collection is depressingly small. Most classics aren't available, let alone any recent works. It is possible to order things through link+, but it would be nice to be able to have fiction more available." "It would be nice to increase the number of available rooms or seats in the library. During finals or dead week, it is really difficult to find a space to study."Drunk soldiers “went on a rampage” and fired shots in the air at an Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea, police said on Sunday, in the latest violence to rock the scandal-hit facility. PNG police announced an investigation into the unrest at the Manus Island facility, an offshore processing centre reopened in 2012 to detain people who try to enter Australia by boat. The incident was sparked by an altercation at a football game played by asylum-seekers at a navy base outside the compound late Friday, according to detainees and refugee advocates. Later, “drunken soldiers in retaliation for one of their colleague who was allegedly assaulted by an asylum-seeker” entered the detention centre, shouting and throwing objects, the Royal PNG Constabulary said in a statement Sunday. It said the military personnel “went on a rampage... firing several shots into the air and indiscriminately assaulting policemen, PNG immigration officers, other service providers and asylum-seekers”. One senior immigration officer and an asylum-seeker were treated at a medical centre, the statement added, without giving further details. Manus Provincial police commander senior inspector David Lapu said he “will leave no stones unturned” in his investigation into the incident. “Someone will answer for what happened,” he added. Australia’s immigration department said one man was injured by a rock thrown into the centre, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. “There are reports PNG military personnel discharged a weapon into the air during the incident,” the department told the ABC. “No one was injured.” ‘Living in constant fear’ The violent scenes came just over three years after Iranian asylum-seeker Reza Barati died and 69 people were injured in a riot at the facility. The camp is set to close by October after a PNG Supreme Court ruling declared that holding people there was unconstitutional and illegal. But Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton has said they would not be moved to Australia and instead relocated to third countries such as the United States and Cambodia, or resettled in PNG. Even so, the latest violence sparked renewed calls from refugee advocates for detainees to be removed -- and possibly brought to Australia -- from the camp, which currently houses more than 800 asylum-seekers. “Even if the arrangement with the United States continues, we must act to create safety and security for those who have languished in offshore detention for too long,” the Very Reverend Peter Catt, the Anglican Dean of Brisbane and head of an Australian coalition of churches in support of refugees, said. “By bringing people to Australia, the US deal may continue.” Daniel Webb from the Human Rights Law Centre, which has challenged offshore detention in court, said he was witnessing continued fear from the men being detained at Manus. “I first visited the camp just after Reza Barati’s murder in 2014 and I saw how terrified and tired the men were back then,” he said in a statement. “Yet more than three years later those men are still trapped behind the same fence and living in constant fear.” Canberra has long defended its policy of denying asylum-seekers resettlement in Australia, saying it has prevented deaths at sea. First Published: Apr 16, 2017 13:05 ISTMuch Abrew: 14 Swamp Black (Pauper) by SaffronOlive // Oct 24, 2016 Tweet Much Abrew About Nothing pauper video Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new and improved Much Abrew About Nothing. Last week in our Instant Deck Tech voting, we had a major surprise, with a Pauper deck—14 Swamp Black—coming in as the most popular of the week. As a result, this week we are playing a format that we've never played before on Much Abrew: Pauper! Is 14 lands and infinite one-drops the solution to beating Peregrine Drake? Let's see! One other thing: since it can be hard to get Pauper matches in the two-player queues, we'll be playing a Pauper League today, and as a result, we have a duplicate matchup (we play Affinity twice). The good news is that our deck is so aggressive the matches go by pretty fast, so hopefully even the duplicate match won't be too boring. Just a quick reminder. If you enjoy the Much Abrew About Nothing series and the other video content on MTGGoldfish, make sure to subscribe to the MTGGoldfish YouTube Channel to keep up on all the latest and greatest. 14 Swamp Black: Instant Deck Tech 14 Swamp Black vs. Stompy (Match 1) 14 Swamp Black vs. Angler Delver (Match 2) 14 Swamp Black vs. Izzet Blitz (Match 3) 14 Swamp Black vs. Affinity (Match 4) 14 Swamp Black vs. Affinity (Match 5) 14 Swamp Black (Wrap Up) Discussion First off, our record wasn't great. We finished 2-3 in our league, beating Angler Delver and Affinity (one of our two matches). Basically, with this deck, there are four kinds of games, two of which we win and two of which we lose. Unfortunately, the games that we lose seem to happen more often than the games that we win. Game type one: We have Dark Ritual in our opening hand. In these games, we almost always win by playing three one-drops on Turn 1 and killing our opponent before they can do anything. Game type two: We have two lands on the first two turns but never go above three lands for the entire game. In these games, we are also highly favored. We typically has six power on the battlefield on Turn 2 and overwhelm our opponent with aggressive black one-drops. Game type three: We mulligan into oblivion because we have zero lands in our opener. This happens more often than you'd think, and we hardly ever win these games. Game type four: We end up with four, five, or six lands on the battlefield. While it might not be as obvious, we are just as likely to lose these games as we are to lose a mulligan to five. On occasion, we can win four-land games if we are lucky, but even this is rare, and any more than four and we are almost guaranteed to lose. Speaking of losing, Electrickery is one of the biggest blowouts in the format, and it's a fairly common sideboard card in Pauper. It's usually somewhere between a three and five for one, which means that it ranges from very good to straight up unbeatable, depending on our draw. As for the deck itself, I don't have any major suggestions, partly because I'm not a Pauper expert but also because the deck is pretty much playing every good (and even passable) black one-drop available. Plus, many of the pieces are interchangeable, so there really aren't any huge changes to be made. This said, I'm not a fan of Renegade Freighter because we don't really want to draw three lands, and when we do flood out, the Vehicle usually isn't enough to turn the game around. So, should you play 14 Swamp Black in Pauper? I don't have a good answer to this question. It felt like most of our losses were from our deck losing to itself—it is maddenly inconsistent thanks to the land count. When it runs well, it feels close to unbeatable, but when things go wrong, it feels like the worst deck in Pauper. Unfortunately, there really isn't a good solution to the problem. Oe the other hand, it's cheap, even for a Pauper deck, so it won't cost you much if you want to take it for a test drive. Basically, I can see how this deck could 5-0 a league—it simply gets good hands for five matches in a row (and dodges Electrickery), which is very possible. On the other hand, I'm guessing that our experience with the deck—either blowing the opponent out or losing to inconsistent draws—is more representative over the long haul. Conclusion Anyway, that's all for today. Don't forget to vote for next week's Much Abrew deck by liking, commenting, and subscribing to Instant Deck Tech videos! As always, leave your thoughts, ideas, opinions, and suggestions in the comments, and you can reach me on Twitter @SaffronOlive or at SaffronOlive@MTGGoldfish.com.DUNEDIN, Fla. — At this time last year Aaron Sanchez was fighting. Coming into spring training after a rigorous off-season featuring two-a-day workouts and a strict eating plan broken down by the hour, he had to battle for a spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation. Every time he entered a game was a test. There was no room to experiment. He had to prove himself. This year, things are different. With his spot in the Blue Jays rotation solidified, Sanchez has been freed up to try new things on the mound, refine his game, and use Grapefruit League outings to test himself in a different way. That’s why much of his work this spring has been dedicated to the development of his change-up, a pitch he threw just nine per cent of the time last year but will likely feature more prominently in his 2017 arsenal. “It could really do wonders for him,” says Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. “Hitters have to gear up for his fastball. They’ve got to swing early. So, a little off-speed pitch can really get them out in front, and probably even get a lot of swing-and-misses. A lot of groundballs, too. It’s a big weapon that he’s going to need for the rest of his career. And it’s showing good signs.” Take Sanchez’s outing Thursday against the New York Yankees. After throwing nine straight fastballs to start the game, establishing the lively heater he leaned on nearly 75 per cent of the time last season, Sanchez and his catcher, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, started getting to the change-up. With runners on first and second, and Chris Carter at the plate, Saltalamacchia called for the pitch for the first time on the afternoon. It wasn’t his best one. Sanchez spiked it and the ball got away from Saltalamacchia as both runners advanced into scoring position. Sanchez took a deep breath on the mound, looked in for the next sign, and saw Saltalamacchia flash the same fingers, wanting to go right back to the pitch again. “He could see it. He knew that I didn’t like that first one,” Sanchez says. “And instead of waiting a few pitches, why don’t we go right back to it right away?” Saltalamacchia showed great confidence in his pitcher doubling up on the pitch; and Sanchez showed great poise in making a small adjustment to the way he threw it. The 24-year-old executed it much better the second time around, getting Carter to ground weakly to shortstop, which would have been a double play groundball if he had thrown it that way the first time. It was a small thing—just a two-pitch sequence in his outing. If you were looking at your phone you might’ve missed it. But the information gained from that live test was invaluable. “I knew what I needed to do differently from the one that I spiked,” Sanchez says. “It was just making sure that I get that feel for it. Getting used to it. Throwing it in games, building confidence with it—that’s the biggest thing with that pitch. “For me, it’s understanding the situation of when to use it. I’m confident with what I’ve got with that pitch. I just haven’t used it in enough game-like situations. There’s 100 per cent confidence with the pitch. It’s just understanding when to use it and how to use it.” These are the adjustments Sanchez will have to make if he’s going to repeat the tremendous campaign he put up in 2016, when he led the American League in ERA and finished seventh in Cy Young voting. The book is out on him. He’ll establish his fastball early before using his curveball to try to get you out. Once a league’s seen you enough times and built up enough video on what you like to do, you have to make tweaks and changes to keep them guessing. That change-up—which the Blue Jays would actually like Sanchez to throw a touch softer than the 89-90 mph it’s averaged since 2015 —gives hitters something else to worry about. It also opens up new sequences for Sanchez, who has been throwing more first-pitch curveballs and change-ups this spring as he works on starting fewer at-bats with his fastball. “I tell you what, the guys that have really good change-ups—just look at Estrada, he can throw it any time,” Gibbons says. “They get an idea of what the hitters doing in the box, his timing, the situation. This is the perfect time to use it. You don’t want to break it out in the season and not have confidence in it and get burned by it. If it turns out the way he wants, it could be a big pitch in some really important situations once the season starts.”Consider supporting us on Patreon so we can continue providing quality tokusatsu news coverage. In the July issue of Hyper Hobby, Mahiro Takasugi, the actor who plays Mitsuzane “Micchy” Kureshima in Kamen Rider Gaim was interviewed. Here, the actor discusses the shifts in his role on the show and his thoughts about what Micchy’s final fate should be. Warning: This interview contains major spoilers for the Kamen Rider Gaim TV series. HH: You are quite the villain now. Did you know this from the beginning? Takasugi: I had been told that he’d become bad. That’s why I tried to have a higher tone of voice and have a good-guy vibe at the beginning. HH: Was that in preparation for the villain? Takasugi: Yes, I thought about lowering my voice when the change came. I felt the difference would be more noticeable. HH: We never thought he’d turn like that. Takasugi: I was surprised too. Things like attacking Gaim from behind were quite shocking. HH: You almost seem like the Big Bad. Did you ever resent it? Takasugi: Not at all. On the contrary, becoming more and more evil is quite fun. Having to think outside of everyone’s line of thought and having two faces was quite difficult, but having a chance to do many things is fun. I also enjoyed thinking about what face to make when Mai struck me. HH: She talked about that in our past issue. Takasugi: Yeah. It made such a loud noise. It didn’t hurt at all but the sound was really good (laughs). HH: Don’t you feel a bit lonely now that you have betrayed not only Team Gaim but Yggdrassil? Takasugi: Lately it’s been a lot of shooting by myself or with Ryo (Redyue’s suit actor). We had a scene in the garage with everyone the other day. It felt very weird and I realized there was less and less space in which I could be. I then realized this is what Micchy must be feeling. HH: We heard you feel fulfillment in playing Mitsuzane Kureshima. Takasugi: Yes, I’ve been considering what Micchy must be thinking all this time and having the director say “That was good” or hearing that what aired was really impressive makes me happy. HH: Could this response also be because of the [Febreeze] adverts? That character is much more like you. Takasugi: It is such a youthful story and it also has romance, something very different from Micchy. Unlike him, this character is very straightforward with his feelings, and I realized that there are many ways in which to express them. HH: You said that you were glad to be seen by children as a hero in a past interview. Takasugi: I also said that I wanted to become a hero that could be looked up to at the announcement press conference. In the end, he is no hero and shouldn’t be looked up to. However, I do want to make him a cool Kamen Rider. HH: How have the children reacted? Takasugi: There were a lot of children watching us film the other day. I was genuinely worried. But they all called me “Micchy!” and did not avoid me. I felt relieved. HH: Have you ever wanted to get rid of the villainous character? Takasugi: I don’t want him to be friends with Kōta again. He did something that cannot be forgiven. HH: So, he can’t be a hero again? Takasugi: I don’t think so. His power to become a Rider has become something not to protect his friends but to protect his place and manipulate people. HH: Have you heard from producer Takebe about what will become of Micchy in the future? Takasugi: She won’t tell me even when I ask her. HH: What about dying protecting Kōta in the end? Takasugi: No, I don’t want him to be good. I want him to remain a villain. It would not feel right for him to redeem himself. HH: We thought you were playing a villain unwillingly, but it seems to be the opposite. Takasugi: Not unwillingly at all. It is a bit hard to be disliked but I feel relieved that the response from children was good. HH: What should we expect from Mitsuzane Kureshima from now on? Takasugi: The story changes every episode and Micchy’s mindset changes just as often. I’d like everyone to see the Micchy of each episode. HH: There are a lot of close-ups lately. Takasugi: You’re right (laughs). I have the same face most of the time so I need to think of something
be shorter but stronger, providing more utility. While we do not know the exact changes to the mend and DoT numbers, this change could make Alchemist a very potent off-healer provided the mend is strong enough and will have applications in the higher difficulty Battle Tower floors through the stronger DoT. Archangel – Now uses ATK to emphasize Creature’s strengths. Focusing more damage to fewer targets for more consistency. I own and use a 3-dot Archangel and his output is somewhat dissapointing as his single target damage (even with all 3 additional hits) is lacking compared to most other nuking options. Thus, by reworking him to use ATK (higher by about 200 than PWR), it could make him more competitive with other nuking options while hopefully retaining some splash damage potential. However, they need to significantly ramp up either his ATK or multiplier to really stay abreast with other options as he somewhat relies on his first awakening and high LUK to gain additional critical strikes. – Now uses ATK to emphasize Creature’s strengths. Focusing more damage to fewer targets for more consistency. I own and use a 3-dot Archangel and his output is somewhat dissapointing as his single target damage (even with all 3 additional hits) is lacking compared to most other nuking options. Thus, by reworking him to use ATK (higher by about 200 than PWR), it could make him more competitive with other nuking options while hopefully retaining some splash damage potential. However, they need to significantly ramp up either his ATK or multiplier to really stay abreast with other options as he somewhat relies on his first awakening and high LUK to gain additional critical strikes. Chimera – Now uses LUK to emphasize Creature’s strengths. Reworked to cause a massive Poison to the main hit (comparable to the Phoenix!). Awakenings now also provide vastly increased survivability. Chimera is an often underused Electric Creature as he really was not good enough at anything to warrant a spot on more diverse teams. However, by reworking his DoT potential to be on par with Phoenix could make him a formidable defender IF his awakenings do provide him with enough survivability to actually see the DoT tick once. What makes the Phoenix so strong is the high LUK, immense health, and ability to self heal with a full resurrection. This would cause players to spend extra turns fighting the Pheonix and this would ultimately lead to the powerful DOT ticking and killing any non-Water Creature. – Now uses LUK to emphasize Creature’s strengths. Reworked to cause a massive Poison to the main hit (comparable to the Phoenix!). Awakenings now also provide vastly increased survivability. Chimera is an often underused Electric Creature as he really was not good enough at anything to warrant a spot on more diverse teams. However, by reworking his DoT potential to be on par with Phoenix could make him a formidable defender IF his awakenings do provide him with enough survivability to actually see the DoT tick once. What makes the Phoenix so strong is the high LUK, immense health, and ability to self heal with a full resurrection. This would cause players to spend extra turns fighting the Pheonix and this would ultimately lead to the powerful DOT ticking and killing any non-Water Creature. Kirin – Adding random Cleanses to occur before the heals, providing a strong utility to this strong healer. Kirin is currently the strongest healer from a raw healing point of view as max evolution provides 10 random ticks of 60% LUK. Furthermore, the LUK buff is able to reach 50% which is key to defeating Battle Tower 51 (you can see my clear HERE). However, Kirin’s main weakness was no cleanse and having the heals target random non-full health Creatures. Thus, by providing random cleanses, it could mean Kirin becomes the strongest healer in the game as they are now able to essentially provide all the required utility needed. Furthermore, very few Dungeon Challenges feature a hard hitting Dark floor 1 which helps ensure your Kirin lives long enough to heal your team. Time to replace Siren? – Adding random Cleanses to occur before the heals, providing a strong utility to this strong healer. Kirin is currently the strongest healer from a raw healing point of view as max evolution provides 10 random ticks of 60% LUK. Furthermore, the LUK buff is able to reach 50% which is key to defeating Battle Tower 51 (you can see my clear HERE). However, Kirin’s main weakness was no cleanse and having the heals target random non-full health Creatures. Thus, by providing random cleanses, it could mean Kirin becomes the strongest healer in the game as they are now able to essentially provide all the required utility needed. Furthermore, very few Dungeon Challenges feature a hard hitting Dark floor 1 which helps ensure your Kirin lives long enough to heal your team. Time to replace Siren? Megalodon – Now uses ATK to emphasize Creature’s strengths. Removing ‘random’ targeting and adding a slight damage increase, making it a more reliable damage dealer. Megalodon was one of the worst nuking options as he targeted a random Creature while not actually having a very high multiplier despite ignoring DEF (eg. Frost Giant was better in every aspect). However, switching to his higher stat, improving the damage, and removing the randomness could make Megalodon a more favourable nuking option. This only makes sense as he has no collateral benefit outside of damage so he should be able to hit harder than a Frost Giant. He is currently a top 100 reward in the Gold Tier this week. Fixes: Banshee – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: additional hit has intended chance to silence. – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: additional hit has intended chance to silence. Fire Giant – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: additional hit has an intended chance to stun. – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: additional hit has an intended chance to stun. Contenderoo – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: will now hit the intended number of times. This has been a major issue for a while now as Contenderoo would be dealing far too much damage and one shotting almost any Water Creature along with severely crippling non-Fire ones. This should place his damage more on-par with other Medium defenders. – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: will now hit the intended number of times. This has been a major issue for a while now as Contenderoo would be dealing far too much damage and one shotting almost any Water Creature along with severely crippling non-Fire ones. This should place his damage more on-par with other Medium defenders. Shaitan – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: heal will apply as intended when buffed. – Fixing an issue with its awakened ability: heal will apply as intended when buffed. Siren – Fixing an issue where the main target Cleanse was inconsistent with the adjacent target Cleanses. – Fixing an issue where the main target Cleanse was inconsistent with the adjacent target Cleanses. Silence – Will now properly add the ‘Silence Immune’ shield the first turn after being applied. Stat modifications for balancing purposes: Buffs: I presume these are stat boosts and should help bring these Creatures back into more teams as they will hopefully be able to keep up with their current alternatives. Alchemist Archmage Banshee Chimera Cyclops Green Dragon Kirin Lich Pyromancer Succubus Adjustments: Megalodon – Because its Special Ability is now based on ATK, we decreased it slightly. But don’t worry – we didn’t jump the shark – it will still be doing more damage than before! Nerf on paper for his base stats, but his overall output is dramatically improved. No need to worry. – Because its Special Ability is now based on ATK, we decreased it slightly. But don’t worry – we didn’t jump the shark – it will still be doing more damage than before! Nerf on paper for his base stats, but his overall output is dramatically improved. No need to worry. Forest Giant – Creature was too well rounded, dealing decent damage and stunning enemies, while also healing the entire party. We like his utility, but his PWR stat made him do his job a little too well. Being a Giant, he also had massive HP. Because of his utility, we decided to make him a little less healthy than his Giant Bros. Don’t count him out though, he’ll still be sticking around the battlefield with increased DEF. – Creature was too well rounded, dealing decent damage and stunning enemies, while also healing the entire party. We like his utility, but his PWR stat made him do his job a little too well. I said it before in my previous videos, but Forest/Green Giant was far too strong in his current form. He essentially did everything as he could stun, heal, counterattack heal, and absorb massive amounts of damage. Perhaps this is a side-effect of being in the Giant Pantheon as it is probably the strongest one available due to their stuns, counterattacks, and innate tankiness. While this nerf does break my heart a little as I have been dumping all of my Battle Tower essences into him, it really does not come as too big of a surprise. Presently, with level 105, full totems, Soldier Tome, and the +15% awakening, my Forest Giant has over 22,000 HP. This is a little ridiculous as he tends to always live through all Floor 1. The change from HP to DEF will make him more squishy, but hopefully will not be as massive of a nerf that Stegosaurus had. Conclusion Lots of exciting features coming out in June and I cannot wait for the full and detailed patch notes. Happy Questing! AdvertisementsNorth American oil prices hit their lowest point since March 2009 on Friday morning, with the crude contract for the North American benchmark known as West Texas Intermediate falling to $41.35 US a barrel. By mid-morning, it had bounced above $42 again, as the U.S. dollar headed lower against other currencies. But WTI ended the day down again from its last close, at $42.14. The trend is clearly downward, with WTI crude losing value every week since hitting $61.35 US a barrel on June 10. Citigroup has predicted it will slide further and analysts are saying it could enter the $30 range. That has not meant a break for Canadian drivers, as gasoline prices have gone up by an average of 15 cents a litre west of Thunder Bay. Dan McTeague, a senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, said the low Canadian dollar isn't helping, as oil is priced in U.S. dollars. The Canadian dollar followed oil downwards to 76.389 US cents on Friday. The biggest impact on gasoline prices comes from lack of refining capacity in Canada. With BP's heavy oil processing refinery in Whiting, Ind., shut down, gasoline is in shorter supply and climbing in price, McTeague said. BP says it shut down the largest of the three crude distillation units at Whiting Refinery a week ago for unscheduled repair work. The company has not said when it will be back up and running. One catalyst to oil's fall this week has been the devaluation of the Chinese yuan. The currency held firm against the U.S. dollar overnight, but is down 2.9 per cent this week after the Chinese government allowed it to float. China hopes devaluing the yuan will boost exports from its economy, which has slowed well below the growth targets set by the government. Economists with the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group are predicting 6.5 per cent growth this year for China's economy, the world's second largest. That prospect roiled investors, who saw lower demand from China for all commodities. But the irony is that demand for oil is clearly up, with both OPEC and the International Energy Agency noting this week that the world is using more oil at the current low prices. The long-term problem is that supply has increased even faster. Oil inventories at record highs A report from the U.S. energy agency released Thursday showed U.S. oil inventories remain at record levels, despite an increase in summer driving by U.S. consumers. There are fresh concerns about storage of oil, as the U.S. shale industry continues to produce more than can be consumed. The Baker Hughes rig count, which came out at midday, found there were no new drilling rigs deployed in the U.S. this week. However, there were three more in Canada, at 211 rigs. WTI oil is on a downward trend that seems disconnected from the global benchmark Brent crude, which has held its price, though OPEC, which provides most of the oil for the international contract, is also producing at a record rate. Brent crude was at $48.72 US a barrel on Friday, down on the day, but nowhere near its 2009 low. The shutdown at the Whiting refinery is playing further havoc with the price of Canadian oilsands product, which is at $23.25, a steep discount to WTI. That refinery processes heavy oil such as that created by the oilsands. "Not only are the consumers being hit pretty hard at the pump, but producers are starting to scratch their heads too because the price of crude they're trying to get out of the ground is getting near the bottom of the barrel financially," said Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst at En-Pro International.These days it’s hard to avoid the message that thin is best. From advertising billboards to the Oscar red carpet, we are inundated with images of successful ultra-thin women. Past research has already shown that this ideal is filtering through to our children, even preschoolers. But before now, there has been little study of just how early pro-thin bias (and prejudice against fat people) appears, and how it develops with age. Jennifer Harriger tested 102 girls from the South Western US, aged between three and five. She first asked the girls to consider 12 adjectives (six positive and six negative, including nice, smart, mean stupid) and to allocate each one to whichever of three female figures they felt the adjective was most suited. The precise wording was “Point to the girl that you think is/has …”. Crucially, one of the female figures was very thin, one was very fat, and the other average, with no other differences between them. Three-year-olds, four-year-olds and five-year-olds all tended to allocate more negative adjectives to the fat figure and more positive adjectives to the thin figure. Another test involved the children looking at nine figures (three fat, three average and three thin) and choosing their first three preferences for playmates, and finally to choose their best friend from the selection. Children at all ages tended to choose a thin figure for their first choice, a thin or average for the second choice, with no bias in their third choice. Best friend choices tended to be thin. Age differences were few, but there was some evidence that three-year-olds were showing more of a bias for thinness, as opposed to a bias against fat people, with fat prejudice increasing with age. For example, only the youngest girls allocated more negative adjectives to average and fat figures than to the thin figures, consistent with their believing “thin is good” rather than “fat is bad”. The research needs to be replicated in other countries, with boys, and with even younger children. Harriger also noted that it would be interesting to look at the influence of children’s own weight and the beliefs of their parents, siblings and peers. For now, she said her findings illustrated “an increasing preference for thinness and intolerance for fatness in preschool age girls …” and that the promotion of size acceptance “must begin even earlier than we once believed.” _________________________________ Harriger, J. (2014). Age Differences in Body Size Stereotyping in a Sample of Preschool Girls Eating Disorders, 23 (2), 177-190 DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2014.964610 —further reading— Video protects girls from the negative effects of looking at ultra-thin models Five-year-old girls who want to be thin Nine-month-olds prefer looking at unattractive (read: normal) male bodies How do women and girls feel when they see sexualised or sporty images of female athletes? Magazine reports on eating disorders are superficial and misleading Christian Jarrett (@Psych_Writer) is Editor of BPS Research DigestIn this June 5, 2014, photo, people walk in front of an eBay Inc. sign at the company's headquarters in San Jose, California. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) First it was Microsoft, then Google. Then a cascade of tech companies — Facebook, Yahoo, Yelp — announced they would, or had, divested from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a business lobbying group, citing the organization’s lack of transparency and efforts to thwart government action on climate change. Now the pressure is on large tech companies that remain ALEC members. A coalition of 80 organizations — including advocacy groups, investors, unions and religious councils — wrote to eBay founder Pierre Omidyar today asking him to break the company’s ties to ALEC. A similar letter last month preceded Google’s announcement that it would divest. The letter’s authors write: “The public knows that the ALEC operation — which brings state legislators and corporate lobbyists behind closed doors to discuss proposed legislation and share lavish dinners — threatens our democracy. The public is asking eBay to stop participating in this scheme.” Reporting on the letter today, The National Journal’s Dustin Volz writes: The letter to eBay’s top brass boasts about 30 more signatures than the one issued to Google last month. In a statement responding to the eBay letter, an ALEC spokesman accused its critics of confusing “free-market policy for climate-change denial.” “These groups refuse to acknowledge ALEC has no position on climate change, but does question government mandates and subsidies that empower the government to pick winners and losers and artificially inflate certain industry sectors,” the spokesman said. “ALEC is for an ‘all of the above’ approach whereby renewable energy expands according to consumer demand.” Though ALEC maintains it does not deny climate change, the group sponsors model legislation for state lawmakers that declares that it remains unclear whether human emissions are changing global temperatures, a view that runs counter to the scientific consensus on climate change. ALEC CEO Lisa Nelson told National Journal last week “I don’t know the science on that,” when pressed whether human emissions drive climate change. We noted last month that at ALEC’s recent meeting in Dallas, the Heartland Institute presented a slideshow to its membership arguing that “there is no scientific consensus on the human role in climate change,” and “no need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and no point in attempting to do so.” ALEC also claims an ambivalent outlook about the disastrous effects of climate change, stating in its model legislation that it could lead to “deleterious, neutral, or possibly beneficial climatic changes.”It is the first time that the bells of Big Ben and the Great Clock at the Palace of Westminster will have been halted in this way since the funeral of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965. The announcement came from John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in a statement to MPs, many of whom had asked the Parliamentary authorities to make a special tribute to the former Conservative prime minister. "The most appropriate means of indicating our sentiments would be for the chimes of Big Ben and the chimes of the Great Clock to be silent for the duration of the funeral proceedings," he said. "I have therefore made the necessary arrangements to achieve this. I believe there can be a profound dignity and deep respect both expressed in and through silence and I am sure that the House will agree." He told the Commons: "As you know, Lady Thatcher held Parliament in very great reverence in her time both in this House and in the Lords and I am confident that this will be seen as a very dignified and respectful gesture on behalf of Parliament and I am very grateful to you. "I am confident that Lady Thatcher's family will take it very much in that spirit and be very appreciative of what you have decided." David Cameron's official spokesman said: "It is not surprising that a good number of people wish to commemorate Lady Thatcher's passing." The name 'Big Ben' is often used to describe Parliament's famous clock tower, which was recently re-named Elizabeth Tower in honour of the Queen. However, the name was first given to the Great Bell, which sounds the hour. The Great Clock normally chimes every quarter hour and has done so since 1859, except during routine repair work and when it broke down in 1976.I wanted to illustrate something impossible, so I chose Finnegans Wake. It would be silly for me to draw in a few panels a work that took James Joyce seventeen years to complete. So I cheated. The name of the book comes from a nineteenth Century drinking song, “Finnegan’s Wake” (note the apostrophe). The song is about death and rebirth, and ends in a whisky-fueled brouhaha. There is little in agreement, on the other hand, on what Joyce’s book is about. Reading a page at random from Finnegans Wake is a bit like trying to read while drunk. But death and rebirth are undoubtedly major themes, as the book begins halfway through its final sentence. So here’s a single strand of DNA—perhaps the first—in Joyce’s impossibly dense opus infinitum. Jason Novak works at a grocery store in Berkeley, California, and changes diapers in his spare time.Central Intelligence Agency documents released by WikiLeaks Thursday list Canada as one of several countries asked to assist the United States while they spied on the 2012 French presidential election. The three CIA tasking orders request that current French president Francois Hollande, then president Nicolas Sarkozy and current first round presidential front runner Marine Le Pen all be closely monitored. CIA officers were asked to uncover the secret strategies of the candidates, as well as information on internal power dynamics within the parties. Canada is listed as one of five countries working on human intelligence parts of the operation however there are no specifics on which parts of the operation, if any, Canada was involved in. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Communications Security Establishment Canada, and the Department of Global Affairs did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Ashley Lemire, senior communications advisor at the Department of National Defence, told the National Post: “The Government of Canada does not comment on leaked documents.” These revelations come amidst claims by the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The orders are all marked “NOFORN”, meaning they are supposed to be restricted to U.S. eyes only so no potential allies are offended. Leaked documents showing Canadian spying on allies have caused significant diplomatic issues before. In 2013, documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden showed that the Communications Security Establishment Canada spied on Brazil’s mining and energy ministry in an attempt to gain economic intelligence. At the time, NDP leader Tom Mulcair said the revelations gave Canada “a black eye in the world.” Economic intelligence was also a focus of the spying during France’s 2012 election. Agents were asked to answer questions about non-ruling political parties and candidates including: “What are their opinions on the German model of export-led growth?” A 2012 document, marked “SECRET”, that Wiklieaks previously released, tasks U.S. intelligence with compiling information on brewing export deals or export contracts in France worth $200 million or more. In addition to Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Australia are all listed under a section indicating which countries are assisting with the “HUMINT” or human intelligence aspect of the operation. Those four countries, along with the United States, make up the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance. 2012 CIA France Election by Zane on ScribdReady to fight back? Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Fight Back! Sign up for Take Action Now and we’ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and we’ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Travel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine? Not long after the meltdown at Fukushima, workers at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, north of San Diego, discovered radioactive steam leaking into the air. Hundreds of steam tubes had been banging together and vibrating, investigators said, until one of them sprung a leak. And the tubes had been installed less than two years ago. Ad Policy So in January they shut down the reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the two reactors won’t be restarted until the end of the summer. But many here are calling for the plant to be shut down permanently. Southern California Edison (SCE), which runs the facility, doesn’t call it a “nuclear plant”; instead it uses the musical acronym “SONGS”—for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. What kind of people, they ask, would want to put an end to SONGS? The answer: it’s not just Helen Caldicott and the local no-nukes activists. They have now been joined by powerful mainstream voices, including the Los Angeles Times editorial page Even before the January 2012 incident, activists argued that the plant should be shut down because it is threatened by both earthquakes and tsunamis. New studies show the seismic threats are greater than those the plant was designed to face. If an earthquake cuts the power that runs the cooling system that keeps the nuclear core from overheating, San Onofre has diesel backup generators that are supposed to take over. But in May a study found that the backup generators could inadvertently shut down in an earthquake, causing a nuclear meltdown—exactly what happened in Fukushima. One more thing: more than 7 million people live within fifty miles of the plant. Also, the state wants San Onofre to stop using seawater for cooling because it’s killing the fish. As the LA Times editorial pointed out, “A replacement cooling system could cost even more than new steam generators.” And of course there’s the problem of what to do with the nuclear waste, which currently remains on-site and thus vulnerable to those earthquakes and tsunamis. San Onofre has the worst safety record of all 104 reactors in the United States, but you won’t learn that from SCE. “Nothing matters more to the men and women who operate our San Onofre facility than safety”—that’s what SCE says. Yes, but workers who have reported safety problems say they have been fired in retaliation. The LA Times reported on July 5 that several former workers sued SCE under the state’s whistleblower protection act—but lost because of an obscure technicality in the law: because San Onofre lies inside Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base and thus federal land, SCE is exempt from state law. Edward Bussey, who worked at the plant as a health physics technician, sued SCE in state court after he was fired in 2006. He said the firing was retaliation for complaining about safety issues to his supervisors and the NRC. According to the LA Times, SCE got the case moved to federal court, where a judge dismissed it, declaring that “wrongful-termination claims didn’t apply in a federal enclave.” Defenders of nuclear power say it’s cheap—but the new generators at San Onofre that turned out to have crippling design flaws cost $671 million. SCE reports that more than 1,300 tubes that carry radioactive steam are so heavily damaged that they will have to be replaced—once they figure out what went wrong with the design. Defenders also say the state needs nuclear power to meet its air quality standards. But natural gas has become cheap and plentiful, while wind and solar sources can be greatly expanded. And the state right now has a power surplus, even with San Onofre offline. Leading the fight to shut down San Clemente have been locals Gary Headrick of San Clemente Green, Gene Stone of Residents Organized for a Safe Environment and Donna Gilmore of San Onofre Safety, along with Dan Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the Gap. They’ve gotten help from Arnie Gundersen and Friends of the Earth and of course Helen Caldicott. Activists have held rallies, spoken at official meetings and petitioned the NRC and Congress. It’s hard to disagree with the conclusion of LA Times editorial: “Now is the perfect time for Edison, and the state as a whole, to begin the planning for a non-nuclear future.”This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Evidence shows that nutritional and environmental stress stimuli during postnatal period influence brain development and interactions between gut and brain. In this study we show that in rats, prevention of weaning from maternal milk results in depressive-like behavior, which is accompanied by changes in the gut bacteria and host metabolism. Depressive-like behavior was studied using the forced-swim test on postnatal day (PND) 25 in rats either weaned on PND 21, or left with their mother until PND 25 (non-weaned). Non-weaned rats showed an increased immobility time consistent with a depressive phenotype. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed non-weaned rats to harbor significantly lowered Clostridium histolyticum bacterial groups but exhibit marked stress-induced increases. Metabonomic analysis of urine from these animals revealed significant differences in the metabolic profiles, with biochemical phenotypes indicative of depression in the non-weaned animals. In addition, non-weaned rats showed resistance to stress-induced modulation of oxytocin receptors in amygdala nuclei, which is indicative of passive stress-coping mechanism. We conclude that delaying weaning results in alterations to the gut microbiota and global metabolic profiles which may contribute to a depressive phenotype and raise the issue that mood disorders at early developmental ages may reflect interplay between mammalian host and resident bacteria. Since weaning a) activates a population of DOPrs in the brain 2 and is shown to have a protective effect on emotional behavior 4 and b) influences the development of the central oxytocinergic system 12 which is also known to regulate stress coping reactivity 8 we have tested the hypothesis that weaning time may cause mood-related changes in postnatal rats. Given the prebiotic properties of milk and the emerging importance of the gut-brain axis in modulating behavior, we have studied the impact of weaning on the gut microbiota and its influence on the metabolic phenotypes of the host. As stress is also known to induce a marked effect on gut microbiota, we have sought to investigate the impact of stress induced by forced swimming, and its interaction with weaning on the host microbiome. Furthermore, due to the critical impact of experiences during early developmental age on shaping the central OTR system and the key role of OT in regulating stress coping capabilities we have also assessed whether weaning and stress affect central OTR binding during this early development period. The impact of the gut microbiota on human health and disease is now well recognized. Recent data has shown that through interactions within the gut-brain axis, the microbiota is able to influence brain development, function and behavior 13, 14. Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, have been found to modulate stress responses and improve mood states 15, 16, 17, whilst infections with gastrointestinal pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli, during the perinatal period have been associated with anxiety-like behavior and cognitive impairments 18, 19. Such host-microbiome interactions are bidirectional in nature with stress shown to affect gut microbial composition 20, 21. A variety of proposed mechanisms of action exist through which the microbiota can modulate signaling along the gut-brain axis including neural, endocrine and immunological routes 17, 22, 23. Evidence has shown key chemical communications to exist between the gut microbiota and the brain via the production of neuroactive metabolites 24. Metabonomics has emerged as a powerful tool to study such metabolites and illuminate the metabolic functionality of the microbiome and its interaction with the host. Recent studies have pointed towards the central oxytocin system, which has also been shown to interact with the opioid receptor system 5, 6 as another emerging neural correlate of emotional behavioral changes induced by weaning. Oxytocin (OT) and its receptor (OTR) have been implicated as key regulators of anxiety, stress and social behaviors and exert potent antidepressant effects 7. Environmental stimuli 8, and experiences during early development (social, maternal care, stress) are known to shape the OT system possibly through epigenetic modification of the OTR 9, 10. These early life oxytocinergic changes are considered to influence life long reactivity to stressors 11. Although, the effect of weaning on stress coping abilities is largely unknown and indeed the focus of this investigation, there is evidence that weaning 12 can influence OTR levels in the ventromedial hypothalamus, which is likely to be involved in emotional behavioral regulation during early postnatal development. Nutritional and environmental stress stimuli are key environmental variables that can influence brain development in early postnatal life 1. The intake of specific nutrients is critical during the developmental period when the brain is still maturing after birth and remains sensitive to both internal and external environmental factors. Such early life influences can have a profound impact on brain development, structure and function and thus affect behavior. One of the most important events in the early stages of life is weaning, the removal of maternal milk and the introduction of solid diet. We have previously shown that weaning rat pups on postnatal day 21 (PND21), the standard age of weaning, compared to those remaining with their mother until PND25, acts as a stimulus for the activation of a population of delta-opioid receptors (DOPr), predominantly in somatosensory cortical brain regions 2. We have shown that this weaning-induced development of DOPrs is dependent on the loss of dietary casein, a milk protein that can produce peptides with opioid activity, rather than stress due to maternal separation or loss of suckling 3. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that knockout mice lacking the DOPr gene exhibit increased anxiety- and depressive-like phenotypes 4, indicating a protective role of DOPr on mood regulation. Collectively, these studies suggest a protective effect of weaning on emotional behavior. Within subject analysis of OTR binding in the whole amygdala but also in the BLA and BMA of weaned and non-weaned animals revealed a significant down-regulation of OTRs in the weaned but not in the non-weaned animals (P < 0.05, ). Forced-swimming significantly decreased OTR binding in weaned rats but had no significant effect in non-weaned rats ( ). No significant changes in OTR binding were observed in the other regions analyzed (see Supplementary Table S1 and Supplementary Fig. S2 ). In the non-weaned animals, forced swim stress increased the urinary excretion of NMNA, 4-PY, 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid (3-HPPA), succinate, sarcosine, putrescine, taurine and N-acetylglycoproteins ( ). Stress was also found to decrease the urinary abundance of PAG, guanidinoacetate and scyllitol (SI) in the non-weaned animals. Following the forced-swim stress the majority of weaning-associated metabolic variation persisted with the exception of 2-oxoglutarate and NMND excretion ( ). Additional metabolic variation was observed between the weaned and non-weaned rats exposed to forced-swimming with the urine of non-weaned animals containing less succinate, TMAO, DMA and taurine than the weaned animals and greater 3-HPPA and acetate (AT) ( ). A Summary of significant urinary metabolite changes associated with alterations in weaning and stress conditions has been shown on and a schematic diagram shown in. Comparing the urinary metabotypes from weaned and non-weaned animals ( ) revealed that weaned animals excreted greater amounts of metabolites involved in choline metabolism such as betaine and dimethylglycine (DMG) and the energy-related metabolites citrate and 2-oxoglutarate. Non-weaned animals were found to excrete higher amounts of guanidinoacetate (GA), taurine (Tau), and N-acetylglycoproteins (NAG) compared to weaned rats. Variation was also observed in the excretion of microbial-derived products with non-weaned animals excreting greater phenylacetylglycine (PAG) and putrescine and the weaned animals excreting greater amounts of the medium chain fatty acid, caproate. Further variation was observed in products of nicotinic acid metabolism with N-methylnicotinamide (NMND) and N-methyl-4-pyridone-3-carboxamide (4-PY) excreted in higher amounts by the non-weaned animals and N-methylnicotinic acid (NMNA) excreted in higher amounts by the weaned animals ( ). Comparing the weaned animals in the presence or absence of forced-swim stress revealed that NMND, creatinine (Cre), succinate and N-acetylglycoprotein excretion was increased following stress while taurine, allantoin (ALT) and 2-oxoglutarate excretion was reduced ( ). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified that weaning had the greatest impact on the urinary metabolic profiles resulting in higher excretion of betaine. This metabolic
, early Holocene Capsians, and mid-Holocene Mechta groups, whereas the Tenerian crania are more like those of Mediterranean groups.[61][62] Graves show that the Tenerians observed spiritual traditions, as they were buried with artifacts such as jewelry made of hippo tusks and clay pots. The most interesting find is a triple burial, dated to 5300 years ago, of an adult female and two children, estimated through their teeth as being five and eight years old, hugging each other. Pollen residue indicates they were buried on a bed of flowers. The three are assumed to have died within 24 hours of each other, but as their skeletons hold no apparent trauma (they did not die violently) and they have been buried so elaborately – unlikely if they had died of a plague – the cause of their deaths is a mystery. Tashwinat Mummy Uan Muhuggiag appears to have been inhabited from at least the 6th millennium BCE to about 2700 BCE, although not necessarily continuously.[63] The most noteworthy find at Uan Muhuggiag is the well-preserved mummy of a young boy of approximately 2 1/2 years old. The child was in a fetal position, then embalmed, then placed in a sack made of antelope skin, which was insulated by a layer of leaves.[64] The boy's organs were removed, as evidenced by incisions in his stomach and thorax, and an organic preservative was inserted to stop his body from decomposing.[65] An ostrich eggshell necklace was also found around his neck.[63] Radiocarbon dating determined the age of the mummy to be approximately 5600 years old, which makes it about 1000 years older than the earliest previously recorded mummy in ancient Egypt.[66] In 1958–1959, an archaeological expedition led by Antonio Ascenzi conducted anthropological, radiological, histological and chemical analyses on the Uan Muhuggiag mummy. The specimen was determined to be that of a 30-month old child of uncertain sex, who possessed Negroid features. A long incision on the specimen's abdominal wall also indicated that the body had been initially mummified by evisceration and later underwent natural desiccation.[67] One other individual, an adult, was found at Uan Muhuggiag, buried in a crouched position.[63] However, the body showed no evidence of evisceration or any other method of preservation. The body was estimated to date from about 7500 BP.[68] Nubians Beni Isguen, a holy city surrounded by thick walls in the Algerian Sahara During the Neolithic Era, before the onset of desertification around 9500 BCE, the central Sudan had been a rich environment supporting a large population ranging across what is now barren desert, like the Wadi el-Qa'ab. By the 5th millennium BCE, the people who inhabited what is now called Nubia, were full participants in the "agricultural revolution", living a settled lifestyle with domesticated plants and animals. Saharan rock art of cattle and herdsmen suggests the presence of a cattle cult like those found in Sudan and other pastoral societies in Africa today.[69] Megaliths found at Nabta Playa are overt examples of probably the world's first known archaeoastronomy devices, predating Stonehenge by some 2,000 years.[70] This complexity, as observed at Nabta Playa, and as expressed by different levels of authority within the society there, likely formed the basis for the structure of both the Neolithic society at Nabta and the Old Kingdom of Egypt.[71] Egyptians By 6000 BCE predynastic Egyptians in the southwestern corner of Egypt were herding cattle and constructing large buildings. Subsistence in organized and permanent settlements in predynastic Egypt by the middle of the 6th millennium BCE centered predominantly on cereal and animal agriculture: cattle, goats, pigs and sheep. Metal objects replaced prior ones of stone. Tanning of animal skins, pottery and weaving were commonplace in this era also. There are indications of seasonal or only temporary occupation of the Al Fayyum in the 6th millennium BCE, with food activities centering on fishing, hunting and food-gathering. Stone arrowheads, knives and scrapers from the era are commonly found.[72] Burial items included pottery, jewelry, farming and hunting equipment, and assorted foods including dried meat and fruit. Burial in desert environments appears to enhance Egyptian preservation rites, and the dead were buried facing due west.[73] By 3400 BCE, the Sahara was as dry as it is today, due to reduced precipitation and higher temperatures resulting from a shift in the Earth's orbit.[31] As a result of this aridification, it became a largely impenetrable barrier to humans, with the remaining settlements mainly being concentrated around the numerous oases that dot the landscape. Little trade or commerce is known to have passed through the interior in subsequent periods, the only major exception being the Nile Valley. The Nile, however, was impassable at several cataracts, making trade and contact by boat difficult. Phoenicians Azalai salt caravan. The French reported that the 1906 caravan numbered 20,000 camels. The people of Phoenicia, who flourished from 1200–800 BCE, created a confederation of kingdoms across the entire Sahara to Egypt. They generally settled along the Mediterranean coast, as well as the Sahara, among the people of ancient Libya, who were the ancestors of people who speak Berber languages in North Africa and the Sahara today, including the Tuareg of the central Sahara. The Phoenician alphabet seems to have been adopted by the ancient Libyans of north Africa, and Tifinagh is still used today by Berber-speaking Tuareg camel herders of the central Sahara. Sometime between 633 BCE and 530 BCE, Hanno the Navigator either established or reinforced Phoenician colonies in Western Sahara, but all ancient remains have vanished with virtually no trace. Greeks By 500 BCE, Greeks arrived in the desert. Greek traders spread along the eastern coast of the desert, establishing trading colonies along the Red Sea. The Carthaginians explored the Atlantic coast of the desert, but the turbulence of the waters and the lack of markets caused a lack of presence further south than modern Morocco. Centralized states thus surrounded the desert on the north and east; it remained outside the control of these states. Raids from the nomadic Berber people of the desert were of constant concern to those living on the edge of the desert. Urban civilization Market on the main square of Ghardaïa (1971) An urban civilization, the Garamantes, arose around 500 BCE in the heart of the Sahara, in a valley that is now called the Wadi al-Ajal in Fezzan, Libya.[25] The Garamantes achieved this development by digging tunnels far into the mountains flanking the valley to tap fossil water and bring it to their fields. The Garamantes grew populous and strong, conquering their neighbors and capturing many slaves (who were put to work extending the tunnels). The ancient Greeks and the Romans knew of the Garamantes and regarded them as uncivilized nomads. However, they traded with them, and a Roman bath has been found in the Garamantes' capital of Garama. Archaeologists have found eight major towns and many other important settlements in the Garamantes' territory. The Garamantes' civilization eventually collapsed after they had depleted available water in the aquifers and could no longer sustain the effort to extend the tunnels further into the mountains.[74] Berbers The Tuareg once controlled the central Sahara and its trade. The Berber people occupied (and still occupy with Arabs) much of the Sahara. The Garamantes Berbers built a prosperous empire in the heart of the desert.[75] The Tuareg nomads continue to inhabit and move across wide Sahara surfaces to the present day. Islamic and Arabic expansion The Byzantine Empire ruled the northern shores of the Sahara from the 5th to the 7th centuries. After the Muslim conquest of Arabia, specifically the Arabian peninsula, the Muslim conquest of North Africa began in the mid-7th to early 8th centuries and Islamic influence expanded rapidly on the Sahara. By the end of 641 all of Egypt was in Muslim hands. Trade across the desert intensified, and a significant slave trade crossed the desert. It has been estimated that from the 10th to 19th centuries some 6,000 to 7,000 slaves were transported north each year.[76] Ottoman Turkish era In the 16th century the northern fringe of the Sahara, such as coastal regencies in present-day Algeria and Tunisia, as well as some parts of present-day Libya, together with the semi-autonomous kingdom of Egypt, were occupied by the Ottoman Empire. From 1517 Egypt was a valued part of the Ottoman Empire, ownership of which provided the Ottomans with control over the Nile Valley, the east Mediterranean and North Africa. The benefit of the Ottoman Empire was the freedom of movement for citizens and goods. Traders exploited the Ottoman land routes to handle the spices, gold and silk from the East, manufactured goods from Europe, and the slave and gold traffic from Africa. Arabic continued as the local language and Islamic culture was much reinforced. The Sahel and southern Sahara regions were home to several independent states or to roaming Tuareg clans. European colonialism European colonialism in the Sahara began in the 19th century. France conquered the regency of Algiers from the Ottomans in 1830, and French rule spread south from Algeria and eastwards from Senegal into the upper Niger to include present-day Algeria, Chad, Mali then French Sudan including Timbuktu, Mauritania, Morocco (1912), Niger, and Tunisia (1881). By the beginning of the 20th century, the trans-Saharan trade had clearly declined because goods were moved through more modern and efficient means, such as airplanes, rather than across the desert.[77] The French Colonial Empire was the dominant presence in the Sahara. It established regular air links from Toulouse (HQ of famed Aéropostale), to Oran and over the Hoggar to Timbuktu and West to Bamako and Dakar, as well as trans-Sahara bus services run by La Companie Transsaharienne (est. 1927).[78] A remarkable film shot by famous aviator Captain René Wauthier documents the first crossing by a large truck convoy from Algiers to Tchad, across the Sahara.[79] Egypt, under Muhammad Ali and his successors, conquered Nubia in 1820–22, founded Khartoum in 1823, and conquered Darfur in 1874. Egypt, including the Sudan, became a British protectorate in 1882. Egypt and Britain lost control of the Sudan from 1882 to 1898 as a result of the Mahdist War. After its capture by British troops in 1898, the Sudan became an Anglo-Egyptian condominium. Spain captured present-day Western Sahara after 1874, although Rio del Oro remained largely under Sahrawi influence. In 1912, Italy captured parts of what was to be named Libya from the Ottomans. To promote the Roman Catholic religion in the desert, Pope Pius IX appointed a delegate Apostolic of the Sahara and the Sudan in 1868; later in the 19th century his jurisdiction was reorganized into the Vicariate Apostolic of Sahara. Breakup of the empires and afterwards A natural rock arch in south western Libya The Sahara today Egypt became independent of Britain in 1936, although the Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936 allowed Britain to keep troops in Egypt and to maintain the British-Egyptian condominium in the Sudan. British military forces were withdrawn in 1954. Most of the Saharan states achieved independence after World War II: Libya in 1951; Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia in 1956; Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger in 1960; and Algeria in 1962. Spain withdrew from Western Sahara in 1975, and it was partitioned between Mauritania and Morocco. Mauritania withdrew in 1979; Morocco continues to hold the territory. In the post–World War II era, several mines and communities have developed to utilize the desert's natural resources. These include large deposits of oil and natural gas in Algeria and Libya, and large deposits of phosphates in Morocco and Western Sahara. A number of Trans-African highways have been proposed across the Sahara, including the Cairo–Dakar Highway along the Atlantic coast, the Trans-Sahara Highway from Algiers on the Mediterranean to Kano in Nigeria, the Tripoli – Cape Town Highway from Tripoli in Libya to N'Djamena in Chad, and the Cairo – Cape Town Highway which follows the Nile. Each of these highways is partially complete, with significant gaps and unpaved sections. People and languages A 19th-century engraving of an Arab slave-trading caravan transporting black African slaves across the Sahara The people of the Sahara are of various origins. Among them the Amaziɣ including the Turūq, various Arabized Amaziɣ groups such as the Hassaniya-speaking Sahrawis, whose populations include the Znaga, a tribe whose name is a remnant of the pre-historic Zenaga language. Other major groups of people include the: Toubou, Nubians, Zaghawa, Kanuri, Hausa, Songhai, Beja, and Fula/Fulani (French: Peul; Fula: Fulɓe). Arabic dialects are the most widely spoken languages in the Sahara. Arabic, Berber and its variants now regrouped under the term Amazigh (which includes the Guanche language spoken by the original Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands) and Beja languages are part of the Afro-Asiatic or Hamito-Semitic family.[citation needed] Unlike neighboring West Africa and the central governments of the states that comprise the Sahara, the French language bears little relevance to inter-personal discourse and commerce within the region, its people retaining staunch ethnic and political affiliations with Tuareg and Berber leaders and culture.[80] The legacy of the French colonial era administration is primarily manifested in the territorial reorganization enacted by the Third and Fourth republics, which engendered artificial political divisions within a hitherto isolated and porous region.[81] Diplomacy with local clients was conducted primarily in Arabic, which was the traditional language of bureaucratic affairs. Mediation of disputes and inter-agency communication was served by interpreters contracted by the French government, who, according to Keenan, "documented a space of intercultural mediation," contributing much to preserving the indigenous cultural identities in the region.[82] See also References Bibliography Brett, Michael; Prentess, Elizabeth (1996). The Berbers. Blackwell Publishers. Bulliet, Richard W. (1975). The Camel and the Wheel. Harvard University Press. Republished with a new preface Columbia University Press, 1990. Republished with a new preface Columbia University Press, 1990. Gearon, Eamonn (2011). The Sahara: A Cultural History. Signal Books (UK), Oxford University Press (US). Julien, Charles-Andre (1970). History of North Africa: From the Arab Conquest to 1830. Praeger. Kennedy, Hugh (1996). Muslim Spain and Portugal: A Political History of al-Andalus. Longman. Laroui, Abdallah Laroui (1977). The History of the Maghrib: An Interpretive Essay. Princeton. Scott, Chris (2005). Sahara Overland. Trailblazer Guides. Wade, Lizzie (2015). "Drones and Satellites Spot Lost Civilizations in Unlikely Places". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aaa7864.Nigel Pearson is considering a £7million bid for Stewart Downing after West Ham United’s decision to put the England international up for sale. Downing will be a surprise casualty at West Ham this summer and Leicester have joined the race to sign the winger after making an inquiry this week. Sunderland have already failed with a £5million offer while Middesbrough, Downing’s former club, are also weighing up an ambitious move despite being in the Championship. Downing had seemed content and settled at the Boleyn Ground But Leicester’s interest in Downing is serious and Pearson is determined to build a competitive squad this summer as he bids to avoid another nail-biting relegation battle. West Ham are seeking a fee of around £7million plus add-ons but that is well within Leicester’s budget, paying a similar figure for long-term target Shinji Okazaki, the Japan international, this week. • West Ham sign Payet and target four more Downing will be 31 next month and West Ham, who are close to resigning Alex Song and Carl Jenkinson, are prepared to offload him. Nzonzi is wanted but he is after European football, something Leicester cannot provide Leicester have also asked about Stoke midfielder Steven Nzonzi while Switzerland international Tranquillo Barnetta is another option. Barnetta, 30, is a free agent this summer after opting to leave Schalke and is on Leicester’s radar. Pearson guided the Foxes to a dramatic escape from relegation last season and is eyeing a number of high-profile additions. Barnetta recently featured for Switzerland against England at Wembley He said: “We have to make sure that the players we buy complement what we’ve already got. We’ve got very ambitious owners who are very successful in their own businesses and they have a shrewd understanding of what we’re working in. • West Ham close in on Song “We’ll look to develop this club at the pace we think is right and we will certainly try to strengthen. “Year one is always important in terms of establishing yourself and it was probably harder than we thought it would be. “We will try and set targets again and we have to make sure we’re better prepared for next season.”Have you heard of the “other Reformed theology”? Many in the Reformed resurgence only know one aspect of the broad historical stream of Reformed theology, and sadly, many stereotypes of “Calvinism” exist because John Calvin's legacy has been unknowingly truncated. Too often, Reformed theology is defined merely by the “five points of Calvinism”: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. While this emphasis on how God saves sinners has value, it fails to capture the full breadth of the heritage of Reformed thought. Two major streams of Reformed theology developed out of the work of John Calvin: the Scottish Calvinist stream and the Dutch Reformed stream. The Scottish tradition has a strong focus on doctrines of salvation and the ordo salutis (order of salvation). But the Dutch Reformed tradition also emphasizes worldviews, cultural engagement, and the lordship of Jesus over all aspects of life. The two streams have not converged as much as you might expect, considering their common source. So let's take a short tour of the Scottish and Dutch Reformed theological traditions. Scottish Tradition In the early days of the Reformation, pastor-theologian John Knox (1514-1572) was part of a group trying to reform the Scottish church; his involvement, however, led to his imprisonment and eventual exile. While in exile, he traveled to John Calvin's base of operations in Geneva, Switzerland. There Knox became enamored with the doctrine of predestination. Knox eventually returned and became the leading figure in founding the Church of Scotland, the origin of Presbyterianism. Subsequent generations within the Scottish Reformed theological tradition (including English Puritans such as Richard Baxter and John Owen) gained a reputation (not entirely fair) for being gloomy preachers of hell, for exercising harsh church discipline while delving into the private lives of church members, and for suppressing the arts. American theologians such as the great Jonathan Edwards were also influenced by Scottish theology and philosophy and inherited some of these same critiques. There may be a bit of truth in each of the common criticisms, but such practices arose out of unique cultural situations and should not be the only measures by which Scottish Reformed theology is judged. Some Scottish Reformed theology drifted into some heavier-handed forms of Calvinism, but its original confession (the Scots Confession of 1560) upheld the missional nature of the church and the evangelistic focus of theology. The Reformed doctrine of the Scots was never separated from practical living. The Scots looked to the Westminster Confession of Faith as their doctrinal standard (underneath Scripture) and sought to implement those great theological truths into their everyday lives. Dutch Tradition Calvinism arrived in the Netherlands in the third wave of the Reformation in the 1560s. Dutch Calvinism contributed some of the most important early Reformed creeds and confessions: the Belgic Confession of 1561 gave original definition to the Dutch Reformed Church; the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563 fostered unity between the Dutch and German Reformed; and the Canons of Dort in 1619 served as a Reformed ecumenical council. Over time the Dutch Reformed Church drifted into theological liberalism. Then, in the late 19th century, the work of Neo-Calvinists such as Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, and Louis Berkhof shaped what is now known as the Dutch Reformed school of theology (articles will eventually follow on each of these figures). While Dutch Reformed thought has much in common with the broader Reformed tradition, several features set it apart. Some of the best summaries of Dutch Reformed thought are captured in Douglas Wilson's phrase, “All of Christ for all of life,” and in the famous words of Abraham Kuyper: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'” Kuyper argued for the lordship of Christ over all of life and urged Christians not to dismiss certain fields of culture and society as “worldly.” He believed that God established structures of authority in different spheres of creation, and recognizing the boundaries between these spheres maintains and balances justice and order in society. According to Kuyper, God's rule on earth is brought about through the faithful cultural presence of his church. This belief led the Dutch theologians to emphasize cultural action on the part of Christians. Kuyper wanted Christians to understand that each worldview has unique philosophical assumptions, and that Christian assumptions shape the way believers should act in every area of life. As a result of God's absolute sovereignty, Christians experience the grace of God in all aspects of life, not just in church activities and worship services. The high point of Dutch Reformed theology is arguably Louis Berkhof's Systematic Theology (full disclosure: I first came to Reformed theology through reading Berkhof when I was 17). Dutch Reformed theology shared important essentials with the Old Princeton school of theology (from the Scottish Calvinist tradition) in the United States, but they differed significantly in some areas. The Dutch believed that people have no religiously neutral, “objective” rational faculty. This meant there was no common ground, necessarily, shared between believers and nonbelievers. This made apologetics more of a clash of worldviews than a debate over evidence. Complementary, Not Contradictory It may seem like the Scottish and Dutch streams of the Reformed church are miles apart in their emphases, but it is important to observe the significantly different cultural situations in which each of the traditions developed. The Dutch theologians faced a church giving in to modernist theological liberalism in the 19th century and tried to find a cultural home in their new settlements in the United States. As such, we should expect their emphases on the supreme reign of Christ over the ideologies of the day and their careful conception of culture. In a way, Dutch Reformed theology applied the broad principles of the Reformation. The Scots focused more on the primary doctrines of the Reformation than on their specific application to new cultural situations. Moreover, the Scottish Reformed took the initial Reformation to the surrounding regions, which explains their emphasis on missions. Nevertheless, even in these different points of focus, both the Scottish and Dutch Reformed theologians focused on making disciples and bringing the gospel to bear on the world around them. Both traditions offer compelling examples for the Reformed movement today.Watching the classic 1967 Dustin Hoffman film in a post-Brexit world of boomerang children lends it a whole new resonance. Which is hardly surprising when you consider the parallels with the era in which it was created It was the Summer of Love, the first one. Young people were making their voices heard in politics and revealing the widening chasm between themselves and their parents’ generation. The film that summed it all up was The Graduate, released in the US in December 1967, starring Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddock, a despondent 20-year-old who moves back home after finishing college, and Anne Bancroft as Mrs Robinson, the much older women who seduces him. Half a century on, and in the wake of a pensioner-powered Brexit vote and a Corbyn-inspired youthquake, all that inter-generational drama feels fresh once more. The film that sums it all up? It’s still The Graduate, soon to be back in cinemas and just as alluring, sophisticated and as emotionally unsettling as an affair with your parents’ best friend would be. Cinema reissues can always rely on nostalgic appeal, but there’s so much more to appreciate about The Graduate, when watched through the lens of 2017. Then, as now, the political agency of 18-25-year-olds was a hot topic. That January, Time magazine named “25 and under” as their “man of the year” and it made a big impression on Dustin Hoffman, a 29-year-old Jewish actor best known for his work on the stage. He later recalled referencing the magazine’s cover in an early conversation with The Graduate’s director, Mike Nichols. “I said: ‘Did you see this week’s Time? That’s Benjamin Braddock!’ Nichols replied: ‘You mean he’s not Jewish?’ ‘Yes, this guy is a super-Wasp. Boston Brahmin.’ And Mike said, ‘Maybe he’s Jewish inside. Why don’t you come out and audition for us?’ ” Other actors under consideration for the lead included Warren Beatty, Steve McQueen and Robert Redford, yet Hoffman’s protestations only served to convince Nichols just how perfect he was. In retrospect, it’s impossible to disagree. Much of the film’s humour derives from Benjamin’s evident discomfort in most social situations, contrasted with the glib glamour of his parents’ cohort. The New-York-based, Los Angeles-raised, Hoffman could also readily relate to Benjamin’s experience of moving back into his parents’ home after a period of living independently. The actor had done the same when The Graduate’s low-budget shoot began in LA, but lasted only a week before moving to a hotel, at his own expense. For the debt-saddled generation-rent graduates of 2017, that often depressing “boomerang” back home is even more familiar, just without the hotel opt-out. When Benjamin arrives at his parents’ lavish Pasadena mansion, he finds they’re throwing a party, ostensibly in his honour, though everyone present is at least twice his age. His father sits him down to ask about his future plans: “I don’t know … I want it to be …” stammers Benjamin. “To be what?” asks his exasperated father. “Different,” replies Ben. One Mr McGuire steers Benjamin outside, so he can have his full attention to say, “just one word: Plastics”. Back inside, the handshakes are firm, the ties are loud and the air is fogged with cigarette smoke. In other words, this is a crowd so thoroughly Brexit-y, not even the fact that they’re American (and the EU wouldn’t formally come into existence for another 26 years) could stop them voting to leave. You can appreciate why Benjamin would feel so ill at ease. That may be where the sympathies of a 2017 audience end, however. Many of today’s graduates would envy the kind of laid-on opportunities that Braddock rejects. A job for life in the growth field of plastics sounds very attractive compared with low pay and zero-hour contracts. Yet whether the young are excluded from their parents’ party by economic barriers or cultural ones, there is always room for a coming-of-age film that asks: what is so good about growing up? In the age of lacklustre “adulting”, The Graduate must be even more welcome. Back in mid-60s Hollywood, the film’s producer, Lawrence Turman, struggled to drum up interest in his project. In 1964, he spent his own money optioning the original novel of the same name by Charles Webb, and then followed two years of being turned down by every major studio in town. The grownups didn’t get it, because the grownups never do, but Turman and Nichols had enough personal affinity with the material to carry it through. Turman had initially followed his father into the garment trade before veering away from that preordained path, while Nichols had been studying medicine when he decided to try showbusiness instead. Both men were staking their professional futures on the potential of a book and both, just as Benjamin Braddock did, wanted that future “to be different”. Once complete, The Graduate baffled early screening audiences, prompting the movie promoter Joseph E Levine to suggest a tour of college campuses to help build “word of mouth”. It worked, and by early 1968, the film was attracting crowds worthy of a Corbyn rally. Writing in US weekly the Saturday Review later that same year, the film critic Hollis Alpert recalled how “lines extended around the corner all the way down the block, much like those at the Radio City Music during holiday periods – except that the people waiting for the next showing were not family groups but mostly young people in their teens and early 20s … it was as though they all knew they were going to see something good, something made for them.” This was the kind of success that the Hollywood establishment could not ignore, and the film received seven Academy Award nominations. Nichols went on to win best director. Today it is at No 22 on the list of highest-grossing films of all-time at the US box office, after inflation, above more traditional crowd-pleasers such as Jurassic World, Forrest Gump and The Avengers. But if The Graduate had been just the angry cri de coeur of youth, it would have dated as fast as the Braddocks’ flock wallpaper. What is special about this film is the empathy it shows for an older generation – as personified by Mrs Robinson – even in the midst of such scathing satire. The fuss recently made over the age difference between Brigitte Macron and her husband demonstrates that we have never grown out of our salacious interest in the older woman, but we’ve never bettered the original Mrs Robinson either. She is both alluring and disgusting, predatory and pitiful and, despite her unsubtle fondness for animal prints, so much more complex than all the pornified milfs and cougars that came after. Given that the film-makers themselves were hardly teenagers – Nichols was 35 and screenwriter Buck Henry was 36 – this sensitivity makes sense. At 35, Bancroft was only six years older than Hoffman, and eight years older than Katharine Ross, who played her daughter, Elaine. So Benjamin may have been too callow to sympathise much with a “broken-down alcoholic” Mrs Robinson, but from their thirtysomething vantage point, the film-makers could clearly see both sides. Nichols also appreciated that it would take a veteran’s experience to be as innovative as he hoped to be with the film’s camerawork. To that end, he hired Robert Surtees, then a 60-year-old cinematographer, who had been working in Hollywood since before the invention of the talkies. “We did more things in this picture than I ever did in one film,” Surtees later wrote in an article for an industry magazine. “We would do whatever we could think of to express the mood, the emotion of the scene.” What is that mood, that emotion? Any film that opens to the lyric “Hello darkness, my old friend,” from Simon and Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence was never going to be a knockabout comedy, yet The Graduate is both consistently funny and tragic on an oedipal scale. Like all good comedies, it ends in a wedding, and yet the tonal ambiguity continues beyond that happily-ever-after, and into a shot of the fleeing couple sat side-by-side on the back seat of the bus, their faces flickering between triumph and doubt. Maybe how you feel about The Graduate reflects the stage you have reached in your own life when you watch it. For older viewers, it’s a reminder that you, too, were young once. For the young, it’s a reminder that you too will grow old soon enough. If ever there were a film to unite the warring generations in mutual self-pity, here it is. Again. The Graduate is released in the UK on 23 June.Project Veritas, James O’Keefe’s project, has video of a senior CNN producer admitting that his network’s relentless coverage of the alleged Trump-Russia scandal lacked substance. “Mostly bullst” is producer John Bonifield’s apt description. Bonifield is also clear about the motive for pushing the bullst story. “Our ratings are incredible right now,” he exclaims. Bonifield notes that at a staff meeting, CNN’s CEO congratulated his reporters for their coverage of the Paris accords, but then said “let’s get back to Russia.” The story is at Breitbart. The edited video produced by Project Veritas is below. Here is part of what of what Bonifield said to O’Keefe’s investigator about the Trump-Russia story: Could be bullst. I mean, it’s mostly bullst right now. Like, we don’t have any giant proof. Then they say, well there’s still an investigation going on. And you’re like, yeah, I don’t know. If they were finding something we would know about it. The way these leaks happen, they would leak it. They’d leak. If it was something really good, it would leak... The leaks keep leaking and there’s so many great leaks, and it’s amazing. I just refuse to believe that if they had something really good like that that wouldn’t leak because we’ve been getting all these other leaks. So, I just feel like they don’t really have it but they want to keep digging. And so I think the president is probably right to say, like, look you are witch hunting me. You have no smoking gun. You have no real proof. (Emphasis added) Bonifield understood, as many of us have said for some time, that the absence of incriminating leaks is good evidence that there is no incriminating information. Bonifield makes another obvious but overlooked point: Even if Russia was trying to swing an election...our CIA is doing sh*t all the time, we’re out there trying to manipulate governments. So Russian interference in our election isn’t the scandal of the century after all. Collusion by a candidate in the interference would be scandalous. But, as Bonifield, not to mention James Comey, have admitted, there is no reason to believe such collusion occurred. Bonifield, it should be noted, did not work on the Russia story. His field is health. However, he has worked at CNN for almost 15 years as a journalist and producer, and is thus well-positioned to offer both a reality check on the story his network has been driving and an insight into the network’s motive. The chickens are coming home to roost. Three of CNN’s most senior editorial staffers have resigned as a result of a fake news hit piece on Trump-Russia. CNN’s head, the same one who said “let’s get back to Russia,” is investigating the matter. Bonifield’s comments show that a proper investigation would encompass CNN’s culture and would begin at the top.The ascension of humans or beings into the heavens is a common theme among many mythologies and religions all over the world. Even though most people recognize the well-known ascension of Jesus, and the other examples of the Old Testament, it is surprising how many more have been described as ascending towards their ‘Gods’. In this account, the word ‘ascension’ refers to entering the realm of the god(s), whether temporarily or permanently. Let’s have a look at the most famous ones. Hercules – Greek Mythology Hercules, son of God Zeus and Princess Alcmene, who was also the wife of the King of Thebes, Amphitryon, was one of the most famous ancient Greek Demi-Gods. He was worshipped in many temples throughout Greece and Italy in ancient times and is well known for his 12 Labours assigned to him by Eurystheus, King of the Mycenaean stronghold of Tiryns – as ordered by Zeus’ wife, Goddess Hera, who wanted Hercules dead. In one of Hercules’ adventures, Hercules killed the centaur Nessus for trying to assault his wife Deianira. But just before he died, Nessus set up his revenge by telling Deianira that his blood could be used as a love potion, when in reality it was poisonous and deadly. Deianira, believing the blood would deepen her love with Hercules, made him clothing from the blood of Nessus. When Hercules put on the clothing, his flesh began to burn as a result of the poisonous blood of Nessus. Knowing that his death was approaching, he asked to be taken to the highest peak of the mount Oiti to be burnt in a fire to escape his torture. The event was said to have taken place on a hill over mount Oiti, just above the ancient city of Delphi. Image: The image on the left shows the remains of the temple where the ascension of Hercules took place. Hercules was thrown into the fire and, as this happened, a large dark cloud producing noisy thunder descended over them. After a while the cloud ascended again and to their surprise Hercules’ friends realized that Hercules had disappeared. From then on it was told that Hercules ascended to Mount Olympus to be among the gods. According to mythology, Hercules got married to Ivi, daughter of Zeus, and remained on mount Olympus forever as an immortal. Adapa – Sumerian Mythology Adapa (or Adamu) according to the Sumerian mythology was the son of God Ea (Enki), the patron god of the famous ancient city of Eridu. Adapa was
in the World, Percentage of Obese Adults United States of America, 38.2% Mexico, 32.4% New Zealand, 30.7% Hungary, 30% Australia, 27.0% 5 Skinniest Countries in the World, Percentage of Obese Adults Japan, 3.7% India 5.0% Korea, 5.3% Indonesia 6.5% China 7.0% The OECD examined the populations of 45 of the most populous countries in the world and found the average obesity rate to be 19%. In most countries, the OECD found that women are more obese than men, though obesity rates for the male population are growing rapidly. Education is a key factor. Less schooling makes a woman two to three times more likely to be overweight than the more educated in about half of the eight countries for which the data was available. So that's the information about obesity. What about people who are overweight, but not obese? That figure is at about 50% on average for all the countries surveyed. That means in the industrialized world, half of all people are over weight. The organization did not explain why so many people are so heavy. Perhaps it's the fact that there's just so much temptation to eat poorly. In other words, you have to try really hard to maintain a healthy weight. If you don't put much thought or effort into what you eat, it's very easy to become overweight or obese. It didn't used to be that way. It used to be healthy food was the norm. There just wasn't a whole lot from which to choose. Forty years ago, fast food was practically unheard of. If your town was big, you just had one McDonald's. At that time they didn't have much on the menu. The typical meal, a regular burger and regular fries didn't have that many calories compared to today's standards. And people didn't eat McDonald's all that often. Fast food wasn't part of the daily diet the way it is now. It was a special occasion. Then there's processed food. 40 years ago, people used to eat home-cooked meals from scratch. They were pretty boring by today's standards...and much lower calorie. Just about the only packaged food back then was "Hamburger Helper." It was a novelty. Today, just like fast food, prepared foods are an everyday staple. They have more calories and other additives, like MSG and chemical preservatives that have been linked to weight gain. Then there's high fructose corn syrup, which in the last 20 years has been added to everything. The abundance of this ingredient combined with the fact (although disputed by some) that HFCS doesn't make you feel full the way regular sugar does, so you always want more HFCS. Finally, leave it to Americans to constantly create more appealing products, "build a better mouse trap," top the competitor. Food manufacturers are out to make money, so they put a great deal of effort into product development and testing to create foods that are absolutely irresistible to us, not just to our taste buds, but foods that are convenient and priced right. Although they didn't explain the cause of the obesity epidemic, the OECD did make some recommendations to curtail it. These include nutrition information on packaged food labels, calorie information posted on restaurant menus, regulating marketing of unhealthy products to children and nutrition education to children in schools and adults on social media.Mitchell Layton/Getty Images This series will evaluate one team per day, starting on January 23, 2013, and ending on February 22, 2013 (the first game of spring training). It is based on last season's performance, offseason changes since and the author's outlook for the team in 2013. Please keep in mind that rosters can, and will, change before Opening Day. We start in the AL East and go in ABC order; next up, the Toronto Blue Jays. 2012 finish: 73-89 (4th place, AL East) Notable additions LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Josh Johnson, RHP R.A. Dickey, RHP Esmil Rogers, OF Emilio Bonifacio, OF Melky Cabrera, SS Jose Reyes, 3B Maicer Izturis, 3B Mark DeRosa, C Josh Thole Notable losses RHP Noah Syndergaard, RHP Jason Frasor, RHP Brandon Lyon, RHP Carlos Villanueva, 2B Omar Vizquel, 2B Kelly Johnson, SS Yunel Escobar, 3B/C Yan Gomes, C Travis d'Arnaud Why they will improve this year If I really wanted to, I could answer this question in one sentence: because the Jays got better and deeper at every position of need. Alas, I'll go on. The Blue Jays have been the most active players on the trade market since day one of the offseason, topped off with the mega-trade they swung with the Miami Marlins that netted them a roster of stars. As much as people might want to doubt this team and downplay the impact Reyes, Buehrle and Johnson will have in Toronto, we have to look at the facts. And the fact of the matter is, when healthy, the Blue Jays just landed two of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball and the most explosive leadoff hitter. How's that for a winter in Canada? This isn't like the big contracts Miami brought in prior to 2013. This is a well-thought-out, shrewd plan by Alex Anthopoulos because Anthopoulos is a smart general manager. He knows what he's doing. Exhibit A is the acquisition of R.A. Dickey to further bolster the rotation. Exhibit B can be called Cabrera and Bonifacio for outfield depth. Exhibit C can be Izturis and DeRosa for infield depth. Anthopolous hasn't missed a beat this offseason, and because of it, his new-look team is the favorite to win this tough division. Overall, I fully expect a massive improvement on the pitching front for Toronto. The offense was always there, but adding a dynamo like Reyes, plus the extra depth, brings them up another notch. Why they will regress this year As far as the health of these shiny, new players goes, Jays fans should really only feel comfortable with Buehrle, who has been the mark of consistency over a long career. Dickey pitched through an ab injury last season, and those aren't easy to fix. Johnson had arm problems that temporarily derailed an incredibly bright career. And we all know the long list of Jays starters who went under the knife in 2012. Reyes is always a candidate to get hurt, and who knows how Jose Bautista will fare coming off his unfortunate relationship with the DL last season? Is Cabrera going to be any good off the juice? Can Colby Rasmus continue to progress? What about Brett Lawrie? And, of course, we must take into account the possibility of the cliched big-team killer—will this team jell? If the injury bug doesn't get to the Jays, it could be the social one that does the damage. While this team seems to have a fairly relaxed (exceptions include Lawrie, Cabrera) clubhouse from an outsider's perspective, it could be a whole different world beyond the diamond. Even though the Jays clearly made the biggest improvement and the most moves since 2012, their season was pretty abysmal. Does a slew of big moves make up for a few smaller, but just as effective moves in Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New York or Boston? Can the Jays really make up over 20 games in the standings? It seems like a stretch. The outlook for 2013 I've been down this road before in making predictions. Last year, I bought into the Marlins and all their moves right up until the point where the cashier asks you, "Is this all today?" and you have the moment of clarity where you realize all the things you've done wrong. Luckily, I scrapped the purchase then and picked Miami to finish in the middle of the division. The reason I feel more comfortable picking the Jays, in a similar situation for 2013, to be successful is two-fold. First, as implied above, Anthopoulos is a brilliant mind. I trust that the talent evaluations and statistical decisions he made will lean heavily toward "good." And secondly, they are additions to an already-established team. Yes, the Jays finished eight games under.500 last season. They are also one season removed from finishing at the.500 mark. In this case, the injuries are a legitimate excuse for Toronto's failings last year. They may not have made the playoffs, but DL stints definitely cost them a chunk of wins. In 2013, everything changes. This is one of those rare cases where an offseason spending spree was done correctly, and it will show. Even if Johnson, Ricky Romero and Brandon Morrow don't bounce back entirely, they are in good spots behind Dickey and Buehrle. All three may not return to stardom this season, but they will be above-average, no, good starters. The bullpen finished dead last in American League ERA in 2012 (and it wasn't even close), but I believe in the move to acquire the hard-throwing Rogers to add some power to the back end of the staff. And the return of Sergio Santos, plus the upside of Jeremy Jeffress, has me singing "Oh, Canada" this season. The improved pitching staff will back a ridiculous offense, and the Jays will take back the American League East with 96 wins. Potential changes before Opening Day As far as I can tell, the Jays were set with their 25-man roster once DeRosa signed to be the right-handed utility guy they wanted. But, add DeRosa to the long list of injury-prone players the Jays either already employed or have recently acquired. Though Anthopoulos is adamant that no further trades will even be considered, an early spring training injury could easily reverse his tune. I hope that doesn't happen, but unless Toronto gets some good luck with health through the spring, you could see the rumor mill start churning again. Biggest surprise: Esmil Rogers Biggest disappointment: Melky Cabrera Bold prediction: Dickey puts up another huge season, hits 250 strikeouts. Projected lineup 1. Jose Reyes, SS 2. Melky Cabrera, LF 3. Jose Bautista, RF 4. Edwin Encarnacion, DH 5. Adam Lind, 1B 6. Colby Rasmus, CF 7. Brett Lawrie, 3B 8. J.P. Arencibia, C 9. Emilio Bonifacio, 2B Projected rotation 1. R.A. Dickey, RHP 2. Mark Buehrle, LHP 3. Josh Johnson, RHP 4. Brandon Morrow, RHP 5. Ricky Romero, LHP Projected finish: 96-66, 1st place For more preseason evaluations: You can follow Jeremy on Twitter @Jamblinman.The differences between peak theoretical computing capacity of a system and the actual performance it delivers can be stark. This is the case with any symmetric or asymmetric processing complex, where the interconnect and the method of dispatching work across the computing elements is crucial, and in modern hybrid systems that might tightly couple CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and memory class storage on various interconnects, the links could end up being as important as the compute. As we have discussed previously, IBM’s new “Witherspoon” AC922 hybrid system, which was launched recently and which starts shipping next week, is designed from the ground up to have heavy Power9 serial compute and much heavier parallel Nvidia GPU compute, all coupled with NVLink interconnects and cache coherency across their respective memory, with very fast PCI-Express 4.0 CAPI and even faster Bluelink OpenCAPI ports to link to FPGAs and memory class storage, with high memory bandwidth on the CPUs and GPUs to keep their hungry processor threads fed with data and instructions. CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs are not cheap devices, so pushing up the performance closer to peak is vital because it is the same thing as buying less iron to do the same job. For the large HPC and AI systems that companies are installing now and throughout 2018, tuning up the system and application software to better exploit the hardware will be key, particularly on new platforms from Intel, IBM, and AMD, which are vying for share in these areas. There is a lot of work to be done here, as performance results on hybrid machines mixing Intel Xeon CPUs and Nvidia “Volta” Tesla V100 GPU accelerators show. Nvidia ran the Linpack Fortran matrix math benchmark test on a prototype chunk of its second-generation “Saturn V” AI supercomputer, which it is installing early next year. That machine will eventually have 660 of its DGX-1V compute nodes, which have two Xeon E5 processors and eight of the Tesla V100 accelerators. The V100s are all cross connected in a 2D hybrid cube mesh to each other using NVLink 2.0 ports, but the GPU complex is linked to the Xeon CPUs through a pair of PCI-Express 3.0 switches and the PCI-Express 3.0 controllers on the Xeon dies. This is not an optimal configuration, since the latest NVLink has more bandwidth and lower latency than PCI-Express 3.0. In that test, 33 nodes of the second-generation Saturn V machine had a theoretical peak performance of 1.82 petaflops at double precision, and yielded 1.07 petaflops on the Linpack test, for a computational efficiency of 58.8 percent. That 33 nodes system only burned 97 kilowatts, however, and yielded a very impressive 15.1 gigaflops per watt on Linpack. This efficiency, we think, is at least partly limited by the PCI-Express 3.0 links between the Xeons and the GPUs, and the CPUs and the EDR InfiniBand adapters in the system. And IBM’s top brass in the Power Systems business agrees, and thinks that a Power9-Volta combination with NVLinks not only between the GPUs, but hooking the GPUs to the CPUs too will result in better computational efficiency. “We have been able to achieve 95 percent scaling efficiency across a cluster,” Dylan Boday, the offering manager for the AC922 machine at the Cognitive Systems division within IBM, tells The Next Platform. “The workloads around AI are no longer running on individual nodes, they are really multimode, and you really need to be able to scale efficiently within the node and across nodes to get the maximum return on investment for those GPUs. With Power9, you have PCI-Express 4.0 going out to InfiniBand, you have NVLink going to out to the GPUs, and co-optimized software in PowerAI that takes advantage of Spectrum Conductor that allows for this 95 percent scaling across nodes. We have created what is essentially a very flat cluster that scales efficiently.” We would think, of course, that with Power9 systems augmented with GPUs on workloads like Linpack, for which all of the scaling tricks are well known and presumable were tuned with the combination of the Power8+ chip, NVLink 1.0, and the “Pascal” P100 accelerators, would do better than what Nvidia has seen on its DGX-1V machines in terms of computational efficiency. IBM has not divulged Linpack tests for the Power9-Volta hybrids yet, but Brad McCredie, who is an IBM Fellow, is vice president of Power Systems development, and is also president of the OpenPower Foundation, gave us some hints. “We are pushing our GPU efficiency within the node up to 80 percent running Linpack,” McCredie confirms based on some initial results at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which has nodes for its “Summit” system, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which has its initial nodes for its “Sierra” system. “And we are still climbing as well,” McCredie adds. The CORAL procurement for these two machines uses special 22 core versions of the Power9 chip that deliver 650 gigaflops of double precision floating point compute across each processor, for a total of 1.3 teraflops on the CPU compute side. Each Volta GPU accelerator delivers 7 teraflops, with Summit having six GPUs per node and Sierra having four GPUs per node with an option to add more. Call it 42 teraflops aggregate for the GPUs in the Summit node, and at 80 percent, that is something close to 33.6 teraflops per node. It is not unreasonable, given all of that I/O and cache coherency to imagine that a Power9-Volta node could get 90 percent computational efficiency. When we suggested this to McCredie, he didn’t laugh or call use stupid. (The K supercomputer at Japan’s RIKEN lab, which is based on multicore Sparc64 CPUs and a 5D torus interconnect, does Linpack at 93.2 percent computational efficiency, and it sets the bar. Very high.) For AI workloads, IBM is trotting out two machine learning tests to show off how Power9 stacks up against Xeons, with both types of system being accelerated by Volta GPUs. Take a look: In both cases, IBM is testing a two-socket server using ten-core “Broadwell” Xeon E5-2640 v4 processors running at 2.4 GHz plus four Tesla V100 GPU accelerators against an AC922 system with two 20-core “Nimbus” Power9 chips running at 2 GHz plus the same four Tesla V100 GPU accelerators. Now here is the rub: rather than take the stock GoogleNet convolutional neural network model and the stock ImageNet dataset, IBM took an enlarged GoogleNet model with more layers and also grabbed an enlarged ImageNet data set, which really puts a strain on the memory in the GPUs and the communication back and forth between the CPUs. IBM has developed what it calls Large Model Support, in conjunction with the Power8+ processors and the NVLinks to it on the Pascal P100 accelerators that were in its prior “Minksy” Power S822LC for HPC machine, that now runs even better with the Witherspoon iron. In particular, the various levels of the neural network are stored in the Power9 CPU memory where they can be quickly accessed thanks to the coherency in the NVLink interconnect and the IBM tweaks to the Linux kernel. In effect, the Power9 chip’s DDR4 main memory is like a shared L4 cache for the GPUs and hooks into the GPUs as fast (in terms of interconnect speed) as the 16 GB HBM2 memory chunks on each GPU accelerator. This Large Model Support is only available on IBM’s own PowerAI software stack, and is really only useful on servers equipped with NVLink ports on the CPUs. As you can see in the chart above, the combination of the iron and the tweaked software allows the training times on the Witherspoon system to be compressed by a factor of 3.7X on the Chainer image recognition framework from Preferred Networks and by a factor of 3.8X on the Caffe image recognition framework created by Facebook. IBM did not provide scaling beyond a single node in its initial tests, but we expect that it will do so shortly. Moreover, IBM did not show how the Witherspoon machine would do against the DGX-1V, which has eight GPUs instead of four and which could possibly do a lot better thanks to the doubling of the compute and HBM2 memory on the GPU side and the fact that they are all linked by NVLink as well. We suspect, however, that a DGX-1V would only do at best twice as well as the Xeon-Tesla machine that IBM tested, and maybe less than that because of the PCI-Express bottlenecks between the GPUs and the CPUs within the node. And on multinode setups, where IBM has PCI-Express 4.0 links pushing InfiniBand, which have twice the bandwidth as the PCI-Express 3.0 slots on the past several generations of Xeons (including the new “Skylake” Xeon SPs), the PCI-Express bus will be a bottleneck that will curb in-node performance. Just as we saw above in the Linpack tests that Nvidia itself has run. The obvious answer, as we have said, is for Nvidia to do its OpenPower partner a square and launch a DGP-1V server based on Power9 chips instead of Xeons and cram four, six, or eight Volta GPUs in the box. A few more NVLink 2.0 ports on the Voltas would have been a help here, perhaps. But you can’t have everything all at the same time.TLDR; I implemented a Visual Studio Language Server Protocol extension for PowerShell. Check out the source code here. See it in action here. Visual Studio Language Server Protocol extensions Visual Studio language development is hard. There are so many aspects to a language that you need to consider and working with the Visual Studio SDK can be trying at times. Me every time I work on a PoshTools bug Released a couple days ago, the newest Preview version of Visual Studio 2017 and the Language Server Protocol Client Preview, allow you to develop languages the same way you develop them in Visual Studio Code: using the Language Server Protocol. This abstracts away some of the intricacies of working with the VS SDK. Here’s an image I took from documentation for adding a LSP extension that explains the architecture of the LSP client in Visual Studio and VS Code. An Example Language Server Protocol extension in Visual Studio Knowing a lot about the PowerShell Language Support in Visual Studio, I decided to give it a try to see if I could use the new LSP support a try. The PowerShell extension for VS Code already communicates via LSP to the PowerShell Editor Services library that is hosted within PowerShell. This meant that I should be able to use the exact same language server to expose PowerShell in VS with the new client code. I followed the instructions in the documentation to create my extension. The resulting implementation code for the LSP extension is actually very, very minimal. The first step is to locate the VS Code extension. I’m just looking in the VS Code extension folder for it. I then find the Start-EditorService.ps1 script to actually launch the PowerShell Editor Services. Once, I had that script, the next order of business was to actually launch PowerShell and pass the correct arguments to it. The script expects a session path, a log path and some other information about the hosting application. I defined all of that as arguments to PowerShell.exe. PowerShell Editor Services works by starting up a TCP server within PowerShell and then communicates back and forth to the editor of the port. The port that it’s listening on is written out to the session file that you define on the command line. This file contains a bunch other info and is formatted as JSON. After starting the editor services, I then can parse the JSON file and open a TCP client to the editor services running in PowerShell. The Visual Studio Language Server Protocol Client expects a Connection object to be returned with an input\output stream. In this case I can return a NetworkStream from the TCP client that is connected to PSES in PowerShell. The Result The result is that I now have IntelliSense and static code analysis in Visual Studio via PowerShell Editor Services. This means that features like PSScriptAnalyzer support, which don’t even exist in PoshTools, now are available in Visual Studio. I’m extremely impressed with how easy this way. The Future I believe that the future of language support with come from LSP clients. A unified language service shared between Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code will have great results on both tools. We still have a ways to go. The LSP doesn’t support debugging. It’s a different protocol. The LSP itself isn’t even complete within Visual Studio. There’s a chart in the documentation about it. I anticipate it will take some time before this is completely available in VS. Until then, PoshTools continues to be a good alternative for PowerShell developers using Visual Studio. If you would like to see the full implementation of the PowerShell Language Server Protocol Client, visit this GitHub repository.The scout didn’t believe it back then any more than we do now. The date was July 14, 2011, and Jason Grilli was pitching across the commonwealth for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Yeah, they’re really called the IronPigs. Linger long enough in the minors, and you’ll get called every tobacco-stained name in the book, but even for a 34-year-old wearing his 17th different professional baseball cap, who’d climbed mounds from Fresno to Frisco to California to Calgary to Jupiter, who’d just lost a year to a gruesome knee injury … this was rock bottom. He was an IronPig. For two-plus months, he was one of the best relievers in Triple-A with a 1.93 ERA, and he was still an IronPig. A few rows behind the plate on this night was Marc DelPiano. He’s a special assistant for the Pirates, a position that’s essentially a pro scout. Meaning he searches for players who can help the big club right now. Grilli knew DelPiano was there. They’d been friends since Grilli’s teen years in upstate New York, so DelPiano let him know. This might be a chance. Grilli also knew he wasn’t assured of anyone else coming. In baseball’s minors, when you turn 24, you’re getting old. When you’re 34, you might as well be a ghost. Check that: This might be the chance. Grilli came on for the eighth inning and manhandled all three Syracuse batters: Swinging K, flyout, flyout. It took only nine pitches, and it came via 95 mph heat offset by a biting slider. “What’s this guy doing in the minors?” DelPiano recalled asking himself. He needed more, though. Anyone can have a good inning, and DelPiano wanted to test Grilli’s physical strength — “and the mental side, too” — by seeing him on back-to-back nights. DelPiano and Grilli together approached Ryne Sandberg, Lehigh Valley’s manager and the notable former Cubs second baseman, to ask if he could make that happen. Sandberg, as is common courtesy, obliged his veteran. Next night, Grilli came through again: Groundout, flyout, swinging K. A week later, after exercising an escape clause and signing as a minor league free agent, he was pitching for the Pirates. ‘An amazing story’ Two years later, he’s an All-Star. Grilli was among the National League reserves named Saturday night, sending him to the main event July 15 at New York’s Citi Field. He’ll hobnob with all of the sport’s greats, soak in the big lights, savor every moment … on the precise two-year anniversary of the night DelPiano changed his life. DelPiano, 45, is a rising star in executive circles dating to his time with the perennially talent-rich Expos, Marlins and Red Sox. Since joining the Pirates four years ago, his scouting has led to the acquisitions of A.J. Burnett, Russell Martin, Michael McKenry and Xavier Paul, among others. But it’s easily evident from his emotional expression when speaking of Grilli that one stands above all. “I’ve thought the world of Jason as a person from high school to Seton Hall to right here,” DelPiano said. “And now I’m like everybody else, yelling ‘Grilled Cheese!’ when he comes into the game.’ It’s an amazing story. He’s an amazing story.” If anything, that’s understated. Can you think of a story that rivals a 36-year-old rocketing into the sport’s best closer in his first year in the role? He has 28 saves in 29 chances. He has a 2.15 ERA. He’s allowing.88 walks and hits per inning pitched. He’s struck out 60, walked seven. He’s allowed opponents to bat a Mendoza-envying.187. He’s been, in a word … “Fantastic,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “Superb,” pitching coach Ray Searage said. “Unbelievable,” said Martin, his catcher. And most important, including if you ask Grilli himself, he’s combined with Mark Melancon and a generally exceptional bullpen to backstop — and at times, carry — the best team in baseball. “Honestly, that’s what counts most in my eyes,” Grilli was saying in the home dugout this past week at PNC Park. “I think all of our guys have closer stuff. I’m humbled and honored to be part of that group. I’m humbled and honored, actually, by everything that’s happened this year, including to this team and to these great fans that deserve this so much. And I don’t ever forget that.” He looked down briefly, then looked back up. “I walked in those shoes, man. I’ve been that fifth-, sixth-inning guy. I’ve walked the hard road. I’ve been that guy who thinks maybe he’s done.” There were signs that he was anything but done well before this. Upon joining the Pirates, Grilli quickly advanced from middle relief to late duty in 2011, posting a 2.48 ERA. He even earned an arbitration contract, a rarity for a reliever here. Last season, he elevated further to become a premier setup man, posting a 2.90 ERA and fanning batters like never before. And yet, ask Searage to name everyone inside or outside the organization who might have thought Grilli could excel like this, and he’ll be typically blunt. “Grilli,” Searage replied. “Just Grilli.” ‘Just the confidence’ How does this happen? Grilli’s career ERA in 280 games in the majors, spread over a decade, was 4.63 before coming to Pittsburgh. In the minors, it was 4.41. He averaged half as many strikeouts, twice as many walks. Surely, there was a significant pitching adjustment, no? Well, a couple. In 2006, Grilli was converted from starting to relief while with the Tigers. Not coincidentally, he dropped his curveball that same year and stuck solely by a fastball-slider combination more characteristic of a reliever. And? “That was pretty much it,” DelPiano said. “Oh, and before hurting the knee, he shortened up his delivery on the back end. Minor thing.” That’s it. Grilli is throwing the same way, he’s still averaging the same 94 mph on his fastball he has the past several years, and he’s suddenly getting sensational results. No Searage magic? “None,” the coach came back. “When Jason came to us, I was his friend. That’s all. I believed in him, and I let him know that every day.” It apparently meant the world. Grilli once was on the traditional prospect’s path. He broke in with the Marlins for a handful of appearances in just his third and fourth years of pro ball. He had the size at 6-foot-4, the live arm, the poise, even the genetics of being former big-league pitcher Steve Grilli’s son. But Tommy John surgery in 2002 threw off everything, and he bounced around until landing in Detroit three years later. He finally found regular work in the majors, but … “You have to have people believing in you. You have to have that support system,” Brandon Inge, Grilli’s teammate then and now, was saying. “All it takes is knowing that someone, anyone doesn’t, and it’s just not the same. With Jason, I think he felt like every pitch could be his last back then. He was in middle relief, which isn’t great for job security in the first place, and I think there were some up high who didn’t have faith.” Inge wouldn’t elaborate, other than to stress he wasn’t referring to Jim Leyland. The difference Inge sees now? “To me, he’s the same pitcher,” he said. “It’s just the confidence. Night and day.” In early 2008, the Tigers traded Grilli to the Rockies. On his first day at Coors Field, he took to the outfield with the other pitchers to shag flies and soon was joined by Hurdle, Colorado’s manager then. Here’s how both men recall that conversation: Hurdle: “What do you want to do here? What’s your goal?” Grilli: “I want the back end. I want to close.” Hurdle: “Really? Then why aren’t you already doing it?” Grilli: “Because nobody in this business pays attention to inherited runners. I’ve been stranding 71-72 percent of my runners coming into jams, and that’s the toughest job in baseball. If I can do that, I can close.” “I was impressed by that,” Hurdle says now. “I always want my players setting high goals for themselves, but Jason arriving there brand new and saying that … it stuck with me.” Right through this past winter, evidently. When it was clear the Pirates sought to trade last year’s closer, Joel Hanrahan, Hurdle phoned Grilli to see if that sentiment still applied. “I think I kind of knew,” Hurdle said. “But I wanted to hear it.” So he did. “I felt like I already was a closer in the way I’d pitched the eighth inning, just like I feel Melancon is that now,” Grilli said. “But yeah, I told Clint I wanted it. Better believe I did.” ‘It’s conviction’ Confidence is a funny, fragile thing, and baseball can beat it out of the best of them. Even then, that doesn’t do justice to what the game had done to Grilli for a decade and a half, mentally and physically. As DelPiano put it, “He’s got a couple of screws in his elbow and who knows what in that knee.” But there he was two Sundays ago in Anaheim, visibly dragging as he allowed the Angels to score three times and put the tying and winning runs in scoring position for Mike Trout. Then, lockdown. The fastball somehow found its way to 95 mph, and he finished off by getting one of the American League’s best hitters to flail at a wicked slider. That was no IronPig at work. “It’s conviction,” Grilli said. That the ball will do good things upon leaving his hand? “All conviction.” That he, in that moment, is better than Trout? “Conviction, man.” He raised his right fist. “That fist pump I did after that game in Anaheim and after all the other saves … there’s a lot that goes into that. I’m not doing it for show. I’m not doing it just because we won. I’m doing it because I feel everything that’s gone into that moment. I feel how I’ve been Humpty Dumpty that doctors had to put together. I feel all the doubts that others have had, that I’ve had myself. I feel all of it.” The fist opened, and he motioned around at PNC Park’s seats. “I feel all of this, everything that’s been happening here. And I’ll tell you, I feel it in a way most guys in this game never will.” Dejan Kovacevic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at dkovacevic@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Dejan_Kovacevic.The Manchester City striker is edging closer to a move to White Hart Lane with the Premier League champions desperate to offload the Togo international INJURY SCARE FOR BALE Follow Greg Stobart on By Greg Stobart Tottenham expect to complete a £5 million deal to sign Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City in the next 48 hours.Negotiations had stalled over Adebayor’s £170,000-a-week wage demands but Spurs believe they have made a breakthrough and are increasingly confident of concluding the move The Londoners will pay Adebayor a £5m signing-on fee and have been asking City to subsidise the Togo international striker’s wages, with the Premier League champions desperate to offload the former Arsenal man to free up wages and space in their squad.Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has held talks with Adebayor’s representatives in the United States and believes a deal is finally close to completion following the 28-year-old’s season-long loan at White Hart Lane.Andre Villas-Boas, the Tottenham manager, has been pushing club bosses to clinch the deal as he looks to improve his strikeforce by signing two forwards this summer, with Jermain Defoe the only senior striker currently in the Spurs squad.Adebayor returned to training at City’s Carrington training ground earlier this month before taking a break as he waited for his move to Spurs, having turned down the prospect of a move to Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow.City are ready to accept a huge financial hit to offload Adebayor so they can make a £15m move for Arsenal captain Robin van Persie City boss Roberto Mancini has made the Dutch striker his top summer target and has barely concealed his frustration with football administrator Brian Marwood over the club’s slow progress in adding new players this summer But Marwood first needs to sell Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz, who between them are costing the club £280,000-a-week in wages.Adebayor played a key role for Spurs on loan last season under Harry Redknapp, scoring 17 Premier League goals and providing 11 assists in 33 appearances.The forward, a £25m signing from Arsenal in the summer of 2009, has been frozen out at City since lining up against Red Bull Salzburg in a Europa League tie in December 2010.He has made just 45 appearances for the club in all competitions and spent the second half of the 2010-11 season on loan at Real Madrid before his year at Spurs.Image caption The supernova grew to inexplicable size in a short period of time, starting nearly 2,000 years ago A mystery surrounding the first recorded supernova - seen by Chinese astronomers in AD185 - has been solved. The supernova RCW 86 lit up the sky for eight months, documented at the time as a "guest star". In more recent times, astronomers have wondered how it grew so large, so fast. Space telescope observations now suggest that before exploding, a wind of material from the star blew a cavity around it, into which the supernova could expand much more quickly. The supernova, about 8,000 light-years away, is huge - if the infrared light it emits could
had their own rich languages from which the newcomers occasionally borrowed. Missing, however, were the words of the Beothuk, the indigenous people of the island who were wiped out, along with their language, by the early 19th century. Scraps of their vocabulary were transcribed by the settlers (albeit poorly), but none of their words were adopted into spoken English. The origins of European settlement began with the arrival of explorer John Cabot, who reached the island of Newfoundland in 1497 and claimed it for England. Cabot returned to Europe with astonishing tales about the abundance of cod. The waters were so thick with fish, the mythology goes, that you could walk across their backs to reach the shore. Drawn by the aquatic bounty, the Basques, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Irish, and West Country English followed, fishing the waters that surrounded the island and Labrador. What were initially seasonal fishing stations, grew to permanent communities—called outports—by the late 18th century. The tiny settlements ringed the shoreline and were connected only by the sea. (It wasn’t until 1949 that the region got its first major highway when Newfoundland and Labrador, then still part of the British dominion, joined Canada.) Language bloomed in this isolation, inspired by the wild and unfamiliar environment and influenced by Old World cultures. Words arrived from everywhere. Spanish fishermen brought bacalao, their name for cod. Dwy, to describe a short, sudden storm was imported from West Country English. A local trickster was called a sleveen, adopted from Irish. The newcomers picked up on terms already tied to place, like tabanask, an anglicized Innu language term for toboggan and the Mi’kmaq word, babbish, referring to the stretched animal hide used in the crisscrossed base of snowshoes, as well as sina, the word the Inuit use to describe the edge of a floating ice field. But sina wasn’t enough—there were so many types of ice and snow in the coastal waters where the early fishermen hauled in their catch. Naming these unfamiliar formations—the soft ice close to shore (lolly), or a mass of ice and snow in seawater (slob)—was paramount to survival. Because of this, language was often occupational and rooted in the culture of the fishery. Hence the plethora of terms used to describe every stage of seal development, from white-coat (baby) to ragged-jacket (immature) and bedlam (middle-aged) to dotard (old). For a weather forecaster like Snoddon, language is similarly important and tied to vocation. Along with Sheila’s Brush, he regularly peppers his weather reports with local terms. Overcast, damp, and foggy days are mauzy, and he constantly calls for RDF (the regional acronym used for rain, drizzle, and fog). So far he hasn’t managed to use glitter—the term for freezing rain that accretes as ice on branches and wires—or fairy squall, a sudden gust of wind that seems to come from nowhere, as if conjured by supernatural forces. As a transplant from Ontario, Snoddon is careful to learn the words first so he can integrate them in a way that seems natural. “You kind of want to almost get your street cred before you try and use those kinds of words,” says Snoddon. “You don’t want to make it just seem that you’re saying them for the sake of saying them.” Why Newfoundland and Labrador has its own lexicon, and why so many of the province’s words relate to the coastal environment is both obvious and complex says folklorist Philip Hiscock of Memorial University. The farther people were from the authoritative culture of St. John’s, the province’s capital, but also of Britain and Canada, the less it mattered, so there is a grammar of place at play in the regional dialect. “The words that are important to you are the ones that reflect right here and now,” says Hiscock. “So they’re going to vary, they’re going to change, and they’re going to be imbued with a sense of locality.” Hiscock says that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a love of language, in particular local language, and this has contributed to what he calls the “aesthetic” or “poetic value” of their vocabulary. He cites the word silver thaw, which, like glitter, is used to describe the ice that forms on trees when rain falls near the freezing mark. Another factor in the development of their distinct dialect is Newfoundland and Labrador’s strong oral tradition. These stories were often born of hardship, adversity, and perseverance in the face of poverty with plot points that reflected a lingering feudal system that saw rural fishing families beholden to the capricious elements and merchants in larger centers. These narratives were inspired by a world that was both harsh and beautiful, good and bad—the dichotomy at the heart of all great tales. Stories, like songs, are told with cadence and tone, timing, and, most importantly, attention to language. Perhaps there simply weren’t enough words to describe the erratic weather and rock-lashed land, the complex history of the people who settled there, and the boundless sea that surrounded them. Maybe the regional lexicon was not simply the result of limitation—the isolation of the outports—but a response to the limitlessness of the natural and social landscape. The vocabulary is fluid. It’s an ongoing dialogue, and it’s as captivating and elusive as the Newfoundland fairies. Preservation efforts are constantly underway, from the b’ys (read: dudes) on George Street outdoing one another with local slang to the academics who collect and study this kind of talk like specimens in a jar. But it’s the artists who’ve cornered the market on heritage language in the province. Marlene Creates, for example, captures the language of the natural world in her poetry and visual art, which are equal parts aesthetic and political. And what wordsmith could resist terms like glim, a light seen across a distant ice field, or swatch, a rivulet of open water in ice? There is an onomatopoeic quality to these words that lends itself to lyrical language: sketch, for the thin layer of ice that rests on the water; sish, both the word that describes a boat running through slushy water and the resulting sound. You can hear the crackle in brickle ice, which is easily shattered. Way ice is more straightforward, in that a vessel can navigate its broken pans. These are some of the terms featured in Creates’s recently published book, Brickle, Nish, and Knobbly: A Newfoundland Treasury of Terms for Ice and Snow. Creates, whose work is in collections across the country, including the National Gallery of Canada, has been working in what she calls “landscape literacy” for three decades. It’s a mix of performance art, poetry, and photography, with landscape and language as the connecting threads. “What goes unnamed largely goes unseen,” says Creates. “Knowing the terms helps us actually see different phenomena, instead of winter being just a cold, white blur.” For her most recent project, Creates made an inventory of snow and ice words, and then photographed real world illustrations in Conception Bay and Blast Hole Pond near where she lives. Like artifacts in a museum, she preserves these words and displays them for future generations. Logophiles like Creates have been cataloguing Newfoundland and Labrador’s words for centuries, but the best known and most prolific collection is The Dictionary of Newfoundland English (DNE). A joint venture of scholars W. J. Kirwin, G. M. Story, and J. D. A. Widdowson, based out of Memorial University of Newfoundland, it was published in the early 1980s after more than two decades of research. The dictionary defines each word and includes spelling variants, but also offers insight into the culture, culling from both oral and written sources and including snippets of these texts as illustrations of how the terms might be used. It allows the reader to envision the words in situ as they might exist in a casual conversation. This is helpful for the layperson as many of the words in the DNE are no longer in popular use, and others are regional, so specific that common terms in one bay are unheard of in the next. Along the southern coast of Labrador a floater is a migratory fisherman. He could also be called a roomer, as he sets up a seasonal fishing room to work from. But a room might also be referred to as a station, and thus the roomer or floater might also be a stationer. Words like roomer, floater, and stationer largely disappeared from the vocabulary as technology progressed and the economy changed. When the fishery moved from an inshore family-based industry to commercial fleets, there were no longer beachmasters (the person responsible for curing and drying fish) or dressers (the person who removes the backbone, head, and guts of the fish). The enormous trawlers didn’t use the small knot of boulders fastened with twigs—called a killick—that had anchored the smaller punts. Overfishing by these outsized vessels led the Canadian government to impose a moratorium on cod fishing in 1992. It was a cultural loss as much as an economic hit and language was just one of the many casualties. Meanwhile, climate change may increase the occurrence of ice storms in the province, so words like silver thaw and glitter could enjoy a resurgence, or at least retain their rank in the regional vernacular. When the DNE editors first began compiling the dictionary in the 1950s, they saw joining confederation with Canada as one of the main threats to Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique lexicon. Then-premier Joey Smallwood famously said he would drag Newfoundland kicking and screaming into the 20th century, suggesting that the region was heavily rooted in the past. So, a secondary menace were people who felt regional words were outdated, marking Newfoundlanders as inferior, and thus not worthy of preservation. The distasteful “Newfie” jokes that mimicked the island’s dialect and depicted inhabitants as hapless goofs are, thankfully, dying out in the rest of Canada where they were once popular. (Case in point: What’s black and blue and floats in the harbor? The last mainlander who told a Newfie joke.) The aim of the dictionary was to create a word storehouse from which scholars, but perhaps more importantly, Newfoundlanders from all backgrounds could draw. The resulting dictionary largely achieved its goals, as even more than an academic resource writers, artists, and musicians also find inspiration in its pages. And so does the general public; the DNE often finds a place of reverence on living room coffee tables from Muddy Hole to Joe Batt’s Arm. It’s been reprinted 17 times since it was first published in 1982, and the second edition alone sold 10,000 copies. Across the province, speakers are repurposing the language as a way of asserting their roots. Along with his uniform, a tour guide might slip on an Irish-sounding brogue and sprinkle his speech with Newfoundlandese while performing for tourists, or it might be a routine adopted among peers, proving your insider status by using words like touton (a traditional food of deep-fried bread with syrup) or calling mosquitos “nippers.” It’s a linguistic secret handshake that’s often accompanied by putting on a thick regional accent. If you say it in the right situation, you’re kind of underscoring your difference from others and your pride in your competence in this alternate culture, explains Hiscock. It’s a small-scale language revival. Some words will persist in this way and others will remain a historical mark, an entry in the 770-page dictionary. And, as in the case of the Beothuk, some are lost entirely. We will never know what words for ice, mountains, storms, flora and fauna, and more disappeared with this culture. “You can’t really save a language, but you can renovate it in certain ways,” Hiscock says. “It’s a little like tearing down an old building and saving the wood and the windows so that other people can put it to use in their places.” As the fishery continues to decline and some of the language goes with it, words are being used in new ways. They appear in visual art, music, and literature; in the names of businesses, restaurants, and cultural ventures across the province; and, of course, in the daily weather forecast. There’s one word that Snoddon admires above all others, and hopes to incorporate into his newscasts: screecher. It’s used to describe a howling wind or storm. “I’ve been thinking, could I pull it off?” Snoddon asks, then he dons his newscaster voice and tries it out: “There’s a real screecher of a wind out there today.” He’s silent for a beat. “I wonder, how many people would really know what I was talking about?” When storm season approaches in the North Atlantic, Snoddon will have plenty of occasions to try it out. Maybe he’ll be responsible for bringing screecher back into the local lexicon, putting his own twist on the word, claiming it, and just as he does this, also setting it free.Still a pawn in the cruelty of the war on terror Posted The Abbott Government could choose to make life difficult for David Hicks as he tries to overturn his US conviction on terrorism charges, but he deserves better, writes Greg Barns. Canberra owes former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks some support. Hicks is appealing against his March 2007 military court conviction (he pleaded guilty while maintaining innocence which is allowable under US law) for providing material support for terrorism, and his lawyers should be able to get a clear run at the appeal without any interference from the Abbott Government. The Australian Government must answer questions about its knowledge of the horrific crimes committed against Hicks by those who oversaw Guantanamo Bay during the five years he was held there. Mr Hicks was never a terrorist. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time - a lost soul hanging out with some causes and characters with which the West had taken issue after 9/11. Hicks was captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in late 2001 and handed over to the Americans. There was never any evidence that Hicks was any more than a fellow traveller with the Taliban. But what happened to David Hicks at Guantanamo Bay should outrage any decent minded person. Hicks alleges he was sexually assaulted, beaten and tortured during his years in that hellhole that the US leases from Cuba. As Amnesty International has noted: David Hicks's allegations echo claims that have come not only from detainees, but also from non-detainee sources, including FBI agents who have said they witnessed abuses in Guantanamo Then there was the cruel farce of the Military Commissions Act passed by Congress at the behest of the Bush Administration and under which Hicks was charged. It allowed for secret trials run by the military, and the invention of criminal charges that would not pass muster in the civilian court system. Hicks' plea bargain was, as Lex Lasry, now a Victorian Supreme Court judge, observed: ... the product of an inherently oppressive and coercive system. The agreement reflects a view on the part of the US authorities that liberty is not a right that may only be denied a person in accordance with strict procedure established by law, but rather liberty is a bargaining chip that the State may use to avoid accountability and buy impunity. The Military Commissions Act also allowed for retrospective charges to be brought against detainees. But in October last year, the US Court of the Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, regarded as second only to the US Supreme Court in terms of its jurisprudence, ruled that the charge of providing material support for terrorism was not in fact a lawful charge. This decision, known as Hamdan, gives David Hicks a chance to seek justice for the first time since his capture in 2001. Critically, the US Court of Appeals interpreted "the Military Commissions Act of 2006 so that it does not authorize retroactive prosecution for conduct committed before enactment of that Act unless the conduct was already prohibited under existing US law as a war crime triable by military commission... Material support for terrorism was not a war crime under the law of war" at the time of Hamdan's conduct. The preponderance of legal opinion in the United States is that the October 2012 decision means that David Hicks, despite pledging not to appeal as part of his plea bargain, ought to have his conviction overturned. The Australian Government could still make life difficult for David Hicks. Since he came back to Australia in December 2007, courtesy of a political buddies deal between an electorally diving prime minister John Howard and president George W Bush, Hicks was placed on a draconian and completely unnecessary control order under Australia's anti-terror laws. This meant ASIO surveilling his every movement and putting restrictions on what he might or might not do. The Commonwealth DPP pursued Hicks for proceeds of crime application when his book was released in 2011, but fortunately thought the better of it and dropped the application. No doubt the Abbott Government could call on its chums in the Department of Defence in Washington and in the White House and appeal to them to block Hicks' application. To do so would be churlish, but also endorse implicitly the rogue status of the military 'justice' system set up in the past 9/11 era of irrationality. What Australia should reflect on is whether or not Canberra is liable for the appalling physical and mental abuse that was inflicted on Hicks at Guantanamo Bay and about which he complained as early as 2002. Did the Howard government know what was happening to Hicks? Did the Embassy in Washington bother to inquire about the welfare of one of its own citizens? If the answer is that yes, Canberra did know, then more than an apology is owed to Hicks. David Hicks deserves justice. He was never a terrorist. He was never even linked to Al Qaeda. He was a pawn in the cruelty of the war on terror and he deserves to have no obstacles put in the way of his quest to clear his name. Greg Barns is a barrister and a spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance. View his full profile here. Topics: human, law-crime-and-justice, unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, terrorismChina has launched the most radical reform blitz in more than 30 years, unveiling a raft of measures to ease social controls and pave the way towards a free-market consumer economy. The Communist Party vowed to break the suffocating grip of the giant state-owned companies, sweep away a tangle of price controls, move towards convertibility of the yuan and phase out caps on interest rates, all in the name of a “mixed ownership economy”. The reforms aim to create a property market in the countryside for the first time, and ease the Medieval hukuo laws that keep peasant families trapped in their villages. There will be a property tax to curb soaring home prices. Local governments will lose control over the courts, a first step towards an independent judiciary. The one-child policy dating back to the Mao-era in 1970s will be relaxed further. “Re-education” labour camps will be abolished. The details of the package released by the Third Plenum go further than expected and flesh out the “master plan” promised by President Xi Jinping. They help ease worries about a Maoist revival in the party and heavy-handed methods to crush dissent. Wang Tao from UBS said the document amounts to a “sweeping reform plan” but the real test is whether the Communist machinery delivers on the pledges. The party will have to navigate treacherous waters, coping with the fall-out from a credit bubble that has pushed loans to more than 200pc of GDP and led to massive overcapacity. Promises made 10 years ago came to little, leading to a so-called “lost decade” for reform. The aim is to break reliance on state-driven investment in heavy industry and shift towards a modern consumer society, with a bigger role for private companies that are much more agile and creative. President Xi vowed that China would make the leap to a new model in time to avert the sort of “middle income trap” that has ensnared countless states over the past half century that clung too long to an exhausted structure. China’s Development Research Centre warned last year that the low-hanging fruit of catch-up growth has already been picked. The country risks stalling unless it moves beyond Deng Xiaoping’s 30-year-old system, which relies on cheap wages, imported technology and exports of low-margin goods. Crucially, it said the next phase of hi-tech growth requires an open, free-thinking society, and an end to top-down rule. It remains far from clear whether Xi Jinping will take that risk. The clampdown on the internet has become more intense since he took charge. Xu Yaotong, from Beijing’s academy of political science, said President Xi’s crackdown has been a tactical move to ensure stability and secure the support of Politburo hard-liners for his free-market drive. Deng Xiaoping used the same ploy before launching China’s first market revolution in 1978. “Without political stability, nothing is going to work. Xi Jinping can’t rush society into democracy,” said Mr Xu. Yet expert opinion is deeply divided. Critics say the contradiction between Xi Jinping’s free-market push and his reliance on Leninist party control is untenable, certain to be tested as the middle class grows in confidence. The new leadership may have to choose between the two. The reforms may meet stiff resistance from vested interests, especially from state behemoths that serve as patronage machines for party bosses. The text said they would have “less role in allocating resources” and would have to transfer 30pc of their profits to the general budget. Even the one-child policy has its vested interests. Richer Chinese who flout the controls have to pay a fine of £900 for each extra child. This generated £1.8bn of revenue for local authorities last year. Officials have come to rely on the income just as British local councils rely on parking fees. Yet the broad thrust of the plans seems likely to transform Chinese life over time. Land reform will allow farmers to sell, rent and inherit land that is not earmarked for agrarian use, creating a property-owning "yeoman" society in the countryside, with political views to match. Price controls on water, oil, gas and electricity will be lifted gradually, ending a subsidy system that is bleeding the budget and leading to a wasteful abuse of the country’s scarce resources. “We will provide a pricing mechanism that will be decided by the market,” it said. The new hukuo rules will abolish curbs on rural migration to smaller towns, phase out controls gradually for medium-sized cities, but maintain a tight grip for the bigger cities. The “fine-tuning” of the one-child policy has sparked the most interest in the West, but is unlikely to have much economic impact. Fertility rates have collapsed to near 1.2 in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan - far below the replacement level of 2.0 - and much the same is happening in China’s eastern cities for complex reasons. The rate in Shanghai has dropped to 1.08, the word’s lowest. Families can already have a second child if both parents are single children. The reform merely extends this to marriages where just one parent is a single child. This covers only 16m couples. The changes will have no impact on labour supply for 20 years. Yet China’s demographic crisis is already in full swing. The workforce declined by 3m last year, an inflexion point that has hit sooner than expected. The International Monetary Fund says the numbers in work will now go into “precipitous decline”, leading to a labour shortage of 140m shortly after 2030. What is remarkable is that the Communist Party has kept such stringent curbs in place until now. The one-child reform comes 20 years too late."Take a seat, Mr Arc." Ozpin gestured to a chair on the opposite side of his desk. They were in Ozpin's office, at the highest point of Beacon tower. From his position, Ozpin – and by extension right now, Jaune – could see all the way to Vale from here, let alone the entirety of the school itself. Jaune took his place and waited anxiously. After a while, Ozpin spoke. "I must say, Mr Arc, I am glad you were able to resolve the situation with Mr Winchester… and the rest of your team. Though might I recommend seeking advice sooner? You'll find it comes in handy more often than you might expect." Ozpin rested placed his hands together. "You… uh… saw that, sir?" Jaune glanced around. There didn't seem to be any cameras. "Yes, Mr Arc. We do have the capability to see our students at almost all times. Your dormitories are, of course, quite private." Jaune thought about that carefully, before responding. "What about the changing rooms, sir?" Ozpin's response was simply to tilt his head down, look up at Jaune over his glasses, and raise an eyebrow, in an expression that screamed "really?" Jaune took that as a sign that those too were private, and moved on. "So, uh, sir? I-if you don't mind me asking, why did you want me to come to your office? N-not that I'm complaining, of course." With a wry grin, and a raised eyebrow, Ozpin replied. "You mean I can't simply invite you here for the conversation?" Jaune just looked confused. "I… don't think I'm that interesting, sir." Ozpin smiled at his humble honesty. "Perhaps. But I did ask you here so that we could have a discussion. To be blunt, I've noticed some unusual behaviour on your part. For example, during Mr Winchester's attempts to belittle you, you frequently found ways to avoid him at the last moment. You also seem to have become more… determined over time, particularly today, as opposed to prior moments. I admit, these are not necessarily indicators of anything substantial, but I was curious. Your conversation with Miss Nikos earlier was also a sign of sudden growth, and I wished to have my own input. So, Mr Arc, is there anything you would like to discuss?" After he finished, Ozpin leaned back, to allow Jaune to talk. Jaune hesitated, with something clearly on his mind. "I… don't really know where to begin, sir." Jaune shrugged. "Beacon is… different to how I imagined. Not in a bad way, but… stuff." He finished in a lame fashion. Ozpin picked up his coffee. "Hmm." After taking a sip, he seemingly went on a tangent to the conversation. "Did you know I taught your father once-upon-a-time?" Jaune's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Uh, no sir. He… never spoke of you." Ozpin chuckled. "No, I suspect he wouldn't. We rarely talk of the ones who taught us to our children. But, rest assured, I knew him. He, much like you, had something of a chip on his shoulder. Just like you, the legacy of his forebears weighed heavily, though in a different way. He was less unsure of himself as well, and admittedly had some aura training, which you seem to lack." Jaune nodded nervously. "I… don't have much, sir. I only had it unlocked recently… my parents didn't really believe I could become a hunter, so they never bothered doing it. I barely knew what it was…" Ozpin, to his credit, seemed surprised. "You didn't have it unlocked? But it's clearly active now… although I have noticed it seems somewhat peculiar. When exactly did you unlock it? We would have seen it happen in the forest. We were watching closely, despite your suspicions." Jaune's nervous laugh came out somewhat forced. "Uh, yeah. Pyrrha unlocked it. In the forest… at least… the first time…" Jaune stared pointedly downwards. Ozpin raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward. "What exactly do you mean by… 'the first time'?" "Uh… it's a little difficult to explain. Well, I guess it's not, but it's difficult to believe. I wouldn't, if it was anyone else but me." Jaune slumped in his chair. "Mr Arc, I find it doubtful that it will be especially difficult for me to understand your situation. You'd be surprised how many… impossible things I hear on a daily basis. How many things I live on a daily basis even. The number of 'Fairy Tales' that turn out to be true… But that is beside the point. I am prepared to... reserve judgement, for now." Ozpin took a moment to sip his coffee, and waited for Jaune to continue. Well, he thought, this is as good a time as any… but where do I beg- oh, I know. Jaune sighed. This is gonna suck. Jaune detached his sword and sheath from his side, and drew the blade before laying it across his lap. Ozpin showed no real reaction to this, apart from a quick glance down. Jaune began. "I guess… the first thing I should say is that my aura… doesn't really work. At least, not like everyone else's seems to. I've heard people say it works like a forcefield… or I guess that's how I understand it. Nobody's really given me a proper explanation. But mine… well…" Jaune ran his thumb down the edge of Crocea Mors, slicing it as he did so. He winced, and pulled away. Ozpin's eyebrows rose as blood began to well on the ball of Jaune's thumb. Jaune started to suck it to clean it, before he finished by simply saying: "Mine doesn't." Ozpin continued to look at the thumb for a while, seemingly unsure of where to begin. After a pause, he sipped his coffee, and finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "That is certainly an unusual characteristic. I can assume that you aren't attempting to trick me…?" As Ozpin trailed off, Jaune shook his head. Ozpin nodded in acceptance, before looking at the sword and frowning "I didn't think so; I'd like to think I would notice. Unusual indeed, Mr Arc. It was a miracle you survived initiation at all. Hmm?" Ozpin looked up as Jaune raised a hand. "Uh, sir… that's what I meant when I said 'The first time'…" Jaune looked more nervous than he had before. He sighed, before deciding to plough on regardless. "To put it bluntly… I kinda… didn't." Ozpin's eyebrows furrowed. "Didn't what, exactly?" "Uh… didn't survive, sir." Ozpin frowned, his head almost recoiling from the answer. "I'm afraid I don't understand. When you say you didn't survive-" Jaune cut him off. "I died. When I first did initiation, Pyrrha saved me, same as… I guess saying 'this time' is weird, but it works. Yeah, she caught me, then she unlocked my aura. It healed a cut, but then when she said it was like a forcefield… well. But then when we first saw the Deathstalker, it threw me to the temple I think? I wasn't really paying attention, I was screaming. But I'm pretty sure I hit a tree, and, well… I just woke up. Back in the ballroom, in bed, screaming still, but alive. I thought it was a bad dream, but… it happened again." Ozpin remained silent as Jaune began rambling on. "I was launched through the air by your platforms, which was actually terrifying by the way…" Jaune spoke reproachfully. Ozpin simply raised an eyebrow, and Jaune hastily continued. "A-anyway, that time I moved I think, and Pyrrha nailed me. And I woke up again. And nobody seemed to remember anything. Like, I was the only one who could remember stuff. So I just… kept trying. And the Nevermore broke my arm so I died on the bridge, and then the Deathstalker killed me, like, four or five more times. I lost count. But I tried keeping it all the same… so I'd know what would happen, you know? And every time I got further, until… we did it. It died, I survived. And we did it. But I still can't take a bad hit… or even a hit at all, since, well… it hurts. But I wake up on the morning I died… so I haven't had to repeat initiation even though I've died since." Jaune rubbed the scar on his neck from Myrtenaster. "So yeah… that's why I've been… weird." He looked up, expectantly. Ozpin said nothing for a long time, long enough for Jaune to begin fidgeting profusely. He broke the oppressive silence after a few minutes. "Hmm. Mr Arc… I have heard stranger things. And known them to be true… but not by much. Quite simply, I've never heard of anyone else with similar capabilities. Suspension of death, perhaps, or continuing on in some form..." At this, Ozpin seemed to almost look through Jaune, before his gaze focused back on the blond boy before him. "But not combined with some form of time displacement. While I have seen cases of aura problems such as yours, they were rare… and the result of severe disease. Of which you do not show any symptoms. What you describe could be a semblance, but certainly a unique one… if your story is true, that is." Ozpin steepled his fingers and leant forwards, looking at Jaune over them. "I must ask, Mr Arc, do you have any proof of your claims?" "Uh… not really. I mean, I could, I guess, jump out the window? But I really don't want to have to repeat this morning. It's… annoying. Uh. Does going from completely sucking in sparring classes to being able to kill a huge Ursa without taking a hit count?" Ozpin chuckled, leaning back. "Perhaps. I will take you at your word… you don't seem to have anything to gain by deceiving me. But I would like proof as soon as… is reasonable. Although I would insist that you do not go out of your way to provide it by… well…" Ozpin trailed off, clearly uncomfortable finishing that line of thought. "Moving on. If I may ask, Mr Arc, how do you plan on proceeding?" Jaune thought about it, before sighing. "I… I don't know, sir. I still don't really feel like I belong here, since everyone else is so much better than me. And I guess my semblance kind of makes it seem like I'm… I don't know… cheating, I guess. And I kinda cheated to get here s-" Jaune froze mid-sentence. Oh no… "Uh…" "Ah, referring to your transcripts?" Ozpin asked, before leaning back genially. Jaune sighed, despondently. "Yes sir. I-" Jaune paused, the implications having caught up to him. "Wait, what? You… you knew?" "Knew what, exactly, Mr Arc?" Ozpin leaned forward with an arched eyebrow, but just before Jaune could fumble an excuse, he continued speaking. "Knew that your transcripts were… less than honest?" Jaune looked somewhat relieved that he didn't have to explain it, although he was still clearly nervous. "Yes, sir. That." Ozpin smirked. "Of course. You will find that there is very little that goes on in my school that I am not aware of on some level. So when an… obviously exaggerated set of papers passes by my desk, it was clear that perhaps you might not be quite as capable as your papers suggested. And yet…" Ozpin leant back, steaming mug in hand. "And yet. Here you sit." Jaune was confused, and slightly worried. But more than that, he was curious. As he sat in this clockwork office, looking out over one of the grandest areas in Vale, his only concern was… "Why?" "Why what, exactly? Why did I ask you up to my office, or why did I allow you to attend my school despite not having an appropriate background?" "Uh… both I guess." Ozpin leant forward again, resting his mug to one side. "The first is the easiest to answer. You have been acting somewhat unusually. Brooding, in some ways, though that could be explained by any number of problems. But rapid advances in capability, and somehow being able to avoid situations at the last minute? It's very strange. I was curious. And it was an excellent opportunity to have a discussion with you. As for the latter…" Ozpin paused to sip his coffee, musing over his answer while Jaune waited, albeit with some degree of fidgeting. "Mr Arc, my reasons for allowing you into my school may not be the easiest to understand at first glance. I'm aware that you're far from stupid, but a short conversation or even comparison with Miss Schnee will quickly allow you to see you're not the smartest student at Beacon. A contest of brawn with Miss Valkyrie will show you similar results with regards to strength. And you are on a team with Miss Nikos, so I'm sure that you are aware that you are far from the best in attendance." Ozpin paused to sip from his omnipresent mug, while Jaune seemed unsure how to act in response. "So, Mr Arc, you're not the best student. You're not the smartest, or the strongest, or indeed the most determined or dedicated if these are anything to go by." At that, Ozpin gestured with his hand – and a wry grin on his face – at Jaune's open bag, where the top of a comic could be seen amongst his books. Jaune laughed nervously. "Heheh. Uh, in my defence sir, it does get quite… uh… boring? F-For the third or fourth time you hear the same lecture I mean." Jaune rubbed his head as he finished, as was his habit. Ozpin quirked an eyebrow, the sly smirk never leaving his features. "Perhaps the first or second time, where Peter is concerned…" Ozpin murmured under his breath. Jaune looked confused. "Sorry sir, I didn't hear. Could you, uh, repeat that?" Ozpin chuckled. "It was nothing. My point is, Mr Arc, that you are not here because you possess characteristics that make you a better student. As with Miss Rose, I allowed you to enter because you have heart. You have shown a desire to help others above yourself, and are here not to be better than others for your own sake, but for the sake of people who cannot help themselves. You've demonstrated bravery in the face of adversity, cliché though it may be. Admittedly this is somewhat tempered by your… condition, but I suspect it doesn't exactly stop you from feeling pain." Jaune grimaced as he remembered some of his previous deaths. None were
That would result in McMurrin sitting in juvenile detention without treatment for nearly two months. Moss said McMurrin could start at the training school as soon as next week. Amy Dollash, McMurrin’s lawyer, said he accepted the placement at the training school. She did ask Wilson if there was a bed available in residential treatment at some point, would that still be an option for the teen? Wilson said she was torn over whether to send McMurrin to the training school or a residential treatment facility but after hearing the victims’ impact statements and Heeren’s recommendation she decided the training school is the best option. Wilson added that Dollash could in the future ask for a hearing on the residential treatment option. l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.comMayor Pro Tem Mitch Colvin received the most votes in Tuesday's primary for Fayetteville mayor, finishing ahead of incumbent Nat Robertson by more than 1,700 votes. The two will advance to the Nov. 7 general election. Colvin, a two-term member of the City Council and a business owner, said he was cautiously optimistic after his first-place finish. “I’m excited, but I don’t want to take anything for granted,” Colvin said Tuesday night at the Cumberland County Department of Social Services, where candidates gathered to await the results. “The real work starts tomorrow.” According to complete but unofficial returns, Colvin received 5,803 votes; Robertson, 4,073; City Councilman Kirk deViere, 2,770; and community activist Quancidine Gribble, 241. Colvin said he focused on meeting as many people as possible during the primary election season and learning what the concerns of residents are. “They are tired of their elected officials not working together,” he said. “I look forward to working with the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education.” Colvin added that he hopes to find new ways to address poverty in the region. “Councilman deViere did a great job by bringing the issue of poverty to the table,” Colvin said. Robertson said business and experience separate him from Colvin. A physician liaison, Robertson has spent two terms as mayor and was a four-term city councilman. “I’m a little more pro-business than he is, and I have a record of leadership in the community,” Robertson said. Robertson said he felt confident after Tuesday given that his campaign didn’t spend much money on advertising during the primary. He said he sent out one round of mail advertisements and had a volunteer-run phone bank. “We have $70,000 in the bank,” Robertson said. “I think for us to have such a solid second place finish with such an organic campaign, we are going to have a really good showing in November.” DeViere, the owner and president of a marketing, advertising and public relations agency who has been on the City Council for one term, congratulated Robertson and Colvin on advancing to the November election. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2013. “Of course, we’re disappointed, but we felt we ran a great race, one that created conversation in the community specifically about the inequalities we see everyday here,” deViere said. DeViere said he will continue to work on Pathways for Prosperity, a poverty reduction initiative he and Councilman Larry Wright have been working on together. “I will still be a part of that whether elected or not elected,” deViere said. Gribble, who finished fourth, said she felt privileged to run for mayor. She said the results didn’t come as a surprise. “I’ve always been the underdog,” Gribble said. Gribble said she will continue to fight for the rights of residents. “It doesn’t end tonight,” she said. “It starts tonight.” There were 12,923 ballots cast of the 129,970 eligible voters in the primary, meaning 9.94 percent of eligible voters participated in the primary. Cumberland County Board of Elections Director Terri Robertson said municipal primary elections typically draw 10 percent of eligible voters. “It’s a normal turnout for a municipal primary,” she said. She added that everything went smoothly at the polls throughout the day. “We had no problems,” she said. Staff writer Monica Vendituoli can be reached at mvendituoli@fayobserver.com or 486-3596.On behalf of the Fedora Atomic WG and Fedora Release Engineering, I am pleased to announce the latest Fedora Layered Image Release. This follows the latest Atomic Host Release that came out yesterday. At this time the following Container Images are available in the Fedora Registry. Updated Base Images: (Note that the latest tag currently points to 25 and the rawhide tag currently points to 27, if no tag is provided in your pull command then it will always default to latest ) registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:latest registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:rawhide registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:27 registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:26 registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:25 Updated Layered Images: (Note: Layered Images are namespaced in the registry and at this time we are only releasing for the f25 namespace.) registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/ruby:0-8.f25docker registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/ruby:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/ruby registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-master:0.1-16.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-master:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-master registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-kubelet:0-14.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-kubelet:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-kubelet registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/redis:0-5.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/redis:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/redis registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/etcd:0.1-15.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/etcd:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/etcd registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/cockpit:135-10.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/cockpit:135 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/cockpit registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mongodb:0-5.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mongodb:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mongodb registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/php:0-4.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/php:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/php registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/s2i-base:1-13.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/s2i-base:1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/s2i-base registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/nodejs:0-5.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/nodejs:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/nodejs registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-controller-manager:0.1-15.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-controller-manager:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-controller-manager registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mariadb:10.1-13.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mariadb:10.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mariadb registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-scheduler:0.1-15.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-scheduler:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-scheduler registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-node:0.1-14.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-node:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-node registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-proxy:0-15.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-proxy:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-proxy registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/httpd:0-7.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/httpd:0 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/httpd registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/toolchain:1-11.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/toolchain:1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/toolchain registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-apiserver:0.1-15.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-apiserver:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/kubernetes-apiserver registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mirrormanager2-mirrorlist:0.7.3-7.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mirrormanager2-mirrorlist:0.7.3 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/mirrormanager2-mirrorlist registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/flannel:0.1-13.f25container registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/flannel:0.1 registry.fedoraproject.org/f25/flannel The source of this content is provided in DistGit which can easily be searched via the container pkgdb namespace. As always, we welcome feedback and would encourage anyone interested to come join the Fedora Atomic WG as we continue to iterate on integrating the Project Atomic family of technologies into Fedora. Anyone interested in contributing Container Images, please feel free to join in and submit one for Review.Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A judge has ruled Janice Dickinson‘s defamation lawsuit against Bill Cosby can continue, according to court papers. The former supermodel, 62, filed suit against the fallen funnyman and his attorney, Marty Singer, after Cosby smeared her as a liar for accusing him of rape. The case was initially dismissed, but revived on appeal Tuesday. Dickinson, a Brooklyn native, sued “America’s Dad” after he and Singer threatened various media outlets with litigation should the companies report her assertions she’d been raped by Cosby. “When someone is publicly accused of rape, is asked for a response, and sends back a letter from counsel saying, ‘the alleged rape never happened,’ it is reasonable for the recipient of the letter to infer that the accused is, in fact, denying the rape,” the panel wrote in their ruling. “We have just learned that we won our appeal on behalf of our client Janice Dickinson against Bill Cosby,” her attorney, Lisa Bloom, wrote on Twitter. ” Kudos to my Bloom Firm attorneys Jivaka Candappa and Avi Goldstein who worked on this defamation case with me for nearly 3 years.” Cosby, who remains roiled in civil litigation over sex assault and rape claims, is slotted to stand retrial next April for molesting a Temple University employee in 2004.While the rise of standalone streaming services has been fueled, in part, by increased connection speeds combined with the ubiquity of smart mobile devices, video consumption is still often taking place in the living room. And in the case of Hulu’s over-the-top streaming video service, living room viewing is actually on the rise. Today, living room viewing accounts for over 58 percent of Hulu’s content streams, the company reports, up from 44 percent back in the first quarter of 2014. The rise has been fairly rapid – by the third quarter of last year, watching Hulu via living room devices was already at 50 percent. The trend is not limited to Hulu, either. In a recent industry report from Freewheel, the firm noted that video viewing via over-the-top streaming devices is up 380 percent year-over-year, while viewing over smartphones is up 105 percent. Hulu’s SVP of Advertising Sales, Peter Naylor, shared this and other data from Hulu’s network with Media Village in June, where he also noted the impacts the trend was having on Hulu’s viewership numbers. That is, the company now has to account for the fact that many of Hulu’s streams are being watched by multiple people at a time. By working with comScore, Hulu found that its over-the-top streams average 1.4 viewers per stream, but on some devices and for certain shows, co-viewing is higher – up to 2.x at times. In other words, streaming media services are being watched more like traditional TV: on the big screen in the living room, with other friends and family gathered around. For Hulu, its increased presence in the living room didn’t come at the expense of mobile viewing, however – the numbers for mobile have remained fairly consistent, growing from 15 percent in Q1 2014 to 17 percent the following year. Instead, living room viewing’s rise has occurred as PC viewing shrank – down from 41 percent to 24 percent between Q1 2014 and Q1 2015. Hulu’s living room data holds up in comparison with a smaller, independent survey run by a cord cutters’ enthusiast site, CordCuttersNews, which asked over 1,000 people via Reddit (/r/CordCutters) and Facebook which devices they used to watch video content. Many of the popular answers included Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, game systems and smart TVs. (In addition, OTA antennas also had a strong showing, as did PCs, in this more anecdotal survey.) While this survey is biased towards those who have cut the cord entirely – not everyone who pays for streaming services like Hulu has ditched cable TV – it does show how people are adopting media players like Roku (68 percent used) these days to watch their favorite TV shows and movies. That survey also found that cost was a big driver behind users’ decision to cut the cord, and they’ve largely replaced their traditional TV viewing with streams from (in order of popularity:) Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Hulu.Today, the five Presidents – European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, together with the President of the Euro Summit, Donald Tusk, the President of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the President of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, and the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz – have revealed ambitious plans on how to deepen the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) as of 1 July 2015 and how to complete it by latest 2025. To turn their vision for the future of EMU into reality, they put forward concrete measures to be implemented during three Stages: while some of the actions need to be frontloaded already in the coming years, such as introducing a European Deposit Insurance Scheme, others go further as regards sharing of sovereignty among the Member States that have the euro as their currency, such as creating a future euro area treasury. This is part of the Five Presidents’ vision according to which the focus needs to move beyond rules to institutions in order to guarantee a rock-solid and transparent architecture of EMU. Delivering a Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union has been one of the top 10 priorities of President Juncker in his Political Guidelines. President Juncker said: "The euro is a currency shared by 19 EU Member States and more than 330 million citizens. It is something to be proud of. It is something that protects Europe. But it is also something that can work better. Our Economic and Monetary Union remains incomplete and I promised when taking office that I would work to consolidate and complement the unprecedented measures we took during the crisis and make them more socially fair and democratically legitimate. Today we, five Presidents, are setting out our common vision. The world is watching us and they want to know where we are going. Today we lay out monetary integration and bring it to its ultimate destination." Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, said: "The Economic and Monetary Union has been strengthened in recent years, not least in the light of the financial and economic crisis. Yet it remains incomplete. Today's report suggests how it can be further strengthened, in stages, over the coming years. We stand ready to bring forward the specific proposals needed to turn this ambitious, yet pragmatic vision into reality. A complete EMU is however not an end itself. It is a means to contribute to more growth, jobs and prosperity for all citizens, now and in the future." Despite the progress made in the past few years, particularly with the launch of the Banking Union, EMU remains incomplete. Divergence across the euro area is significant and the crisis of recent years has further highlighted existing shortcomings. It is clear that with 18 million unemployed and many within our societies exposed to risks of social exclusion, a lot more needs to be done to turn the euro area - the world's second largest economy – into a rock-solid architecture. We need a lasting, fair and democratically legitimate basis for the future which contributes to more growth, jobs and prosperity for all citizens. The Report sets out three different stages for turning the vision of the Five Presidents into reality (see Annex 1): - Stage 1 or "Deepening by Doing" (1 July 2015 - 30 June 2017): using existing instruments and the current Treaties to boost competitiveness and structural convergence, achieving responsible fiscal policies at national and euro area level, completing the Financial Union and enhancing democratic accountability. - Stage 2, or "completing EMU”: more far-reaching actions will be launched to make the convergence process more binding, through for example a set of commonly agreed benchmarks for convergence which would be of legal nature, as well as a euro area treasury. - Final Stage (at the latest by 2025): once all the steps are fully in place, a deep and genuine EMU would provide a stable and prosperous place for all citizens of the EU Member States that share the single currency, attractive for other EU Member States to join if they are ready to do so. To prepare the transition from Stage 1 to Stage 2, the Commission will present a White Paper in spring 2017 outlining the next steps needed, including legal measures to complete EMU in Stage 2. This follows the model of the Jacques Delors White Paper of 1985 which – through a series of measures and a timetable attached to them – paved the way to the Single European Act, the legal basis of the Single Market project. What’s in the Five Presidents’ Report concretely? 1. Towards an Economic Union of convergence, growth and jobs This Union should rest on four pillars: the creation of a euro area system of Competitiveness Authorities; a strengthened implementation of the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure; a greater focus on employment and social performance; and on stronger coordination of economic policies within a revamped European Semester (see Annex 2). This should be put in place in the short run (Stage 1), on the basis of practical steps and the Community method. In the medium term (Stage 2), the convergence process should be made more binding through a set of common high-level standards that would be defined in EU legislation. Competitiveness Authorities The aim of the Competitiveness Authorities should not be to harmonise practices and institutions in charge of wage formation across borders. Those processes vary widely within the EU and rightly reflect national preferences and legal traditions. Based on a common template, each Member State should decide the exact set-up of its national Competitiveness Authority, but they should be democratically accountable and operationally independent. National actors, such as social partners, should continue to play their role according to the established practices in each Member State, but they should use the opinions of the Authorities as guidance during wage setting negotiations. Some Member States, like the Netherlands and Belgium, already have such authorities. 2. Towards Financial Union Economic and Financial Union are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Progress on these two fronts must be a top priority in Stage 1. As the vast majority of money is bank deposits, money can only be truly single if confidence in the safety of bank deposits is the same irrespective of the Member State in which a bank operates. This requires single bank supervision, single bank resolution and single deposit insurance. We already have achieved the goal of single bank supervision. A Single Resolution Mechanism has been agreed with a Single Resolution Fund (which will become operational on 1 January 2016). As a next step, the five Presidents propose the launching of a European Deposit Insurance Scheme (EDIS) under Stage 1 which could be set up as a re-insurance system at the European level for the national deposit guarantee schemes. 3. Towards Fiscal Union Unsustainable fiscal policies not only endanger price stability in the Union, they also harm financial stability. In the short run (Stage 1), the five Presidents propose the creation of an advisory European Fiscal Board which would coordinate and complement already existing national fiscal councils (see Annex 3). It would provide an independent analysis, at European level, of how budgets perform against the economic objectives set out in the EU fiscal governance framework. In the longer term (Stage 2), a common macroeconomic stabilisation function should be set up to better deal with shocks that cannot be managed at the national level alone. It would improve the cushioning of large macroeconomic shocks and make EMU more resilient. Such a stabilisation function could build on the European Fund for Strategic Investments as a first step, by identifying a pool of financing sources and investment projects specific to the euro area, to be tapped into. 4. Strengthening Democratic Accountability, Legitimacy and Institutions: From Rules to Institutions Greater responsibility and integration at EU and euro area level means more interdependence. It also means better sharing of new powers and greater transparency about who decides what and when. It’s time to review and consolidate our political construct: the Report proposes greater parliamentary involvement and control – at national and European level especially when it comes to the Country Specific Recommendations, the National Reform Programmes and the Annual Growth Survey. In the short term (Stage 1), EMU needs a unified external representation – as outlined in the Political Guidelines of President Juncker. Today, the EU and the euro area, are still not represented as one in the international financial institutions, notably the IMF. A fragmented voice means the EU is punching below its political and economic weight. The Five Presidents also propose strengthening the role of the Eurogroup. In the short run, this may require a reinforcement of its presidency and the means at its disposal. In the longer run (Stage 2), a full-time presidency of the Eurogroup could be considered. Finally, while euro area Member States will continue to decide on taxation and the allocation of budgetary expenditures along national political choices, some decisions will increasingly need to be made collectively while ensuring democratic accountability and legitimacy. A future euro area treasury could be the place for such collective decision-making. 5. The Social dimension of EMU One of the main lessons learned from the crisis is that a "triple-A EMU" must combine competitive economies that are able to innovate and succeed in an increasingly globalised world, with a high level of social cohesion. As President Juncker said in the European Parliament upon his election as Commission President: “I want Europe to be dedicated to being triple-A on social issues, as much as it is to being triple A in the financial and economic sense.” This means in particular that labour markets and welfare systems need to function well and be sustainable in all euro area Member States. Better labour market and social performance, as well as social cohesion should be at the core of the new process of “upward convergence” put forward in this report. Next Steps: This report has put forward the principal steps necessary to complete EMU at the latest by 2025. The first initiatives should be launched by the EU institutions as of 1 July 2015. To prepare the transition between Stages 1 and 2, the Commission – in consultation with the Presidents of the other EU institutions – will present a "White Paper" in Spring 2017, assessing progress made in Stage 1 and outlining next steps needed. It will discuss the legal, economic and political preconditions of the more far-reaching measures necessary to complete EMU in Stage 2, and will draw on analytical input from an expert consultation group. Translating the Five Presidents’ report into laws and institutions should begin without delay. Background The Euro Summit of October 2014 underlined the fact that "closer coordination of economic policies is essential to ensure the smooth functioning of the Economic and Monetary Union". It called for work to continue to "develop concrete mechanisms for stronger economic policy coordination, convergence and solidarity" and "to prepare next steps on better economic governance in the euro area". This report has benefitted from intense discussion with Member States and civil society. It builds on the report "Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union" (the so-called "Four Presidents' Report") and on the Commission's "Blueprint for a Deep and Genuine EMU" of 2012, which remain essential references for completing EMU. It reflects the personal deliberations and discussions of the five Presidents. It focuses on the euro area, as countries that share a currency face specific common challenges, interests and responsibilities. The process towards a deeper EMU is nonetheless open to all EU Members. For more information: The Five Presidents' Report in all languages Analytical Note by Jean-Claude Juncker in close cooperation with Donald Tusk, Jeroen Dijsselbloem and Mario Draghi "Preparing for Next Steps on Better Economic Governance in the Euro Area": http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/docs/analytical_note_en.pdf Political Guidelines for the next European Commission European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC) Strategic Note "The Social Dimension of Economic and Monetary Union" EPSC Strategic Note "The Euro Plus Pact - How Integration into the EU Framework can Give New Momentum for Structural Reforms in the Euro Area"No Change in Foreign Policy from 2016 Standard-bearers With all the turmoil and uncertainty coming from this election cycle, one constant is already known. U.S. Foreign Policy is well under the control of the international interventionists. The career globalists on the American payroll continue to push for more and greater engagements. Step back and consider the premise. Seldom is there an international involvement that is not eagerly embraced, funded and expanded. Based upon this premise, the record of continued failures is better understood. The systemic decline of a once great nation has developed into a pathetic deterioration of an imperial empire. If you think anything will materially change with the inauguration of a new President, get serious. The prescribed instrument of establishment newspeak on international affairs is Foreign Policy magazine. Stephen M. Walt writes in The Big 5 and the Sad State of Foreign Policy in 2016. “A Clinton foreign policy will look a lot like Barack Obama’s, but with a decidedly more hawkish edge. Here’s the real worry: Clinton and her advisors are deeply committed to the familiar strategy of liberal hegemony the United States has followed ever since the end of the Cold War. This worldview sees U.S. leadership as “indispensable”; has never seen an international problem it doesn’t think Washington could fix; and routinely forgets that other states have interests, too, and aren’t always grateful when the United States throws its weight around. Americans like to think “global leadership” is their birthright, but the U.S. track record since 1993 is a mixed one at best. Today’s world is very different than the one of the 1990s — when liberal hegemony was in its heyday — and many elements of the old U.S. playbook aren’t working that well. If you think that events in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa might require not a bunch of tired verities but some real creativity, the well-worn Clinton team might not be your best bet.” Harvard professor Walt provides the following assessment on Trump, Cruz and Sanders. “The real worry is that we have no idea what Trump’s foreign policy would be.” “A Ted Cruz presidency would probably make George W. Bush-style “unilateralism” seem like a Quaker meeting.” “For Sanders, foreign policy is mostly an afterthought. He’s not going to squander lots of money on idealistic foreign-policy crusades, and he’s not likely to pick fights with countries that aren’t directly threatening the United States.” From these brief comparisons, one might presume that Sanders has a more prudent outlook. But before one concludes that the NeoCons are in retreat, their selected mouthpiece still has entrenched support. Also from the Foreign Policy essay: “Marco Rubio’s political career has been bankrolled by backers with solid neoconservative beliefs (such as Paul Singer, Norman Braman, and Sheldon Adelson), and he’s reportedly getting advice from the same Project for the New American Century–types who led the United States to disaster under George W. Bush. Indeed, in a remarkably tone-deaf bit of advertising, Rubio’s campaign website opens by asking, “Are You Ready for a New American Century?” Gee, where have I heard that one before? It’s therefore no surprise that Rubio’s foreign-policy pronouncements read like old Weekly Standard articles or that neoconservative David Brooks of the New York Times keeps writing columns touting Rubio’s alleged virtues.” It should be clear, with the implosion of Rand Paul and the unlikelihood of a successful Sanders’ election; no one is left in the race for POTUS that will buck the Foggy Bottom feeders. While Trump could be a surprise, as all the concerted effort to sabotage his Republican chances from the GOP backstabbers illustrate, the real prospects that the beltway institutional bureaucrats would subvert any attempts to shift away from a permanent war of terror policy. Elections never result in abandonment from a globalist designed foreign policy that only benefits the supra-elite. A return to an America First world view is never allowed to be adequately debated, much less implemented. The prolific protectionism of internationalism is at the core of the entrenched establishment. This is the most probable deduction any seasoned observer of the way the District of Criminals actually operates. An opposing appraisal from the orthodoxy of the Foreign Policy elites comes from former CIA analysis and patriot Michael Scheuer. His elation in the article, WELL DONE MR. TRUMP!!! Israel-First, Neocons to join Hillary, all America’s enemies in one party, pulls no punches. “What makes the current Israel First/Neocon seizure so hearteningly severe are not only Trump’s words and apparent America-First foreign policy inclinations, but the fact that he is getting so very many votes. “Could it possibly be,” ponder the likes of Bill Kristol, George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Max Boot, Eliot Cohen, Robert Kagan, Michael Bloomberg, Peter King, Elliott Abrams, Eric Edelman, Michael Chertoff, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and John Bolton, “that Americans are not genuinely happy, proud, and eager to have their fellow citizens and soldier-children dying uselessly in wars motivated in large part by the U.S. interventionism we advocate and by America’s subservience to a country that does nothing but degrade the republic’s security and drain its treasury?” “Could it be,” the IF/NC’ers are wondering, “that Trump and the increasing number of voters supporting him know that we Israel-Firsters and Neocons have played them for fools, corrupted their political system and media, and done our best to keep their kids dying in wars meant to serve a foreign nation’s interests at the cost of their own?” Well, it is too soon to tell, but the words of the Israel Firsters and Neocons and their fierce hatred of Trump surely suggest that they fear their war-causing disloyalty has been identified and — at long last — their jig is about up.” Mr. Scheuer’s hope that the apprehension over Trump’s lack of acceptance of the standard interventionism might be real certainly is bold. Yet the War Party establishment seems to be reacting as if “The Donald” has more in common with an Ayatollah than a John Quincy Adams, who was cited in the essay. Even if the counterfeit conservatives left the Republican Party and rushed into the open arms of a Clinton Democratic Party, the influence of the beltway technocrats remains within the agencies intercession club and the Pentagon careerists. All the time the lobbyist industry will resist any departure from the proven formula of wasting national blood and treasure in the pursuit of a Greater Israel. Nothing would be more welcome news if some viable political party would adopt a truly America First foreign policy. The problem is that the entire system runs on a culture of war. The wishes of the people are being thwarted for all to see. The power of the establishment is rallying to prevent the electorate from voting for a peaceful revolution. A Sanders’ campaign is calling for a Revolution. Trump is leading the charge against the Old Guard. Both have popular support that the party bosses are ignoring. The accepted 2016 Standard-bearers are Clinton and Rubio for the party elites. Each will be obligated to the institutional forces that never foster a prosperous and secure nation. Rubio will be road kill on March 15th. The Hildebeast will be looking for a pass from prosecution so she will not be forced to pardon herself upon taking the oath of office as President. This farce is the way the establishment transitions into a new Clinton era. Trump is the only person to mobilize the disenfranchised to go to the polls. However, the power elite within the GOP would rather destroy Trump and even vote for Clinton before they would abandon their corporatist and warfare roots. John Kaminski asks, Is Donald Trump another Obama? His answer while guarded is less than optimistic that Trump is a real alternative or that he could dismantle the prevailing order. The Washington cartel views themselves as above the hoi polloi. No populist movement will strip power from the government cabal. Circling the wagons is in full effect. The presstitute media drumbeat is deafening. Stop any chance of losing control. You have never seen this drill played out with more earnest because the masses are waking up. The conditions are building to tap John Lennon’s sentiment from Imagine – “Nothing to kill or die for”. Sanders supporters should hold out and demand a different foreign policy. Nonetheless, the anti-war cause has sunk into the ground under the pressure of societal apathy. The inconsistency between a greater awareness and a somber outrage about the War Party seems difficult to define. Even if Trump is the second coming of George Patton, let’s have a little faith that any campaign would be swift, complete and victorious. This might be the best that could be expected. Under Clinton, the Foreign Policy wonks will be sharing lunch with the list of NeoCons that Mr. Scheuer provided. Is it possible to have an election Coup d'état? As improbable as it seems with the immense intimidation forces at their disposal, the imperial hessian bureaucracy, still has no legitimacy to base their authoritarianism upon. If you want a balance and rational foreign policy in the next administration, start with making Michael Scheuer Secretary of State. Thusly, that would not happen, so prepare that continued doom will be official policy.As soon as he walks in the door of Powerhouse Gym in Syosset, New York, Sadik Hadzovic gets blitzed. Two young men announce,“It’s swole time,” that they’ve got their pump on, so now is the moment for selfies, whether the bodybuilder has completed his own workout or not. It’s gotten so bad that Hadzovic is having the windows of his BMW M6 tinted, because people will bang on his windshield to ask for an autograph while he’s still parking. In fact, getting in touch with him took weeks—Hadzovic ignored my emails, assuming I was yet another stalker. As a rule, he loves his followers and is generous with his time. But being an Instagram star does attract some wack jobs. Although Hadzovic, 30, has won four bodybuilding titles and twice was runner-up for the brass ring, Mr. Olympia, the stage that really matters to him is the one you cradle in your hand. On social media (and therefore mobile phones everywhere), Hadzovic stands out as a symbol of self-maximization, of a man who’s not only physically enlarged himself but also expanded his body and self into a brand. He is an exemplar of the shredded ideal, a goad to his followers’ vanity, a charismatic creation of dense muscle so unblemished by fat that every striation is like a cord in a thick wire cable. His job is “fitspiration,” a word officially recognized by The Oxford English Dictionary early this year. But while the jargon may be new, Hadzovic is really just carrying on a tradition of ideal male physiques that dates at least as far back as AD 216 and the ancient Farnese Hercules statue. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s boyhood idol was Reg Park, the bodybuilder-turned-actor he saw in Park’s breakout 1961 film Hercules and the Captive Woman. Schwarzenegger himself helped kick off the bodybuilding craze of the 1980s with Pumping Iron and Conan the Barbarian, an homage to Park’s sword-and-sandal flicks of the ’60s. Today’s Hercules, naturally, can be found online. Search #aesthetic on Instagram and nearly 16 million posts come up. These images and videos provide a theater where men who’ve chiseled themselves into versions of Hadzovic and other body artists can flex and flaunt their muscles. On YouTube, an entire category of video now exists documenting the aesthetic lifestyle. Despite the deprivation and long hours needed to achieve this Herculean standard, scores of men try to emulate these guys, and while motivation can be as individual as a fingerprint, it often starts and ends with mirin (admiring stares). You can become Hercules by following his every move and tracking how he eats and trains. You can purchase the supplements he uses, buy the clothes he wears, and ask him questions about how he has achieved his heroic form. Sometimes you can hire him to coach you via Skype as you strive to look just like him. Brian Finke With 1.8 million followers, Hadzovic is an icon in the iron game, consistently ranked in the top 10 internationally on Instagram. Like his social media rivals, he’s super jacked, something the camera—and his followers—seem to love. Marika Tiggemann, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Flinders University in Australia, does not find that surprising at all. Although fitspiration promotes health, fitness, and strength, she says, her research suggests that it’s the appearance-related bonus, not the health benefits, that tend to be emphasized. People whose fitness is especially conspicuous seem to garner more followers. If you look at respected trainers who have great bodies but not outsized bodybuilder-type muscles—figures as varied as Julian Smith, Jay T. Maryniak, and Ido Portal—they rarely have more than half a million followers. To Viren Swami, Ph.D., who teaches social psychology at the U.K.’s Anglia Ruskin University, the reign of big
easy. But it is doable.” Uber now faces battles on multiple fronts, making it difficult to devise a strategy that adequately addresses each one. And as each day passes, more and more unseemly details about Uber’s business practices emerge. How can the company improve dangerously low morale among its employees when Susan Fowler, the former engineer who’s viral blog post ignited the investigation into systemic sexism, is now complaining that Uber has hired an outside law firm to investigate her? Uber claims the firm is reviewing Fowler’s claims, not her life, and will report to former Attorney General Eric Holder, who is reviewing Fowler’s allegations. Still, this fits a pattern for Uber, which has a history of hiring outside groups to investigate its opponents. It’s shady business — even for a business with a reputation for shadiness. How can Uber win back disenchanted drivers when it’s simultaneously suing the city of Seattle to block the implementation of a law allowing gig economy workers to unionize? The company recently — and perhaps toothlessly — named 2017 “the year of the driver.” Yet it continues to keep fares low and resist efforts to include a tipping option in the app. Uber’s disruptive effect on the labor market in the US is still being examined, but the early data is mixed. What’s clear is that Uber isn’t being forthcoming about the quality of life it offers. The Federal Trade Commission recently found that Uber had lied to drivers in 20 cities about earnings and vehicle financing. Some drivers sleep in their cars so they can work grueling, back-to-back shifts to earn enough money to survive. How can Uber reassure investors that it can become a profitable company when it heavily subsidizes its fares? Recent reports indicate that riders only cover around 40 percent of each trip, with Uber covering the rest. “This is critical because it suggests we’re dealing with a charity case in disguise,” Izabella Kaminsky wrote in the Financial Times last year. Uber’s currently valued at $70 billion; CEO Travis Kalanick is said to be waiting until that figure reaches an unprecedented $100 billion before going public. But venture capitalists say that in-fighting could scare away top talent, which could ultimately harm Uber’s long-term prospects. And how can Uber win back customers when it can’t seem to shake its reputation that it cultivated from the very beginning? No matter how many times Kalanick apologizes and cries and promises to change his ways, it’s going to be hard to make people forget about all the other times he’s acted like an utter buffoon. (See: “Boob-er.”) He’s the face of the company, and while he’s certainly not the only Silicon Valley prodigy to build a multi-billion company on the ideals popularized by Atlas Shrugged author Ayn Rand — that greed, selfishness, and winning at all costs are okay as long as they’re put toward the goal of changing society — he has since become the most public face of it. Rumors are already beginning to swirl that Ryan Graves, Uber’s first employee and its current director of global operations, will be forced out as a way to appease those clamoring for scalps in the wake of Fowler’s allegations. Uber’s first head of human resources, Renee Atwood, reported to Graves, not Kalanick, throughout her tenure, according to Recode’s Johana Bhuiyan. But Atwood and other managers felt that Graves wasn’t “experienced enough to appropriately handle the company’s increasingly complex people operations,” Bhuiyan reports. Graves was also involved in the company’s use of “Greyball,” software used to hide its vehicles from law enforcement. An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on rumors circulating around Graves. Some current and former Uber employees say Graves’ departure would be too little too late: they say he hasn’t been that involved in the company’s day-to-day operations for the last six months and his departure would have only a minimal impact on the company’s cultural issues. Kalanick’s resignation, on the other hand, would signal a real change. “Steve Jobs left Apple, and Apple survived,” one ex-Uber employee told me. Barring some additional shoes dropping about Uber’s internal operations, Kalanick is likely to remain in the top spot. He fought hard to get Uber to where it is today, and that combat mentality has served him well in his battles with the taxi industry and government regulators. But because Kalanick’s pugilistic side has been front and center for so long, this softer, gentler side we’re starting to see — the crying, the apologies, the promises to seek outside help to make him a better boss — become that much harder to swallow. "If you spend all your time fighting, sometimes you get a fighter mentality," Jason Calacanis, Inside.com founder and an investor in Uber, told CNBC this week. Kalanick is reportedly seeking a number two executive to serve alongside him, according to The Information. How a much power is given to this second in command in Kalanick’s fiefdom will be closely examined by investors who are hoping to see real internal changes. Bradley Tusk, a consultant who has been called “Uber’s political genius,” found fault with this article’s hypothetical premise: can Uber be saved? “It's not in a place where that's a question designed to be anything other than clickbait,” Tusk told The Verge. “The company has work to do around its management and culture but so do most tech companies. What investors ultimately care about is innovation, and between disrupting taxis, rental cars, trucks, and car ownership, there's no startup better at innovation than Uber.” But is that what customers care about — you and me and everyone else who’s finding it harder and harder to give a company like Uber their business? Tusk had a quick answer there, too: “Uber has work to do around that, but 99 percent of decisions in ride-sharing are based on speed, not politics.” In other words, as long as Uber remains faster than the competition, it will stay on top. If Uber can contain these scandals and keep its head down, maybe it can successfully ride out this stretch of bad news — that is if nothing else breaks that casts the company in a negative light. This is one theory that’s currently crystallizing among sources close to the company. The problem, though, is that would do nothing to address the more existential threat it faces: the ability to recruit top talent and grow as a company. “Customers are finicky and fickle. There have been a lot of companies that have done stupid shit in the past.” “If they can’t build an organization on par with Facebook or Google, then they’re not going to be able to make good on promises they’ve made to investors,” a former Uber engineer told The Verge. “Customers are finicky and fickle. There have been a lot of companies that have done stupid shit in the past that you think would be reprehensible, but are just not... People realize that bad stuff goes on, but it’s not necessarily everything about a company.” Despite its revenue growth, Uber continues to hemorrhage cash. The company was on track to lose $3 billion in 2016, according to Bloomberg and others. On paper, the company is more valuable than General Motors and Twitter combined. But if the company continues to lose money, investors speculate that Uber will seek to take a larger percentage from each fare for its per-trip commission and reduce driver bonuses overall. Taken together, both of these actions would reduce drivers’ take-home pay. As noted by Uber driver-turned-blogger Harry Campbell, this is already starting to happen. So much for 2017 being the “year of the driver.” And the eventual switch to driverless cars won’t improve things as much, according to financial documents obtained by The Information. Uber’s accountants crunched the numbers and determined that eliminating drivers completely will only increase net profits by 5 percent. That’s because the company assumes that cities will try to set the costs of autonomous trips. Uber will also have to shift its identity from a technology company to a vehicle fleet management company, with all the additional costs from maintenance and insurance that go with it. This won’t be cheap. Of course, all that assumes that Uber has a self-driving car future. Uber currently has autonomous vehicles picking up passengers in Pittsburgh and Phoenix (and perhaps San Francisco soon enough). The allegations put forward in the lawsuit by Waymo, the Google spinoff, arguably represent the biggest threat to Uber’s long-term survival. Waymo claims that — in collusion with Otto, the self-driving truck startup started by VP of Engineering Anthony Levandowski and acquired by Uber in 2016 — conspired to steal and replicate Google’s self-driving car technology. Uber calls the allegation “baseless.” “From Uber's perspective, it has mounting losses, has had a dearth of recent fundraising, and is facing serious allegations of an internal culture gone astray,” says Raj Rajkumar, a professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, who collaborates with General Motors. “And now a lawsuit from a company with a lot of credibility and much bigger pockets.” Rajkumar adds, “The core problems with the current business model of subsidizing drivers and riders... [will] catch up with them. The debate about their aggressive culture — where apparently there is strict emphasis on performance and deadlines, and very little on mutual respect, integrity and diversity — will further intensify. At the end of the day, the big question would become whether the board and the investors take any action.” Waymo is bringing this suit under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, which gives plaintiffs the right to ask a court to bring an immediate, temporary restraining order against Uber’s robot car and truck experiments, as well as seize the products of the trade secret theft. That means Google could win ownership over Uber’s fleet of driverless vehicles. The image of one of its executives in handcuffs could send Uber spiraling Both companies could be reluctant to take things to that level, especially if it involves a long discovery process that gives the government license to poke around in their R&D operations. Still, former prosecutors and trade secret experts told Wired that Waymo could refer the case to the FBI, which could result in huge fines for Uber and possible jail time for Levandowski. The image of one of its executives in handcuffs could send Uber spiraling. How did things get so bad? In many ways, Uber is its own worst enemy, said Brishen Rogers, a law professor at Temple University who studies the social cost of ride-sharing. “This is another example of the company disregarding very basic, foundational rules around employment and fair play in markets,” Rogers told The Verge. “It is very frustrating to see, because I think the company is genuinely innovative, but keeps getting in its own way.” It’s hard to predict what harm all these allegations against the company will have in the long term, especially since Uber has global operations, and norms around sexual harassment that are, unfortunately, quite different in many countries. That said, the public tends to view allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination more negatively than allegations of unpaid wages or stolen trade secrets, which helps explain why Uber moved into action so quickly. “There’s a lot of smart people there,” the former Uber engineer said. “It’s like, seriously guys? This is the kind of shit we have to deal with? We have enough problems already. Why are we fighting ourselves and causing all these problems?”FILE PHOTO - Robert Mueller pauses after making an opening statement at the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S. on June 19, 2013. REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo Special prosecutor Robert Mueller will hold talks this week with senior Senate Judiciary Committee members to ensure that there is no conflict between his investigation of potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign and the panel's probe, two congressional aides said on Monday. Mueller, a former FBI director, will meet on Wednesday with the committee's Republican chairman, Charles Grassley, and its top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They will be joined by Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, they added. The subcommittee is examining what U.S. intelligence agencies say was a Russian campaign of influence was intended to boost Donald Trump's chances of winning the 2016 presidential election. The discussions will focus on ensuring that the subcommittee's investigation is not interfering with Mueller's probe, one source said. Spokesmen for the committee and for Mueller declined to comment. Mueller also was expected to meet sometime during the week with top members of the House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee for a similar discussion. A spokesman and a spokeswoman for the panel also declined to discuss the matter. The special prosecutor met last week with the Republican chairman and the top Democrat overseeing the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation of what U.S. intelligence agencies say Russia denies that it conducted such a campaign, and Trump denies there was any collusion between his campaign and Moscow. (Editing by Jonathan Oatis)Minister quits over gay sex club visit Updated The New South Wales Government has been rocked by another scandal, with transport minister David Campbell quitting his portfolio after being caught using his ministerial car to visit a gay sex club. Footage obtained by Channel Seven and broadcast on Thursday shows the senior frontbencher leaving Ken's at Kensington in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Tuesday night. The club bills itself as a venue for men who prefer men and offers a sauna, steam room and lounge. Mr Campbell allegedly drove himself there in his ministerial car. Sources have told the ABC there was a loud argument in his office on Thursday afternoon. Mr Campbell announced his resignation in a statement last night, saying he was quitting for personal reasons. He said the reasons behind his resignation did not relate to his ministerial duties. In the statement he apologised to his wife, family, colleagues, staff and the community for letting them down. He also asked for his family's privacy to be respected and said it would be a difficult time. Mr Campbell said he would remain the Member for Keira. "I am incredibly proud of my achievements while serving as minister for transport, roads, police, small business, the Illawarra, regional development and water utilities," Mr Campbell said in the statement. New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally has asked the community to show understanding towards Mr Campbell. Ms Keneally says she has accepted his resignation on compassionate grounds as he clearly needs time to work through a difficult period with his family. In a statement, she has thanked him for his tireless work and says he has carried out his ministerial duties with dedication and success. While Mr Campbell reportedly drove to the venue in his ministerial car, the ABC understands that is not a breach of the rules as the guidelines allow the cars to be used for personal reasons. Public interest? Mr Campbell's last few months as transport minister were tough. He weathered heavy criticism for his handling of a massive traffic jam on the F3 freeway that connects Sydney and Newcastle. His departure also comes soon after Labor backbencher Karyn Paluzzano resigned from Parliament after she admitted lying to the Independent Commission Against Corruption about falsifying employee pay forms. The journalist responsible for breaking the story, Adam Walters, says it was in the public interest to broadcast details of Mr Campbell's personal life. "It's blindingly obvious that since 1999 Mr Campbell has purported to be a family man," he said. "He's represented himself to the people of Kiera as a family man, even going to the extent of sending Christmas cards to his constituents highlighting the fact that he is a man of family values. "This is about pretence, it's about integrity, it's about character." Kellie MacDonald from the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby says it is disappointing so much attention has been paid to Mr Campbell attending a gay club. "I think it is indicative of a homophobic culture to focus on the fact he was at a gay venue rather than focus on the fact he was allegedly misusing government resources," she said. Cameron Murphy from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties says he is worried that what should be a private matter for Mr Campbell has entered the public arena. "This is essentially a private matter. It is a matter for him and for his family. It has got nothing to do with anybody else. No-one's sexuality is a matter of public interest," he said. Cabinet reshuffle Mr Campbell's resignation has sparked a reshuffle. John Robertson will be the new Transport Minister while David Borger has been handed roads. Mr Borger's housing portfolio has been given to backbencher Frank Terenzini, who also picks up small business. Mr Robertson's portfolios have been handed to Paul Lynch. Peter Primrose has also been given extra responsibilities. A swearing in ceremony will be held as soon as possible. Mr Campbell recently came under pressure to resign over his handling of an accident on the F3 north of Sydney. The accident left motorists stranded for hours. The Opposition also called for him to stand down over the tens of millions lost on the scrapped CBD Metro. While the opposition leader Barry O'Farrell has declined to comment formally on Mr Campbell's resignation, he has responded on Twitter. Mr O'Farrell says he is concerned the reshuffle means more delay in fixing the state's problems, as Government MPs try to get themselves up to speed in new portfolios. Chris Brown from the Tourism and Transport Forum says he is hopeful the change of minister will bring about a fresh pespective on Sydney's congestion problems. "I'm confident in what we're hearing already that there might be a renewed focus on western Sydney particularly and the needs of how we cope with 7 million people in this city," he said. 'A scandal every few months' The resignation is yet another blow for the scandal-plagued New South Wales Labor Government. Former Premier Morris Iemma used to joke there was a scandal for the State Government every few months. However, just two weeks ago the Parliamentary Secretary Karyn Paluzzano quit parliament after admitting lying to the state's anti-corruption body, the ICAC. Last year John Della Bosca Bosca quit his health portfolio when it emerged he had had an affair. Tony Stewart was sacked as small business minister after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a staff member. After less than a week in the job, Matt Brown was sacked as police minister for dancing in his underpants at a party, while in 2006 Carl Scully resigned from the police ministry for misleading parliament Former Aboriginal affairs minister Milton Orkopolous was jailed for child sex offences in 2008. Additional reporting by Mark Tobin, Michelle Brown and Mark Douglass. Topics: states-and-territories, government-and-politics, nsw, australia First postedEver since the election of Donald Trump, the media have been grabbing at everything they could come up with to smear him – and have been shameless lemmings in echoing one another’s nonsense. He’s in bed with Putin! He’s got Alzheimer’s! And then there’s this one: good God, he’s the second coming of Richard Nixon! Just a sampling. In May, Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian, Nate Hopper in Time, and Alyssa Rosenberg in Washington Post wrote articles drawing parallels between Trump and Nixon. In their efforts to yoke the two presidents together, all three journalists seemed desperate to find likenesses. “As Trump does today,” wrote Rosenberg, “Nixon faced questions about his tax dealings and whether he was using the presidency for personal profit.” I don’t remember Nixon facing major questions along those lines, but I do know that Trump, far from using the presidency for personal profit, has waived his salary and took a financial hit for entering politics; it’s the Clintons, of course, who over the last quarter-century have cashed in on their political positions to a degree that has made fellow grifters the world over gasp in wonder. In a June issue of New York Magazine, Frank Rich joined the Trump = Nixon club, suggesting that The Donald, like Tricky Dick, would end up being brought down by a scandal; on August 1, CNBC’s website ran its own Trump/Nixon story, claiming that “[o]n Russiagate, Trump appears to be taking his playbook directly from Richard Nixon and Watergate.” That’s only the tip of the iceberg. Nothing new here, of course: the news media have been trashing Republican presidents ever since the cultural revolution of the 1960 – since, that is, the Nixon Administration. In order to maximize the impact of the trashing, to be sure, the media invariably argue that most previous GOP commanders-in-chief were actually not that bad, but that the current one is terrible. This has led to a great deal of silent self-revision on the media’s part. While Reagan was in the Oval Office, the media, by and large, depicted him as an out-of-touch Hollywood amateur who would destroy the economy, oppress minorities, and maybe even start a nuclear war with the Soviets. When George W. Bush was in charge, however, the same media contrasted him with Reagan – whom they now professed to consider an accomplished statesman – even as they painted W. as half idiot and half evil incarnate, in some cases even equating him with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Predictably, now that Trump is head of state, Bush Derangement Syndrome has been dropped down the memory hole – in fact, he’s being widely rehabilitated (how wonderful his paintings of wounded soldiers are! How knowledgeable he turns out to be about art! And look, he and the whole Bush clan are chummy with the Clintons!) – and been replaced by Trump Derangement Syndrome. Trump, it turns out, is the worst GOP president since Nixon – if not worse: in July, Politico trumped the Trump = Nixon line with a piece by Susan B. Glasser headlined: “Don’t Compare Trump to Nixon. It’s Unfair to Nixon.” Glasser, it turned out, had interviewed veteran Washington insider Elizabeth Drew, who argued that Trump is dumber than Nixon and that his abuse of power had already eclipsed that uncovered by the Watergate investigations. One trait that Trump does share with Nixon, and that the media enjoy mentioning, is his contempt for them. In March, for example, New York Times book critic Jennifer Senior reviewed a new biography of Nixon. The headline was not subtle: “‘Richard Nixon,’ Portrait of a Thin-Skinned, Media-Hating President.” Senior didn’t waste time getting around to the comparison with Old Orange Face. “John A. Farrell,” her review began, “could not possibly have known who would be president on the day his fine book was published. That it happens to be Donald J. Trump is, for him, an extraordinary stroke of luck….The similarities between Nixon and Trump leap off the page like crickets.” For example, “their Old Testament fury at the news media….Their thin skin. Their skyscraping paranoia. Their cavernous memory for slights…..Like Trump, Nixon was a monomaniac on the stump, obsessed with the enemies lurking within.” OK, fine. But whether or not one accepts Senior’s characterization of either president, one can’t help noticing that she doesn’t have the honesty to look at it from the other end – and neither does anyone else in mainstream media. What I’m talking about is their refusal to acknowledge that Trump’s “fury at the news media” is entirely justified. So was Nixon’s. There’s no reason to revisit here the night-and-day difference between the media’s approach to “reporting” on Trump and their approaches to Obama and Hillary. But how many people remember what the media did to earn Nixon’s wrath? Nixon had a speechwriter named William Safire, who later became a token conservative columnist at the New York Times and wrote a memoir, Before the Fall, of his White House years. It’s a terrific book. I read it with relish when it came out in paperback in 1976 – I was nineteen – and the other day, catching a glimpse of the old, yellowing volume on my bookshelves, I took it down and started paging through it, perhaps for the first time in forty-one years. It was an absorbing – and instructive – interlude. During his 1968 campaign, recalled Safire, Nixon grumbled about how the press “hate to get up and look at the size of those crowds.” I’d forgotten that. Some journalists, noted Safire, actually “spread rumors” that Nixon was “planning some kind of Nazi-style putsch.” Sound familiar? Not a few top-flight journalists, in Safire’s words, simply refused “to recognize his legitimacy.” Again: sound familiar? The Washington Post actually denounced Nixon for putting his name alongside those of the Apollo 11 astronauts on the plaque they left on the moon. The Times, for its part, savaged him for spending a couple of minutes on the phone with those astronauts while the Lunar Module was parked in the Sea of Tranquility. The space program, charged the Times, had been a Kennedy and Johnson venture – a Democratic project – and Nixon, who just happened to be in the White House “by accident of the calendar” at the time of the moon landing, was horning in on his predecessors’ achievement. It took the Richmond Times-Dispatch, one of the few American dailies that were capable of showing Nixon at least some sympathy, to point out the cold, simple truth: “As unhappy as it makes the New York Times, the fact is that Richard Nixon is now President of the United States.” And that was really what it came down to: then, as now, the mainstream media could not bring themselves to accept the legitimacy of a Republican incumbent. A year or so prior to reading Before the Fall for the first time, I read another book – All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Back then, I thought it was terrific, too. I also admired the 1976 movie version – and I still do, even though I can now see through the outrageous propaganda. I wasn’t the only American of my generation who bought the line that Woodward, Bernstein, and their colleagues at the Washington Post were heroes of freedom because they’d brought down a crooked president. What I, at least, didn’t know at the time was that the same executive editor, Ben Bradlee, who oversaw the Post‘s Watergate coverage was an old JFK crony who had systematically covered up a whole swamp full of Kennedy crookedness – crookedness on a far larger scale, as it happened, than anything Nixon had been up to. Among other things, as none other than William Safire wrote in a review of Bradlee’s 1995 autobiography, the Post editor had taken part in the destruction of a relative’s diary recounting sexual trysts with JFK. Even though Kennedy had told Bradlee personally, moreover, that he’d won Illinois’s electoral votes in 1960 with the “help of a few close friends” (cue theme music from The Godfather), Bradlee had chosen not to order a Post inquiry into this staggering admission. And even after Bradlee offered up this information in his 1995 book, the rest of the mainstream media showed little if any interest in following it up. The bottom line is clear: when it comes to the media smearing of Republican presidents and whitewashing of their Democratic counterparts, very little has changed since the Nixon era. The problem is that memories are often very short – and many people who are buying into the media lies about Trump are too young to have seen it before and can’t help but be sucked into thinking that in this whole sea of slime, some of it has to be true. Perhaps those of us who are old enough to have seen all this before should be doing a better job of sharing our experience with our younger fellow citizens – so that it doesn’t take them as long as it took us to recognize just how dishonest the mainstream media can be. Original Article Share ThisOne person has died and 11 others have been injured - two of them critically - after a bus and 4x4 vehicle collided on the A78 in North Ayrshire. The Stagecoach 585 service and the 4x4 crashed near the Rowan Tree restaurant, north of Ardrossan, at about 14:15. The Scottish Ambulance Service declared the scene a major incident. Two air ambulances attended, along with specialist trauma teams. The road was reopened on Monday night after being shut for several hours. Police Scotland said: "At around 14:15 hours on Monday 21 March, police and emergency services responded to reports of a serious road traffic collision between a service bus and a 4x4 vehicle on the A78, north of Ardrossan, close to the Rowan Tree Restaurant. "There have been 12 people injured as a result of this incident. One person has been pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. "Two people have been taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital by air and by road ambulance. Nine others have been treated at the scene or transferred to Crosshouse Hospital for observations." Image caption A bus and a 4x4 were involved in the crash near Ardrossan A spokesman for the ambulance service said: "There are 11 casualties, several of whom are in a critical condition." A spokeswoman for Stagecoach confirmed that the 585 service from Ayr to Greenock had been "involved in a serious incident...on the A78 near Ardrossan". She said: "Our first thoughts are with those affected by this incident. "The safety of our passengers and staff is our highest priority and we are assisting the police fully with their investigation into the circumstances." A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: "Our crews are at the scene of a serious road collision on the A78. "We received a call from the ambulance service at 2.15pm today and firefighters reached the incident three minutes later. "There were six appliances at the scene and firefighters worked alongside police and paramedics to assist those involved."The problem with OneWasatch is that a ski lift is never just a ski lift, Ms. Briefer said. Ski lifts mean new outbuildings, new access roads and felled trees. Such changes erode the water quality, and quantity, for people downstream who basically live in a desert. While OneWasatch’s backers say their plan has no development attached to it, water officials and others argue that construction will inevitably follow the chairlifts. Ski lifts “are the camel’s nose under the tent,” Jeff Niermeyer, the director of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, told this reporter two years ago when speaking about SkiLink, another controversial ski-connection proposal that has been shelved. Similar concerns apply to OneWasatch, Mr. Niermeyer said this month: “It still has the potential to draw a bunch of development into these canyons,” adding, “I am not willing to trade watershed protection for ‘wow’ factor.” Other opponents worry about elbow room. Nearly 80 percent of Utah’s population lives at the feet of the Wasatch. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, which includes much of this high country, is one of the five most-visited national forests in the country. Millions play in the same postage stamp of mountains above Salt Lake City, a roughly 10-square-mile patch of crimped topography that includes those seven ski resorts. Backcountry skiers long ago named their beloved, crowded playground “WasAngeles.” Jamie Kent, a real estate broker and president of the volunteer Wasatch Backcountry Alliance, said, “We’ve got it all: world-class lift-skiing, world-class backcountry skiing, world-class heli-skiing — and it’s all happening in this very small area, above 7,000 feet.” A tentative, hard-won detente has been struck among the user groups, Mr. Kent said. Now the ski areas want a larger piece of a pie that’s already completely spoken for, he said. Residents have repeatedly said they love their ski resorts but don’t want them to grow. In a study conducted in 2009 and 2010 as part of work on the future of the most popular mountain canyons, nearly all Utah residents interviewed said they did not want resorts to expand beyond their existing boundaries. The long-range plan for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest calls for no such expansion. While the new lifts would mostly be built on private land, the repercussions of these lifts would ripple far beyond that, Mr. Kent said. The biggest trend in skiing right now is “sidecountry” skiing — riding the chairlifts but then heading out beyond the groomed runs for a more adventurous experience. One proposed lift in the Grizzly Gulch area at Alta Ski Resort that would likely require some public land is particularly controversial. It would “wipe out many hundreds of acres of prime backcountry terrain, plus turn much of the central Wasatch into resort sidecountry,” a well-known local skier, Andrew McLean, wrote in an email. Mr. Kent said his group understands that many of these lifts are being proposed for ski resorts’ private property. “But we also recognize that they operate largely on public land,” he added, explaining that these mountains are a patchwork of public and private ownership. “To quote the group Save our Canyons,” which focuses on protecting the Wasatch canyons, “ 'It’s a public-private partnership. And partnerships balance out.' ”* * * Fraternity Hazing Caitlin Flanagan’s harrowing Atlantic piece on the death of the Penn State student Tim Piazza at a fraternity hazing underscored the high stakes of debates around fraternity safety and drinking culture. This graph from The Economist provides a history of hazing deaths at U.S. universities. * * * Sexual Violence in Schools Courtesy of The74 College sexual-assault issues have been at the forefront of the national conversation this year. But the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights has also seen a surge in sexual-violence complaints at K-12 schools, where administrators are often ill-equipped to handle such cases. (Hover over each bar in the graph to see specific amounts of complaints in K-12 and higher ed.) * * * Political Polarization at College Colleges have long been hotbeds for political fervor, but this year political divisions on campus seemed to reach new heights. A national survey of college freshmen across the U.S. found that these students were more politically polarized in 2017 than they have been in the last 51 years. Roughly 36 percent of students aligned themselves with liberal or far-left ideology, while about 22 percent identified as conservative or far right. There was also a significant gender chasm—roughly 41 percent of women identified as liberal or far left compared to 29 percent of men, the largest gender divide since 1966 when the survey was first administered. * * * Partisan Disdain for Higher Education For the first time since 2010, a majority of Republicans say colleges & universities have a negative impact on U.S. https://t.co/vN5Vl3O61m pic.twitter.com/TUU35FWuIf — Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) July 10, 2017 This past year saw a sharp rise in Republican distrust of higher education, with some contending that a backlash against campus identity politics or a less-educated Republican demographic is to blame. The Atlantic’s David Graham argued that whatever the cause, the effects of this trend could be significant: “If more than a third of the country, and six in 10 Republicans, think that institutions of higher education are harming the country, it’s hard to imagine that won’t eventually result in larger drops in enrollment.” * * * School Segregation Thirty states currently have policies that allow communities to secede from their school districts. These moves often exacerbate the segregation of schools on the basis of race and socioeconomic status. This map from an EdBuild report on school-district secessions offers a breakdown of 71 communities that have tried to secede from their school districts since 2000. * * * School Performance Many Americans are pessimistic about the country’s school systems, but recent data paints a new, more hopeful picture of some districts’ abilities to overcome challenges. The data, based on around 300 million elementary-school test scores from over 11,000 school districts, challenge assumptions about how and why schools succeed. In Chicago, for example, students were found to learn faster than in most other school systems in the U.S., despite the institutional and socioeconomic obstacles the Chicago school system faces. The interactive version of this graphic is available at the New York Times article here.(CNN) David Lee had just opened his wallet for two successive offerings at a church one Sunday morning when a pastor walked onto the pulpit to pass on a request. "You all going to think I'm crazy, but God says give again," the pastor said. The congregation rose from their seats to march to the front as the church organist played a soothing melody. As they dropped off their offerings at the altar, the pastor urged them on with, "God says give everything; don't hold nothing back." The organist then picked up the tempo, and the pastor shouted, "God says run!" The offering ended with people surging toward the altar like music fans rushing a concert stage. "It was pandemonium. They weren't just giving money, but shoes, watches and diamond rings," Lee says. "There were people dropping alligator shoes on the altar." Were these people cheerful or gullible givers? For Lee, a church elder who spent 30 years marketing and selling church products, they were victims of the "Sunday morning stickup" -- his term for manipulative tactics pastors and churches use to get your money. "They bypassed their common sense," says Lee, author of "Sunday Morning Stickup," which examines church giving. "One lady took off her wedding ring and dropped it of on the altar. That's how charged the atmosphere was. People got caught up." People widely condemned an Atlanta megachurch pastor who asked his church to buy him a $65 million private jet. Yet there is no condemnation for countless church leaders across America who have turned the Sunday morning offering into a form of spiritual abuse, Lee and other church leaders say. Creflo Dollar, an Atlanta-based televangelist, persuaded his congregation to buy him a private jet. If a pastor or church leader has ever told you that the Bible commands Christians to tithe or give 10% of their income; hit you up for multiple offerings during one service; made you march up front to give; asked you to donate to a mysterious "building fund" or give a "first-fruit" offering; or even given special recognition to big givers in your congregation, Lee and other pastors have a message for you: You are getting played. These rituals, they say, violate New Testament teachings about how and why people should give. Quibbling over how churches collect money may seem trivial. But the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century was sparked, in part, by outrage over how the Roman Catholic Church collected money. Church leaders sold everything from "indulgences" to people who wanted their sins pardoned to holy relics of dubious value. And researchers say that today's surge in "nones," or Americans who claim no religious affiliation, is driven by people who complain that religions organizations are too concerned with money and power. No wonder
Israeli children who are treated as children until 18). But there are concerns this change has been rendered void in practice. While welcoming the change, the report expresses concern “that the change does not appear to apply to sentencing provisions.” Seemingly deliberate loopholes in the law means that “adult sentencing provisions still apply to 16 [and] 17 year olds” and that children 14-17 years old can be sentenced as adults when the maximum penalty for the offense is five years or more. The maximum penalty for throwing stones (the most common offense) ranges from 10 to 20 years, Asked by The Electronic Intifada at the Tuesday launch why there were no specific recommendations in the report to end this inequality, Judy Khan QC said it was covered by core recommendation three, which calls for an end to the current inequalities between Israeli and Palestinian child detainees. In their meetings with the delegation, the Israeli Ministry of Justice “described [such changes] as conditional on there being no significant unrest or ‘third intifada.’” The report objects: “[a] major cause of future unrest may well be the resentment of continuing injustice … justice is not a negotiable commodity but a fundamental human right.” Sharp rise in child detainees Sir Stephen Sedley, a former Lord Justice — senior appeal judge — underlined at Tuesday’s launch that there has been a 40 percent rise in child detainees since their visit in September, so the problem has only got worse since they returned to the UK. While the report seems to have received some media coverage in the UK, it yet remains to be seen what practical impact it will have. More fundamentally, it does not call for an end to the occupation, considering political solutions beyond the authors’ mandate. It does note however that: “We have no reason to differ from the view of Her Majesty’s Government and the international community that these [Israeli] settlements [in the West Bank] are illegal. For the purposes of this report however we treat them, like the occupation, as a fact.” But the question remains: a fact for how much longer? Asa Winstanley is an investigative journalist from London who has lived and reported from occupied Palestine. His website is www.winstanleys.org.George B. Jackson (1850 – November 25, 1900), was a former slave who became a soldier in the United States Army, serving with the Buffalo Soldiers from 1869 to 1875 in Texas. He became a businessman, landowner, sheep rancher, and politician in San Angelo, Texas. One of the founders in the 1890s of the Republican Party in San Angelo, he was widely believed to have been the wealthiest African Americans in the state during the second half of the 19th century.[1] In 1894, Jackson was chosen to address the Republican state convention, and in 1897, he was appointed by President William McKinley as customs inspector in Presidio, Texas. Early life and education [ edit ] Jackson was born into slavery on a plantation in Brunswick County, Virginia. He was of mixed race and may have been sired by his white master. He was 15 years old when he became free, after the American Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves. Career [ edit ] As a young man, Jackson enlisted in the US Army for more opportunities. He was assigned to an all-black unit, who became known as buffalo soldiers during their service in the American West. In 1869, Jackson was among the first buffalo soldiers assigned to Fort Concho, located on the Concho River in San Angelo, the seat of Tom Green County in West Texas. At the time, San Angelo was known as a "resort for desperate characters", where 16 saloons sold an average of 19.4 gallons of whisky per male resident annually.[2] By 1875, Jackson had been discharged from the Army at Fort Duncan in Eagle Pass, Texas. He began operating a saloon in San Angelo. In an event typical of the rough frontier town, in 1879, Josephine Thompson stabbed Albert Ford, a buffalo soldier, to death in Jackson's saloon.[2] Twice a year, Jackson paid $25 to police to protect his continued operation of a brothel. The police typically charged prostitutes $2.50 twice per year for vagrancy. Otherwise, the business flourished without police interference.[2] Marriage and family [ edit ] Jackson married Mary, a black woman from San Antonio, who continued to live there while he was running his business in San Angelo. Jackson prospered in San Angelo and regularly spent time with Mary in San Antonio. They had no children together. Political career [ edit ] By 1884, Jackson was selected as a petit juror in San Angelo, at a time when blacks in most of the former Confederacy were being disenfranchised and thus disqualified from jury service. In 1885, the white-controlled school system appointed Jackson as a trustee of the black public school; the system was segregated. He purchased ranch land at a bargain some 35 miles west of San Angelo and leased out his holdings.[2] Active politically, Jackson in 1894 was chosen to address the Republican State Convention in Austin. He assailed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff of the Cleveland administration and urged high tariffs to protect West Texas sheep and goat ranchers.[2] He started a Republican organization in San Angelo, together with six whites and one Hispanic man.[2] In 1894, the Republican candidate, George H. Noonan of San Antonio, was elected as U.S. representative from the district that included Tom Green County. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Noonan was the first Texas Republican elected to Congress after the end of Reconstruction. He served one term and was unseated in the 1896 general election, when Democrats regained power in the state.[3] The San Angelo Standard newspaper declared the politically connected Jackson to be "the wealthiest colored man in Texas."[2] In 1897, Jackson traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the inauguration of U.S. President William McKinley, a Republican. His administration appointed Jackson as customs inspector in Presidio, Texas, a small community on the Mexican border west of what is now Big Bend National Park. Jackson was respected for setting aside racial differences in his dealings; he was known for developing friendships with whites and Democrats.[2] Death [ edit ] Jackson died in the home of a friend of congenital heart disease at the age of 50. At the time of his death, he was headed from San Angelo to San Antonio to see his wife. George B. Jackson was a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent black denomination in the United States, founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816. He was interred at the black Masonic Cemetery in San Antonio. His business partner, Joe Selby, later died in San Angelo.[2]WNYC Names Jim Schachter Vice President, News WNYC Names Jim Schachter Vice President, News New York Times Associate Managing Editor to Lead National and Local News Efforts at Nation’s Most-Listened-To Public Radio Station (New York, NY – June 22, 2012) -- WNYC announced today that Jim Schachter, Associate Managing Editor at The New York Times, has been appointed Vice President for News at WNYC Radio. He will officially begin on Monday, July 9. In this newly created role, Schachter will be responsible for leading WNYC’s award-winning news brand. He will oversee its strategic vision and planning, as well as editorial decisions related to production and operations. He will work closely with WNYC’s news and digital teams on the further integration of WNYC’s broadcast and digital content. Schachter will have editorial oversight of WNYC’s local and national radio and digital news properties, including the WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio local news teams, WNYC’s newly launched data news unit, the political site It’s a Free Country, and WNYC-produced news shows including the Peabody Award winning programs The Brian Lehrer Show, Radio Rookies, and On the Media. Additionally, he will guide the deepening of WNYC’s commitment to enterprise journalism. Schachter will report to Dean Cappello, Senior Vice President, Programming and Chief Content Officer, WNYC. "We are thrilled that Jim is bringing his extraordinary editorial skills and track record of success to public radio,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC. "He has a vibrant vision, an appetite for innovation, and a keen understanding of engaging audiences. This will bolster our ambitious plans to grow our news content and increase our reporting capacity across all platforms. We're delighted that he is joining us at a moment when the need for serious journalism has never been more urgent." “Jim is the ideal candidate for this newly created role,” said Cappello. “He has worked at nearly every editorial job, from reporter to editor to creator of collaborations. He has been a prominent part of The New York Times as it’s made a remarkable transition into the world of online journalism. And he has had long experience with public media as he led conversations about new partnerships between The New York Times and other news providers, including WNYC. We’re thrilled to have him aboard.” “WNYC’s talented staff, enterprising spirit and public-service mission make it an incredibly appealing place to practice high-impact journalism,” Schachter said. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to join an institution that I have long admired, and humbled to be leading a newsroom that has such deep respect for the intelligence and engagement of its audience.” During his 17-year tenure at the The Times, Schachter has held senior editorial positions in both hard news and feature sections, including deputy editor of the business and culture news departments and of The New York Times Magazine. He directs a range of projects aimed at expanding The Times’s footprint online, in print and in the education sector. In the last year, he launched India Ink, the first Times website aimed at a national audience outside the United States, and SchoolBook, a collaboration with WNYC designed to empower families to make the most of New York’s complex school-choice system. He initiated the first Times ebook; led development of NYTimes.com’s “second screen” Oscars-night viewing companion; oversaw the relaunch of The Times's online business report; and introduced local news pages in copies of The Times sold in the Bay Area, Chicago and Texas, forging innovative collaborations with non-profit news start-ups. He also initiated a pilot project, The Local, that operates hyperlocal Web sites teaming professional journalists, journalism schools and local residents to cover the news of everyday life in New York neighborhoods. Prior to joining the Times, Schachter held reporter and editor roles at the Los Angeles Times, the Kansas City Star, and the Jacksonville Journal. About New York Public Radio New York Public Radio is New York’s premier public radio franchise, comprising WNYC, WQXR, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, and New Jersey Public Radio, as well as www.wnyc.org, www.wqxr.org, www.thegreenespace.org and www.njpublicradio.org. As America's most listened-to AM/FM news and talk public radio stations, reaching 1.1 million listeners every week, WNYC extends New York City's cultural riches to the entire country on-air and online, and presents the best national offerings from networks National Public Radio, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the British Broadcasting Company. WQXR is New York City's sole 24-hour classical music station, presenting new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, among other New York City venues, immersing listeners in the city's rich musical life. In addition to its audio content, WNYC and WQXR produce content for live, radio and web audiences from The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the station's street-level multipurpose, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space. New Jersey Public Radio extends WNYC reach and service more deeply into New Jersey. For more information about New York Public Radio, visit www.nypublicradio.org. # # #Back in September, we told you about electric buses in Geneva that are flash-charged–which means they’re rapidly powered up via a laser-directed arm–when they approach a bus stop. Now, researchers at the Utah State University have tested an electric bus that does away with the arm and charges wirelessly through induction. The technology was designed by Utah State University’s Wireless Power Transfer Team and the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative’s Advanced Transportation Institute. Here’s how it works: on the ground at every bus stop is a plate that recharges the battery-powered bus each time it drives over it. The charging plate doesn’t have to charge the battery completely. Instead, it gives just enough of a boost to get the bus to the next stop on the route. The advantages are obvious: zero air pollution and increased fuel savings. The system is now being commercialized by the Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification (WAVE), a Utah State University startup, according to Wired. Prototypes are only in Utah for now, but WAVE is reportedly in discussions with New York, Seattle, and Monterey, California, to introduce the buses by the end of 2014.by BRIAN NADIG The construction of a three-flat has been proposed for a vacant lot at 5031 W. Irving Park Road, while an application to rezone site of an apartment building at 5032 W. Agatite Ave. is being withdrawn. The 27-foot-tall building would be located along a stretch of seven residential buildings on Irving Park, which is predominantly a commercial thoroughfare. Plan call for the site to be rezoned from B3-1 to B2-2, which permits ground-floor residential uses in a business district. 45th Ward Alderman John Arena’s chief of staff Owen Brugh said that no objections to the project were raised at a community meeting on the proposal which the alderman held last month. There would be six tandem parking spaces in the rear of the building, he said. The City Council Zoning Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposal at its Oct. 3 meeting. Brugh also reported that Arena is not supporting the project on Agatite and that the zoning applicant has agreed to withdraw the zoning proposal. The city Department of Buildings issued citations last year for a clogged gutter on the building and for failure to post contact information for the owner or manager of the rental property. The property’s new owner had been seeking to deconvert the four-unit building to a three-unit structure, but the alderman wants it to be maintained as a two-flat, which is allowed under the existing zoning, Brugh said. The building is located in an area of small apartment buildings and single-family homes, he said. Also in the 36th Ward, a zoning change is being sought to allow for a two-flat at 5907 W. Waveland Ave. Last year the buildings department issued a stop work order because the building reportedly was being constructed without the proper permit. Plans call for the lot to be rezoned from RS-2, which is intended primarily for single-family homes, to RT-3.5, which allows for multi-family construction. In the 38th Ward, a zoning application has been submitted to allow for the construction of a three-story high school with 65 required parking spaces and future athletic facilities at 4201 N. Oak Park Ave. The school system plans to announce next year whether the building would be used as a freshman campus for the overcrowded Taft High School or a new 4-year Dunning high school. In other development news, the transfer of about 20,000 square feet of land for $1 from the City of Chicago to the Mega Group, the developer for a four-story, mixed-use project at 5201 W. Lawrence Ave., could be completed as early as the end of this year, according to the city Department of Planning and Development. Several storefronts and 39 apartments are planned. Mega owns half of the approximately 41,000-square-foot site, which is divided by Laramie Avenue. In 2006 the city paid $1.46 million for some of the lots for a development project which was never built following opposition to the planned 132 condominiums and 10-story height. The 2006 plan would have included additional properties which are not part of the current project and which the city does not own.Lakers guard Kobe Bryant likely won't match Michael Jordan’s haul of six NBA championship rings, but he will pass Jordan for third on the league’s all-time scoring list very soon. Like most misunderstood and underappreciated artists, Kobe Bryant will be remembered more fondly when he is gone. Years from now, basketball historians should look back in bewilderment that Bryant won only one NBA MVP award and Steve Nash, Bryant’s injured teammate, won two. Make no mistake, Kobe Bean Bryant is an artiste. His canvas is 94 feet by 50 feet. His work is polarizing. He can be temperamental and enigmatic and tends to see the world through only his lens. Love him or hate him, appreciate the artist known as Kobe while you still can. Advertisement Now in his, gulp, 19th season and rounding the final corner of his career, the 36-year-old Bryant made what will likely be one of his final appearances in Boston on Friday night as the Celtics hosted the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Garden. Get Sports Headlines in your inbox: The most recent sports headlines delivered to your inbox every morning. Sign Up Thank you for signing up! Sign up for more newsletters here Kobe left here a 113-96 loser, his 22 points on 9-of-21 shooting not nearly enough to offset the inexperience, ineffectiveness, and apathy of this edition of the Lakers. You had to feel bad for Bryant considering the squad of basketball bystanders the Lakers have surrounded him with in the winter of his career. Lakers coach Byron Scott said his team looked “disinterested in playing.” Jordan Hill got the Kobe Death Stare in the first half when he watched a Bryant pass zip by him. A wistful and introspective Bryant seemed to be soaking in this Boston visit and acknowledging his athletic mortality when he spoke Friday afternoon following the Lakers’ shootaround. After the game, Bryant even waxed poetic about getting booed by Boston fans, even though there were few boos on this night. Advertisement “I just think kind of looking around and digesting it a lot more so than I have in the past, just kind of taking it all in a little bit,” said Bryant. Bryant came into town leading the NBA in scoring at 26.0 points per game. That would be the highest points-per-game output of any player in NBA history age 36 or older or in his 19th season or later. But Bryant was taking 22.4 shots per night and shooting a career-worst 39.0 percent from the field. Earlier this season, Kobe passed Celtics legend John Havlicek for the most missed field goals in NBA history (13,579 entering last night). Bryant is just 99 points from passing Michael Jordan for third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Reaching those two marks in the same season defines Bryant. Advertisement It is Bryant’s great misfortune that his career so closely followed after MJ’s. It was a standard that Bryant — or anyone else — was destined to fall short of. If Bryant had come before Jordan, then the comparison would have been kinder for Kobe. Bryant has five rings and matching Jordan’s haul of six seems unlikely, given Bryant’s advanced stage and the Lakers’ need for a Hollywood rewrite of their roster. Bryant feigned disinterest in passing Jordan. It was the same facade he put up when the Celtics and Lakers met in the 2010 NBA Finals. He downplayed the significance of winning a Celtics-Lakers Finals until Los Angeles won Game 7, when he admitted he had been fibbing all along. Bryant was asked about the constant Jordan comparisons and carving out his own place in NBA annals. “Well, I have,” said Bryant. “We’ve had different career paths completely. But I feel a great sense of accomplishment having to carry on the two-guard legacy from Jerry [West] to Michael to myself. I feel great about that.” All anyone really wanted to talk about with Kobe Friday was his breakfast summit with Celtics point guard and free agent flight risk Rajon Rondo on Thursday at a Beacon Hill eatery. Photos of the two basketball rebels breaking bread went viral. Perhaps Kobe offered Rondo some free throw shooting tips as he asked him to pass the butter. Any claim that this is a sign that today’s athletes don’t appreciate a rivalry is misguided. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain would eat at each other’s houses and nap in each other’s beds before games. Bryant described the breakfast with Rondo as a “basketball geek conversation.” Just two misunderstood basketball geniuses comparing notes. “We get along extremely well,” said Bryant. “We see the game in a similar fashion in terms of our aggressiveness and mind-set. It was good to get together with him.” Bryant has always had an appreciation for hoops history and particularly the unique tapestry of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. No player has spent more seasons in the purple and gold than Bryant. He is the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer. He still chafes over getting rolled in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals here. Even in the rivalry’s current depressed and depressing state, Bryant knew facing Boston was not just another game. (The Celtics and Lakers have a combined 33 NBA titles but entered this game with 10 combined wins this season.) “Right now, both teams we’re not what we used to be,” said Bryant. “But it’s always an eerie feeling walking down the halls and being surrounded by green. It’s always a weird feeling. It’s a great one, though. “Growing up and watching this franchise and then being a part of some great battles and being here. It’s a very special place, man.” Kobe is looking back fondly on the road he has traveled because the pavement of his playing days is running out fast. He suffered a torn left Achilles’ tendon in April of 2013. He played in just six games last season because of a fractured tibial plateau in his left knee. He has one year left on his contract at $25 million per season. Kobe Bryant’s oeuvre is nearly complete. For pure basketball fans, that’s something much harder to chew on than breakfast with Rondo. RELATED: • Lakers’ losing is tough on Byron Scott, Kobe Bryant • Kobe Bryant says meal with Rajon Rondo was not an LA pitch Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @cgasperI don’t think it is making us “less” social, but I think it is having unintended consequences. I have no research on this, but I think that social media users are experiencing what is known as the Paradoxical Reaction.[1] in medicine, a Paradoxical Reaction simply means, you cause exactly what you tried to prevent. For context, here is a real example of that in everyday life when a nurse spoke to a patient who couldn’t shake his alcohol addiction. "It says you're separated." He nodded. "For better or worse?" He shrugged. "It's better now. I still see my kids, she's got someone else... it's all pretty amicable." "Do you reckon" I said "that alcohol had something to do with that?" "With what?" "With the marriage breakup" "Shit, yeah" he said. "We'd still be together if I hadn't changed." "How'd that work?" "Well, it was okay while I was on drugs. But I went to the doc's and he told me I was killing myself, so I gave up the goey. Cold turkey. I was getting to the stage where you don't enjoy speed anymore anyway. And it brought a lot of tension to the relationship." "Made it worse?" "Lot worse. We had these fights. And then the doc told me to give up drinking, said it was was stuffing up my liver, so I stopped. Didn't drink for eight years, started back at the footy, joined the army reserve. Best years of my life, that way. But things got worse." "The marriage?" "Really bad. We had these big fights. I don't know if it was loss of control, or what. I remember one time she said "You're such an arsehole. I liked you better when you were pissed all the time", and I said "Well, I liked you better when I was pissed all the time, too'." strangersfever.blogspot. com/2006/09/paradoxical-reaction. html He tried to save his marriage, and ended up destroying it, that's a Paradoxical Reaction. Research shows connecting billion of users around the world may come at a psychological cost. A new University of Michigan study on college-aged adults finds that the more they used Facebook, the worse they felt. The study, published in the journal PLOS One, found Facebook use led to declines in moment-to-moment happiness and overall life satisfaction. Why do you always see Facebook mentioned with regards to social media? Moving into 2017, the landscape of social media has stayed the same. The following chart puts things into perspective. ProtoGeo Oy (Moves app) ConnectU FriendFeed Nextstop Hot Potato dropio Friendly Instagram Lightbox Karma Face Jibbigo Branch WhatsApp Oculus VR Facebook is so widespread, and it's evolving. For some people, it is almost like an addiction because they become so deeply involved, she says. "That's why it's important to understand the causes and the long-term consequences of using social media." According to Timothy Wilson’s research, college students start going “crazy” after just a few minutes in a room without their phones or a computer. “One would think we could spend the time mentally entertaining ourselves,” he said. “But we can’t. We’ve forgotten how.” How Facebook Makes Us Unhappy The researchers wanted to know a few things: how their subjects felt overall, how worried and lonely they were, how much they had used Facebook, and how often they had had direct interaction with others since the previous text message. The data, he argues, shows that Facebook was making them unhappy. Lonelier people weren't inherently more likely to go online, either; a recent review of some seventy-five studies concluded that "Users of Facebook do not differ in most personality traits from nonusers of Facebook." But, somehow, the Internet seemed to make them feel more alienated. One experiment concluded that Facebook could even cause problems in relationships, by increasing feelings of jealousy. Another group of researchers has suggested that envy, too, increases with Facebook use: the more time people spent browsing the site, as opposed to actively creating content and engaging with it, the more envious they felt. In 2009, Sebastián Valenzuela and his colleagues came to the opposite conclusion of Kross: that using Facebook makes us happier. The key to understanding why reputable studies are so starkly divided on the question of what Facebook does to our emotional state may be in simply looking at what people actually do when they're on Facebook. "What makes it complicated is that Facebook is for lots of different things-and different people use it for different subsets of those things. Not only that, but they are also changing things, because of people themselves changing," said Gosling. In other words, the world of constant connectivity and media, as embodied by Facebook, is the social network's worst enemy: in every study that distinguished the two types of Facebook experiences-active versus passive-people spent, on average, far more time passively scrolling through newsfeeds than they did actively engaging with content. Demands on our attention lead us to use Facebook more passively than actively, and passive experiences, no matter the medium, translate to feelings of disconnection and boredom. We get bored, look at Facebook or Twitter, and become more bored. Getting rid of Facebook wouldn't change the fact that our attention is, more and more frequently, forgetting the path to proper, fulfilling engagement. Internet paradox: A social technology that reduces social involvement and psychological well-being. Kraut, Robert; Patterson, Michael; Lundmark, Vicki; Kiesler, Sara; Mukophadhyay, Tridas; Scherlis, William American Psychologist, Vol 53(9), Sep 1998, 1017-1031. (Psychologist, Vol 53(9), Sep 1998, 1017-1031. dx. doi. org /10.1037/0003-066X.53.9.1017 )) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (2014, October 9). Does Facebook make you lonely? ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 5, 2017 from (www. sciencedaily. com/releases/2014/10/141009163418. htm) Footnotes [1] Paradoxical reaction - WikipediaThe availability of password-cracking tools based on increasingly powerful graphics processors means that even carefully chosen short passwords are liable to crack under a brute-force attack. A password of less than seven characters will soon be "hopelessly inadequate" even if it contains symbols as well as alphanumerical characters, according to computer scientists at the Georgia Tech Research Institute. The security researchers recommend passwords at least 12 characters long. The number crunching abilities of graphics processors were recently applied to commercial password auditing and recovery tools from Russian developer ElcomSoft. It's a safe assumption that black hats are able to use the same type of technology for less laudable purposes. Richard Boyd, of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, told the BBC that the number-crunching capacity of graphics cards compares to those of supercomputers built only 10 years ago. Longer passwords are better at withstanding brute force attacks that rely on trying every possible combination of characters, but just using longer passwords is not enough. Dictionary attacks still work on badly chosen (easy to guess) passwords, while even complex passwords of 20 characters are useless on machines infected with keylogging Trojans. Practical problems in applying passwords on the web have become a productive area of academic research of late. Joseph Bonneau and Sören Preibusch recently produced a paper titled The password thicket: technical and market failures in human authentication on the web (pdf), presented at the WEIS 2010 conference in Boston back in June. In the paper, and in a subsequent series of four articles on the Light Blue Touchpaper blog, the two computer scientists carried out an analysis of password implementations, based on a study of 150 popular e-commerce, news and webmail sites. While the Georgia researchers focused on the strength or otherwise of how users choose passwords, the Cambridge team studied how websites develop and apply password security policies. Many sites fail to apply best practice such as storing passwords only as hashes and blocking or at least throttling multiple attempts to guess user names or passwords. The Cambridge team also studied how lower-security sites can compromise higher-security ones due to the tendency of users to reuse passwords across multiple domains. They suggest that some low-security sites (such as newspaper sites) insist on the use of passwords "primarily for psychological reasons... as a justification for collecting marketing data and as a way to build trusted relationships with customers". ®Minister calls for restart of Japan's reactors 23 June 2011 Share A shortage of electricity would be the greatest obstacle to economic recovery in Japan following the huge earthquake and tsunami in March, according to the country's industry minister. He said that this makes local permission for restarting Japan's nuclear power plants essential. Kaieda speaking in Vienna earlier this week (Image: METI) In May, Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan said that the country's energy policy would have to be reconsidered following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. However, at that time, he stated that nuclear would remain a 'pillar' in Japan's energy supply. Banri Kaieda, minister for economy, trade and industry, has now said that for nuclear to remain one of Japan's key energy sources, "It is indispensible to obtain lessons we should learn from the accident in order to present a general image of nuclear safety measures and to put such measures into practice." He added that it is also important to "clarify the actual situation of the accident" at Tokyo Electric Power Co's (Tepco's) Fukushima Daiichi plant. According to data released by the Japan Atomic Industry Forum (JAIF), as of mid-May just 17 out of Japan's 54 nuclear power reactors were in operation. This represents 15,493 MWe, or 31.6%, of the country's total nuclear generating capacity of 48,960 MWe. Twenty units, with a combined generating capacity of 17,705 MWe (or 36.2% of total nuclear capacity) were not operating as they had been shut for periodic inspection, while another two units had been shut for unplanned inspections or equipment replacement. It is not yet known when these units will be restarted. Kaieda warned, "Concerns about electricity supply and cost increase caused by the substitution of thermal power generation would possibly restrict investment in Japan and prompt transfer of business to overseas countries, which may result in a hollowing out of Japanese industry." Power supplies in the eastern coast areas served by Tepco, Tohoku Electric Power Co and Chubu Electric Power Co have been severely disrupted by the earthquake and tsunami. Meanwhile, the shutdown of reactors for regulatory-mandated periodic inspections has also led to tight supplies in western Japan. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) warned that if those reactors currently shut down for inspections or maintenance are not restarted, and those currently operating are shut down when scheduled inspections are due, all of Japan's nuclear power plants would be offline within about one year. Nuclear shutdown within one year? (Image: METI) METI noted that if those reactors currently not in operation in western Japan are not permitted to restart by local authorities, the supply capacity in that region during the coming summer months will decrease by 8.8 GWe, or about 11% of expected supply capacity. This would not only affect supplies on the western coast of Japan, but also make it difficult to implement plans to transmit electricity to the eastern coast. In addition, some businesses in the east of the country have relocated to the west, adding to expected demand there. "If power stations currently in periodic inspection outage cannot be restarted, electricity would not only have to be supplied by the five companies in the western regions to the Tepco area and Chubu Electric Power area, but it would be unavoidable that the supply-demand balance of electricity would be tight even in western Japan," Kaieda said. "Considering the tendency to shift production plants, etc, to western Japan, it is indispensible to stabilize the supply-demand balance of electricity including western Japan for recovery from the disaster and revitalization of the Japanese economy." "METI considers that there is no problem regarding safety concerning the continued operation and restart of nuclear power stations." Banri Kaieda Minister for economy, trade and industry METI instructed utilities on 30 March to take emergency safety measures for an assumed loss of all AC power supplies, etc, caused by a tsunami. Kaieda noted, "METI confirmed that the level of safety required for preventing the occurrence of core damage, etc, has been secured by steady implementation of such measures." He added, "METI considers that there is no problem regarding safety concerning the continued operation and restart of nuclear power stations." On 7 June, Kaieda ordered utilities to take further immediate measures that would be implemented in the event of a serious accident at a nuclear power plant. These included steps to prevent hydrogen explosions. The plant operators submitted reports to METI on 14 June listing such measures they had taken. Kaieda said, "On the basis of the reports, METI strictly evaluated nuclear power stations through on-the-spot inspections, etc, and confirmed that the measures were taken properly." "I would like residents near the nuclear power stations and other people in Japan to understand that electricity restraint is the largest issue for the growth of Japan's economy," Kaieda said. "For future development of the Japanese economy, I would like the people to allow the restart of nuclear power stations. If necessary, I will visit the regions where nuclear power stations are located and will directly explain the situation and ask for restart of these facilities." Researched and written by World Nuclear NewsSeveral days ago, we posted a NSA cable leaked by Wikileaks, in which then French finance minister Moscovici (currently a European commissioner) was admitted that the French economic situation was "worse than anyone [could] imagine and drastic measures [would] have to be taken in the next two years." It has not improved since then. Overnight, in another perhaps even more relevant to the current quagmire in Greece leak, Wikileaks has released another intercepted NSA communication between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her personal assistant reveals that not only Merkel, but Schauble, were well aware that even with a debt haircut (which took place in 2012 but only for private creditors and whose impact was promptly countered with the debt from the second bailout) Greek debt would be unsustainable. Technically, she did not use that word: she said that "Athens would be unable to overcome its problems even with an additional haircut, since it would not be able to handle the remaining debt." She was right. And yet here she is, telling Tsipras and the Greek people that all Greece needs is to comply with the existing program when she knows well by her own admission that Greece is insolvent in its current state - precisely what Syriza is arguing and demanding be part of any deal. Because why bother making a deal if Greece will once again be in default a few months down the line, just as Varoufakis said earlier today. But where it gets really humorous is where the cable notes that even "Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble alone continued to strongly back another haircut, despite Merkel's efforts to rein him in... with IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde described as undecided on the issue." Fast forward to today and now Lagarde is decided, and the IMF admits a 30% Greek haircut is necessary. So, one wonders, why is Syriza getting hell for pushing what both Germany in 2011 and the IMF now admit has to happen in order to have a viable Greek nation. Unless, of course, they don't want a viable Greek nation, and instead want a vassal state that is constantly on the brink of collapse and thus creating enough systemic risk to constantly push the EUR lower. Becuase, just in case anyone has forgotten, the real issue here is not the fate of Greece or even the rest of the PIIGS, but how can Germany continue enjoying a currency that is substantially weaker than what a far stronger,
had happened. At least Gawker blogger Sam Biddle had the balls to admit he destroyed the life of that chick who made the AIDS joke about Africa. Trotter’s exposÃ© came out 24 hours before Razib was let go. Trotter’s own post says, “The New York Times has quietly cut ties with Razib Khan… following our post highlighting Khan’s association with right-wing racist publications.” Trotter had a nauseating smile almost the entire conversation that would seem sinister if he wasn”t so doughy. The most I could get him to concede was that his post “may” have lead to Khan’s termination. He asked me why I wasn”t angrier at the Times. “I didn”t want him to get fired” Trotter told me like the whole thing was a big surprise. Then he said something that gave me the creeps. He said, “All I did was publish some interesting information about [Razib].” It sounded so willfully dishonest and devoid of responsibility it bordered on sociopathic. If these bloggers think they”re destroying evil careers in the name of human rights, I get it but if this bull in a china shop keeps saying, “Whoops! Did I do that?” after every broken plate, I don”t know what the hell is going on in the world. He seemed concerned that I was horrified by the way he said, “interesting.” Despite being a professional life vandal, he looked genuinely upset when anything negative was directed his way. When I told him Gawker bloggers never go anywhere and a career in snark is a dead end, he looked genuinely hurt. I suspect this applies to the vast majority of bloggers who dish it out at these sites. If their own lives were subjected to half the scrutiny they devote to their careers, they would be crushed. This is exactly why I want more of them exposed. When we discovered the narrative of the rape victim carrying a mattress around campus was far from reality, we should have included the reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis in the public shaming. These are the enablers who ruin the lives of people such as Paul Nungesser just as much as the mattress carrier. A hoax is nothing without a platform. Pay to Play - Put your money where your mouth is and subscribe for an ad-free experience and to join the world famous Takimag comment board.The gods have made terrible mistakes, it's nothing short of a divine tragedy. We came late in the movie, but the story goes, that by the time man entered the world scene, whether it was as a corrective measure, a supplement to the divine plan, or an act of cosmic love, the world had already started its downward tumble. You see, Norse cosmology describes a world plunged into a dramatic, continuous crisis that will outlast the universe. As the senile resembles a newborn child, the end must necessarily reflect the beginning. Before the world that you and I live in, there was something else – a non-ambitious chaotic expanse where the giant Ymir lived. But he had to die to accommodate creation. And though the gods were happy for a while, it could not last. The golden age came and went. A world must end for things to return to what they were. A process nobody would survive. The gods of Norse mythology are flawed, like us. And like us they struggle to come to terms with things beyond their control. Incompetent beyond their talents, predestined to fail, doomed to drop cosmic turds where they sleep. It's frequently said that the gods of polytheistic ethnic religions have human qualities. But within the internal logic of these belief systems, it's really the other way around. It's mankind that resembles the gods. What does that imply about us in the context of Norse cosmology, where the gods are aware of future outcomes, yet try and fail to change them? I believe there are indeed a few profound philosophical take-aways. It seems a certain wistfulness and ambiguity permeated the latter stages of the pre-Christian worldview. It could also be that these sources were curated by medieval Christian scholars who took the introspective, self-critical implications of pagan cosmology as a sign of weakness. We don't know why some eddic poems survived, and others did not, but in many of them the ghost of future doom looms, while ironic tragedy sits at the root of all. Then again, I am prone to sentimental gloom. I have my biases. The Norse physical world was imperfect, but unlike transcendent religions, such as Christianity, there was no heaven – no immaculate plane of existence waiting. Instead, Norse cosmology fit with the famous idiom, that whatever goes up must also come down. The afterlife, if anything, is like a waiting room for the cosmic restart. These imperfections were not quite the result of any original sin. It makes more sense to think of them as engineering errors in the supporting structure of reality. The sandy soil that swallows the cathedral. Throughout the sources, the gods appear to make regular mistakes, and it probably goes back to the fact that they lacked the skills or means to make a singular, self-supporting cosmos. Certain things are always out of reach, even to gods. Ymir Gets Killed by Odin and His Brothers (Detail), Lorenz Frølich Ár var alda In the beginning there was the death blow. In Norse mythology, the killing of the giant Ymir marks the first act of cosmic creation. The dismemberment of the victim was equal to the parting of earth and sky. The body parts and fluids of the cosmic giant were the raw materials of all creation, laid out across the periodic table of the elements. The act of killing as primary creative act, though mythological, is probably telling for how Norse polytheists perceived ontological reality, and I think the metaphor works still. No pain, no gain. Take a step back and cast one glance at the greater picture, or reach for your nearest physics book. You'll see that perpetuity and permanence are not of this world. Nothing lasts forever. The gods traded permanence for The World, defined by agency and eternal conflict between biological, chemical and geological processes. The world is entirely reliant on competitive balance and antagonism. The gods created the world not as an act of love, but selfish ambition, to spite nature and chaos, represented by the jötnar – the giants. There can be no reconciliation. Gods and giants keep each other in check, like yin and yang. One cannot, one should not, win over the other – the world would not survive it. The world must seem bittersweet to the gods, who are doomed to maintain their creation – yet, the biggest threat is the very ground their creation rests on, as the sinkhole grows ever wider. In the tragic irony of it all, they themselves pose a threat to creation. As such the world is a twofold and ambivalent place, without the luxury of a clear distinction between good and evil: The gods themselves carry double-edged swords. Conway's Game of Life The age of man The most common cosmic denominator in Old Norse is heimr, meaning «home, where one belongs». But there is also veröld – which is a cousin, or cognate as it's properly called, of English world. The etymology concerns us here as it literally means «age of man». Perhaps it is a vestige of a prehistoric, non-linear view of history, where time perceived as cyclical. The later phase of Norse paganism, which is what we see in our sources, is uncharacteristically eschatological for a polytheistic ethnic religion. Man exists in an intermediate phase. It's not the first nor the last, but we live closer to the end than the beginning. If the mythical poem Völuspá, The Prophecy of the Seeress, in its most commonly cited redaction is representative of a pre-Christian timeline of mythical and cosmic events, then man did not even exist during the golden age. Mankind may even have been created as a tool of the gods as they struggled to maintain their work. Whatever their reasoning, the gods were invested in man: Völuspá says the gods were loving – ástgir – when they gave us life. It is noteworthy that this is the only instance in the eddic literature where the gods express love towards mankind. According to mythic time, man has experienced only a glimpse, a mere few frames of the grand cosmic display. If man wasn't present when the world was young, the myths state he will live to see Ragnarök. He will witness the end of creation. Ragnarök comes from regin «the gods», literally «those who keep council» and rök, which can mean «something that belongs», or «development, destiny, verdict». This divine verdict is the natural result of the carefully balanced, yet delicate cosmic order. Taking action against the inevitable Thor's greatest enemy is Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent. It's imperative that he fights against it, even though it's coiled around the world and keeps it from falling apart. Pre-Christian skaldic poets associate the creature with much dread, but Thor is locked in an impossible situation: He has the task of carrying out preemptive strikes against monsters and giants, but this protective function is itself a great threat to cosmic stability. When Odin seeks wisdom and advantage, he does so through self-mutilation and vulnerability. He gives up an eye, commits suicide, starves, and lets himself be taken captive. Freyr gives up his sword out of love-sickness towards the giantess Gerdr. A compromise that later proves deadly when the giants carry it to the final battle against the gods. The gods sacrifice power, body parts, and technology for the vain hope of an upper hand against the giants. The protector destroys! The god of sexual fertility and social status makes himself and impotent! They are merely stalling. Ironically, it may even seem that all their efforts only serve to enable the coming disaster. The wisdom they accumulate doesn't help them in the long run. The formula doesn't add up, the norns are drunk behind the spinning wheel. Any Norse and Germanic hero knows that is useless to fight one's forlög – the predetermined premise for every life: fate! Surely Odin, who sees everything, must understand that his battle can't be won. He sees everything, yet he is blind to the vanity of effort. He is doomed, yet he tries. How telling, how inspirational. This is wisdom we may draw from the poems Hymiskviða, Völuspá, and Skírnismál : All that exists does so at the expense of something else, and must be absorbed by something else once it ceases to be. The world clock ticks ever on towards the hour of entropy. The existence of the subject affects the existence of the object. There is no such thing as free lunch – everything has its price. Thermodynamics and mythical reality The root of this sad state runs deep. It goes all the way back to the bronze age, when Proto-Indo-European pastoral nomads scattered across Eurasia on horseback. Not wholly unlike the gods, these riders were armed not only with superior technology, but with martial ideologies and a will to power unlike anything else. A culture that realized that that nothing comes from nothing, that nothing is forever, and that destruction is a sibling of creation. As harsh as it first may seem, the thought is actually a beautiful one. An undivided theory of nature, a holistic space of equal parts joy and sorrow. Birth, death, and rebirth were allies then. Subjectively speaking, and this is a subjective essay, I believe there are truths in these ideas. Some less comfortable than others. To live is to endure the anguish of choice. And it is a recognizable feature to many Western cultures still. In the eyes of many Norwegians, not voting is considered fundamentally immoral. It is an expression of this line of choice, that you should prefer the terror of choice over the comfort of inaction. Norse religious practice itself was not overtly speculative, but based around cult, ritual and sacrifice. Do ut des, something for something. I give so you may give in return. This view of reality, which I personally associate with some existential wistfulness, rather than dread, is attested not only in the Eddas, but also in the concept of prakṛti in Hindu philosophy. Prakṛti means «nature», and states that all things stand in relation to creation, preservation, and destruction. By analogy my mind drifts to the Norse concept of eðli, which may be translated as any living creature's innate nature, essential traits and tendencies. The word is related to the contemporary Scandinavian word 'edel' (Old Norse aðal ) which means «noble, pure». It is the eagle's eðli that it tends to fly higher than other birds, to take a real example from the sources. It would also apply to the fact that humans dream, create artifacts, and speak. When the gods bound the Fenris wolf, they first needed to exhaust something – his fetters were fashioned from the breath of fish, women's beards and the roots of the mountains. These things are depleted, they no longer exist. But even this was ultimately not enough to contain the beast. There is still no such thing as a free lunch. Gotlandic image stone, c. 6th century. Ragnarok as inner struggle As I've already gone into, man appears as a theomorphic being. That is to say, we take our shapes from and resemble the gods, with all their faults and humiliations. We cannot naturally exceed our blueprints, or their faults and merits. We have our own demons to battle, and World Serpents to lift. We suffer in the crossfire of a deadly battlefield, wedged between the un-nature of lofty, self-righteous gods on the one hand, and the non-culture of cruel, venomous giants. This is the field of reality. If there feral meadowlands were kept in check, they would strangle the cultivated field. But a field unchained, which is a notion belonging in myths of bygone golden ages, where wheat fields sowed themselves (not unlike wild flora), would do equal harm to nature. In this day and age, the question is not whether or not such a field can exist, but how to keep GMOs from destroying ecosystems. This is far from a golden age. If man derives from the gods, then we should recall that the gods themselves have giant ancestry. Reptile brains that betray the so-called better angels of our nature, grappling with the selfish gene of civilization. It's revealing that when Thor first raised his hammer to crush the serpent's head, their eyes met in symmetrical opposition – like mirror images of each other. The gazer into the abyss and the abyss that gazes back. Thor would finally kill the serpent at Ragnarök. In Völuspá it is in fact the very last thing that happens before the sun extinguishes, and the earth sinks into the ocean. Stars drop from the collapsing, flaming heavens. The final blow that ends the universe as we know it, was dealt by its alleged protector. On a microcosmic level, Cultured Man raises the hammer against his own head. He hopes to smash the reptile brain contained within himself, where his urges and most primal, savage, troll instincts dwell. Seeking to beat the life out of the giant of Natural Man, the pre-human hominid, or troll man, in the heat of the moment unable to realize that he would only be killing himself. Man is himself ambiguous. He always struggles with the real and ideal, against the healthy and the unhealthy. He struggles to balance the beautiful, true, and good, against that equal portion of his self that pertains to the ugly, false, and bad. That which unites beautiful and the ugly, the true and the false, the good and the bad, that is truly sacred. The Faustian eddas A common feature of many old cultures is that the world was perceived through the lens of biological processes. The German philosopher and speculative historian Oswald Spengler was inspired by this sort of thought when he published his magnum opus, The Decline of the West (Der Untergang des Abendlandes), in 1918. He suggested that human society mirrored the cycle of life and death, very much like we may perceive it in nature. Like a flower, cultures grow, bloom, then ultimately; they die. Spengler considered civilization to be the final stage before a culture dies. Western civilization is would be no different, though it might be too vain to realize it. In the eyes of Spengler, cultural decline is like a body that withers in old age. The ruins of the modern West will sooner or later adorn the museums alongside Assyrian bas-reliefs. A melancholy, but beautiful idea in its own way. Spengler asserts that the tragic soul of each culture is embedded its archetypes, in their folk heroes and the beings they communicate with in their popular narratives. In his gallery of civilizational archetypes, the spirit of the West belongs to the archetype of doctor Faustus, the misguided alchemist who met his demise in accordance with the same methods through which he tried to achieve greatness. To Spenglers credit, it would seem that the Western world does tend adopt a can-do sentiment where whatever problem and obstacle is simply a symptom of transition, a childhood illness, that everything will work out if we just keep on trucking. Thereby not realizing that the transition is not temporary, all is flowing, all the time. Thor's Fight with the Giants (Detail), Mårten Eskil Winge. Existential Irony Like the audience of a play, we observe that Odin and the good doctor Faustus should know better, yet the ironic fruit of their actions is lost on them. But we might realize that we are not so different. That the story is really our own. Laugh or cry, the means by which we survive in our day-to-day lives, and as a society, triangulate our ultimate ends. Perhaps subconciously planned obsolecence is part of the eðli, the essence, of sentience. Are we alone in the universe? Drake's equation states that space – according to statistics – should be teeming with life, so where is everybody? The Fermi paradox tries to address this one fundamental problem since, considering the age of the universe, it should be expected that several civilizations possess sufficient technology for interstellar travel. Yet such civilizations are nowhere to be seen. It could simply be that no such life-form has yet survived itself. That they failed some ultimate test, whether they depleted their resources, died in a nuclear holocaust, or otherwise went the way of the dodo. If so, what are the chances of mankind surviving its own obsolescence? Is life itself Faustian? We may write empassioned transhumanist manifestos, and ceaselessly launch rocket phalluses towards the star-spangled womb of space, but perhaps we cannot escape the ambivalent seed within ourselves. The gods themselves are not eternal, and man is not destined for immortality. The amoral hero of the epics and heroic lays becomes a hero the moment he goes full circle in realizing his own vanity. Only in death may he be elevated into godhood, to sit in the high seat and drink with the gods, as the poems describe. And so the tragic hero often bends his head, allowing the blow to occur. If mankind's genealogy is divine, we are no better than the gods. ... If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting me on Patreon. Otherwise, you can help by sharing this article, following Brute Norse on Facebook, or leaving me feedback.Former war crimes prosecutor accused of allowing bullying and bribing of witnesses in trial of alleged Serbian warlord Vojislav Seselj Carla Del Ponte, the former war crimes prosecutor who put Balkan warlords and political leaders behind bars, is to be investigated over claims she allowed the use of bullying and bribing of witnesses, or tainted evidence. Judges at the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague today ordered an independent inquiry into the practices of Del Ponte and two prominent serving prosecutors, Hildegard Ürtz-Retzlaff and Daniel Saxon, after complaints from witnesses that they had been harassed, paid, mistreated and their evidence tampered with. It is the first time in the tribunal's 17 years in operation that top prosecutors have faced potential contempt of court rulings. During her eight years as chief prosecutor, Del Ponte, a determined Swiss investigator now serving as her country's ambassador to Argentina, was a combative and divisive figure. She left her post in 2007. The allegations against her concern the working practices of her team of investigators in the ongoing prosecution for war crimes of the Serbian politician, Vojislav Seselj, a notorious warlord. "Some of the witnesses had referred to pressure and intimidation to which they were subjected by investigators for the prosecution," said a statement from the judge in the Seselj case. "The prosecution allegedly obtained statements illegally, by threatening, intimidating and/or buying [witnesses] off." One Serbian witness said he was offered a well-paid job in the US in return for testimony favourable to the prosecution. "The statements mention sleep deprivation during interviews, psychological pressuring, an instance of blackmail (the investigators offered relocation in exchange for the testimony they hoped to obtain), threats (one, for example, about preparing an indictment against a witness if he refused to testify), or even illegal payments of money." An independent investigator, expected to be a French magistrate, is to report on the allegations within six months. Prosecutors in The Hague rejected the allegations while promising to co-operate with the inquiry. "We believe our staff have conducted their work in a professional way within the rules," said Frederick Swinnen, special adviser to Serge Brammertz of Belgium, who succeeded Del Ponte as chief prosecutor. Seselj, who surrendered to the tribunal seven years ago, has been alleging prosecution dirty tricks for years. He is routinely disruptive in court, trading insults. He has already been sentenced to 15 months for contempt of court after revealing the names and addresses of protected witnesses. Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti, who ordered the Del Ponte investigation and who is presiding over the Seselj trial, has himself come in for strong criticism for "bending over backwards" to accommodate the accused. Antonetti said the tribunal was taking the allegations seriously and refused "to allow any doubt to fester concerning a possible violation of the rights of the accused and concerning the investigation techniques employed by certain members of the prosecution". While tribunal experts believed the judge was conducting an exercise in political correctness, today's unprecedented decision was the second blow this month for prosecutors in major international war crimes trials. In the trial, also in The Hague, of the former Liberian president, Charles Taylor, the prosecutor's decision to summon Naomi Campbell as a witness this month backfired badly when the supermodel failed to supply explicit evidence linking Taylor to "blood diamonds" and warmongering in Sierra Leone.Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports is reporting that Duke freshman Austin Rivers has declared for the NBA Draft. I couldn’t be happier. I was lucky enough to watch basically Rivers’ entire career in high school. He won the Florida state championship his junior and senior seasons at Winter Park High School. I went to his last 10 high school games. What? He’s my favorite player. At Duke, Rivers was underutilized. This was no surprise playing under Mike Krzyzewski. Rivers was obviously featured as much as possible in high school and scored around 30 points per game his senior season. Every opportunity to score, he took. That wasn’t the case at Duke at all. It really should have been though to some extent. Duke totally lacked players who could create off the dribble this season other than Rivers. This always held them back trying to rely on Seth Curry and Tyler Thornton to run the offense when neither could get by tough defense. It worked for a lot of the season but it was inevitable that by the end of the season, Duke was going to have to rely on Rivers more, and the fact that he wasn’t prepared for that and handed over the point guard job was a failure on Krzyzewski’s part. Rivers obviously isn’t a point guard as far as his DNA goes. He’s a cold-blooded scorer. But if Rivers is going to make it in the NBA – measured 6-foot-5 with shoes on – he will probably have to play at least some point. He really didn’t get that chance at Duke. The reason is he doesn’t initially look like a point guard on the floor. He’s not a great passer and misses open guys on occasion to try and force his own shot. Early in the season this resulted in Rivers getting called for charges or some low-shooting percentage nights. Duke was still always at its best with Rivers creating off the dribble though. This is my problem with college basketball. It’s more about the coaches and the school than the players. I loved Duke this year because of Rivers so it was naturally very frustrating for me to watch. Sure, he played more minutes than any Duke player but the ball should have been in his hands much more. The fact that this was not addressed is amazing. Duke lost in the NCAA tournament in the first round to Lehigh showcasing the same problems they had all season long. When I first heard the news that Rivers had picked Duke as his college choice I was very pleased. I thought it would help him with his defense and discipline overall. Now, I’m glad he got out of there as quickly as possible. The college game and especially Duke’s is not for him. He was born to play in the NBA, there’s no question there. Rivers was initially projected a lottery selection but this draft class has grown in depth and now he is more likely to be selected around pick number 20. I’m happy with this because it means he will likely get picked by a better team and I think for him that will be good. If he were to be selected by a lottery team and labeled their star of the future I would fear he could become a bust. His greatest skill is his elite first step. It is as good as any player in college and already elite at the NBA level. He has NBA three-point range but he’s not a catch-and-shoot guy so I wouldn’t expect a high percentage from three early in his pro career. He is a good penetrator and finisher but lacks some explosion and elevation that you see in the NBA game so I don’t think this will be a huge strength for him immediately. He moves like a combination of Derrick Rose and Deron Williams but isn’t the athlete that Rose is, but who is? His handle will always be as good as any player in the league but it has always been used to create for himself. With the extra space in the NBA game Rivers will have more opportunities than in college to learn to be more of a playmaker for others and expand his game. For the first few years of his career I’d project him to be a similar to pro to what O.J. Mayo has become. Down the road he has the potential to be an All-Star as a two-guard but since he isn’t the athlete that a lot of young players are coming into the league, that’s not something I see happening until he is considered a veteran. Some sites are saying that Rivers is still a lottery pick but I expect him to be picked around 20th. Here are the teams picking from 10-20 as of their current records this season: 10. Milwaukee 11. Portland 12. New Orleans 13. Utah 14. Phoenix 15. Houston 16. New Jersey 17. Boston 18. Denver 19. Atlanta 20. Philadelphia Those teams sound much better than Charlotte, Washington, Toronto or Detroit. The coolest thing that could happen would be if Boston picked him and he played for his dad Doc Rivers. That’s definitely what I’m rooting for but I’ll also be okay with Utah, Houston, Phoenix or Denver. I’ll finish with this: if there’s one thing I’ll say with confidence about Rivers it’s that he will succeed. I can’t imagine anything otherwise. He has a great foundation around him and work ethic and attitude that’s determined to be the best. I can’t imagine many teams being disappointed with a guy like that.In the past week, Silicon Valley has faced renewed calls for greater regulation of social media platforms amid the growing scandal of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Given rising awareness of the serious problems inherent within U.S. internet giants’ business models, it’s an opportune time to discuss how best to regulate these companies). I’m a researcher who studies regulation on the internet. For my book, Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet, I’ve interviewed representatives from internet firms and their trade associations, along with policymakers in Canada and the U.S. in regards to what responsibility intermediaries should have for content on their platforms. Internet intermediaries typically frame their opposition to legislation as protecting freedom of expression, but no right of speech is absolute. This debate is a battle over the control over information: What data should be collected and sold, what content should be permitted online, and who should decide? Last week the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee grilled senior legal counsel for Facebook, Google and Twitter about their roles in Russian efforts to influence the U.S. election. In a startling development, after months of denying and downplaying their responsibility, executives from each of the three companies grudgingly admitted that they had not yet determined the full extent of Russian activities on their platforms. The executives’ testimony starkly reveals that the companies have few controls on the advertisements and so-called “fake news” that they accept on their platforms. These candid admissions from the social media giants focus much-needed attention on the serious problems inherent with big intermediaries’ data-intensive business models. Few safeguards, financial interest in status quo As the U.S. election scandal shows, big social media platforms not only have few safeguards to prevent the deliberate manipulation of information, but they also have financial interests in maintaining the status quo. Unfettered flows of information and unconstrained advertising revenue are key to their business models. And this model is tremendously profitable. Facebook’s third-quarter profit was an astounding US$4.7 billion, the vast majority coming from advertisements relating to its 1.3 billion average daily users. Viral stories, whether factual or false, attract clicks and advertising revenue. Given the seemingly intractable challenges of regulating social media platforms, what can be done? In the United States, three members of Congress have proposed a bipartisan response, the Honest Ads Act, that would require platforms to publish information about their advertisers and maintain a public archive of political advertisements. This is a step in the right direction, and the Canadian government should consider similar measures in advance of the 2019 federal election. Facebook has already announced a program, the Canadian Election Integrity Initiative, to counter the spread of misinformation that focuses on media literacy and training. Deliberate misinformation While these projects appear useful, they likely will do little to address the underlying problem: The bad-faith spread of online misinformation. That’s because the fundamental problem lies with Facebook’s business model. Efforts to constrain the flow of information, especially information that generates advertising revenue, are contrary to their business model. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who initially dismissed claims of Russian interference as “crazy” just after the 2016 U.S. election, said on Nov. 1 that Facebook’s new security features to counter so-called fake news will have a “significant impact our profitability.” While the big platforms can afford to take a financial hit to restore their reputations and work to get rid of the worst offenders, they can’t fully solve the problem without fundamentally changing how — and with whom — they do business. In response to what has become a fundamental challenge to the survival of liberal democracy, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all committed to voluntarily implementing measures to address the spread of misinformation and targeting accounts that troll other users with often bigoted, racist content. Google, for example, is creating a public database of election advertising content that appears on its services. These companies prefer self-regulation to legislation and they’ve lobbied the U.S Federal Election Commission in the past to have online political advertising exempt from disclosure. It’s only the political pressure from the Senate inquiry that is forcing these platforms into action. Internet companies, algorithms are black boxes While these developments may seem like attempts by these major companies to be responsible, they amount to Google et al saying: “Trust us to fix the problem we created.” However, while Google, Facebook and Twitter are all creating algorithms to, in the words of Zuckerberg, “detect bad content and bad actors,” these algorithms operate as so-called “black boxes.” This means that the criteria the algorithms use to make decisions are off-limits to public scrutiny. Is “trust us” a good enough response, given the problem? With so much at stake, it may be time for a fundamental rethink of how these indispensable 21st century companies are regulated and what they’re allowed to do. At the very minimum, governments and citizens should reconsider whether the lack of oversight into how these companies shape our speech rights is really in the public interest. Social media platforms “are an enabler of democracy,” says Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s Commissioner for Competition, but we’re seeing that “they can also be used against our very basic beliefs in democracy.” It’s time to start taking that threat to democracy seriously.Shanghai Taste serves showstopping soup dumplings in Rockville. (Farrah Skeiky/For The Washington Post) Is it just me, or did 2016 feel like we went 12 rounds with Floyd Mayweather Jr. — and the champ propped us up for the last six just to see how much punishment we could take? The presidential campaign — in which vicious insults substituted for policy — was bad enough. But then there were the wars, the police shootings (and the shooting of police in return), the suicide bombings, the Aleppo orphans, the hate crimes, the videos of casual racism, a seemingly bottomless spiral of public madness. And if that wasn’t enough to crush your soul, the gods decided to take Prince, too. I did a lot of stress eating this year. I was grateful to do so in Washington, where our neighborhoods continue to reveal the riches that immigrants bring to America. These were my favorite haunts in 2016, in reverse order. 10. Shanghai Taste (1121 Nelson St., Rockville. 301-279-0806). Everyone, it seems, migrates to this Rockville outpost for the little bundles of joy known as soup dumplings, especially the pan-fried ones available Saturday and Sunday only. But chef and co-owner Wei Sun can impress with other dishes, too, including her garlic-sauce noodle soup; her shumai stuffed with sticky rice, mushrooms and pork; and her “salty crispy fish,” which I like to think of as the french fries of the sea. [Shanghai Taste: The virtuoso of soup dumplings] A must-order dish at Da Rae Won: The noodles with vegetables and spicy seafood soup. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post) 9. Da Rae Won (5013 Garrett Ave., Beltsville. 301-931-7878). Beltsville has all the trappings of a great cheap-eats neighborhood. The suburb is diverse. Costs are low. Korean food, in particular, flourishes here, including this rewarding spot tucked into a strip center off Garrett Avenue. Fresh noodles are the house specialty. That thwacking you hear? It’s chef Hyeong Mu Choe pounding your noodles into shape for a bowl of jajangmyeon, an earthy and irresistible Korean comfort. [Why Beltsville is the D.C. area’s best cheap-eats destination] The kanom jeeb appetizer at the Thai Cuisine: pleated dumplings of crab, chicken and shrimp that would not look out of place on a dim sum menu. (Doug Kapustin/For The Washington Post) 8. The Thai Cuisine (757 Hungerford Dr., Rockville. 301-838-4480. thethaicuisinerockville. com). There are two locations of the Thai Cuisine. The one you want is jammed into a Rockville strip center between a Filipino market and a Chinese dumpling house. This outlet caters to those who desire a more authentic Thai experience. The noodle soups are a highlight, especially the tom yum, which takes a basic vegetable broth and drugs it with a feverish cocktail of lime juice, dried squid, fish sauce, chili powder and other stimulants/ingredients that will rock your brain. [Thai Cuisine: A bastion of pungency of fire in Rockville] A brisket sandwich at Texas Jack’s gets a kick from queso and quick-fried red onion. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post) 7. Texas Jack’s (2761 Washington Blvd., Arlington. 703-875-0477. txjacks.com). Barbecue is a sort of legacy member of Cheap Eats Nation. It still gets lumped into the category based on the perception that barbecue is an affordable pleasure for all, an echo from a time when meat and fuel prices were lower. But even if Texas Jack’s busts your weekend budget, don’t miss the chance to sample pitmaster Matt Lang’s succulent, smoky slices of moist brisket or his toothsome St. Louis-style spare ribs. [Texas Jack’s raises Washington’s barbecue IQ] 6. Beatesub Market and Carry Out (8201 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. 301-448-1625). I’ve visited this casual, unassuming space twice since I included it in my list of best Ethiopian restaurants. I’m convinced Beatesub is pushing the cuisine in the right direction, at least in the American market. The place pays close attention to all aspects of the operation: the fragrant food, the breezy and contemporary Ethiopian ambiance, even the plating techniques, which venture beyond injera-covered platters. [The 10 best Ethiopian restaurants in the Washington area] Balaji Cafe specializes in vegetarian South Indian dishes, such as the idli vada, a starter featuring rice cakes and lentil doughnuts. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post) 5. Balaji Cafe (298 Sunset Park Dr., Herndon. 703-437-1267. balajicafe.com) This cafe isn’t much to look at, little more than a cavernous, cinder-block space with a (mostly) empty cooler along one wall. All the personality has been reserved for the food, featuring the vegetarian fare of South India. The cooks produce at least nine batters and doughs, including a fermented one that’s drizzled on a hot griddle and transformed into the lacy, crispy rava sada rosa. The gobi paratha is a denser, stuffed
countryside to get revenge on those that betrayed him. Okay, so maybe it won’t be that dramatic, but this might just be one of the coolest secrets in the game. It’s also one of the most complicated to trigger, which is why you should instead watch YouTuber Handel Williams to explain the specifics of the routine involved in conjuring up this mighty beast. The most important part about activating this secret is that you will need to have unlocked the mountainside path, which requires Hokkaido mastery level 7. Select the mountain pass as your starting point, ignore the katana and head down the pathway, turning left at the bottom and circling around the building. Climb the piping next to the first automatic doors you see on your right, and then follow the instructions above to trigger the event. It took me a few attempts to get the footwork right myself, but if the light disappears for any reason, just head back to the corner where you start from and it should reappear. 1. Hokkaido – Chain reaction Remember Mini Ninjas? IO Interactive remembers, and rightly so considering they made it eight years ago. Not ones to let sleeping dogs lie, it seems IO couldn’t resist bringing back their micro-mob of ninjas, scattering them to the four corners of the Hokkaido hospital for any loyal fans to seek out and promptly destroy, shattering their hopes of a sequel along with the pieces of the destroyed figures. Those willing to hunt down the stealthy gang can at least look forward to a spectacular light show for their efforts. There are 10 Mini Ninja figures scattered across the map in total, and each statue has to be destroyed in a specific order to trigger the main event. The statues are incredibly well hidden, so we’ll turn to YouTuber OKIGorgon for a complete rundown of the order and locations of each figurine. You’ll want to make sure you’re packing a silenced pistol for this one, as you’ll be navigating through some heavily populated areas, and triggering an alarm state could cut short your ninja hunt. When the final ninja falls, look to the horizon for a sign that the mountain in the distance has indeed noticed you. Andy Moore is a gaming freelancer based in the UK. When he’s not writing, he can be found staring blankly out of the nearest window, or spending way too much time on Twitter.Retta Sirleaf. Photo: Jason Merritt/2012 Getty Images We’re not quite sure what Parks and Recreation’s Donna Meagle actually does all day, save treating herself and offering colorful glimpses into her sex life (“use him, abuse him, lose him”). However, Retta Sirleaf, the actress who plays her, prefers a more active life. Before landing her Parks and Rec role, she considered becoming an opera singer, graduated pre-med from Duke, was employed as a contract chemist for GlaxoSmithKline, and worked her way into the stand-up comedy scene. Intrigued, Vulture sat down with the actress to discuss vampires, her potential make-believe lover Joe Manganiello, and Aziz Ansari. Let’s just get this out of the way: How do you like to treat yo’self? My obsession is TV and movies, so I order an obscene amount of DVDs. And I have an obsession with handbags. So once a year, I treat myself to a luxury handbag. I just bought the Louis Vuitton Déesse. The color is beige poudre. Donna seems sexed up, but we never really see evidence of this. Will that change this season? I think there might be … I don’t know. I know that everybody talks about it, so I feel like the writers have to have [discussed] it. We’ll see what happens. Whom would you like to see Donna with? Jean-Ralphio — that would be hilarious because she would run him. She would own him. She would be completely in charge. My idea would be that they have a relationship, but she forces him to keep it a secret. If he says anything, then she’s done. But I thought you told a reporter you’d want her to romance actor-model Boris Kodjoe? [Sighs] He’s so damn attractive. That’d be nice if he’s one of Donna’s love interests. But now I’m leaning more towards Joe Manganiello. He’s the only [famous] person who reads my recaps [on Twitter] and told me he enjoys them. Hello? I want him to play Marcus the Fireman. What did you think of his stripping skills in Magic Mike? I wasn’t mad at him [laughs]. Counting Joe, you currently have almost 65,000 Twitter followers, largely due to your hilarious TV-show recaps. How do you choose what to watch? If it’s something that I wouldn’t expect to like, chances are someone made me watch it. Like, Vampire Diaries — I didn’t watch until the second season. My friend said, “Just watch it.” And I was totally hooked. She’s into vampires, in general. She’s the one who got me to read the Twilight books. Buffy the Vampire Slayer — I had a lot of friends who told me to watch it. And I was like, “I’m not buying seven seasons of a frickin’ show.” It got to the point where, “Seriously, you have to watch it.” Buffy is not my favorite, but it’s amusing. But I paid for it, so I’m going to watch it. But it’s not my first choice. I like Vampire Diaries because it has great stories. Where does True Blood fit into this? I love True Blood because it makes me laugh. Like, Lafayette is one of my favorite characters on television. Has NBC ever expressed concern over what you review or what you say? [Laughs] No. I usually don’t talk bad about the TV shows. If I don’t like it, I’m not going to watch it. I mean, somebody asked me on Twitter, “What shows do you watch? Don’t you watch Homeland?” Showtime PR saw that and sent me the season. And I was obsessed. Name one TV show that people are not watching, that they should be watching. Nashville is really good, really fun, and I don’t know that it has great numbers. That, and Scandal. Scandal is getting really close, if not just past, The Good Wife. IT’S SO GOOD. Explain how, as a kid, you wanted to be an opera singer. That was the original plan: to be an opera signer. I was in chorus in grade school, and we learned classical [music]. I used to pretend to speak the different languages, like fake Italian. And my mother would be like, “Seriously, you need to stop.” You ended up working at GlaxoSmithKline. As someone with a background in pharm, what do you think of Obamacare? I’m a fan of anything that helps the general public. So yes. But I left that behind when I started doing stand-up. How hard was it to transition into stand-up? I started once a week in North Carolina at a pub called Charlie Goodnight and met a lot of comics there. Then I moved to L.A., and if you’re not known, it’s hard to get stage time. So you start out doing what they call “bringers” — you have to bring five people if you wanna get on stage. It was a lot of hustle, a learning curve. But I figured it out. What do you remember about The Jenny Jones Show, where you got your big break? She was a lightning rod for controversy back then. She had a show with all female comics, basically a stand-up show. I never watched daytime television, but I knew who she was. I remember there was a controversy: One of her guests murdered somebody because his friend said he liked him but he wasn’t gay. And that’s basically all I remember — and her hair. Her hair was so big! I was glad to have that opportunity. It was the reason I got my agent. Back to Parks and Rec, how much is Aziz Ansari really like his character, Tom Haverford? I think Tom is the comic side of Aziz. He’s not as cheesy or as corny or as self-obsessed as Tom is. If you’ve ever seen Aziz perform stand-up, you can see a lot of the Tom Haverford — that’s where he gets the nuances for Tom. But with regards to the episode where he gets banned from using technology — Aziz does love his phone. And you recently tweeted a picture of Christie Brinkley on set. Christie is playing Gail Gergich, Jerry’s wife. We were shooting last week. I always get nervous for people you don’t know as an actor. But she is so game for everything. I sat there with my mouth agape — I can’t believe she just did that! I can’t say what, because I’m not sure if it’s going to be in the show or not. But Jim loves to improv. Most people don’t wanna look bad and she’s like, “I don’t care. Let’s do it.” Speaking of guests, whatever happened to the singer Ginuwine, your character’s cousin, appearing on the show? I don’t know — I don’t know if they’re working to get him on. I think he said he was game. But I’m not even sure if he watches the show. What are the odds of Parks and Rec coming back for another season? We don’t know. Last season, we were like the last to find out if we were going to have another season. Who knows what’s coming next?Story highlights George W. Bush was last U.S. president to visit Spain Obama trip intended to show Spain's importance as a NATO ally Madrid, Spain (CNN) President Barack Obama arrived in Spain Saturday for an 18-hour stop, the first U.S. president to visit in 15 years, before returning home to pressing problems in his own country. Obama, who is traveling to Spain from the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, cut a day off his visit after the shooting death of five police officers in Dallas and he will come back to the U.S. on Sunday instead of Monday as had been planned. White House officials said Obama is visiting Spain to demonstrate its importance as a NATO ally. With that in mind, the President will tour the U.S. Naval Station in Rota, Spain, where four U.S. Navy vessels are stationed to bolster NATO security. The President, who arrived in the late afternoon ET Saturday and is scheduled to depart in the early afternoon ET Sunday, canceled a town hall meeting with young Spaniards and will not go to Seville, where he was to meet with King Felipe VI and see cultural attractions. The King sent a telegraph to Obama on Friday offering the condolences of the Spanish people and condemning the violence in Dallas. Read MoreMARKET SHARES Share of Overall Units DC 36.17% Marvel 34.10% Image 10.40% IDW 4.17% Dark Horse 2.95% Boom 2.82% Dynamic Forces 2.26% Valiant 0.91% Archie 0.91% Titan 0.87% Avatar 0.74% Zenescope 0.57% Oni 0.34% Viz 0.32% Random House 0.31% Action Lab 0.25% Eaglemoss 0.22% Hachette 0.11% St. Martins 0.07% Fantagraphics 0.05% Other 1.45% Share of Overall Dollars Marvel 32.07% DC 31.76% Image 9.89% IDW 6.10% Dark Horse 3.47% Boom 2.66% Dynamic Forces 2.58% Eaglemoss 1.22% Archie 0.88% Avatar 0.86% Valiant 0.85% Titan 0.83% Viz 0.77% Random House 0.75% Zenescope 0.65% Oni 0.48% Fantagraphics 0.44% Hachette 0.38% Action Lab 0.25% St. Martins 0.23% Other 2.87% Items in Top 300 DC 90 Marvel 77 Image 36 IDW 27 Dynamite 15 Dark Horse 13 Boom 12 Valiant 8 Avatar 6 Archie 5 Titan 4 Bongo 2 Abstract 1 Devil's Due 1 Random House 1 United Plankton 1 Zenescope 1 Share of Units in Top 300 DC 39.60% Marvel 38.09% Image 9.31% IDW 3.65% Dark Horse 2.12% Dynamite 1.70% Boom 1.54% Valiant 0.97% Archie 0.85% Titan 0.83% Avatar 0.62% Bongo 0.21% Devil's Due 0.12% Random House 0.11% Abstract 0.10% United Plankton 0.09% Zenescope 0.08% Share of Dollars in Top 300 Marvel 41.63% DC 36.40% Image 8.15% IDW 4.20% Dark Horse 1.96% Dynamite 1.79% Boom 1.62% Valiant 1.05% Archie 0.90% Titan 0.87% Avatar 0.70% Bongo 0.19% Devil's Due 0.16% Random House 0.12% Abstract 0.11% Zenescope 0.08% United Plankton 0.07% Dollar Share of Top 300 Comics & Top 300 TPBs Marvel 38.31% DC 35.69% Image 10.80% IDW 4.87% Dark Horse 2.32% Dynamite 1.58% Boom 1.42% Valiant 0.90% Archie 0.73% Titan 0.70% Avatar 0.61% Viz 0.36% Random House 0.29% Hachette 0.24% Zenescope 0.16% Bongo 0.15% St. Martins 0.14% Burlyman 0.14% Devil's Due 0.13% Abstract 0.09% Fantagraphics 0.07% Oni 0.06% United Plankton 0.06% Bergen Street 0.05% Pocket 0.04% Antarctic 0.04% Creative Mind 0.02% New comics released DC 102 Marvel 77 Image 52 IDW 44 Boom 42 Dynamite 33 Dark Horse 30 Action Lab 15 Other 94 TOTAL 489 New graphic novels released DC 36 Marvel 24 IDW 24 Viz 22 Image 18 Hachette 16 Dark Horse 12 Boom 6 Dynamite 3 Action Lab 1 Other 81 TOTAL 243 THE FINE PRINT The monthly sales estimates at right are for items shipped by Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest comic-book distributor in North America. Diamond does not publish sales figures; instead it publishes "indexed" sales tables, in which it keys orders for all comics it lists sales for to a single comic book (usually Batman), with one “order index point” being equal to 1% of that title’s orders. Along with other methods, we use the actual Diamond final orders from titles to approximate what an order index point equals each month.The result is applied to the Diamond charts to produce the estimates seen at right. The figures represent only those comics and graphic novels that Diamond shipped to North American retailers in the calendar month. While Diamond's sales represent the majority of periodicals in circulation, they are a smaller portion of the overall graphic novel market. An item may appear in more than one month's charts due to reorders; for a better idea of a comic book's overall sales, look for its end-of-year sales in the Year Overview section, where available. More information can be found in the FAQ section.The Syrian Arab Army officially captured the strategic city of al-Qaryatayn from the “Islamic State”. The 43rd and brigades conquered the city after very violent clashes with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Syrian Arab Army has been storming the city of al-Qaryatayn for the past forty eight hours with support of russian airstrikes. Syrian officers report that right now 90 percent of Al-Qaryatayn is under government control but there are still some neighbourhoods where ISIS militants are hiding. Other ISIS fighters are fleeing in cars in South East direction. Al-Qaryatayn was captured by the Islamic State throughout their large offensive in East Syria in August 2015. With the liberation of al-Qaryatayn, the government forces can focus to the highway between Palmyra and the city Deir EzZor which is currently besieged by ISIS. We will keep you updated on our interactive map:At FreedomFest 2011, Reason's Matt Welch spoke with Fox News' Juan Williams about his passion for school choice reform, which Williams describes as the "civil rights issue of our time." Williams is the author of the new book Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate, which recounts in part his controversial firing from National Public Radio. He's also the author of the critically acclaimed 1988 history of the civil rights movement, Eyes on the Prize. Williams says he first came to the issue of education reform in the 1990s, when he was astonished by the level of dropout rates in inner-city schools, which disproportionately affects low-income and minority students. He credits George W. Bush for coining the phrase "the soft bigotry of low expectations" to describe the educational status quo and remains surprised by the lack of widespread outrage from parents whose children are stuck in such failing schools. Still, he believes that the forces of school choice are making huge headway in breaking up a public school monopoly that fails to serve students and parents. Shot by Jim Epstein and edited by Anthony L. Fisher. About 5 minutes long. Held each July in Las Vegas, FreedomFest is attended by around 2,000 limited-government enthusiasts and libertarians a year. Reason.tv spoke with over two dozen speakers and attendees and will be releasing interviews over the coming weeks. For an ever-growing playlist, go here now. Scroll down for downloadable versions, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to receive notifications when new material goes live.Mr Di Marco claimed that Mr Quirk was not properly briefed on the findings of the report and has pushed, with no avail, for the report to be made public. Now that the contract has been terminated, legal action is under way on both sides, with TechnologyOne and Brisbane Council both seeking damages of more than $50 million. But Mr Di Marco told The Australian Financial Review he feared the case would go to arbitration and a settlement, with the council able to try and conceal what happened. "I can't comment on the contract, but the behaviour of the council is unprofessional and disingenuous and they've buried the truth," Mr Di Marco said. Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk took the argument with TechnologyOne public in January. Chris Hyde TechnologyOne is blaming the council for causing five-month long delays on the project, which involved upgrading 13 of the council's IT systems, by instructing TechnologyOne not to proceed with its work. TechnologyOne has said that the issues with the $122 million software integration were driven by poor business processes at the council and its "unreasonable and bureaucratic" conduct. 'If we're at fault, we're happy to take it on the chin' Advertisement In an ASX statement, Mr Di Marco said the lord mayor should never have taken the dispute public without following remedial processes, and had caused the two parties to move onto a collision course, rather than working together to get the project completed. "I personally find BCC's behaviour both disingenuous and unprofessional," Mr Di Marco said. "BCC has made it clear through both its actions and its statements that it did not want to complete this project, and was endeavouring to engineer a termination of the contract for breach. This charade has now come to an end, but unfortunately this now exposes the ratepayers of Brisbane to a $50-million-plus damages claim for wrongful termination by BCC." King & Wood Mallesons partner John Swinson has been advising TechnologyOne on its legal position. It is believed that the ugly battle between the company and the council has resulted in TechnologyOne staff being harassed on public transport when wearing their company T-shirts. Mr Di Marco said if the council published the independent report and it found that TechnologyOne was at fault then it would accept the consequences. "If we're at fault, we're happy to take it on the chin, but if they're at fault they should come clean," he said. "Every letter we've sent to them says we remain ready, willing, and able to complete the job and we think we have a compelling value proposition. Advertisement "On the lower levels of the council they also want to just get on with the job, it's just the higher levels where the issues exist." Brisbane City Council's statement on Friday said the decision was about the effective use of ratepayers' money. "In the past six months, Council offered TechnologyOne the opportunity to reform the contract and met with their representatives on many occasions to assist the company to get the project back on track," Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk said. "Based on what we have seen of the TechnologyOne system, this is a product still very much in development. After initially promising the product would be operational by March 2017, TechnologyOne has requested several extensions for the go-live date with the most recent advice that it won't occur until January 2019. "This continual slippage is unacceptable and Council lacks confidence that even the most recent deadline will be met."President Joko Widodo is Indonesia’s most famous heavy metal music fan. In contrast to his soft-spoken ways and humble manner, Jokowi’s love for bands such as Napalm Death and Metallica is one of the quirks that endeared him to his supporters, and the world, as a real man of the people. Jokowi has lost a lot of that love in the past month over his unflinching resolve to execute drug traffickers. Critics from around the world, especially Australia, are pouring the pressure on our president to grant clemency to Australian Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran (who are set to be executed by firing squad later this week), but Jokowi shows no signs of reconsidering his decision. Now, Tony Iommi, guitarist for the legendary heavy metal band Black Sabbath (and arguably one of the people who helped create heavy metal in the first place), has joined others in asking Jokowi to grant clemency to Chan and Sukumaran by writing him a personal letter. Iommi is not the first heavy metal hero to write to President Jokowi about the death penalty. About one month ago, Napalm Death frontman Mark “Barney” Greenway also wrote an open letter to our leader asking him to grant clemency to Chan and Sukumaran. Jon Dee, the founder of Australian charity DoSomething, got in contact with Iommi to get him to write his appeal to Jokowi. The letter was also reprinted in the Sydney Morning Herald. Here is the full text of Tony Iommi’s letter to President Joko Widodo: The President of lndonesia 3rd March 2015 Your Excellency, I am writing to appeal to you to grant clemency to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. I understand and respect your efforts to combat drug abuse in lndonesia, this is something that all countries are having to deal with. lndeed, I have seen first hand the negative impacts that drugs can have on people and their families. That is why I understand your strong views on this issue. The lndonesian prison system has had great success in transforming Andrew and Myuran. I appeal to you, as a forgiving man, to take note of their transformation. They are now reformed men who are making a positive difference to the lives of their fellow prisoners. That they have been transformed so much is a real credit to the lndonesian authorities. For this reason, I would ask that you stop the execution of Andrew and Myuran. Please allow them to serve out life sentences where they contribute to the wellbeing of lndonesia and make good for the error of their previous ways. I do hope you will consider this personal appeal. Yours sincerely, Tony Iommi Guitarist, Black Sabbath. Hey, while you’re here you might also wanna check out: Got a tip? Send it to us at jakarta@coconuts.co Get Coconuts news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletter below for a chance to win a limited edition Coconuts hat.Boise’s downtown convention center, the Boise Centre, has landed its biggest convention ever, reports Don Day on his BoiseDev blog, which covers development in Boise. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists will hold a 1,400-person confab in Boise in June, Day reports, after the event was moved from North Carolina in the wake of that state’s controversial bathroom law. North Carolina passed legislation last year requiring transgender people to use bathrooms in public facilities that match their sex at birth, rather than their gender identity. The legislation prompted a wave of boycotts and the state lost millions in conventions and other events. North Carolina repealed the law last week, but questions persist about the legislation that replaced it; just yesterday, the NCAA lifted its six-month ban on holding college championship events in North Carolina, but said it did so “reluctantly” and would continue to review event scheduling in the state on a “case-by-case basis.” When the epidemiologists come to Boise, participants will stay in 13 local hotels, Day reports, and nine downtown-area hotels already are sold out for the June 4-8 conference. You can read Day's full post here.[Updated at 12:23 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama announced a compromise Friday in the dispute over whether to require full contraception insurance coverage for female employees at religiously affiliated institutions. Under the new plan, religiously affiliated universities and hospitals will not be forced to offer contraception coverage to their employees. Insurers will be required, however, to offer complete coverage free of charge to any women who work at such institutions. Female employees at churches themselves will have no guarantee of any contraception coverage - a continuation of current law. There will be a one-year transition period for religious organizations after the policy formally takes effect on August 1. "No woman's health should depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes." Obama said at the White House. But "the principle of religious liberty" is also at stake. "As a citizen and as a Christian, I cherish this right." [Updated at 10:11 a.m. ET] The Obama administration's contraception compromise will expand the religious exemption for religiously affiliated universities and hospitals, a source tells CNN Friday. Individuals will be able to get contraceptive coverage directly from insurers. [Initial post, 8:30 a.m. ET] The White House probably will announce a compromise Friday on a controversial rule requiring religiously affiliated employers to provide full contraception coverage to women, an administration source said. News of the possible compromise comes after days of escalating partisan and ideological rhetoric over the pending rule, which many Catholic leaders and other religious groups oppose. As currently written, the rule would exempt churches, but hospitals and schools with religious affiliations would have to comply. The new policy is set to go into effect on August 1, though religious groups would have a yearlong extension to implement the rule. The administration has been examining laws in 28 states that have similar coverage requirements, senior administration sources said this week. Two sources have told CNN that the administration is particularly interested in the Hawaii model, in which female employees of religious institutions can purchase contraceptive coverage directly from the insurer at the same price offered to employees of all other employers. Another possible solution, one source has said, would be legislation allowing women employed by religiously affiliated employers to get contraceptive insurance from the exchanges created under Obama's sweeping health care reform rather than from their employer's insurer.Square Enix have updated their online bookstore with a page for the first official Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] novel. The novel is set to release on June 28, 2012 for a price of ¥800 (approximately US$10.03). It's full name is Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Side Sora. Thanks to aibo_ac7 for the tip. Update 1: goldpanner has translated the description of the novel provided on the page. You can read this translation below. Release date 28th June, 800 yen Sora, Riku, I would like the two of you to take the Mark of Master Exam. "Now, Sora and Riku's Mark of Mastery exam shall hereby commence." Master Xehanort has revived! Their two journeys to bring peace to the world just barely over, Sora and Riku have received news from Yen Sid regarding a new threat drawing near. In order to face this new world crisis, Sora and Riku must face the Mark of Mastery Exam. For this the must go to the 'Realm of Sleep', release the seven Keyholes of Sleep, and gain a new power. Update 2: Square Enix have created a page for the novel on the Square Enix e-STORE. This confirms the release date and price, and also reveals that the novel has a planned length of 242 pages. Update 3: Amazon.co.jp have added a pre-order page for the novel, confirming that Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] Side Sora will be written by Tomoko Kanemaki, the author of previous Kingdom Hearts novels.Photo courtesy of Halfpoint via Shutterstock VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Monday (June 2) warned married couples against substituting cats and dogs for children — a move that he said leads to the “bitterness of loneliness” in old age. The pope made his comments as he celebrated daily Mass with 15 married couples in the chapel at the Santa Marta residence where he lives inside the Vatican. He reminded the couples, whose marriages ranged from 25 to 60 years, of the need for faithfulness, perseverance and fertility in maintaining a Christian marriage. But he went a step further and strongly criticized those couples who choose not to have children, saying they had been influenced by a culture of “well-being” that says life is better without kids. “You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be carefree,” the pope said. “It might be better — more comfortable — to have a dog, two cats, and the love goes to the two cats and the dog. Is this true or not? Have you seen it? “Then, in the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness.“ The 77-year-old pontiff made his comments after recent figures confirmed a drop in birth rates in the U.S., Italy and elsewhere. Figures released by Italy’s official statistics agency Istat last week showed the country’s birth rate hit a record low in 2013, with the birth of only 515,000 babies — a drop of 64,000 over the past five years — and a worrying trend as the population ages. Last year, Time magazine provoked a national debate with a controversial issue entitled “The Childfree Life,” which also showed a dramatic fall in the U.S. birth rate and the role of personal choice. “Married life must be persevering, because otherwise love cannot go forward. Perseverance in love, in good times and in difficult times, when there are problems: problems with the children, economic problems,” the pope said. KRE/AMB END McKENNAMr. Eustis is burly and bearded, with a generous hug and an easy cry. Cheerleader and counselor, impresario and guru — he will push and prod in a rehearsal room for greater clarity, deeper character, more truth. And then, come opening night, he will climb atop a bar or a table and dole out praise in poetically turned phrases that are somehow both sincere and superlative. “He cares about theater as deeply as anyone I’ve ever met — this idea that you sit in the dark with a group of strangers and something galvanizing happens,” said Thomas Kail, the director of “Hamilton,” who this season will direct his third show at the Public. “That ritual of going to the theater is just part of his ethos and his soul, and you feel like you are a part of that when you sit in the theater with him.” As deft with Shakespeare as it is with contemporary drama, the nonprofit Public is a magnet for star performers (Anne Hathaway and Daniel Radcliffe, to name two) and laureled writers (coming soon: Stephen Sondheim). Its Astor Place headquarters, renovated under Mr. Eustis’s watch, is alive and aglitter, night after night. Mr. Eustis’s sharp sense of what works onstage and his obvious affection for artists and artistry are why the playwrights affiliated with the Public — one of the nation’s most storied theaters — have embraced him so ardently since his arrival in 2005. Richard Nelson, whom Mr. Eustis has encouraged to pursue a stunningly intimate series of plays chronicling dinner table conversations at two family homes, describes Mr. Eustis as “a life force” and credits him with “an extraordinary sense of trust and collaboration with a playwright, unheard-of in my experience.” Suzan-Lori Parks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Topdog/Underdog,” lauds Mr. Eustis for “a kind of generosity that is otherworldly, that is enormous, that is spiritual.” The theater world is an emotional community; pain is expressed and discussed and honored. But still, figuring out how to talk about his loss has been difficult for Mr. Eustis, who ultimately agreed to answer questions about his experience, and how it affects his thinking about theater and the challenges facing the Public, in a series of interviews over the last six months.Times Have Changed; Old Electricity-Generation Models Don’t Work Anymore Coal-fired electricity is no longer the economy builder its proponents say it is. Time was when coal in fact did contribute to growth in many economies, but times have changed. Today governments and private interests worldwide concede—even emphasize—the economic and environmental dysfunction of coal. We’ve just published an IEEFA Briefing Note (“Energy Poverty, Then and Now: How Coal Proponents Have It Wrong”) that gets into this phenomenon in depth, explaining that while the coal industry trumpets its product as the solution to global energy poverty lies elsewhere. Our note describes how in fact the effects of coal-fired power have been uneven at best. In South Africa, for instance, where a coal-fired electric grid has long existed, electricity prices and poverty levels remain stubbornly high. In India, opposition to a national coal mine and coal-fired power plant buildout program is fierce, rooted in issues that include pollution, water and land rights, and growing financial questions that suggest more coal-fired power in India would simply be too expensive. To its credit, the government of India has initiated promising new programs that include direct cash assistance to households to help drive local electricity-market development and to encourage more solar uptake. In a particularly egregious example of misguided energy policy, on the other hand, the government of Kosovo is pushing for a new coal-fired electricity plant to be built around assumptions that ignore environmental risks, the political impact of population displacement and electricity-price dysfunction. While Puerto Rico, a poor island with enormous financial problems, relies on oil for electricity generation, its current plan to shift to reliance on natural gas with only a weak renewables component threatens to reproduce the same dysfunctional energy and economic system that has brought the commonwealth to its current fiscal precipice. In the U.S., the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 unleashed a long-lasting energy model that to this day supports coal-fired power generation, although that model—successful as an economy driver in its day—has grown increasingly outdated. More recently, China has relied on coal-fired electricity for economic growth, but—as in the U.S.—the supporting alignment of technology, finance and politics has unraveled as the viability of coal has collapsed. COAL-FIRED ELECTRICITY TODAY SIMPLY BRINGS TOO MANY CONCOMITANT COSTS, including to pubic safety, to the environment, and to the financial stability of economics that depend too much on it. Powerful coal proponents, which include Peabody Energy, the largest private-sector coal producer in the world, avidly promote coal as the weapon of choice against energy poverty, which—to be sure—is a challenge in many countries. But Peabody and its allies have it fundamentally wrong. Coal-fired generation works as an economy builder only when governments and societies are willing and able to absorb the accompanying costs, circumstances that are no longer the case today. History is a guide. Even where the coal-fired industry has carved out huge monopolies by creating captive markets and consolidating political power—millions of households remain energy poor. India is leading by example in some ways—through progressive support for solar, especially—in the global was on energy poverty. Kosovo and Puerto Rico, by contrast, are offering glaringly poor policy responses to energy and economic poverty. Imagination and innovation are required for the road ahead. Africa and India in particular, can mark great strides in alleviating energy poverty by expanding their use of renewable energy and energy-efficiency tools. To a hammer, everything looks like a nail. That’s the coal industry’s perspective, but it’s not a perspective that in this day and age will bring electricity to electricity-impoverished people. More modern solutions, including innovations in renewable energy technology, are the answer. Tom Sanzillo is IEEFA’s director of finance. IEEFA Briefing Note: “Energy Poverty, Then and Now: How Coal Proponents Have It Wrong”An unidentified man who had come down with the measles has possibly infected unvaccinated children in and around Fresno, California. Measles, unpleasant for adults but frequently deadly for children, is a highly contagious disease. The virus spreads through the air. Everyone over the age of six 12 months can and should be vaccinated against it. Infants, doctors say, should not. Tell it to this guy. The Fresno County Department of Health said there is a confirmed case of measles in Fresno County. Health officials said the infected person, a man in his 40’s, visited the labor and delivery floor of Community Regional Medical Center. Twice. That person visited the hospital on
, Brown exchanged a few more laughs with the guys about the player who was terrified to get on a plane to Clemson in 1992 and the infamous running regimen of former strength coach Rich Tuten. He turned serious a moment to say he'd watched in shock at the unfolding of the academic scandal at Carolina and had commiserated with a number of former Tar Heels “who worked their tails off for their degrees and were proud of them.” Brown left the scrimmage a few minutes before it ended, on to the next stop with his wife Sally to visit grandkids in Charlottesville. He walked off Navy Field and it wasn't even close to sunset. Chapel Hill writer Lee Pace (leepace7@gmail.com) in his 25th year writing “Extra Points” and 11th reporting from the sidelines for the Tar Heel Sports Network. His unique look at Tar Heel football appear regularly throughout the year. Follow him on Twitter @LeePaceTweet.FORT LEE — The Democratic lawmaker investigating September’s controversial lane closures at the George Washington Bridge has subpoenaed any correspondence on the matter between Gov. Chris Christie and Port Authority officials. State Assemblyman John Wisnieswki (D-Middlesex) wants to know what the governor knew about the closures and when he knew it. The subpoenas, issued to key officials of the bistate agency, demanded "all documents and correspondence, produced between Aug. 1, 2013 and the present date between Governor Chris Christie or any member of his administration and/or any employee, officer, or executive of the Port Authority." The subpoenas give the officials until Thursday to respond. Abruptly and without warning, the agency closed two of three local access lanes Sept. 9 to 13, turning Fort Lee streets into a parking lot for five days and angering commuters and local officials accustomed to advance notice. Christie has denied any involvement in the closures, which have attracted national attention due to the Republican governor’s widely anticipated run for president in 2016. The Democratic National Committee and a group with ties to Hillary Clinton, a potential Democratic candidate for the White House, have pounced on the scandal. Apart from Wisniewski’s investigation, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) said today she would introduce a resolution Thursday asking New Jersey’s congressional delegation to review the Port Authority’s original charter, granted by an act of Congress in 1921. Weinberg said she was concerned that agency’s bistate nature leads to internal conflicts that generate rogue decision-making of the kind involved in the lane closures. Wisniewski shared her concern, wondering whether an "iron curtain" divided New Jersey officials from New Yorkers. Subpoenas demanding gubernatorial correspondence were issued to Port Authority Executive Director Patrick Foye, and to the two Christie-backed officials who have resigned from the agency amid the scandal, Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni and his subordinate, Director of Interstate Capital Projects David Wildstein. Baroni testified last month that he knew of the closures in advance, though he said Wildstein ordered them. This is Wisnewski’s second round of subpoenas; the first summoned Port Authority officials to a Dec. 9 hearing before the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee, which Wisniewski chairs. Foye’s testimony seemed at odds with Baroni’s earlier explanation that the closures were related to a traffic-safety study. Foye, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, told the committee he was never told of any such study and remained unaware of one. To Wisniewski and other Democrats, Foye’s testimony supported their suspicions that the real motivation for the closures was retaliation against Fort Lee’s mayor after he refused to join other urban Democrats who crossed party lines to endorse Christie’s re-election. The governor’s office declined to comment on the subpoenas. Instead, his spokesman referred to a news conference Friday, when Christie announced Baroni’s resignation from the agency, acknowledging that mistakes had been made in how the closures were implemented while reiterating that he was not involved. The Port Authority and the three agency officials issued subpoenas did not respond to requests for comment. RELATED COVERAGE • Bridgegate? Chris Christie's national ambitions could be hurt by GWB controversy •Bridge-gate scandal nips at Christie's heels: MoranBostonBruins.com - Bruins alternate captain Patrice Bergeron knows it will be difficult to top winning the gold medal he took home from his first Olympics with Team Canada in Vancouver in 2010. But he and his Canadian teammates have their sights set on just that. "Obviously Vancouver was a great experience, was amazing to be in your home country and representing your country and be able to win gold," he said before heading to Sochi, Russia. "So hopefully we're able to do that again, but we have a great challenge in front of us, and we're looking forward to it." Patrice may have left his Black & Gold back in Boston for the next two weeks, as did his fellow Bruins Olympians, but the passion he has for the game never changes, whether he's in his usual Spoked-B or the red and white of Team Canada. On Wednesday, I caught up with the Bruin after he took in the hard-fought spectacle of the Canada-USA women's hockey preliminary matchup, in which the Canadians defeated Team USA, 3-2. He's been in Sochi since Monday, settling in and getting ready for game action. Below are his thoughts on the experience so far… Heading into Canada's first game against Norway on Thursday, February 13 (12:00 p.m. ET, live on USA Network), the usual centerman's role was likely to be on the right wing, alongside John Tavares at center and Jamie Benn on the left. "I think so far it's more of a defensive [role], penalty kill, and I'm playing the wing right now, so we'll see what happens, and obviously I'm willing to do whatever that they want me to do. They obviously want me to play my game, and once I'm called for the time to go on the ice, it's time to do the job and play to my fullest." The nine-hour time difference seems pretty difficult to get past in a day or two, but Patrice stressed that it was actually easier than he thought it would be - with a little help from Team Canada's staff. "Definitely a big time difference, so the adjustment took us a few days, but it wasn't too bad. We talked to a few sleep specialists and doctors and they kind of told us when to go to sleep, and what to do in order to help with the jet lag, and seriously, it's been good, it helped a lot and we're just trying to focus now on the upcoming games." Patrice experienced the Olympic Village in Vancouver in 2010, so he had an idea of what to expect when heading to Sochi, and he's been fortunate to run into a few of his Bruins' teammates there as well. "It's great, it's kind of similar to how it was in Vancouver, where all of the athletes stay together in the Village, and they've got the meal set up where all of the athletes are going to eat there, so you have a chance to meet other fellow athletes from your country, or even different countries. I've seen Tuukka at the meal hall, and also Zee, I saw him there, so it's a nice setup and also, the buildings and the venues are really, really nice so they've done a good job with that." So, is Big Zee really the center of attention there? "Oh, not too bad," Patrice laughed. "He is popular, obviously, but when I saw him, I had the chance to actually talk to him one-on-one and no one seemed to really bother him, and he seems to be enjoying his time as well." Without family making the trek over, Patrice has had plenty of time on his own to concentrate on the practice and games coming up, whether it was taking in the women's USA-Canada game before his own Olympics started up, or being in the Village, where's he's rooming with fellow Vancouver 2010 teammate Duncan Keith. Along with the rest of the Team Canada roster, Patrice said he and his team have been finding chemistry together - an important element in the Olympics' "one and done" type of tournament, where every game holds considerable weight. "You're here, and you don't have that much time to gel as a team. But it's the team that's going to do that the quickest, that has the best chance," he said. Team Canada Olympic hopefuls had gathered for a roughly 45-player camp last August in Calgary that featured plenty of meetings, activities and stressed the importance of the team concept. "Obviously, by doing that camp, it helps us, and hopefully we can carry that onto the ice." So, no secret team bonding trips to the mountains surrounding Sochi are necessary? Patrice just laughed. And then planned to get a good night's sleep, with his first game of the 2014 Olympics (and a medal to chase) on the agenda.George Zimmerman helped rescue a family from an overturned car after an accident in Florida, four days after he was acquitted of murder, police said. Zimmerman was one of two men who helped free four family members trapped in an overturned blue Ford Explorer after it crashed on a highway in Sanford around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said. Two parents identified as Mark and Dana Gerstle, along with their two children, were riding in the truck when it flipped near the intersection of I-4 and Route 46, authorities said. After spotting the wreck and pulling over, the 29-year-old volunteer watchman grabbed a fire extinguisher from his car and checked for signs of a blaze before freeing the Gerstle family, Sean Vincent, a spokesman for his legal team, told the Daily News. "George was able to help the family get out of the car before the first responders got there," Vincent said. Zimmerman gave a statement to a police deputy, who recognized him, and then left, Vincent said. Cops said he didn't witness the accident itself, and he is not mentioned in the accident report. No was injured in the crash, which occurred about a mile from where Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin in February 2012. The incident came just four days after a jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the 17-year-old’s death. The verdict sparked hundreds of protests across the country and has led to death threats against Zimmerman, who was presumed to be in hiding. Sign up for BREAKING NEWS Emails privacy policy Thanks for subscribing!Gary Whiting spent his Monday morning doing inventory and replenishing his stock of hamburgers, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Miller High Life. Wisconsin fans, in town to watch their Top 10-ranked team take on BYU, had cleaned him and his bar — ABG’s Libation Emporium — out of a few items after he decided to open at 10 a.m. Saturday — two hours earlier than usual — ahead of the game’s 1:30 p.m. kickoff. “We had 17 people come in the door at 10 o‘clock and about 35 or 40 follow them instantly,” Whiting said. “It was just a constant influx.” Yes it's official- opens at 10am pic.twitter.com/yvjz07Kbp5 — Jeff Lyons (@jlyonsbadger) September 16, 2017 Whiting said ABG’s capacity is 128 people and that the bar was “packed” for three hours with patrons who were “a little loud,” but otherwise were the best group of traveling fans he’s seen in 27 years of ownership. “Financially, it‘s the biggest day I’ve ever had here,” he said, adding that it was “triple” what the bar’s normal income would be from a regular day. Inside ABG's Bar in Provo that opened early for Badgers fans. The owner told me he "only expected a couple of people." pic.twitter.com/x50AMUvS0z — Alec Ausmus (@A_Twice27) September 16, 2017 City Limits Tavern also opened two hours early at 10 a.m. to accommodate the Badger faithful. (Steve Griffin \| The Salt Lake Tribune) Wisconsin drinkers nearly cleaned out two bars in Provo Saturday morning ahead of the BYU-Badgers game. Including City Limits on Center St. in Provo, Utah Monday September 18, 2017. Liz Burley has been working at City Limits for about three weeks and was bartending Friday night for Provo’s Pride Festival crowd and Saturday morning for the Wisconsin crowd. One fan, Burley recalls, brought a sign to the bar that read “Drink Wisconsinably.” “It wasn‘t really a rush, but we definitely had a lot of people that came in and grabbed drinks before the game,” Burley said. Of the bar’s drink selection, she said the fans bought mostly Bud Light and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. “They were all just happy to have a good time,” she said. “They were joking about trying to drink Provo dry.” We know our people. Three deep at the ABG at 10:30. Go Badgers!! pic.twitter.com/v1cEfp9B7g — Jeff Lyons (@jlyonsbadger) September 16, 2017 Whiting had never opened the bar early before and doesn’t follow sports closely, but considers serving Provo patrons and visitors to Utah alike as “community service.” “It was a wonderful thing,” he said. “The people from Wisconsin are fabulous. They‘re the nicest, funnest people we’ve ever had here.”The Philadelphia 76ers have been involved in plenty of NBA rumors with different teams, and it looks like Jahlil Okafor will be moved Sunday or Monday. The Philadelphia 76ers won over the Miami Heat on Saturday night, snapping the Heat’s 13-game win streak. The Sixers did this without Joel Embiid due to injury, and more notably, without Jahlil Okafor due to impending trade talks. This is the first time that we know the team has sat a player this season because they were rumored in a trade. The Sixers have been involved in trade talks regarding Okafor since this month opened, with the first two teams being confirmed as the New Orleans Pelicans and the Chicago Bulls. Now, it looks like there’s more teams, but as we thought, the Pelicans are reportedly the team that is a front-runner to get Okafor. Article continues below... What was different about the rumored trade talks on Saturday is that this was sonmething openly discussed by the Sixers — including head coach Brett Brown, as well as players — in the locker room. Previously, the team would brush stuff like this off as just rumors. Now, the Sixers are talking about it, and going as far as naming Okafor as the player. Okafor was gone before the media could enter the locker room on Saturday. The Pelicans seem to want to make a playoff push, and have hopes that Okafor can help them do that. Keith Smith, who has been strong on the reporting front regarding the Sixers situation, says that the team is expected to trade Okafor on Sunday, “or so.” Smith’s source says that the team can’t go back after pulling him from the lineup, and that the Pelicans are the leading contender. Source: Expect Okafor trade to be completed in the next day or so. Can't go back after pulling him from lineup today. NOP leading contender. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 12, 2017 Smith also said that the, “situation would be awkward if Okafor is still on team by,” Monday after they openly said they pulled him for Saturday night’s game because of trade talks. PHI next plays on Monday. Situation will be awkward if Okafor is still on team by then after pulling him from the lineup tonight. — Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 12, 2017 While it would certainly be awkward, I don’t think it’s completely unrealistic to expect the Sixers to have Okafor on their roster on Monday. There’s a few reasons for that. For one, the Sixers have made it clear they’re willing to wait way too long for a good deal. If they think they can get one or two more pieces out of the Pelicans — or whoever ends up taking Okafor — they will wait a few days for it, especially with the trade deadline not being until February 23rd. If Okafor is still on the team on Monday, there’s a chance the team could just not bring him to Charlotte for their game against the Hornets. They won’t plan on playing him, and that would eliminate at least some of the awkwardness. It would also prevent Okafor from getting asked questions about the rumors. Although Okafor has handled his situation like a professional so far, it has to be tough for him to go through this, with even his coach openly talking about him getting traded to the media. It seems as if everyone is against Okafor, but I wish him the best wherever he ends up. We can expect a trade to be likely on Sunday or early Monday, but I wouldn’t be floored if the talks went into Tuesday or Wednesday. This article originally appeared onSanders Statement on Iran and Russia Sanctions WASHINGTON, June 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Thursday after he voted against a bill that would impose new sanctions on Iran and Russia: "I am strongly supportive of the sanctions on Russia included in this bill. It is unacceptable for Russia to interfere in our elections here in the United States, or anywhere around the world. There must be consequences for such actions. I also have deep concerns about the policies and activities of the Iranian government, especially their support for the brutal Assad regime in Syria. I have voted for sanctions on Iran in the past, and I believe sanctions were an important tool for bringing Iran to the negotiating table. But I believe that these new sanctions could endanger the very important nuclear agreement that was signed between the United States, its partners and Iran in 2015. That is not a risk worth taking, particularly at a time of heightened tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia and its allies. I think the United States must play a more even-handed role in the Middle East, and find ways to address not only Iran's activities, but also Saudi Arabia's decades-long support for radical extremism."For years, the centre of India’s foreign policy was Pakistan. Love it or hate it. This was the country that the external affairs ministry had to break its head over most of the times. You can’t brush off four wars (1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999), two conflicts (Rann of Kutch and Siachen), militancy in Kashmir that claimed tens of thousands of lives and terrorist attacks all over India. More importantly, Pakistan held the trump cards when it came to America, China, Afghanistan and the entire Arab world. All these countries would always favour Pakistan over India. We had Russia on our side but even it became neutral with the collapse of communism in 1991. Detractors are laughing at how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is touring one country after another like a mere tourist. He is being ridiculed as a non-resident Prime Minister. However, his visits are already paying rich dividends. Here’s how. For one, Modi is snatching away Pakistan’s allies one by one. The first is America. Ever since US President Barack Obama took over, he didn’t care two hoots for India. That has drastically changed. The Obama-Modi bromance is being talked about all over the world. In one meet, Obama ran to Modi, held his hands and called him a "man of action". Modi's stance at the recently concluded climate talks in Paris was greatly appreciated by Obama and one environmental news website even called Modi as the "Man who saved the world". More importantly, the results are already coming in. The dead Indo-US nuclear deal was revived and hectic parleying over both strategic and economic ties are taking place. China is similarly being engaged and trade deals are being inked left, right and centre. India has taken an aggressive stand against border incursions and China is known to respect a tough adversary. Afghanistan is being engaged too and Modi’s recent visit was a landmark. Tweeted Habib Khan Totakhil, a Wall Street Journal reporter in Kabul... The difference between a Muslim neighbor & a Hindu friend: India builds parliament building for Afghanistan, Pakistan creates Taliban. — Habib Khan Totakhil (@HabibKhanT) December 25, 2015 That’s the kind of change happening which is changing the perception as far as India is concerned. A watershed event is our engagement with the Arab world. A red carpet welcome awaited Modi in UAE, where more than one of the rulers of the Emirates came to receive him, a rarity. Trade ties were taken forward and terror was discussed. Don Dawood Ibrahim may have his home in Pakistan, but his office is in Dubai. Modi has conveniently bypassed Pakistan and got UAE to squeeze Dawood’s operations in Dubai. A few terror suspects have already been deported to India and an accused in the AugustaWestland scam has been located. Bangladesh (which shares a love-hate relationship with Pakistan) is being engaged and they have started extraditing militants. Shutting Pakistan’s terror camps will go a long way in neutralising Pakistan. (Again we are bypassing them). For that, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has to be given due credit. He is discussed more on Pakistani TV channels than Indian ones. Modi has visited other Muslim countries like Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Modi is isolating Pakistan in the Muslim world itself and that’s a big handicap for our neighbour. Interestingly, we are making progress with every country in West Asia. What are the chances that a country can significantly hike ties with both Israel and Muslim countries? Modi is doing just that. They may be rivals, but both of them want to do business with India. That’s just the way Modi is engaging both America and China, despite their rivalry. Modi has thrown the zero sum game in the dustbin which had been plaguing the sub-continent. He can engage with everyone simultaneously. This is without mentioning countries like Australia, Germany, Canada, Brazil etc, where our ties are way ahead of Pakistan. If you analyse the way we are engaging with countries like Myanmar and Bhutan, the encirclement of Pakistan is complete. It is a classical strategy of surrounding your enemy and isolating it. Of course, it’s not a military tactic but a diplomatic one! Modi’s biggest trump card is trade. Both the British Empire and the US superpower dominated not on military might alone, but trade too. It’s the economy stupid! India has overtaken China in GDP growth rate and Modi is making India irresistible for every country in the world. The Chabahar Port in Iran is just one small example. In the future, Pakistan may be forced to make peace because, potentially, India could be Pakistan’s biggest trading partner. It’s not all Modi. He has dollops of luck on his side. India-hater Mahinda Rajapaksa lost in Sri Lanka and India is weaning the island nation away from China towards itself. Russian president Vladimir Putin is flexing his muscles on the world stage and counting on India. After the spat with Turkey, a top official flew down to India to offer Turkey-related business to India and we accepted. Indo-Russia ties could go back to the pre-1991 days without any problems with America and China. Pakistan is no longer what it was. Pakistan occupied Kashmir is witnessing protests for reunification with India. The Balochistan independence movement is gaining ground. The war in North Waziristan has claimed the lives of 6,000 Pakistani military personnel and 30,000 terrorists and rages on without an end in sight. Thanks to this, the Pakistani Army is jaded and for the first time in ages has agreed to join Indo-Pak talks should their representatives be called. More than 60,000 Pakistani civilians have been killed in terrorist attacks since 9/11. The death-rate in Kashmir militancy has crashed in the 2010s, thanks to all of the above. There is a famous saying which first appeared in the essays of Francis Bacon, "If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad then Muhammad must go to the mountain." The way our foreign policy is shaping up, we won’t have to go to Pakistan. Pakistan may well be forced to come to us with a workable peace offering. For that Modi has already shown that he is accessible. He invited Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif to India for his swearing in, met him on the sidelines of summits and recently visited Lahore when he was invited at extremely short notice. The sight of Modi and Sharif hugging and then walking hand in hand like a couple of schoolboys was a sight to behold. Our foreign policy is working and Modi should just keep at it!Target Canada’s final days are proving tough for some of its workers, and it is not just because the unemployment line beckons. As liquidation sales ramp up, store employees are complaining of inflexible and often erratic work schedulesthat are affecting their private lives and the ability to hunt for new jobs. One worker told CBC News that when she was hired by the retailer, the company preached a "work/life balance" and was willing to adapt itself to employees' scheduling needs. But now that Target Canada is closing down, it appears not so accommodating. A March 2 Target Canada memo obtained by CBC News declared that due to the large number of requests, employees can no longer ask for different work schedules due to changes in their availability. A Feb. 10 staff memo had previously told employees that changes could be made if they didn't impact an employee's work hours or the business. But the new edict declared that deal no longer stands. The memo also stated, "If adjustments were previously made/approved to accommodate a new job, they will no longer be honoured.” The only exceptions would be “unique or special circumstances." 'If you're trying to find another job, to set up interviews, it's a nightmare - anonymous Target worker "It's making it really hard for those who did go get second jobs to be set up for success after the store closes," says Jennifer, a storefront worker at an Ontario Target. Jennifer is not her real name. She asked for that to be withheld because Target has told her not to talk to the media. A memo to workers on Jan. 20 warned them of the risks of speaking to the press, suggesting it could lead to "inaccurate information being shared … and information being provided without proper context." Scheduling chaos A Target Canada store manager says he always tried to accommodate his employees’ requests, but that now schedules are controlled by higher-ups who are "incredibly inflexible." This man, who also doesn't want his name used, says work schedules are now "all over the place" and are handed out on short notice. "The reason they took away the two-week schedule is because we couldn't plan" for it. He adds that work hours are now posted one week in advance but then still subject to change. "I've been through four or five revisions in the last week and a half for my personal schedule," says the manager. For her part, Jennifer complains her work schedule is out of control. "I work mornings, I work nights, I work afternoons, I'm everywhere and when it's brought to anyone's attention that I can't work nights, [I’m told], 'Sorry, figure it out.'" A single parent, she says, "there's nothing we can do," adding "if you're trying to find another job, to set up interviews, it's a nightmare." Workers walk In January, U.S.-based Target announced it was closing its 133 Canadian stores and would soon lay off its roughly 17,600 workers. A Jan. 27 company email to managers noted that, "Stores have experienced a spike in unjustified absences." It also stated that employees who miss three days of work with no excuse will be terminated. For Target, the problem has been that there is still a lot of work to be done in the stores, work that includes unloading large amounts of shipped merchandise at certain locations and changing signs every time liquidation prices drop. The store manager CBC News spoke with admits that unpredictable schedules are tough on staff, but he feels it's the only way the company can get through the demands of liquidation. The law firm representing Target Canada employees received so many complaints about scheduling concerns, it posted a notice on its website. Koskie Minsky LLP informed workers they had to resolve their beefs with the company because these are not legal matters. Target told CBC News that it could not discuss scheduling conflicts. "We typically don’t share details about our compensation, scheduling or other human resources matters," said spokeswoman Molly Snyder. The lucky ones Not every worker is complaining about the changing schedules. Most employees whose hours have been cut during the wind-down are still getting paid for the full hours they had traditionally worked. A storefront employee who also doesn’t want her name used says she’s now only needed one day a week at her Ontario Target store. But, she’s still being paid for her traditional 31.5 hourwork week. "I kind of love that, I’m not going to lie. You know how much stuff I’ve got done around my house?" she says. Target Canada is not providing severance because the company is now insolvent. But it has committed to keep paying employees their regular working hours, no matter what they are scheduled, until the business officially closes in mid-May. A number of workers, however, are still having to put in full-time hours. Jennifer is not working all her regular hours, but she says she still finds it hard to grapple with an erratic schedule and a depressing atmosphere at work. "I was very happy to get this job. Oh my gosh, I was dancing. I was so excited to work for this company." Now, she says, "I'll be very happy when this is said and done."Residents of Crete and Thasos have recently stopped Golden Dawn activities in separate incidents on the Greek islands. Members of the far-right party Golden Dawn(GD) were forced to leave a small village on the island of Thasos at the weekend. GD representatives had come to the village of Potamia on Sunday with the aim of handing out food exclusively to Greeks. Such propaganda acts are fairly common for GD as they attempt to benefit from the poverty now affecting Greece. The party have set up previous food distribution events during which people have to show proof of being Greek. This time however local residents gathered in the town square and forced the GD out. The residents, carrying antifascist banners, made it clear that the fascist party were not welcome and stopped them unloading their van. Pretty quickly the GD members gave up and headed away to the jeers of the crowd. Other attempts to set up Greek only food distributions on the island met with little or no enthusiasm. In another blow to GD on the Greek islands this week one of their members ended up being thrown into the sea after meeting some antifascists in Hania, Crete. Members of GD gathered in Hania and proceeded to move around the town attacking three non-Greeks on the way. However local antifascists gathered and soon a fight broke out in which four GD members and two antifascists were arrested. During the clashes a GD member was thrown into the sea of Hania harbour. Such local acts of resistance to fascism come at a time when far-right ideas are taking a firmer hold in Greece. Across Greece GD have been carrying out social services such as food distribution, health care and even education. Not all of these events have been opposed like on Thasos. Positioning themselves as the saviours of poor Greeks has continued to increase the base of support for the fascist party. Less than a year since entering parliament recent opinion polls show GD are holding onto the number three position in Greek politics with between 9-12% support. More worrying is that GD are now a real and visible part of Greece. Their newspapers and key rings are openly sold in many places. They are frequent characters on Greek media. Their slogans are painted everywhere, even in classrooms. The walls of Athens are now no longer the exclusive canvas of anarchists. There has been a lot of concern recently as GD have started to give classes to Greek children. The youth are now scribbling GD symbols on classroom walls as they grow up with the fascists as just another part of the Greek political scene. By blocking their activities or throwing them into the sea the residents of Thasos and Hania have given a clear example of self-organised opposition to the far-right. Examples we must keep in mind as fear and xenophobia spread.I’ve been obsessing about the degradation of our nation. Like keeping me up at night obsessing. Like freaking out at people obsessing. I see the collapse of common sense all around me and while my mind is telling me that I need to react in love and understanding, in reality, I usually respond with either anger or with judgment. I am starting to find myself desiring to win arguments against nonbelievers rather than living my life trying to bring glory to God. The sad reality is that my own story shows that nothing can convince someone who is perishing the truth, but that does not seem to have mattered recently. This blog post is being written out of a desire to repent for my committing the sins of pride and of being a horrible witness. Academically, I understand what I should be doing but due to my own wretchedness, I am finding it almost impossible to do anything. I don’t know most of you but considering that many of us are of like mind, I feel that this article will be as relevant to some of you as it will be for me. While I reflect on God’s word and remember my duty to Christ, maybe I can help some of you in the process. There can be no doubt that the culture around us is collapsing upon itself. The sacred is now considered profane and the profane is now considered holy. The self is placed upon a pedestal while a desire to help people is now considered weakness. The Christian worldview and the secular worldview lay on two different spectrums and this divide is only widening. Those who have rejected God are reveling in what they see as the overcoming of the antiquated and weak need of religion. This rejection has always been there but now those who never truly believed are emboldened to not only “come out of the closet” but to attack those who view God as essential. I am not saying anything that most of you don’t already know, but the problem that I am facing is how do we deal with this? How do we treat those who are poised to oppress us? How do we witness to those who are on their way to hell and who don’t even know it? Like I should have done from the beginning, I need to look to scripture. 1) Love thy neighbor. This is not convince your neighbor they are wrong and this is not make your neighbor feel stupid. We are commanded to love our brothers and sisters AND unbelievers. Only by reflecting the light of Christ and showing how different we are from the rest of the world (kind, gentle and altruistic) can we become a beacon to the lost. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. – Matthew 5:14 2) Realize that the natural state of man is rebellion to God. Unlike the fluffy bunny God of liberal Christianity, the God of the bible hates and loathes sin. He hates it because it separates us from Him because a wholly and righteous God cannot stand unrighteousness. Man, in his essence understands this and reacts accordingly. Unrepentant man hates God and realizing this should make you realize that when people get angry at you it is in fact them rebelling against Christ. We shouldn’t take it personally. Actually we should be saddened. as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; – Romans 3:10 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18 3) Realize that we don’t save sinners, God does. We are commanded to bring the gospel and to speak the gospel but we are not commanded to convince people that the gospel is truth. Only the Spirit can open the eyes of the nonbeliever. God convicts people of their sins and uses us as the method but if they are stuck in their rebellion and if God has not chosen them, nothing you can do can change this. We need to stop placing the burden upon ourselves. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, – Ephesians 2:8 4) Speaking the (true) Gospel will be seen as condemnation, but that does not mean we should react with anger. When the lost hear the gospel they are confronted with the reality (whether perceived or unperceived) of their separation from God. The law is written on all hearts and even though you reach out to them out of a desire to see them saved, the vast majority will not see it that way. You talk about forgiveness and they will hear that you think they are sinful. You will talk about grace and they will hear that you think they are broken. Someone who does not think they are sick doesn’t think they need a doctor. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. – John 15:19 As I look over the list that I just created I find myself chuckling at how simple the answers are but how difficult the execution is. I must turn all aspects of my life to God and allow Him to use me. I must stop seeing people as a problem to be solved and to realize that God has already chosen those out of the world. I must realize that I am simply the means that God uses. Now if only I can take what I know to be truth and actually do it. My friends, this is one of those times when only God can help me. I know that only coming to the Father and begging for His help will I be able to take what I know and live my life that way. Let’s all pray for one another for this to happen in the Church as a whole.A digest video began streaming for Yume to Kyōki no Ōkoku (The Kingdom of Dreams & Madness), the documentary film about
Baggies equalised. "I am just happy to contribute whenever I can, whether it's a goal or helping out in any which way," Jedinak said. "Right now, though, I would much rather swap my goals for a few more points." Palace lies 16th after nine games, just a point off the relegation places, and Jedinak is hoping the club can avoid a protracted battle to stay up. "We are looking to gather a bit of momentum but right now not many teams are really on a run and the table is pretty congested," he said. "We are only a win away from being in mid-table and it's still early days with the season only a quarter of the way through. We just want to get some consistency going, sooner rather than later."Marco Rubio says he is ready to become the President of the United States. “I think that’s true for multiple other people that would want to run,” Florida’s junior senator told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on This Week Sunday. “I mean, I’ll be 43 this month, but the other thing that perhaps people don’t realize, I’ve served now in public office for the better part of 14 years. Most importantly, I think a president has to have a clear vision of where the country needs to go and clear ideas about how to get it there, and I think we’re very blessed in our party to have a number of people that fit that criteria.” Rubio was once considered to be a frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nominee, but his poll numbers have been slipping as of late. He told Karl he’s not paying much attention to those polls (“It’s probably the TIME cover jinx, just like the Sports Illustrated jinx,” he joked, in reference to TIME’s February 2013 cover story on the senator). During the interview, Rubio also said he did not believe humans have contributed to global climate change and that he would give Hillary Clinton an “F” grade for her job as Secretary of State. Rubio added that if he decided to run for president, he would not simultaneously seek re-election as a Florida senator. The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now “I believe that if you want to be president of the United States, you run for president,” Rubio said, in a thinly-veiled dig at Republican rival Rand Paul. Republican lawmakers in Paul’s home state of Kentucky recently unsuccessfully tried to pass a bill that would have let Paul run for the presidency and re-election in the Senate. “You don’t run for president with some eject button in the cockpit that allows you to go on an exit ramp if it doesn’t work out,” Rubio added. [ABC] Write to Nolan Feeney at nolan.feeney@time.com.Louis van Gaal is considering paying Yevhen Konoplyanka’s €15m (£12.1m) buyout clause, with the Dnipro winger willing to join Manchester United despite them not qualifying for next season’s Champions League. United have scouted Konoplyanka, who is also interesting Liverpool and Schalke, on more than one occasion, the most recent being on Sunday when Dnipro played Metalurh Donetsk. Andrey Stetsenko, Dnipro’s sporting director who is in charge of transfers, accepts that Konoplyanka could leave the club, with United moving ahead of Liverpool as the Merseyside club have not been in contact since January. “Our scouts are working to find his replacement. Sooner or later Konoplyanka will leave Dnipro,” he said. “We know that English, Spanish and German clubs are monitoring the situation and are interested in the player. But we have had no offers. His contract has a buyout clause worth €15m for foreign clubs. For Ukrainian clubs the buyout is more. “Konoplyanka spoke to me and said that if he did not have offers from foreign clubs in the future it would not be a problem. He would stay with us with pleasure and continue to play for Dnipro.” While United and Schalke scouts were at Sunday’s game, with Dnipro officials having ensured they were accommodated, it is understood that Liverpool retain an interest, though Stetsenko said that since the winter transfer window, the interest from Brendan Rodgers has cooled. “After negotiations in the winter Liverpool did not contact us further about Konoplyanka,” he said. While the Merseyside club have the attraction of Champions League football if they were to firm up their interest, Konoplyanka would be minded to sign for United if Van Gaal moves for him. The winger, who impressed for Ukraine during Euro 2012, is wanted by Van Gaal as he looks to overhaul his wide options, as Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Nani have all consistently disappointed. One player who will not be joining United this summer, despite talk of a move, is Toni Kroos. The Guardian reported on Thursday that Van Gaal had decided against pursuing the Bayern Munich midfielder, who said on Friday that he expects to stay at the German champions. Kroos has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford but the 24-year-old is no longer a target for United and has now confirmed that he thinks he will stay at the German champions. “I am expecting to play for Bayern Munich next season,” Kroos told Bild. “There was a lot of speculation, but Manchester is and was not an issue. At this point in time I am fully focused on preparations for the 2014 Fifa World Cup.” Kroos has a year left with Bayern and has yet to accept their offer of an extension. Rumours of a United move for Kroos circulated when David Moyes was in charge, although talk has cooled since the appointment of Louis van Gaal. Meanwhile, Patrice Evra has signed a one-year contract extension, ending speculation that he would be on his way out of the club.CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign Police Department issued fewer tickets during this year's Unofficial St. Patrick's Day while paying more in overtime costs. Champaign police worked 303.75 hours of overtime on March 3, costing the department $17,406. That's up more than $2,000 from the past two years, when the department paid a little over $15,000 each year in overtime. This is the largest use of police overtime for city police, spokeswoman LaEisha Meaderds said. While Champaign uses more resources for the Illinois Marathon between the police, fire department, public works and METCAD, the organizers of that event reimburse the city a negotiated amount. The city is not reimbursed for Unofficial, which doesn't have specific organizers. From March 3-4, University of Illinois Police paid officers, security guards, student patrols and records staff $10,200 in overtime. Police step up their patrols during Unofficial, and before the death of 23-year-old Jonathan Morales early Saturday morning, bar owners and revelers said the drinking event had generally been less raucous than in the past. Police issued 112 notices to appear in court last Friday for various crimes, such as carrying alcohol in public, battery and minors in possession of alcohol. Last year, police issued 152. Earlier in the decade, numbers were much higher, with 210 tickets issued in 2013 and 310 in 2012.Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed landmark legislation Tuesday banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 21, making New York the first large city in the country to prohibit sales to young adults. City health officials hope that raising the legal purchase age from 18 to 21 will lead to a big decline in smoking rates in a critical age group. A majority of smokers get addicted to cigarettes before age 21, and then have trouble quitting, even if they want to do so. The ban has limitations, in terms of its ability to stop young people from picking up the deadly habit. Teenagers can still possess tobacco legally. Kids will still be able to steal cigarettes from their parents, bum them from friends or buy them from the black-market dealers who are common in many neighborhoods. But City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said the idea is to make it more inconvenient for young people to get started, especially young teens who had previously had easy access to cigarettes through slightly older peers. Raising the Legal Smoking Age to 21 Councilman James F. Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) discusses his bill to raise the legal age for tobacco and e-cigarette purchase to 21 in NYC, which will be signed into law tomorrow. (Published Monday, Nov. 18, 2013) "Right now, an 18-year-old can buy for a 16-year-old," he said. Once the law takes effect in six months, Farley said that 16-year-old would "have to find someone in college or out in the workforce." Tobacco companies and some retailers had opposed the age increase, saying it would simply drive teenagers to the city's thriving black market. "What are you really accomplishing? It's not like they are going to quit smoking. Why? Because there are so many other places they can buy cigarettes," said Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores. "Every 18-year-old who walks out of a convenience store is just going to go to the guy in the white van on the corner." Copyright Associated Press / NBC New YorkThis looks like a fairly standard login page, but it’s not. It’s what we call a “phishing” page, a site run by people looking to receive and steal your password. If you type your password here, attackers could steal it and gain access to your Google Account—and you may not even know it. This is a common and dangerous trap: the most effective phishing attacks can succeed 45 percent of the time, nearly 2 percent of messages to Gmail are designed to trick people into giving up their passwords, and various services across the web send millions upon millions of phishing emails, every day. To help keep your account safe, today we’re launching Password Alert, a free, open-source Chrome extension that protects your Google and Google Apps for Work Accounts. Once you’ve installed it, Password Alert will show you a warning if you type your Google password into a site that isn’t a Google sign-in page. This protects you from phishing attacks and also encourages you to use different passwords for different sites, a security best practice. Here's how it works for consumer accounts. Once you’ve installed and initialized Password Alert, Chrome will remember a “scrambled” version of your Google Account password. It only remembers this information for security purposes and doesn’t share it with anyone. If you type your password into a site that isn't a Google sign-in page, Password Alert will show you a notice like the one below. This alert will tell you that you’re at risk of being phished so you can update your password and protect yourself. Password Alert is also available to Google for Work customers, including Google Apps and Drive for Work. Your administrator can install Password Alert for everyone in the domains they manage, and receive alerts when Password Alert detects a possible problem. This can help spot malicious attackers trying to break into employee accounts and also reduce password reuse. Administrators can find more information in the Help CenterIndigenous-led suicide prevention plan needed to fight Aboriginal death crisis: report Updated Aboriginal suicides are at record levels in remote Australia and mainstream prevention programs are failing, a major report has concluded. The ABC has obtained a copy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP), co-chaired by West Australian professor Pat Dudgeon and former social justice commissioner Tom Calma. The report calls for a radical rethink in Indigenous mental health policy to place Aboriginal people at the centre of care. It calls for the immediate development of an Indigenous-led national prevention plan to stem a rising tide of Aboriginal deaths. The project forms the foundation of the Federal Government's policy response to the Indigenous suicide crisis, which has claimed 680 Aboriginal lives between 2011 and 2015. The ATSISPEP report, recently handed to the Prime Minister, recommends that all Indigenous suicide prevention programs be evaluated for effectiveness amid evidence the majority of existing programs are failing. It recommends that Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services are positioned as the primary providers of mental health care to Indigenous people, using funding channelled through mainstream Primary Health Networks. The report also calls for teams of support workers that fly to a community in the wake of a suicide to be expanded nationwide. The Critical Response Project is currently being trialled in suicide hotspots in Western Australia. Do you know more about this story? Email investigations@abc.net.au. There is a national focus on Indigenous suicide this week as Health Minister Sussan Ley prepares to chair a special roundtable on suicide prevention in the Kimberley. Key recommendations: The Federal Government should develop and a national strategy in Indigenous suicide prevention that draws on the ATSISPEP findings Establish an evaluation tool for assessing Indigenous suicide prevention programs and ensure they operate in line with the ATSISPEP findings Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to be primary providers of mental health care services Redirect funding away from the criminal justice system towards Indigenous mental health and alcohol and drug services WA was rocked by another tragedy this week with the death of a 37-year-old mother of three, who took her life in Kalgoorlie, the Goldfields town that recently exploded into racial unrest following the death of 14-year-old Elijah Doughty. Elijah died after being allegedly run down by a motorist outside the town. During the past two-and-a-half years, ATSISPEP members have toured the country talking to Indigenous people about suicide and resilience. They have been told of mass frustration at the coalface. Many well-funded programs are culturally inappropriate, and many Aboriginal-led programs struggle to gain access to funding. The ATSISPEP report profiled 19 Indigenous-led initiatives that have been working to combat Indigenous suicide. Indigenous suicides escalated over past decade: ABS The Federal Government late last year announced a renewed approach to national suicide prevention through the establishment of a National Suicide Prevention Strategy. In August it announced that the Kimberley — which has one of the highest Indigenous suicide rates in the world — was designated as one of 12 suicide prevention trial sites. But there is concern among Indigenous leaders that policy development is proceeding even before the ATSISPEP report has been released. ATSISPEP co-chair Professor Dudgeon said she thought the report would "show the way forward". "There aren't many Aboriginal families who aren't touched by suicide. And I think with suicide, it's a more poignant grief because the person has chosen not to be here," she said. "It's ongoing trauma with little opportunity to recover. "I believe that this report will show a way forward. Even though there is a crisis, people are not sitting on their hands. They want help and they want things to happen." Suicide researchers have been warning for several years that the rising rates of Indigenous suicide nationwide amounts to an epidemic. The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released figures that showed Indigenous suicide rates have been escalating steadily for the past decade. The West Australian Government recently claimed deaths by suicide in the state were decreasing, but that has been disputed by Aboriginal leaders in the policy area. Aboriginal kids account for one in three child suicides More than 152 Aboriginal people died by suicide in 2015, including 110 men and 42 women. Indigenous suicide was almost unheard of prior to the 1960s. But in 2015, suicide was the fifth-leading cause of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People across NSW, Queensland, SA, WA and NT, compared to the 12th-leading cause of death for non-Indigenous people. However, for Aboriginal children, the statistics are even more grim. They make up one in three child suicides. WA academic Gerry Georgatos argued the official figures significantly under-represented true Indigenous suicide rates, especially in remote areas. Mr Georgatos believes suicide accounts for one in 10 Indigenous deaths, much higher than the official nationwide figure of one in 19. "The suicide Aboriginal suicide crisis is a humanitarian crisis," Mr Georgatos said. "It's a catastrophic humanitarian crisis — a staggering, harrowing narrative and it's only getting worse." Mr Georgatos has spent years accurately documenting suicide rates using both official figures and grassroots reports from around the country and has played a frontline role in supporting families affected by suicide. "The grim reality that I see on the ground, our nation should weep," he said. "The disconnect is not with culture. The disconnect is actually with hope. "The ways forward are actually predominantly socioeconomic. We need to actually assist people to improve their lot. There must be opportunity." Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, suicide, mental-health, youth, australia, wa First postedHow Montana Became A Tax Haven Did you know Montana has a reputation as a tax haven? Just as some people go to Switzerland to shelter their money, thousands of people come to Montana to get their license plates. "How much do you figure it saved you in sales tax?" "Well our motor home is $522,000, so at 6 percent... it's substantial... $30,000." In this video posted on the Web site of Deer Creek Corporate Services, founder Michael Willing interviews a customer identified only as "Dave", who says he flew from Phoenix to Helena to register his motorhome. Is this legal? Absolutely, says Eric Stern, chief of staff with the Montana Secretary of State’s Office. "It's legal for them to do here. The legislature has specifically authorized it and that’s what we go on.” Montana law doesn’t require a vehicle to be in the state to be registered here, and you don’t have to be a Montana resident, either. You can get a Montana address by creating an LLC, or limited liability company. And since there’s no sales or excise tax here, Montana plates are cheap — just $300 to register a new motorhome, no matter how much it cost to buy. It’s no wonder companies have sprung up taking advantage of this loophole. Just Google “Montana LLC” and you’ll find lots of firms eager to help you set up your own shell company. Deer Creek Corporate Services did not respond to our request for an interview, but on their video "Dave" seemed pretty pleased with the process. "Dave, how’s it been to work with Deer Creek?" "Awesome! One stop shop!... Left Phoenix at about 6:00 this morning, flew in here, you guys set up my appointment at the DMV for me and everything …” Eric Stern at the Secretary of State’s office is aware that out-of-state residents like "Dave" are registering their expensive vehicles here to dodge thousands of dollars in taxes at home. Basically, he says, that’s not Montana’s problem. “Right. That's not our business. If they're from Nebraska, that's Nebraska’s business, and the Department of Revenue in Nebraska is the people you'd have to talk to about it.” Deer Creek’s web site warns clients, “You will need to understand and comply with use tax laws in the states where the vehicles are located.” Of course, the only way customer “Dave” in their video could have saved $30,000 is by not complying with the law in Arizona. Chances are, if you’re from another state, and you ask officials back home about getting Montana plates, you’ll get an answer like this: "This is illegal. It’s tax evasion.” That’s Minnesota state trooper Tiffani Scheigert, in a report broadcast on WCCO Minneapolis this fall. Massachusetts inspector general Gregory Sullivan was equally brusque back in 2010 when interviewed by a Boston TV station. “This is a tax fraud ripoff scheme. The victim are the other taxpayers of Massachusetts.” Many states have lowered the boom on residents driving with Montana plates. Minnesota says it’s caught 80 people and collected over $1,000,000 from them. Colorado collected over $2,000,000 in a 2008 crackdown, according to the Denver Post. California and Arizona have set up web pages where people can report their neighbors who drive vehicles with out of state plates. So just how many people from other states have taken advantage of Montana’s liberal registration laws? State officials don’t actually know; but Joann Loehr, Chief of Montana’s title and registration bureau, offers this clue: “We pulled some statistics and there's 101,000 LLCs currently registered in the state. That doesn't necessarily mean they're all from out of state.” That’s 101,000 cars and trucks registered to LLCs, out of 1.5 million vehicles total. Assuming that some of those vehicles belong to actual businesses in Montana, that still leaves thousands of Montana license plates on Winnebagos and Ferraris in other states, but the exact number is a mystery. Loehr says the MVD’s database isn’t set up to find people using an LLC as a shell company for registration purposes. "When they fill out the application and the paperwork, that information is not shown on there, so we don't necessarily know what state they're from. That might not be something that's captured in their system.” The Secretary of State’s office is where LLCs are registered, and you can look up an LLC on their website, but only if you already know its business name. A spokeswoman for the Secretary of State says over 2,200 companies are registered through Deer Creek. But she declined to release a printout of names of people who registered those companies, because the state considers that information confidential. As Eric Stern says, there’s no real incentive for Montana to change its laws to help other states collect their taxes. "It doesn't cost Montana anything. If they're saving sales tax on a vehicle in another state, it doesn't come out of our pockets. In fact, we make about two million bucks a year on the registrations from LLCs. And I can't break out the number of what is just from the vehicle registrations cuz we're not able to tell.” Massachusetts issued a report in 2010 urging Montana to make its registration system more transparent and cooperate with investigators from other states, but the Montana Legislature has shown little interest. House Minority Leader Chuck Hunter, who’s been in the legislature for six years, can’t recall the last time he’s heard the issue addressed in Helena, but he says it might be worth studying in some future session. Until then, people like "Dave" will keep coming to Montana and leaving with Big Sky license plates, saving thousands of dollars, as long as they don’t get caught back home.The grand jury that opted not to indict Cleveland police officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback in the shooting death of Tamir Rice never actually took a vote on the matter, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.What actually happened in the most significant grand jury hearing in county history isn't quite clear, and the mechanism by which the grand jury "declined to indict" — in Prosecutor Timothy McGinty's own words — is equally unclear.At the conclusion of a typical grand jury hearing, there are two possible outcomes achieved via vote: a "true bill," which results in criminal charges and a case number in the court system, or a "no bill," which is a decision not to bring charges. A "no-bill notification" is signed and stamped and kept on record at the county clerk's office.Though Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty never explicitly said the grand jury voted not to indict — nor did he utter the phrase "no bill" — in his Dec. 28 press conference, he declared that that grand jury hadHow, then, if not by voting?After learning and confirming on Jan. 15 that there was no "no-bill notification" on file at the county clerk's office for the Tamir Rice grand jury proceedings,formally requested the document officially showing the decision, however it was reached, and wherever said document might be. We were told that it didn't exist. Employees at both the clerk's and prosecutor's officers were unable to explain the lack of paperwork.Tuesday,spoke with Joe Frolik, the communications director for the Prosecutor's Office, who said no no-bill record exists because, "it's technically not a no-bill, because they didn't vote on charges."He elaborated: “This was an investigative grand jury. This was kind of their role. Sometimes, a grand jury, after its investigation, will decide if there are no votes to be taken on charges.”But how that decision was reached and the location of any record of that decision remain publicly unaccounted for. The term “investigative grand jury” appears nowhere in McGinty’s public statements and reports on the proceedings.Professor Jonathan Witmer-Rich from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State, who specializes in criminal law, explains what that term means."Prosecutors sometimes use [grand juries] as investigative grand juries to determine whether any criminal wrongdoing has happened or not,” he said. “It happens with political corruption cases or very complicated investigations. The Tamir Rice case, that's how I believe the prosecutor viewed that grand jury. What the grand jury allows you to do is have the power to subpoena documents and call witnesses and have them testify under oath. It allows you to get all the information and investigate whether a crime has occurred. They're not different legal entities, but they are serving different functions and thus might behave differently."But if they don't hold a vote, how do they decide not to hold a vote? And would there be a record of that?” he continued. “It's not like the prosecutor has the power to prevent the grand jury from voting. If there was no vote on a bill in this case, the prosecutor might have influenced that —- he might have said there's no reason to even vote because we all agree, or something — but it's still the grand jury's decision. It ultimately has the power to consider the facts as they're aware of. Because of grand jury secrecy rules, though, we can't know what happened inside that room."As for a case that went before a grand jury but didn't result in a vote, Witmer-Rich said, "I'm not aware of an example...It could happen, I suppose, but I've never heard anyone talk about that."Professor Lewis Katz, a criminal law expert at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, noted that investigative grand juries are ordinarily held in secret. In his view, the Tamir Rice grand jury was not investigative.When informed that not only is that what the Prosecutor's Office said (i.e. that it was an investigative grand jury) but that no vote occurred at the end of the proceedings, Katz said, "I'm stunned."He then raised a point hammered home by Rice family attorney Subodh Chandra during the grand jury's term: The two officers in question submitted statements under oath, and thus waived their Fifth Amendment rights, opening them up to questioning. If you view the grand jury as investigative — and thus make every use of subpoena power to get people to talk under oath — the fact that neither McGinty nor the grand jury got to cross-examine the officers and ask questions is strange — decidedly non-investigative. Katz suggested the grand jury might not have been informed of that possibility, probably because the Prosecutor's Office mistakenly viewed that the officers could reclaim their Fifth Amendment positions after submitting the statements."But by taking the oath and submitting statements," Katz said, "they waived it."And if there was no vote at the end: "Then why go to the grand jury at all? Why was there one if they weren't asked to vote?"When considering that question, McGinty’s past statements only become muddier.In his own words on Dec. 28 (the day the decision was announced), McGinty said: "Based on the evidence they heard and on the law as it applies to police use of deadly force, the Grand Jury declined to bring criminal charges against Cleveland Police Officers Timothy Loehmann and Frank Garmback."During the same Dec. 28 press conference McGinty touted his own decision in 2011 to "run for County Prosecutor to make our Criminal Justice System more transparent, professional and accountable."Indeed, openness and honesty were prominent themes during his handling of the Tamir Rice case — he trumpeted transparency when releasing investigation records of the case to the public, including expert opinions his office commissioned — but his announcement on Dec. 28 turns out to have been remarkably opaque.After all, news of a "no-bill" was reported and repeated around the world, the "no bill" portion being assumed by anyone covering the grand jury. Many outlets simply used McGinty's language — "declined to indict," "elected not to press charges" — but the assumption was that the decision was reached by a vote. That assumption is held to this day not only by outside observers, but by high-ranking judicial personnel within the Justice Center Complex.Even without a vote, some documentation that explains what transpired should exist. It's the equivalent of a no-bill, Frolik told us, but added that his office didn't have the document in question.He directed us to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy McDonnell, who presided over the grand jury. Her office didn't have the document either, and the judge toldshe had no comment on the matter.We were then directed to the Cuyahoga County grand jury office. Wednesday morning, a clerk there toldthat the "mysterious document" may or may not exist and that, even if it does, it could only be provided to us via court order by Administrative and Presiding Judge John J. Russo. And evena court order, the clerk said, she might not be able to hand it over.Russo, who spoke toby phone, professed to be as confused as we were. "When you say 'document,' I'm not sure what you mean. I don't know what that is. It's either a true bill or a no bill," he said.But actually, no.His staff determined Wednesday that a “no-bill” had never been filed. Russo said he had a "judges meeting" Wednesday afternoon, at which he intended to seek clarification from Judge Nancy McDonnell about what precisely was filed.We’re awaiting word both on the content of that discussion and the subsequent question of a court order that would pry loose the mysterious document.Reached Tuesday, Subodh Chandra, the local attorney for the Rice family, said that the whole process has been "irregular.” He said he and his team had asked the county if the grand jury members were led through each possible charge for a vote or whether there was one overarching vote on all charges, but never received an answer. When informed no vote of any kind took place, Chandra said: "If it is true that the prosecutor didn't even call for an up or down vote on potential criminal charges, including aggravated murder, then it is truly the ultimate insult to the Rice family,” Chandra said, “that the prosecutor didn't even think it mattered to bring the grand jury proceedings to their proper conclusion."***: After two days of calls, the Prosecutor's Office produced the document in question that states the grand jurors declined to issue criminal charges.How that decision was made — i.e. a record of what the vote was, unanimous or mixed — is still unclear.McGinty's office issued a statement in response to the story pointing toward the policy on police use of deadly force cases involving civilians. The full statement is below; the short version is this: 1) It insists all possible charges are read to the grand jury (that McGinty did or did not do that is unclear), and 2) It's up to the grand jury to disagree with the prosecutor if the prosecutor is not against pursuing charges: The grand jury has to ask for a charge to vote on a no-bill or true bill.Data Transfer Utility Before you start, please refer to this thread for tips on completing a successful Data Transfer: 1. Watch this video: YouTube YouTube 2. Read this info: You can transfer (copy or move) data that is saved on one PS3's Hard Drive to another PS3's Hard Drive using an Ethernet cable. Quote: Notices: When you perform this operation, all data that is stored on the PS3 that will receive the data (the destination system) will be deleted. Deleted data cannot be restored so be careful not to accidentally delete important data. Data loss or corruption is the responsibility of the user. Some types of data may not be transferable, see here for details: LINK It should be noted that this utility can malfunction sometimes, if this happens then try to reduce the amount of data it has to move and try again. If it continues to fai,l then salvage your saves, music, pictures, movies and forget about the rest. Preparing the systems Before starting the data transfer operation, you must perform the following steps. 1. Update the system software of both PS3 systems to the latest version (currently 4.78). 2. Prepare the PS3 system that will send the data (the source system). If multiple users exist on the source PS3 system, you must perform the following operations for all of the users before starting the data transfer operation. Create a Playstation Network account if a user does not have an account. Select (Playstation Network) > (Sign Up for Playstation Network) then follow the on-screen instructions to create an account. (Playstation Network) > (Sign Up for Playstation Network) then follow the on-screen instructions to create an account. Deactivate the PS3 if the data to be transferred contains content that was purchased from Playstation Store. Select (PSN) > (Account Management) > (System Activation). (PSN) > (Account Management) > (System Activation). Sync your trophy information on the PS3 system with the PSN server if you want to transfer trophy information. Sign in to Playstation Network then select (Game) > (Trophy Collection). (Game) > (Trophy Collection). Backup your profile information and stages you created in LittleBigPlanet. You can then use the data that was backed up when playing LittleBigPlanet on the destination PS3 system. Quote: Notice: The following restrictions apply if you perform the data transfer operation without creating a Playstation Network account: You may not be able to use the saved data on the destination PS3 system. You may no longer be able to earn trophies using the saved data that you transferred. Trophy information is not transferred (providing you sync your trophies first then this shouldn't be an issue). Transferring data Turn off both PS3s then perform the following steps. If the transferred data is saved game data that is copy-prohibited or data that is copyright protected, it will be moved to the destination PS3 and deleted from the source PS3. 1. Using an Ethernet cable, make a direct connection between the two PS3s 2. Connect both PS3s to different video input connectors on the TV. For example, use the HDMI input connector and the video input connector on the TV. 3. Turn on the TV then turn on both PS3s. Use the TV remote control to switch the video input to display the screen of the source PS3 system. 4. On the source PS3 system, select (Settings) > (System Settings) > [Data Transfer Utility]. 5. Select [1. Transfer data from this system to the other PS3 system]. 6. When the PS3 system is on standby to begin the data transfer, use the TV remote control to switch the video input to display the screen of the destination PS3 system. 7. On the destination PS3, select (Settings) > (System Settings) > [Data Transfer Utility]. 8. Select [2. Transfer data from the other PS3 system to this system]. Quote: Hints: After the Data Transfer operation has been completed, you can turn off the source PS3 system. Set the TV to display the screen of the source PS3 then select (Users) > (Turn Off System). (Users) > (Turn Off System). If content that was downloaded from Playstation Store was transferred as part of this operation, you must activate the destination PS3 system before you can use the data. Log in to the PS3 system as the user who owns the content, and then select (PSN) > (Account Management) > (System Activation) to activate the system. Limitations of the Data Transfer utility Some types of data cannot be transferred using the data transfer utility,and some data can be transferred but not played on the destination PS3. For the latest information, visit the SCE website for your Video content that has been downloaded as a rental from Playstation Store (file type: MNV) Tracks (including song packs) for SingStar that have been saved to the Hard Drive Copyright protected video files (file types: MGV and ETS) Video files that are compatible with the DivX VOD (Video On Demand) service The following Playstation 2 format software titles if they are installed on the PS3 system's Hard Drive (20-80gb models only): - [Nobunaga's Ambition Online] and [Expansion Packs] - [FINAL FANTASY XI] and [Expansion Discs] - [SOCOM II: U.S. NAVY SEALs] and [Related discs included with OPM Issue 87, OPM Issue 88, OPM Issue 89, OPM Issue 90] - SOCOM 3: U.S. NAVY SEALs - SOCOM: U.S. NAVY SEALs Combined Assault For the following data types, you must perform some additional steps after completing the data transfer to be able to use the data: GripShift - When you start the game for the first time after the data transfer operation, an error message will be displayed and you will not be able to play the game. To play the game, you will have to redownload and reinstall it again. Ghostbusters: The Video Game - The saved game will not be recognized when you start the game for the first time after the data transfer operation. To use the saved data, disable your internet once you've got the game and patches reinstalled then start the game again offline. Once the save has been recognised, you can quit the game and re-enable your internet. Do note that the servers for this game have been switched off so the is no longer possible. LittleBigPlanet franchise - For these saves to transfer over properly you must have the original installs and your Exported Profiles (1 for each game), else you will lose a lot of progress. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days HD - This is a weird one, it's like LBP but also doesn't seem to have an actual save : LINK PS4 Restoration info: If you're replacing the Hard Drive in your PS4 then there are some big caveats: 1.) You cannot restore save files for a non-installed game so must install the game first. This may lead to the accidental overwriting of your saves if you're not careful so install your games ones at a time and copy the relevant saves over, inbetween each install. 2.) You cannot batch transfer from PSN for different games, only one at a time. 3.) You cannot restore your Capture gallery from an external device. Before you start, please
with more than 1,000 employees were slightly more likely to have experienced a breach, with 40 percent experiencing a security breach, compared to 32 percent of companies with fewer than 50 employees. Image: TechProResearch And the industry most impacted was government, with education reporting no major breaches at all, and being better at blocking incidents than any other industry. Image: TechProResearch Security budgets It's not a surprise that half of respondents stated their security budgets would increase, but it is somewhat unexpected that only 15 percent reported significant increases. About a third stated slight increases were underway. Image: TechProResearch Given the anything goes nature of 2014 security breaches -- which should have been a wake-up call for any organization too distracted or complacent to take security seriously -- one might expect higher spikes in funding. The fact nearly half of respondents stated their budgets would remain the same indicate that the ability to allocate significant security budget increases is rare. This is corroborated by the fact 34 percent of respondents felt lack of security budgeting would be a security challenge in 2015. It may also be that some respondent organizations felt they were doing well with what they had. Very few reported decreases in security funding; this isn't a priority which is expected to die down anytime soon. The report shows that security and privacy are clearly full of challenges for companies that want to protect their data and assets from security and privacy violations. But, the report shows that confidence levels and planned projects mean that most respondents and their organizations feel up to the task. Other topics covered in the report include: Outsourcing security plans Incident response plans Risk management strategies Security challenges Budgeting priorities Methods of protecting company data Scheduled and completed security projects Download the full Tech Pro Research report, IT Security and Privacy: Concerns, initiatives and predictions.Abraham G. Mills Abraham Gilbert Mills (March 12, 1844 – August 26, 1929) was the fourth president of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (1883-1884), and is best known for heading the "Mills Commission" which controversially credited Civil War General Abner Doubleday with the invention of baseball. Early life [ edit ] Mills was born in New York City and lived there until 1862, when he enlisted with the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry upon the onset of the Civil War. While in the service, Mills continued to play baseball and later recalled that he would always pack his bat and ball along with his field equipment. He participated in a well-attended Christmas Day baseball game at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in 1862 between the 165th New York Volunteer Infantry and nine other soldiers from other Union Army regiments. A reported 40,000 soldiers were in attendance. In 1864, Mills was appointed 2nd lieutenant and was honorably discharged a year later. After the war, Mills enrolled in Columbian Law School (now George Washington University) in Washington, D.C. to study law. While in Washington, Mills presided over the Olympic Base Ball Club for which he was also an occasional player. During his tenure, Mills tried unsuccessfully to recruit a young pitcher, Albert Spalding, whose career he would later come to influence. In 1872 Mills married Mary Chester Steele, and the couple had three daughters. After being admitted to the bar in 1876, he relocated his family to Chicago, Illinois where his career took an unexpected turn. National League presidency [ edit ] During the late 19th century, it was common practice for professional leagues (such as the National League) to sign players already under contract with non-league teams. Usually, several teammates were recruited together, forcing the depleted non-league team to disband. Mills attacked the questionable ethics of the practice in a newspaper article and outlined a plan to prevent the raiding of non-league teams. William Hulbert, then president of the NL, noticed the article and solicited Mills for his advice on drafting an official solution, which resulted in the "League Alliance" (1877). Mills' contribution impressed the league, and he was hired on as an advisor. Following Hulbert's death in 1882, the league unanimously elected him president. Mills' primary objective as president sought to prevent players from switching from one professional league to the next, which they typically did during mid-season in search of higher salaries. In 1888, Mills called an assembly of representatives from the three professional leagues—the National League, American Association, and Northwestern League—in what was dubbed as the "Harmony Conference." The meeting led to the creation of the "National Agreement of Professional Base Ball Clubs" (sometimes referred to as the "Tripartite Agreement"), which stated that every league team would be entitled to reserve 11 players at the end of a season to play for their current team throughout the next year. Unsurprisingly, the agreement was unpopular with players, who organized to form a new league for the 1884 season, the Union Association, which did not recognize the reserve rule or salary limitations. Mills reacted by threatening the defecting players with permanent expulsion and heavy fines, but many chose to leave anyway. Unfortunately, heavy financial losses and low attendance caused the UA and several participant teams to fold only after one season. UA players later attempted to rejoin the NL, but Mills was particularly adamant about sticking to his word. In spite of Mills' objections, the league saw opportunity for boosting profits, and voted to allow the former UA players back in. In 1884, Mills resigned as league president, frustrated by yet another humiliating defeat of principle when Henry Lucas—none other than the founder of the UA—was voted back into the league as owner of a new St. Louis franchise. However, Mills continued to serve as an unofficial consultant on league matters. The Mills Commission [ edit ] In 1888, Spalding accompanied a group of star players on a world tour to promote the game of baseball, playing an exhibition game in the shadow of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Upon their return the following year, a dinner was held to honor the players and Mills was asked to serve as master of ceremonies. The dinner, held at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York, was attended by an eclectic and prestigious crowd of 300 guests, among them Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt. The event's main theme focused on the sport as America's ambassador to the world. Also emphasized was the notion that baseball had not, as many believed, evolved from the British game of rounders. Reportedly, at various points throughout the evening, audience members broke out into rousing chants of "No rounders! No rounders!" The display of patriotism intrigued Spalding and inspired a debate concerning baseball's origins. The debate came to a head in 1903 when Henry Chadwick published a widely read article tracing baseball's evolution from rounders. In response, Spalding, who believed baseball was a fundamentally American invention, published an article disputing Chadwick's claim and challenged him by suggesting that they appoint a commission to settle the matter. Chadwick agreed, and in 1905 a commission headed by Mills was formed. The "Mills Commission" featured Mills and six other prominent men: Morgan G. Bulkeley, the NL's first president in 1876; Arthur P. Gorman, a former player and ex-president of the Washington Base Ball Club; Nicholas E. Young, the first secretary and fifth president (replacing Mills) of the NL; Alfred J. Reach and George Wright, well known sporting goods distributors and two of the most famous players of their day; and James Edward Sullivan, president of the Amateur Athletic Union. The commission, through a series of nationally distributed publications, requested any American who had any knowledge concerning the origins of baseball to come forward. They received a response from a 71-year-old mining engineer from Denver, Colorado named Abner Graves, which was published immediately under the headline: "Abner Doubleday Invented Base Ball." According to Graves' account, Doubleday was responsible for improving a local version of "Town Ball" being played by students of the Otsego Academy and Green's Select School in Cooperstown, New York. Graves also claimed to witness the actual formation of the game which Doubleday termed "Base Ball." The commission did not investigate Graves' claim, however, and accepted the story on the basis that Graves' account offered the kind of mythical beginning to a sport they wanted to promote as fundamentally American. A number of circumstantial inconsistencies suggested that Graves' story was most likely fabricated. Despite all of the unanswered questions, Mills wrote a memo known as the "Mills Commission Report" that proclaimed Doubleday the inventor of the game of baseball. For over half a century prior to coming under the scrutiny of historians, it remained the authoritative document on the issue. However, it is now accepted that Chadwick was correct in his belief that baseball had in fact evolved from the game of rounders. Mills himself may have had some doubts concerning the validity of his own commission's findings and he admitted that he had had no conclusive evidence to prove the Doubleday claim. Late career [ edit ] The commission was Mills' last major role in professional baseball. Having long spent his career working for the Hale Elevator Company of Chicago, Mills became vice-president of one of its agents—the Otis Elevator Company—in 1898 and held the position until his death. In his later years, Mills was involved in amateur athletics, becoming the director and president of the New York Athletic Club and in 1921, penned the American Olympic Association constitution. At the time of his death in 1929 in Falmouth, Massachusetts, he presided over the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, and was involved in planning the 1932 Winter Olympics. See also [ edit ] Sources [ edit ]COLUMBIA, Mo., Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Even though breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day, many teenagers skip it. Breakfast has already been shown in studies to help reduce the risk of obesity, but researchers have now found that eating a high protein breakfast can prevent gains of body fat and reduce daily food intake in overweight teenagers. Large fluctuations in glucose levels have been linked to the potential development of type 2 diabetes, which researchers said can intensify health issues related to being overweight. About 60 percent of teens skip breakfast an average of 4 times per week, researchers said, making the health implications a potentially big concern for a majority of young people. "These results show that when individuals eat a high-protein breakfast, they voluntarily consume less food the rest of the day," said Dr. Heather Leidy, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the University of Missouri, in a press release. "In addition, teens who ate high-protein breakfast had more stable glucose levels than the other groups." Researchers recruited 57 teenagers with a median age of 19 and body mass index of about 30 who skip breakfast between 5 and 7 times per week for the 12-week study. The teens were split into three groups. One group ate a high-protein breakfast of eggs, dairy and lean pork that contained 35 grams of protein; The second group was fed a normal breakfast of cereal in milk, which contains 13 grams of protein; and the third group was permitted to continue to skip breakfast as they normally would. Participants in the study tracked how hungry they felt and exactly what they ate each day during the 12 weeks. Researchers checked body weight and BMI at the beginning and end of the study, as well as asking the teens to wear a device that tracked their blood glucose level. At the end of the study, the group of teens eating a high-protein breakfast every day lost body mass and reduced the amount of food they ate each day by about 400 calories. The other two groups -- who ate either a normal breakfast or nothing at all -- gained body fat and had less stable glucose levels than the high-protein group. "This study examined if the type of breakfast consumed can improve weight management in young people who habitually skip breakfast," Leidy said. "Generally, people establish eating behaviors during their teen years. If teens are able to develop good eating habits now, such as eating breakfast, it's likely to continue the rest of their lives." RELATED Carbohydrates in paleolithic diets responsible for bigger brains The study is published in the Journal of Obesity.I've been orbiting around F# - but not really jumping in - for a while now. In fact, I looked at F# in 2008 almost 6 years ago and more recently talked to Richard Minerich and Phillip Trelford on Hanselminutes Podcast #311 "Why F#?" Last week I looked at using ScriptCS, literally C# as a Scripting language, to drive browser automation. Today I'm exploring a make system called FAKE. It's F# Make, a build automation system similar to Make (which is 38 years old next month!) or Rake (which uses Ruby). Fake is a Domain Specific Language that you can use without knowing F#, but if and when you outgrow it you can keep heading down the F# road. In all cases you've got all of.NET at your command. Here's their Hello World example, a basic deploy script: Note that Deploy depends on Test. FAKE uses F# but you can use it go build whatever. These are some C# OSS projects that use FAKE to build themselves: FAKE isn't new, it's actually been around for 4 years with 55 contributors so far! It works not only on.NET but also on Linux and Mac under Mono - it works everywhere. Because it's all.NET you can use it on your Continuous Integration Servers like TeamCity or Travis CI. Getting Started with FAKE Check out their Calculator sample, a.NET project you'll extend to build itself with FAKE. Just download the zip, unblock it, and unzip. Then run build.bat from a developer command prompt. The build.net is a bootstrapper. It could be powershell or a shell script if you like, of course. @echo off cls "tools uget uget.exe" "install" "FAKE" "-OutputDirectory" "tools" "-ExcludeVersion" "tools\FAKE\tools\Fake.exe" build.fsx pause This batch file uses NuGet to get FAKE, just as npm install restores node_modules, or gem gets ruby libraries. Then it calls Fake on the build.fsx file. Follow their Getting Started instructions to slowly expand the responsibilities of the build.fsx file. FAKE has a lot of Helpers in their API documentation. Hundreds, and there's a whole community making others that you can call upon. For example, the built in FileHelper has things like CleanDir to remove files and subdirs. Here we Clean before we build by making Clean a dependency of Default. BuildDir here is a property that's shared. Jumping to the end of the tutorial, the syntax gets a little more tricky, butu once you get the \|> format, it makes sense. Some cool things to note and file away as interesting at in the script below. the use of!! to include files the use of -- to exclude a file spec after a!! operator Zip is built-in as a helper and zips up the results of the build. the options passed into NUnit The dependency chain #r for referencing.NET DLLs You can do virtually anything and there's a great community out there to help. Here's a more complex dependency chain with an optional parameter: There's a rich FAKE world out there with support for Octopus Deploy, all Unit Test systems, Xamarin's xpkg format and much more. Thanks to Steffan Forkmann for helping me explore this. ;) Related Links Sponsor: Big thanks to Red Gate for sponsoring the blog feed this week. Check out the Free Starter Edition of their release management tool! Deploy your SQL Server databases,.NET apps and services in a single, repeatable process with Red Gate’s Deployment Manager. Get started now with the free Starter Edition.On the January 13 airing of�Mnet's '4 Things Show,'�SHINee's�Jonghyun�opened up about his true feelings, moving the audience with his tears. While cuddling his teddy bear under a lit candle, Jonghyun revealed his deepest thoughts to the producers of the show. He said, "I don't think there are too many people to whom I've revealed everything like this.�I would worry about what they would think if I were to talk to them in such a manner. No matter what I say, honestly, people would only judge me the way they want to." The idol continued as tears started to fall down his face, "Before, I would want to show the real side of me because of the unfair things that people said about me, but I realized that it was impossible and tried to think why people thought of me in that manner." He added emotionally, "I thought that people didn't want to know the real me. There aren't that many people who would want to know the real me. Of course, not much has changed since then, but if I were to express myself first, then wouldn't they think differently?" In addition to sharing his success story, Jonghyun revealed a hidden track specially made for '4 Things Show,' "Fortune Cookie."In April 1960, photographer Richard Nickel launched one of the most publicized preservation campaigns in American history to save Adler Sullivan’s 1891 Garrick (formerly Schiller) Theater. Nickel’s appeals to the mayor’s office and local newspapers sparked a veritable media event that included an elite roster of scholars, architects, and curators from around the world. At stake was an important early skyscraper by the architect who first developed a self-conscious aesthetic for tall commercial buildings. The Garrick’s 14 floors of uninterrupted vertical extension, from the arcaded theater entrance to the distinctive cornice, heralded a new age of construction and perfectly illustrated Louis Sullivan’s ideal, with “every inch a proud and soaring thing.” Initially constructed as a lavish opera house with club rooms and offices for the German Opera Company, the Garrick had changed hands many times by 1960, when its owners announced plans to demolish the building. Despite a lengthy court battle and an outpouring of support for its preservation, the Garrick was demolished in early 1961 and replaced with a parking garage. Although Nickel’s passionate efforts did not save the Garrick, they provided an important impetus for the creation of local and national preservation laws and brought attention to the vulnerable status of extant Sullivan buildings. After demolition permits were issued for the Garrick, Nickel shifted his efforts to the recuperation of hundreds of terracotta and plaster ornaments from the interior and facade of the building and documented the process with his camera. In addition to photographs and fragments, he amassed a vast body of research on Sullivan with the intention of publishing a complete catalogue of his work. The Sullivan Project was unfinished at the time of the photographer’s death in 1972, but his archive remains a testament to his passion for Sullivan and an important contribution to our collective cultural history.The dangers of relying on a single site or social network to drive visitors to your website are relatively well known by now, but we got another useful example this week of why that can be a bad thing — especially if you try to game that traffic — when Reddit banned the CBS Interactive online-gaming news website OnGamers from its network for at least a year as a result of vote manipulation. According to the CBSi executive in charge of the site, Reddit accounted for as much as half of the traffic that OnGamers received before the ban. The year-long ban is actually the second penalty that the CBSi site has gotten, according to a post at The Daily Dot: in April, links from the site were blocked for nine days, and the penalty was only lifted after OnGamers promised to stop its staff from posting links to their own content, and to stop using multiple accounts to vote up their articles, which is forbidden. But the activity apparently continued. Advertisement The ripple effects of the Reddit ban could potentially be extremely serious for OnGamers, as CBSi vice-president for esports Kim Rom told the Dot, since “roughly 50 percent of traffic going away overnight is a lot.” And the move has already claimed its first casualty: Rod Breslau, the site’s first employee and senior editor, was fired on Monday for his role in the vote manipulation. He posted an apology to the site in which he admitted emailing Reddit users and asking them to post stories from OnGamers, including instructions on what headline to use. “I admit to having sent messages to users with instructions on submitting content, and then upvoting my own content thereafter. I acted alone in this matter without the knowledge of any of my colleagues, including senior editors. They have followed the rules since the reversal of the last ban, they did not upvote on Reddit or participate in any manner, and there has not been any manipulation of votes from employees beyond my own singular vote.” Breslau and OnGamers aren’t the first to suffer this kind of fate on Reddit: The Atlantic magazine’s site was briefly banned from the network after social-media editor Jared Keller was found to have submitted and upvoted links to the site’s content under a pseudonym, and the Daily Dot’s social-media editor even suffered a similar fate for posting links to his site’s content under his own name. One of the things that makes it difficult to steer clear of a Reddit ban is that the site doesn’t forbid linking to your own content, it just says that doing so can be risky. Many internet users or readers of mainstream sites like The Atlantic may not go to Reddit, but over the past few years the network has become one of the few sites that can drive massive amounts of traffic to a destination — even more so within the online gaming community. That creates the incentive to try and game that traffic, especially when you are trying to get a new site off the ground. But as OnGamers has shown, the downside of that strategy can potentially be fatal. Post and thumbnail images courtesy of Shutterstock / bluehandBattle-Ax LIFE AND DEATH: Unapologetic Writings on the Continuing War Against Women. By Andrea Dworkin. The Free Press: 267 pp., $23 Readers familiar with Dworkin's work will find very little in "Life and Death," her newest collection of essays, that is new or surprising. In the writings contained within it--some originally given as speeches at feminist gatherings, others reprinted from magazines and journals and even the pages of this newspaper--Dworkin plays variations on the themes she's explored in her previous books: pornography, prostitution, rape and violence against women. These dramatic phrases are not, to Dworkin, simply examples of poetic license, the sort of boilerplate bellicosity that can give spice to an otherwise tepid political speech--Dworkin believes "the war against women is a real war. There's nothing abstract about it. This is a war in which his fist is in your face." In her Amerika--yes, she still spells the word with a K--we live in the midst of an obscene, unending war: the war of the sexes. Women live, she says, "under martial law... in a situation of emergency... under a reign of terror... brutalized by 'pimps' and pornographers and just plain ordinary men." These are all serious subjects--indeed, in some cases, deadly serious--but Dworkin's reflexive rhetorical overkill, her unrelenting outrage, serves to cloud rather than clarify the issues. And by collapsing the distinctions between real life-and-death issues (rape, brutality) and what are at worst trivial annoyances (Playboy centerfolds), she manages to trivialize all she touches. "Intercourse and Pornography: Men Possessing Women" may indeed have been, as her publicist rather perversely puts it, "seminal works," but "Life and Death" is, for the most part, Dworkin by-the-numbers. At the heart of "the continuing war against women" that Dworkin refers to in her subtitle is, of course, pornography. Far from being a "superficial target," as some might claim, pornography is "the DNA of male dominance" or (to change the metaphor) the "Pentagon" of male violence. "Pornographers train the soldiers; then the soldiers go out and do the actions on us," she writes. "We're the population that the war is against." It's often said that pornography leads to rape--an assertion that seems to most free-speechers a little simplistic. To Dworkin, though, the issue is even simpler than that: Pornography, in effect, is rape, no different from "any other historically real torture or punishment...." Pornography isn't fantasy--"pornography happens." Dworkin may be the only person alive who believes that the letters in Penthouse Forum are real. This conflation of pornographic pictures and real-world rape is typical of Dworkin's style. She carefully elides the distinctions between all that she opposes: Pornography is prostitution, prostitution is rape and rape, finally, is not altogether distinct from normal sex. "You cannot separate the so-called abuses of women from the so-called normal uses of women," she writes. "Men use sex to hurt us. An argument can be made that men have to hurt us, diminish us, in order to be able to have sex with us...." In Dworkin's view, women live in a charnel house of torture and degradation--most just don't realize it yet. "When one thinks about women's ordinary lives and the lives of children, especially female children, it is very hard not to think that one is looking at atrocity--if one's eyes are open," Dworkin tells her readers. "We have to accept that we are looking at ordinary life; the hurt is not exceptional; rather, it is systematic and it is real." Given such high stakes, it's hardly surprising that, to Dworkin, "free speech fetishists" seem as bad as street pimps and snuff pornographers. Indeed, she is enthusiastic in abusing her foes, describing them as "gutless wonders," "male supremacists" and worse--the sort of people who can work up hypocritical sympathy for a murdered girl even though they "would not really mind her being beaten to death once she was an adult."Studios are always looking for new ways to get people into movie theaters — 3D, 4D, upgraded sound, bigger screens and now the next iteration: multi-player online gaming. Yes, select theaters showing Terminator Genisys in IMAX will allow theater patrons to compete against each other in a video game. Starting July 1, a handful of AMC IMAX theaters playing Terminator Genisys will present the first-ever in-movie-theater video game experience, created by Audience Entertainment. Advertisement Moments before the movie, moviegoers will be prompted on screen join a WiFi. Next they’re assigned a team. Then, along with everyone else on your team, you’ll destroy Terminators hoping to beat the score of the other teams in the theater. The participating theaters are the AMC Lincoln Square IMAX 13 in New York, AMC Universal CityWalk 19 in Los Angeles, AMC Metreon IMAX 16 in San Francisco, AMC Boston Commons IMAX 19 in Boston and AMC Northpark IMAX 15 in Dallas. So is it any good? Yes and no. Connecting to the limited, local WiFi is simple and quick. You are promptly assigned a random team color (in my case, purple) and then the game begins. Four soldiers stand opposite a gleaming T-800 (seen above) each with a target matching your team color. Because there are so many people on the same team, there is no aiming. You just wait for the target, which randomly floats around the screen, to land on your Terminator. Then it’s taptaptaptaptap as fast as you can to score as many hits as you can. Once you kill a Terminator with your teammates, a new one comes on for you to destroy. There are three different levels with slightly different environments and enemies, but the same play mechanism. Tap super fast to kill Terminators. Advertisement At the end of the game, which lasts maybe five minutes at most, the team with the most destruction wins. It’s pretty simple and takes literally no skill. But, at the above theaters, the winning team will get free posters. During the game, your screen looks like the image above on the right. Just a big target for you to tap. And after the game, here’s the ending: Advertisement Yup, Team Purple terminated the competition. Is in-theater online gaming going to change the world? No, not in the slightest. But is it a cool, fun way to kill time before a movie instead of watching commercials or a slide show? Yes it is.TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa don’t seem to have much in common. But both are nominated for 2016 Grammys, announced Monday. The symphony is nominated for best orchestral performance for “Bruckner: Symphony No. 4,” with conductor Manfred Honeck. Khalifa and Charlie Puth are nominated for best pop duo/group for their tribute to actor Paul Walker, “See You Again,” from the movie “Furious 7.” The song’s writers — Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Puth and Cameron Thomaz (Khalifa’s real name) — also are nominated for song of the year and best song for visual media. The Grammys have another Pittsburgh connection this year. The cast album for “An American in Paris,” a show co-produced by Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, is nominated for best musical theater album. The nominated recording of Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 was made during Heinz Hall concerts held Dec. 6 to 8, 2013. “It’s recognition from the most prestigious award of the great artistry we see on the stage and believe in,” said Melia Peters Tourangeau, the symphony’s CEO. “It’s very important for the orchestra to be nominated for such a great honor,” said principal trumpet George Vosburgh, who won a Grammy in 1986 as a member of Chicago Pro Musica. “The recording is great and the (concert) performances were great, so it’s all good for us.” This is the second consecutive year Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony have been nominated for a best orchestral performance Grammy Award. “The fact that we’ve done it two years in a row says something about Manfred’s commitment to recording and its value,” Tourangeau said. “It puts the symphony on the radar beyond Pittsburgh again, and I hope sends the message to our community about the crown jewel we have here with this orchestra. “They should come and enjoy it. Take advantage of what’s in your own backyard.” The symphony won its only Grammy in 1992 for its Sony recording with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, conducted by Lorin Maazel, of music by Sergei Prokofiev and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Mark Kanny is classical music critic for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7877 or mkanny@tribweb.com."If you look at North Korea, this guy - I mean, he's like a maniac, ok, and you gotta give him credit," Mr Trump said. "How many young guys - he was like 26 or 25 when his father died - take over these tough generals? You know, it's pretty amazing when you think about it. How does he do that?" Donald Trump said "We're gonna get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country instead of in other countries." Credit:AP The 69-year-old, who has for many months led the densely-populated field of rivals for the GOP nod, said Mr Kim's rise to power had been "incredible" and that he should not be taken lightly. "He goes in, he takes over and he's the boss. It's incredible. He wiped out the uncle, he wiped out this one, that one - I mean, this guy doesn't play games. and we can't play games with him. Because he really does have missiles and he really does have nukes." The speech came days after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) claimed to have detonated a hydrogen bomb at an underground test site in the country's far north-east. The explosion was first detected as a magnitude 5.1 earthquake by the US Geological Survey. This most recent nuclear test has set off a wave of commentary about how the rogue state should be contained. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop joined the chorus of international condemnation, saying Pyongyang's actions "fly in the face of international non-proliferation norms", and threaten the security of Australia's regional friends. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves at a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. Credit:AP/File As is customary in times of crisis, many pairs of eyes have looked to the US, which has 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea to assist the country with its defence. But Mr Trump has made the argument that Mr Kim should be dealt with by China rather than the US. In a wide-ranging interview with CNN, he said sanctions should be imposed on China if it failed to act decisively against its long-term ally. Mr Trump also lashed out at China, accusing the country of perpetrating "one of the great thefts in the history of the world" on the US. Credit:Jae C. Hong "They have total control. Without China, they [North Koreans] wouldn't be able to eat," Mr Trump said. "So China has to get involved and China has to solve that problem, and we should put pressure on China to solve the problem. He said China could handle the DPRK "easily" but the US had failed to exert enough power over its chief economic rival. "They're taunting us, they're playing games with us. I do it all the time, that's the way I deal in business," Mr Trump said. "China should solve that problem and if they don't solve that problem we should be very tough on them with trade, meaning start charging them tax, or start cutting them off. You'd have China collapse in about two minutes. We have great power over China, we just don't know how to use it." And at the Iowa rally on Saturday, the prospective Republican nominee lashed out at Beijing for perpetrating what he described as a massive heist of American money and jobs. "They have taken so much of our money with trade. They have taken everything. They have taken our jobs, our money, they've taken our base, they've taken so much," Mr Trump said. "Literally, it's one of the great thefts in the history of the world, what they've done to our country."By December 9, 2016 —— On December 9, Parliament voted in favor of a presidential impeachment by 234 votes to 56, with 7 invalid votes and 2 abstentions. Over 30,000 protesters were present to celebrate the impeachment. The votes in favor of impeachment exceeded what was expected, though it was slightly lower than the 81% support for impeachment among public opinion. In spite of mounting pressure since late October to step down, President Park Geun-hye has refused to resign, instead searching for a political solution that involved neither resigning nor impeachment. However, every maneuver to retain the presidency failed and her presidency ceased functioning. A series of ever-growing million-strong protests forced parliamentarians to finalize the impeachment process. The 2.3 million mega-protest on December 3rd was a critical turning point that halted Park’s last attempt to escape impeachment. South Koreans were angry not just with the ruling Saenuri Party, but also opposition parties, which oscillated, without any plan or determination, at every turn of Park’s so-called apology speeches. The huge mobilizations on each weekend of November up to last Saturday’s mega-protest maintained increasing pressure on the mainstream political parties, both those in power and in opposition. This historic battle began as a dispute between the Blue House (presidential palace) and the conservative, whose concerns as a loyal opposition was despised by Park and her lackeys. Investigative journalists exposed a series of shocking revelations of Choi Soon-sil’s various power abuses and extortions of public fund under Park’s connivance or cooperation, as well as personal amoral behavior. The prosecution arrested Choi and her accomplices; personal business agents like Cha Eun-taek, a music video director, and Jang Shi-ho, her nephew; presidential secretaries like Ahn Jongbeom & Jeong Hoseong; government high officials like Kim Jong, former Deputy Minister of Culture and Sport Department, and others. Using her 40 year-long friendship with Park, Choi wielded enormous power following Park’s election as President in 2013. The most shocking news was that she revised Park’s speeches, which was exposed by JTBC’s report based on Choi’s tablet PC. Choi was also deeply involved in establishing two foundations, Mir Foundation and K Sprot Foundation, which were founded with millions of dollars allegedly donated by major Chaebols, that is, Samsung, Hyundai, SK, Lotte, and so on. In fact, these mysterious foundations were used as a conduit for financial extortion and money laundry. In addition, Jung Yura, Cho’s daughter, enjoyed illegitimate privileges such as financial help from the National Horseriding Association and admission to Ewha Women’s University through irregular procedures. Choi commanded Cha and Jang as her business agents in securing government contracts related with sport and culture spheres. Choi’s hidden power and privilege worked like magic, wielding hundreds of millions of dollar in the budgets, through her private paper companies in Korea and Germany. This little-known women was a key player behind the president. When this mystery was finally solved, Pandora’s box of truth was open. The crisis of Park’s regime could be foreseen. In the general election of last April, the ruling Saenuri Party suffered a huge defeat, losing its majority. Several dissidents who were expelled from the ruling party won seats and opposition parties won a majority in spite of splits. Thus, though the defeat was caused by arrogant abuses of the pro-Park faction and unfair selection of candidates, the pro-Park faction held onto leadership of the pary, defying popular opinion. Lee Jeongheyon took the leadership due to his obstinate loyalty to the president, and his improper remakes were widely ridiculed, thus the Saenuri Party was seriously stricken with crisis. As the Choi-Park scandal exposed, the party was divided along factional line. The minority non-Park faction joined the opposition in criticizing the scandals and the president. The majority pro-Park faction was isolated, and desperate acts by some MPs to defend the
he even posted up and easily scored on Parker. On defense, Wall did not have any steals but he had two big blocks, and he drew a key charge on Danny Green. He was not much of a presence in the fourth quarter, but Super Seraphin bailed him and everyone else out. Bradley Beal, SG 37 MIN \| 4-10 FG \| 5-6 FT \| 5 REB \| 3 AST \| 2 STL \| 2 BLK \| 2 TO \| 13 PTS \| +9 Randy Wittman removed Bradley Beal from the game with 5:56 left in the first quarter in favor of Rasual Butler—presumably so he could be the focal point of the offense when the second team was in the game. But once the second quarter started, Beal had two quick turnovers, had his shot blocked, and looked out of sync without Wall leading the way. In what seemed to be a theme for every player not named Wall, Seraphin, or Humphries, Beal never found his offensive rhythm. He did, however, find alternative ways to be effective. He had a key block on Parker in the fourth quarter and a big steal on Ginobili a few minutes later. A little bit of offense would have helped the Wizards out greatly, but a well-rounded game beats sulking any day. Kris Humphries, PF 24 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 STL \| 1 BLK \| 0 TO \| 10 PTS \| -3 Humphries continues to be the quintessential bench/hustle player. He hit consecutive jumpers from 15 and 16 feet respectively in the first quarter and helped to jump-start the scoring from the second unit with six points. He scored just four points in the second half, but he had seven rebounds, a block on Tony Parker towards the start of the fourth quarter, and he later had an important layup to put the Wizards up 92-87. On a night where Nene and Gortat did not seem totally engaged, Humphries stepped in nicely. Martell Webster, SF 8 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 0 PTS \| 0 Tony Parker talked about how earlier in the season he tried (and failed) to play at full strength with a bum hamstring. Some days he felt like himself, other games he knew he had to sit out more, but he understood it was a process. Martell Webster was out with a back, not a hamstring, but he’s in the throes of that same laborious process, and he really can’t be counted on to do much except play himself into shape. Rasual Butler, SF 25 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 2 TO \| 7 PTS \| +3 When Butler checked in with 5:56 left in the first quarter and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key 38 seconds later, it appeared as if the Spurs were going to be witnesses to yet another shooting exhibition from the late-blooming veteran. Not so much. Butler was a non-factor on offense, and in what seems to be a recent trend, he continued to struggle against quicker players. Kevin Seraphin, C 20 MIN \| 6-8 FG \| 5-5 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 17 PTS \| +2 Two seasons ago, last season, and even at times during this season, Kevin Seraphin would often find himself on the wrong end of Coach Randy Wittman’s rants. Seraphin would score via a solid post-up, but then he’d rush a shot, have a defensive lapse or two, and Nene, Gortat, Humphries or Gooden would be checking him for him—but not before Wittman gave him a piece of his grumpy, exasperated mind. In the second half of a losing effort against the Hawks, and more significantly last night in a victory against the Spurs, Coach Wittman trusted Seraphin over Gortat and got much better results. Seraphin scored on post-ups, offensive put-backs, and he put the Wizards on his shoulders in the fourth quarter against Tiago Splitter, Jeff Ayers, and Boris Diaw. Of course, it will take more than two stellar games to win Coach Wittman’s complete trust, but performances like the one Seraphin produced against San Antonio can only help his case. Simply put, Seraphin won the game. Andre Miller, PG 12 MIN \| 1-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 3 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 0 TO \| 2 PTS \| +7 It is kind of cute to call Andre Miller the Professor and occasionally marvel at how bad he can make players like Austin Rivers look despite his advanced age. Then there are nights like Tuesday night when the opposing team’s point guard (Patty Mills, or Cory Joseph) is doing more than outperforming his age, he’s actually influencing the outcome of the game with his offense, his speed, and his annoying style of defense. And when you throw in the fact that Nate Robinson and Jameer Nelson—two older guards with spark left in the tank—were briefly available for the Wizards, it is even more depressing to look at Miller’s lack of influence against the Spurs. Maybe he (like Pierce) is waiting for the All-Star Break before he turns his game up a few notches. ‘The’ VineWith only a couple of weeks left until Spring Training begins, there are still several teams looking to upgrade their starting rotations. It may be time for those teams to start looking into the trade block, because the free agent board is barren at this point beyond a few high-risk options. The Miami Marlins, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros have all publicly stated that they would still like to upgrade their rotations, but it’s beginning to look like free agent signings may not be the best route. Yovani Gallardo Yovani Gallardo is the only remaining free agent starter who received (and rejected) a qualifying offer after 2015. That, combined with the fact that he’s coming off the worst season of his career after years of gradual decline makes him a tough sign given his expected salary demands. Kyle Lohse Kyle Lohse is also still available, but a 5-13 record with a 5.85 ERA in 2015 certainly doesn’t inspire confidence in any General Manager. Lohse is likely holding out for a major league deal, but will probably have to settle for a minor league contract if he wants to continue his career. Tim Lincecum Tim Lincecum is an interesting free agent option, but he carries a ton of risk. Coming off a surgery which will allegedly give him back some of his velocity, Lincecum will be pitching for teams soon and will likely sign after that. In 2015, he was 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA, but he posted by far the lowest strikeout rate of his career. Cliff Lee Speaking of risk, Cliff Lee is attempting to pitch in the big leagues again in 2016. Lee last pitched in 2014, appearing in only 13 games for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was effective in those games, posting a 4-5 record and a 3.65 ERA. In his last full season, 2013, he went 14-8 with a 2.87 ERA. Lee carries big upside if teams think he can regain his previous form, but is a huge injury risk and will turn 38 during the season. Justin Masterson Another risky play without the upside of Lincecum or Lee is righty Justin Masterson. Masterson recently had arthroscopic shoulder surgery and will reportedly throw for teams in mid-March. Coming off a season where he posted a 5.61 ERA in Boston, Masterson likely won’t draw much interest except from the most desperate of teams. Alfredo Simon Alfredo Simon has drawn interest from some teams recently, despite a 5.05 ERA in 2015. He put up decent numbers in 2013 and 2014, but a deeper look at his stats shows that 2015’s 5.05 ERA is more like the pitcher he’ll be in 2016. Any teams considering him for their rotation need to get him on a minor league deal and hope for the best. Mat Latos Mat Latos is looking for another one-year “prove it” type contract after he was thoroughly unable to prove anything last season. He split 2015 between the Miami Marlins, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels, combining for a 4-10 record with a 4.95 ERA. Those ugly numbers are not the only blemishes on Latos’ resume, however, as he has burned bridges with every team he’s been a part of. A liability on the mound and in the clubhouse, Latos shouldn’t be surprised at remaining unemployed into February.When Habib came, he was not pleased with the discovery. He tried his best to scuttle it and discredit it. He particularly targeted me. However, the truth prevailed in the end. Because the structure I had excavated from the womb of the earth and the painting were so similar. Yet, just because of prejudice, Dr Habib refused to acknowledge the discovery and raised doubts. He had to at last concede that the discovery was indeed Ibadat Khana. But this was the general attitude. If you’re not their bonded intellectual and camp follower, then you will be hounded and attacked. And how did you get into the Ayodhya controversy? When excavation was undertaken at Ayodhya by Dr B B Lal, I was the only Muslim archaeologist in the team. At that time, these controversies were not there. When the controversy came up, the JNU historians suppressed some of our crucial discoveries. At the time, I was posted in Chennai as Deputy Superintendent of Archaeology. As part of the team, I know that we did indeed discover the remnants of the pillar bases, which was what was contested by the left historians. I told Iravatham Mahadevan about our discovery. Unlike Hindu and Marxist fundamentalists of Aligarh and JNU, he was a liberal man. He was also against the demolition of the mosque for righting a historical wrong. He also strongly felt that I should disclose this fact to the public. However, the left historians and a section of the media played with facts, suppressing them and spreading the false notion that there was nothing under the Babri. Had they acknowledged the truth then, a lot of unpleasant events would not have happened. In fact, I know that many Muslim groups were willing to accept the truth, honour the sentiments of the fraternal Hindu community and work out a compromise. But the left historians and a section of the media thwarted it. So I wrote right then to the media, stating the facts. As a government servant, one should have obtained the permission to write to the media. But the government would not give me permission. Anyhow, I wrote a letter to the editor of the Indian Express, disclosing the facts. Then, explanation was sought by the department about my action. Fortunately, I was not suspended, but I was transferred from the eastern coast to the western one. It was to Goa. Then, in 1997, I was transferred to Bihar. So, from Bihar, your work in reconstruction and conservation of ancient monuments started? Yes. In fact, in Bihar, I even organised a ‘kar seva’. Kar seva? Yes. Kar seva. In Bihar, we were constructing a protective wall around the excavated structures at Kumrahar – the ancient capital of Chandragupta and Ashoka. We needed a wall around the excavation site, which was very important. However, we had a problem from some anti-social elements, and the lower-level bureaucracy was also not very helpful then. Whenever we built the wall, the very next day the miscreants would destroy it. So I decided to counter it by bringing together famous historians and high officials and making them participate in kar seva in constructing a wall. This was flashed in the state media. The local police and administration became duty-bound to protect it. In this endeavour, I was able to bring together historian R S Sharma as well as archaeologist-historian B P Sinha. They were both on the opposite sides of the divide in the Ayodhya issue, but here they came together for the common cause of national history and preservation of our heritage. So, from Bihar onwards, you have been working with different groups outside the mainstream society while preserving the monuments? Oh, yes! I have interacted with Naxalites, dacoits, petty criminals. But in all these cases, I have been able to get their cooperation in preserving the monuments once they learnt about the importance of the monuments and when I was able to touch a chord in their heart. Let me tell you about the incident of Nirbhay Singh Gurjar, a dreaded dacoit. Bateshwar, Morena complex, which is some 50km from Gwalior, was an ancient site with a large number of ancient temples. We were carrying out renovation work there. But that place was plagued by dacoits under the leadership of Gurjar. I had to get his cooperation if I were to successfully complete the conservation. The place incidentally was under the administration of a dynasty called Gurjar Prathihara dynasty, after the period of Harsha. They had contributed to the construction and maintenance of temples. Once, when I got a chance to meet Gurjar, I pointed out to him this connection. I told him that perhaps providence had made him wander these very ruins, not just as a hideout but to contribute to the conservation of these temples which perhaps his ancestors built and maintained. This really invoked something inside him. From then on, he helped us with our restoration work. Here was a man who was smoking a cigar inside one of the temples. But now, because of his cooperation, we were able to restore 60 temples. There are a lot of incidents like this. In Chhattisgarh, one group of Naxals wanted us to make a small ‘donation’ to them so that they would give us protection from any disturbance as well as from their rival faction in Andhra. So I asked them what this ‘small donation’ was. If it was small, I could make it from my pocket and I did. It was Rs 10,000, and this ensured that we could carry out our work in peace. You have been able to make a dacoit aware of his heritage! Advertisement You see, I have some traits that work to my advantage. One, I communicate with others with care. This somehow convinces them of my sincerity. Two, they are astonished by the fact that a Muslim is here renovating ancient monuments and is more knowledgeable in Sanskrit and ancient lore than most of their co-religionists. This creates a deep sense of acceptance. Third, I have been able to get the help of honest young officers – particularly in the police. All these factors made my work, though dangerous, a success and full of fond memories. Again, about Ayodhya. There was an inscription obtained from the debris of the Babri structure after demolition. And it speaks of a temple. But professor Habib had alleged that it was planted there. He had also targeted late Dr S P Gupta, another archaeologist. What is your take on these? I know Dr S P Gupta. He was a selfless man committed to archaeology. In fact, his contribution to archaeology was immense. He was also a great social worker. People like Habib can speak a lot about the poor, but they would do nothing for them. The university-grown elite Marxist historians are of the variety which speaks about revolution with wine glasses in their hand. Regarding the inscription, which is called Vishnu Hari inscription, professor Meenakshi Jain’s latest book has provided an accurate picture and exposed the lies of these so-called leftist historians. Can you share with us one of the most satisfying moments of your life? When I was doing renovation work in New Delhi, I used to run an informal day care and take education classes for the children of labourers. Most of the labourers working in archaeology projects are poor migrants from places like Bihar. Their children go around begging or get subjected to abuse when they are working. So I created these informal day care plus education classes, for which I paid from my own pocket. In fact, one bureaucrat even thought I was using government money and tried to stop it. But as it was my personal money that was being used, they could not. A TV network came to know about this and gave me a humanitarian award. When the then US president Barack Obama came here, I was to be his guide. He had come to know about these schools and wanted to see the students. One boy, Vishal, boldly greeted the president, saying, “Welcome Mr Obama”. Obama was impressed. Later, I had retired and returned to my native place. When Obama visited again, the US embassy contacted me and informed me that the president wanted to meet Vishal. I had lost track of the boy, though. But they tracked him with my help – he was studying in St Columbus school. And Obama reserved a special slot and, apart from meeting the officials, met the boy. I felt very happy for Vishal. You have been involved in the restoration and preservation of ancient heritage structures. What do you think should be the most important component – that we need – in the preservation of heritage monuments in India? The involvement of people. People should feel a connect with these monuments, and they should feel that it is their history and that it can shape their future. You should inculcate this feeling in the children themselves. Every school should take children on heritage tours. They should make students take a pledge. Like Ashoka’s edict, the children should take a pledge that they would not disfigure, scribble or deface a monument. I started a programme known as “adopt a heritage” for the school children so that they should feel like it is theirs. See the kind of change the sense of ownership – not through legal rights but a sense of history – brought in a dacoit to participate. Then, imagine how much we can achieve with children through the history. We should also involve the student community in the cleaning of monuments. I call students the potential non-conventional energy sources for the preservation of our monuments. The way we teach history is also important. When we walk into Nalanda or Mamallapuram, we should feel that this is the land where Hieu Tsang walked 1,400 years ago, or where a Narasimha Pallava walked. A sense of history can give us a sense of wonder and pride and ownership. Our history curriculum and teachers should do that. Also equally important is the need for qualified guides at all our heritage sites. There is a lot of economic as well as knowledge potential here which has been sadly under-utilised. Every archaeological site should have an interpretation centre where a short film is screened about the history and heritage of the site.Developer(s) Danielle Cassley, Jason Citron Platform(s) iOS Release Beginning: July 7, 2008, II Beginning: December 19, 2008, II Arena: November 21, 2008, II Tower Puzzles: December 18, 2008 3: April 17, 2010 Mode(s) Single-player, except Arena which is Single or multi player Aurora Feint was a video game series developed by Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron for iOS. Aurora Feint The Beginning was released in the first wave of App Store applications in July 2008 and is a free single-player game which combines the geometric shape manipulation of Tetris Attack[1] with the character-building aspects of a role-playing game. Aurora Feint II: The Beginning was released in December 2008 and adds graphical and community features. Aurora Feint II: The Arena was released in November 2008, adding multiplayer features and is billed by the developers as the first casual asynchronous massively multiplayer online game. Aurora Feint II: Tower Puzzles was released in December 2008 and provides dozens of visual brain teasers based on the "tower" locations in the other titles. All versions of Aurora Feint have been removed from AppStore since July 14, 2012. Gameplay [ edit ] The game mechanics are based on Nintendo's Panel de Pon, and the games in the series share some similarities including the following components: the Mine, the Store, the Smith, and the Tower. In the Mine, players manipulate blocks into combinations of three or more to collects crystals and resources. In the Store, players spend resources and crystals to acquire blueprints and magicbooks. In the Smith, players complete blueprints by collecting a certain amount of resources within an allotted time, gaining access to new types of weapons. In the Tower, player complete magicbooks by solving puzzles within an allotted number of moves, gaining improved mining efficiency. Aurora Feint II: The Arena adds a range of additional capabilities including online player v. player dueling, chat capabilities in its "tavern," news feeds, additional character classes, and leaderboards.[2] Characters developed in Aurora Feint The Beginning can be transferred into Aurora Feint II: The Arena. Plot [ edit ] Details of the plot and story are limited but text in the game's opening trailer provides some hints: "What is it that separates reality from fantasy? For one little girl, the only way to survive our reality is to live in her fantasy." Development [ edit ] The developers wrote in a forum post and discussed in an interview that the initial release of Aurora Feint The Beginning was created over the course of 10 weeks.[3][4] Soon after its initial release, reports circulated of privacy concerns regarding the game's community features.[5][6] According to a forum post by the game's developers, on July 22 Apple removed the game from the iTunes App Store. The developers responded by explaining that the contact list was not actually stored on their server, asking for user feedback on alternatives, and asking for support on bringing the game back to the App Store.[7] On July 24, the iTunes App Store began carrying version 1.0.0.1 of the game. According to the developers, the new version addressed the privacy concerns.[8] Reception [ edit ] Aurora Feint The Beginning was met with acclaim compared to other free games in the App Store.[9][10][11][12][13] One reviewer described it as "the most fun and addictive of the early iPhone games."[14] Aurora Feint II: The Arena was praised in a preview release for its "Lord of the Rings aesthetic" and for standing apart from other match three games.[15]Metro Police officer mistakes relative for intruder, shoots and injures her An off-duty Metro Police officer and her husband shot a relative Friday night at their North Las Vegas home after mistaking her for an intruder, and the relative is expected to survive her injuries, according to North Las Vegas Police. Police were called about 11:30 p.m. to a house in the 3600 block of Kelcie Marie Avenue, near West Ann Road and Allen Lane, Officer Aaron Patty said. The husband and wife were home sleeping when the relative, a woman who also lives at the residence, came home unexpectedly, Patty said. The pair went to see what was going on and in the process shot the woman multiple times, he said. She was taken to University Medical Center with injuries that appear non-life-threatening and is in stable condition, he said. The incident remains under investigation, but no charges are expected to be filed, he said.The house where Adolf Hitler was born could become a language school for immigrants, under new plans being considered by the Austrian government. From the outside, the former guesthouse at 15 Salzburger Vorstadt could be just another historic building fallen on hard times. The town where it lies, Braunau am Inn, is a tiny backwater near Linz, where nothing much tends to happen. But on April 20, 1889, Adolf Hitler was born here, and the debate over what to do with the house is so politically charged, it has gone all the way to the Austrian interior ministry. "For us, given the meaning this building has, it's important to use it in a way that benefits people," Alexander Marakovits, a spokesman for the interior ministry told The Telegraph. The ministry has been locked in discussions for over a year with the owner of the building, a retired local woman who insists on remaining anonymous. According to local press reports, she has rejected suggestions the house be made into an anti-Nazi memorial, and even refused the town authorities permission to put a plaque on the building, for fear it could provoke attacks from neo-Nazis or anti-fascists. Instead, a small memorial stone on the street outside records the fact that this was Hitler's birthplace. Until two years ago, the building was used as a day centre for people with learning difficulties. The interior ministry carefully vets all prospective tenants to ensure it doesn't become a neo-Nazi shrine, and the possibility of residential use was rejected in case it attracted Hitler admirers. Now, after talks in Vienna dubbed the "Birthplace Summit" by Austrian newspapers, the interior ministry is optimistic it has found a solution acceptable to all parties – and one that seems a fitting response to Hitler's racist policies. Under the plan, after extensive renovation, the building would be used as a language school and integration centre for migrants. Hitler spent the first three years of his life in the house. At the time, it was a modest guest-house where his parents rented rooms while his father was working as a minor customs official at the nearby border with Germany. After his father was posted to Passau in Bavaria, the family moved away. In 1938, after the Anschluss with Austria, huge crowds watched as Hitler returned to Braunau in triumph. His private secretary, Martin Bormann, bought the house at 15 Salzburger Vorstadt for four times its market value, with the intention of turning it into a shrine. In 1954, the former owner bought it back for a fraction of the price.PoolMonitor is a Rainmeter skin which allows you to keep an eye on your mining progress on multiple pools- no need to switch between browser windows and constant logging in and out! It works on all MPOS pools(more to be added soon EDIT - Simpledoge and Simplevert added!) and for over 150 cryptocurrencies! (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Quark, Doge etc..) This Skin is easily tailored to your own needs, the example screenshot shown is only a sample of the limitless visual possibilities. To get up and running, install the package, then find the "readme.txt" file inside the folders which you should find in Raimeter's "Skins" folder. (My Documents by default) PLEASE NOTE THAT POOLMONITOR ONLY SUPPORTS MPOS TYPE POOLS, WITH LIMITED SUPPORT FOR YPOOL (As well as Simpledoge and Simplevert). If there is enough interest, I will add more pools. Simply email me the pool and I will consider it. (Email address is in readme) PoolMonitor is still in the early stages of its development, and therefore expect issues. Please let me know if any come up. If this has helped you in any way, or if you just enjoyed the skin, feel free to donate to any of the following; BTC: 164WNoMHf8Pa8uNJoZtcJzfXQwfzovG5kX DOGE: DJU7MztZAg2yh1QvcdVxiDFx7kpDSq5Axa SRC: sWdy88sdKq9JCuAK3eDonA88c1u8dSQjn3 LTC: LLCUSNBNKFt9xUH9q7rSpFyrxLa4Atj89L QRK: QXky4L2SE7sjoYVNVdkDoNu6k2znqrgtvf CHANGE LOG: Latest version: 1.0_rev1: Added Vertcoin folder. (You can still use any other coin of course) 1.0_rev1: Added SIMPLEDOGE and SIMPLEVERT pool types. (They can only be used from their respective folders) 1.0_rev1: Improved speed. Earlier version. 1.0 - LAST MINUTE: Added YPool support - NB: DOESN'T SHOW HASHRATE 1.0 - Made Skin UPCOMING CHANGES: Implement graphs showing coin value changes over time. Add more customization options. Make setup easier. Exterminate bugs. KNOWN ISSUES: All skin titles default to "doge.poolerino.com" - I forgot to change this value. The fix is easy, simply change the value in userData Thank you! -CybergranyAcademics have released a detailed plan for Scotland that could keep EU workers in the country. Plans released showed that Scotland could set lower barriers for low-skilled immigrants than the rest of the UK after Brexit. The report from the University of Edinburgh offered a “politically viable” way of sustaining the net inflows of EU workers currently propping up key industries in the country according to researchers. It is understood the Scottish Government welcomed the report describing the UK-wide approach to immigration as “damaging to Scotland’s economy”. READ MORE: UK makes major concession on first day of Brexit talks Under current immigration restrictions, some believe that the UK wide targets will cripple Scottish businesses and lead to a worker shortage. Research led by Professor Christina Boswell will be published today discussing the importance of the economnic need for more migrants in Scotland than the rest of the UK. According to the proposal, Tier 2 working visas, which will be issued for EU nationals post-Brexit could have their skill level requirements amended to allow EU residents to take up jobs in Scotland. The report, which was released in The Herald, comes after David Davis was reportedly accused of agreeing to the timetable for Brexit set by Brussels. The UK government were understood to be keen to discuss trade almost immediately as well as the divorce bill from the EU, however, the rights of EU workers and border issues will now be the first part of discussions. Speaking to the Herald, Professor Boswell stated that Scottish immigration is ‘U-shaped’ and that different criteria could apply to both Scotland and the rest of the UK. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Inclusive approach needed in Brexit talks She said: “There are a number of promising channels for meeting Scotland’s needs, which do not require a radical overhaul of current arrangents. “The challenges in releasing them reflect the heat of debate on immigration more than the practical difficulties of implimenteing them.” It is understood that the proposals would suggest setting up a body exclusively to Scotland similar to the UK Migration Advisory Committee which would give the Scottish Government more flexibility on immigration. Currently, 90% of projected population growth in Scotland is based on current levels on net migration. EU nationals make up 43% of Scotland’s foreign born population.Story highlights Kelly Osbourne's attempt to mock Donald Trump fell flat with her colleagues She tried to take issue with his language on undocumented immigrants Washington (CNN) Kelly Osbourne tried to call out Donald Trump on ABC's "The View" Tuesday morning, but her comment was not well received by the show's other co-hosts. "If you kick every Latino out of this country, then who is going to be cleaning your toilet, Donald Trump?" Kelly Osbourne said on the show. "You know what I mean?" Her comments come after her other co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie Perez, Michelle Collins and Raven-Symoné began discussing Trump and his lead in recent polls. Immediately after Osbourne's comment, her co-hosts can be heard reacting in disapproval off-screen to what she said. Once she realized her co-hosts were not agreeing with her, Osbourne began backtracking her comments. "Latinos are not the only people to do that," Perez told her.A turtle wandering the streets of Burnaby on June 23 was handed over to the B.C. SPCA, but a quick inspection revealed that the shelled reptile was not a regular pet turtle. "This amazing animal is a North American wood turtle, endangered species CITES Appendix II," said veterinarian Dr. Adrian Walton. The wood turtle is facing imminent extinction in Ontario, where the government has put in place strategies to keep the species alive. Its under threat from habitat loss, from other animals, road mortality and from people illegally collecting them as pets. Wildlife rescuers suspect that someone got sick of taking care of the turtle and dumped it in a nearby lake or that it somehow managed to escape. Watch as the endangered turtle tries to make a run for it: It's unique orange patching makes the wooden turtle easy to identify. 0:18 "Whoever had this animal had no clue, zero clue on how you take care of a turtle," said Walton, a veterinarian at Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, B.C. "The shell is consistent with metabolic bone disease and too much protein," he said, adding the turtle also didn't get enough sunlight. Walton said it's common for people to get tired of taking care of turtles. "They are horrible pets. Never, ever, ever, ever give your child a pet turtle. They live for 20, 30, 40 years and they get to be the size of a dinner plate," he said. Forced to euthanize Walton said he is often forced to euthanize many of the turtles that come through their door, because they can't find anyone to take care of a grown turtle. However, since this turtle is endangered, it is being sent to a wildlife sanctuary in Barrie, Ontario. As for dumping unwanted reptiles in the lakes, Walton strongly advises against that. "They're often dumped in waterways, where they freeze to death," said Walton. "Or if they do survive, they do significant amount of damage to our wildlife. Including eating baby ducklings, destroying the nests of coastal painted turtles, which are an endangered species here," he said. Walton asks people to think twice before getting a turtle as a pet. If people do want to get rid of their pets, he encourages them to give them to the BC SPCA instead of dumping them in waterways. Wood turtle factsKELOWNA, B.C. — An aviation expert says determining what caused a fatal plane crash near Kelowna will be especially difficult because the aircraft didn’t have flight recording devices. Investigators will be working with very limited information as they probe why a small Cessna jet crashed shortly after take off late Thursday, said Jurek Sasiadek, a professor of aerospace engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa. Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice was among the four people on board the plane who were killed. The Transportation Safety Board has said the plane disappeared from radar shortly after it took off and no emergency calls or signals were made before the crash. The aircraft, which was built in 1974, was destroyed and there was a fire after the crash. That will make investigators’ jobs increasingly tough, Sasiadek said, because it appears there aren’t any large pieces of the plane left to look at for clues. “In this case, there was no communication, there’s no black box to rely on and the aircraft disintegrated almost completely,” he said. “So it will take a long time to figure out, I guess, what happened, if it’s ever possible.” Cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, also known as black boxes, collect all of the details of a flight, Sasiadek explained. “For example, if the engine fails, there will be information that the power failed, so that’s how you can learn during the investigation,” he said. Lead crash investigator Beverley Harvey has said recording equipment was not required on the Cessna Citation. Transport Canada said in a statement that on small aircraft, the decision to install flight recorder equipment is at the pilot’s discretion because there generally aren’t any cockpit conversations to record and the plane’s air traffic transmissions are recorded by NAV Canada. The Transportation Safety Board made a recommendation in 2013 that Transport Canada move to require recording equipment on lightweight aircraft. The advisory came after a float plane broke up mid-flight in a remote part of Yukon in March 2011, killing the one person on board. Recordings from downed aircraft could “provide useful information to enhance the identification of safety deficiencies,” the TSB recommendation said. “No effort should be spared” in changing the rules to require the devices on small planes, the recommendation added. Transport Canada could not immediately indicate Sunday how it responded to the Transportation Safety Board recommendation.With the Christmas dinner done, writer Will Self says that the UK's collective new year resolution should be to bring an end to the national obsession with food. Are you full yet? Stuffed? Fit to burst? I do hope so. After all, no-one but a Scrooge with an eating disorder would wish people to stint themselves over the festive season. So, I hope you carved the turkey and cut the cake, crunched the roasties and smeared the brandy butter. And as you sat late into the night, unable to rise from the sofa so replete were you, I sincerely trust that you found a free gastric chink into which you could hammer that penultimate wafer-thin mint - the essential sugaring, I always think, for the bitter pill of the Christmas television schedules. Why am I so keen on your performance as good, honest British trenchermen and women over the past few days? Because I'm going to ask you to consider a major lifestyle change in the year to come, and it's only by having got it into your system that I imagine you'll be able to countenance getting it resolutely out. For what I think we require, as a society, is some sort of collective vomitorium. Not, you appreciate, that I expect you - like those mythical Roman patricians - to void the contents of your stomachs then limp groaning back to the dinner table. No, what I think we should all do is throw up our very obsession with food itself, and enter the new year purged and able to forge a new relationship with whatever we happen to find on our plates. It is, surely, undeniable that in the past 30 years we have, as a nation, been transformed from a culinary backwater - a stagnant reach in which floated the occasional soggy meat pie or waterlogged cabbage - into a foodie's paradise. Once upon a time our High Streets were perhaps home to a chippie, a Chinese and an Indian. And this exemplification of the comic law of
register your interest as soon as possible on this site, as long as you're over 18. If last time's anything to go by, we don't anticipate tickets will be available for long! Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.Did you ever read a textbook on economic history, or an in-depth article on the relative value of goods over the centuries expressed in current US dollars? Have you ever encountered a graphic that shows long term trends in rainfall patterns or other climate variables, using a couple of simple lines, designed to give a general idea of relative conditions during different eras? Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about. This is a graphic made by a major investment firm culling information from dozens or perhaps hundreds of sources into a single graphic. This is the graphic as it was initially provided by the researchers The value of gold in US dollars since the 14th century, from the Bank of England, Goldman Sachs Global ECS Research. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/charting-price-gold-all-way-back-1265 This is a graph of oxygen concentration in the Earth's atmosphere. It is culled from a large number of different sources. This is the graphic, based on numerous proxyindicattors, as published in a peer reviewed paper: This is a compilation from many different sources of stock market values assembled to show waves in stock market behavior over the last few centuries: This is a set of climate related variables show in relation to human "civilization" over 18,000 years (n.b.: the term "civilization" is reserved in archaeology and prehistory for specific phenomena which did not occur before about 10,000 years ago). Various climate variables in relation to human civilization (sic) over the last 18,000 years, from: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/11/17/climate-and-human-civilization-ov… In all these cases complex sources were culled in the peer reviewed literature 0r professional research literature, and turned into summary views of something happening over time. The graph itself is meant to show a derived variable, not the underlying complexity of the data. The graph is the sausage. The making of the sausage is laid out in the original documents, in some case in the peer reviewed paper the graphic appears in. Here, Judith Curry makes the argument, in an excessively tl;dr blog post, that climate scientist Michael Mann acted inappropriately, perhaps fraudulently, or perhaps as a matter of scientific misconduct, when the IPCC published a version of his famous Hockey Stick Graph that instead of looking like this: The famous Hockey Stick Graph with pretty colors and labels indicating which part of the data come from instrumental records and which parts come from proxies. Looked like this: Dumb old black and white version of the Hockey Stick Graph that shows the key point of the graph but does not indicate the different origins of the numeric values being plotted. Like the graphs above. For the record, here is the original version of that graphic from the peer reviewed paper. Note that it indicates where the data come from but that was back in the late 20th century when in order to have color graphics in your paper you had to hire monks to draw them and there weren't any monks available. And here is the same graph in a similar updated paper a year later, looking much better: From Mann, M., Bradley, R and Hughes, M. Northern Hemisphere Temperatures During the Past Millennium: Inferences, Uncertainties, and Limitations. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 26, NO.6, PAGES 759-762, MARCH 15, 1999. And, at the time of the publication, owing to the costs of monks and such, color versions of the graphics were made available. This is what anyone who wanted to could look at at the time: Mann's graphic representation of climate change, the Hockey Stick, is not fraudulent. But it is verified, real, and important. There are people in the climate discussion who make up graphs, of course (see this) but Mann is not one of them. So Judith Curry and the flock of winged monkeys and child molesters that comment on her blog are arguing that Mann carried out scientific misconduct when he did something that is normal to do, and in fact, that he didn't actually do. This is an "own goal" for Curry because it is a clear cut case of making up a version of reality in order to denigrate a fellow scientist and discredit his research on the basis of color coding rather than the science. Curry has credentialed herself a denialist. (Related: Curry's Credibility Crumbles by Climate Hawks.) That. Is. Science. Denialism. Welcome to the list, Judith. By the way have a look at this image: If you ever see an image like this used by a climate science denialist, ACCUSE THEM OF FRAUD AND MISCONDUCT because this graph shows NOTHING about the multiple sources used to create the single black line squiggle therefore it is ILLEGAL. Sorry... I get carried away sometimes. Anyway, I have a pro tip for those who are following along with the climate change discussion: Individuals who study climate change from any perspective (as a climate change scientist, some other kind of scientist, policy maker, communicator, interested citizen) should realize that some depictions or summaries are underlain by extensive and complex literature. A proper scholarly approach, even by an avocational scholar or journalist, requires keeping that in mind and digging beneath the surface where needed. So if you see a monochromatic hockey stick like curve, or any climate squiggle, hopefully there is a reference to where it comes from and then you can dig around and reconstruct the scholarship, if you are reasonably smart, reasonably diligent, not lazy, and well intentioned. Or you can be one of Judith Curry's followers and just whine about it. Finally, here's a recent version of the Hockey Stick Graph showing the many ways it has been verified. Checkmate, denialists. Added: Judith Curry Picks A Cheery...First Solar acquired TetraSun in April 2013 amid growing concerns that its cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film modules were increasingly uncompetitive, and that the company had focused too heavily on the utility-scale market at the expense of building market share in the distributed-generation sector. The 100MW TetraSun production line is now up and running, according to Malaysia’s Daily Express newspaper. The line – producing 300W, n-type, 60-cell, silicon-based modules – is within an existing First Solar facility in Malaysia, where the company does most of its manufacturing. The TetraSun acquisition was one of the first major changes to come under the leadership of James Hughes, First Solar's chief executive since mid-2012. First Solar's financial performance and stock price have improved dramatically on Hughes' watch. TetraSun’s technology will allow for cells with a greater than 21% conversion efficiency, First Solar has said. TetraSun’s modules will initially be aimed largely at the space-constrained Japanese market, where the company has a distribution deal in place with JX Nippon. In announcing the TetraSun acquisition, Hughes noted First Solar’s intention to push into the booming market for rooftop and distributed-generation PV systems, both of which had been largely “unserved” by First Solar. It remains to be seen how rapidly First Solar expands production of TetraSun modules. In the years since the acquisition was announced, First Solar has downplayed its need for silicon-based modules in its quest to crack into the rooftop market, having notched up faster-than-expected efficiency gains for its CdTe modules. First Solar has made clear its ambition to become a major player in the commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop market in the years ahead, and last month it made an equity investment into Colorado-based Clean Energy Collective in a move that effectively sidesteps the rooftop market altogether. Clean Energy Collective is the leading US developer of community solar schemes, which allows people who live in homes where rooftop PV systems are not practical to buy fractional shares of modest-sized ground-mount systems sited elsewhere -- giving them access to solar energy. For more than half a decade, First Solar’s business model has relied heavily on developing and building such PV plants using its own CdTe modules, before selling the plants on to external power-generation customers. Since the TetraSun acquisition, however, First Solar, like many of its closest rivals, has shifted towards owning and operating more finished PV assets – although it has said it will not, for now, follow SunEdison in launching a yieldco.The Associated Press announced on Tuesday they will no longer recommend journalists use the term illegal immigrant when referring to immigrants in the United States without legal permission. The announcement comes more than three years after Colorlines.com launched The Drop the I-Word campaign that called on media outlets to stop using the term “illegal immigrant” because it is a racially charged slur that confuses the immigration debate and fuels violence. “The Stylebook no longer sanctions the term “illegal immigrant” or the use of “illegal” to describe a person. Instead, it tells users that “illegal” should describe only an action, such as living in or immigrating to a country illegally,” wrote AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll on the organization’s blog. “It’s great to see the Associated Press stand up for responsible journalistic standards. The style guide is the last word on journalistic practice so it’s particularly important for the AP to set this standard,” said Rinku Sen, executive director of the Applied Research and publisher of Colorlines.com. “This should put the debate to rest.” The updated AP Style Guide entry is being added immediately to the AP Stylebook Online and Manual de Estilo Online de la AP, the new Spanish-language Stylebook. It reads as follows:How cash secretly rules surveillance policy Today's congressional hearing was a joke. The reason: Firms like Booz Allen bankroll and own Congress. Here's how Have you noticed anything missing in the political discourse about the National Security Administration's unprecedented mass surveillance? There's certainly been a robust -- and welcome -- discussion about the balance between security and liberty, and there's at least been some conversation about the intelligence community's potential criminality and constitutional violations. Thanks to what I've previously called the No Money Rule, however, there have only been indirect references to how cash undoubtedly tilts the debate against those who challenge the national security state. Advertisement: Those indirect references have come in the form of stories about the business model of Booz Allen Hamilton, the security contractor that employed Edward Snowden. CNN/Money notes that 99 percent of the firm's multibillion-dollar annual revenues now come from the federal government. Those revenues are part of a larger and growing economic sector within the military-industrial complex -- a sector that, according to author Tim Shorrock, is "a $56 billion-a-year industry." For the most part, this is where the political discourse about money stops. We are told that there are high-minded debates about security and liberty, with politicians of differing parties contributing to those debates from positions of principle and ideology. We are also told in passing that there's this massively profitable private industry that makes billions a year from the policy decisions that ultimately emerge from such a debate. Thanks to the No Money Rule among the Washington press corps, though, there is mostly silence about the connection between the private industry and the public policy. Indeed, few in D.C. are willing to say that the policy debate may be, in part, driven by the private industry and almost nobody dares mention that politicians' attacks on surveillance critics may actually have nothing to do with principle, and everything to do with going to bat for their campaign donors. For a taste of what that kind of institutionalized corruption looks like, take a look at the amount of money Booz Allen Hamilton and its parent company The Carlyle Group spend on campaign contributions and lobbying. As you'll see, from Barack Obama to John McCain, many of the politicians now publicly defending the surveillance state and slamming whistleblowers like Snowden have taken huge sums of money from these two firms. Same thing for the political parties themselves - they are bankrolled by these firms. This is just an example from two companies among scores, but it exemplifies a larger dynamic. Simply put, there are huge corporate forces with a vested financial interest in making sure the debate over security is tilted toward the surveillance state and against critics of that surveillance state. In practice, that means when those corporations spend big money on campaign contributions, they aren't just buying votes for specific private contracts. They are also implicitly pressuring politicians to rhetorically push the discourse in a pro-surveillance, anti-civil liberties direction -- that is, in a direction that preserves the larger political assumptions on which the profits of the entire surveillance-industrial complex are based. Advertisement: The success of that pressure is exemplified by the title of today's congressional hearing with the head of the NSA, Gen. Keith Alexander. The hearing doesn't ask why Alexander lied to Congress or whether the NSA has engaged in illegal acts. No, a Congress bankrolled by firms like Booz Allen predictably calls the hearing "How Disclosed NSA Programs Protect Americans and Why Disclosure Aids Our Adversaries," the two preconceived assumptions being that 1) the NSA's surveillance programs, which generate huge profits for companies like Booz, are beneficial to Americans' security and 2) critics of those programs hurt the country. None of this, by the way, is exclusive to debates over domestic national security policy. As Booz Allen's business model suggests, there are also foreign policy implications to the pay-to-play culture. As the New York Times notes, the firm is expanding its profit potential by "marketing" its surveillance and security services to Middle East dictatorships that want to strengthen their grip on power. According to the Washington Business Journal, that includes Kuwait, Qatar, Omar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and "other countries" working to crush democratic dissent "associated with the Arab Spring." That means American politicians who are financed by Booz and other firms with a similar multinational business model not only have a vested campaign-contribution interest in shilling for the domestic surveillance state that their donors profit from. They also have a similar interest in denigrating the democratic protest movements that challenge Mideast surveillance states that make those donors big money, too. Obviously, this kind of moneyed influence should be a critical focus of the political reporting on politicians' declarations about Snowden, the NSA, foreign policy and surveillance in general. When, for instance, a journalist reports on a politician slamming critics of the surveillance state, the public should be told whether that politician has taken money from firms that make their money off the continued expansion of that surveillance state. But that isn't happening thanks to the aforementioned No Money Rule in the Washington press -- and that rule isn't just about etiquette. On national security issues, it is often about the elite agenda-setting Washington media outlets that also financially rely on an ever-expanding national security state. Advertisement: For a microcosmic (but not the only) example of that little-mentioned reliance -- and how it may skew the way the elite media frame the national security debate -- look at these side-by-side pages from the ultimate agenda-setting D.C. newspaper, Politico: As you can see, the ad on the left side is for a defense contractor. Like surveillance/security firms, it is part of a larger industry that relies on the ever-expanding national security state for its profits, and that therefore is hostile to national security state critics like Snowden. That industry invests heavily not only in politicians, but in advertising in Washington publications like Politico. Is it any coincidence that (as you can see on the right page) such publications loyally frame the debate over Snowden not as a question that ponders possible positive qualities (heroism, courage, etc.) but as a question exclusively of negatives: specifically, did he commit treason or is he a traitor? Advertisement: Noting all of this isn't to allege conspiratorial micromanagement of politicians and media by the military-intelligence community. It isn't, for instance, to claim that everything that comes out of surveillance defenders' mouths comes from talking points provided by Booz Allen's lobbyists, nor is it to claim that Politico writers are directly ordered by their advertisers to depict national security critics on exclusively negative terms. It is actually to suggest something much more pernicious and ubiquitous than that. As anyone who has worked in Washington politics and media well knows, the capital is not a place of competing high-minded ideologies; in terms of the mechanics of legislation and policy, it is a place where monied interests duke it, where those with the most money typically win, and where a power-worshiping media is usually biased toward the winners. In the context of money and national security, there is a clear imbalance -- there are far fewer moneyed interests whose business is transparency and protecting civil liberties than there are moneyed interests whose business is secrecy and curtailing civil liberties. That imbalance has consequently resulted in a larger environment in Washington that is so dominated by national-security-state money that the capital's assumptions reflexively, unconsciously and automatically skew toward the national security state without overt corporate orders ever having to be given to politicians or media outlets. If the simplest, most straightforward explanation is often the most accurate, then this skewing is almost certainly part of why the pro-surveillance terms of the political debate in Washington are so at odds with public opinion polling on the matter. Big Money has helped create that disconnect, even though Big Money is somehow written out of the story.Privacy advocates voiced indignation Thursday at a White House plan to demand that some visa-bearing foreign travelers to the United States provide officials the passwords to their social media accounts and turn over their cellphones to be searched. The advocates said the plan was unlikely to deter terrorists and might be turned on Americans traveling abroad. “If we adopt it, other countries are going to adopt it,” said David Kaye, a law professor at the University of California at Irvine. “Americans who travel better be prepared to provide this to other governments.” Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly laid out the proposal this week on Capitol Hill and again in an interview with National Public Radio that aired on Thursday. Under the plan, Kelly said, border agents would ask visitors “to give us a list of websites that they visit and the passwords to get on those websites to see what they’re looking at.” Agents would also examine “what they tweet, cellphones, cellphone conversations or cellphone contact books to where we can run them against databases: telephone numbers, people, names.” To start with, Kelly said, the proposal would be aimed at visitors from the seven nations named in a 90-day travel ban that President Donald Trump set in a Jan. 27 executive order. Those majority-Muslim countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. He added that the program “could be” expanded. This is security theater. This isn’t actually going to help. Nuala O’Connor, head of the Center for Democracy & Technology “This is security theater. This isn’t actually going to help,” said Nuala O’Connor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who now heads the Center for Democracy & Technology, a civil liberties and privacy group headquartered in Washington. O’Connor called the proposal “outrageous” and said it was a “sledgehammer response to the San Bernardino terrorist attack” in late 2015 in which 14 people were slain at a holiday party in that Southern California city. “The theory of the case is, if we could see everybody’s Facebook profiles and LinkedIn profiles and Twitter accounts – both public and private postings – in theory the country could have prevented San Bernardino,” O’Connor said, noting that one of the two assailants, Pakistani-born Tashfeen Malik, is believed to have posted jihadist rants on Facebook before taking part in the terrorist shooting. “That is totally flawed,” said O’Connor, who served as the chief privacy officer at DHS from 2003 until 2005 under President George W. Bush. “First off, we don’t have enough translators to read all that stuff.” It’s kind of the equivalent of asking everyone to take off our shoes at the airport because of the shoe bomber. Nuala O’Connor, former Homeland Security official “It’s kind of the equivalent of asking everyone to take off our shoes at the airport because of the shoe bomber,” O’Connor said, referring to the 2001 case of Richard Reid, a British Muslim who tried but failed to set off a bomb in his shoes on a flight from Paris to Miami. Questions about the social media activity of foreign travelers began under the Obama administration. Since December, DHS has asked visitors from 38 countries – including European Union nations – that usually travel visa-free to the United States to fill out an online form that has an optional listing of social media used by the traveler. In a drop-down menu, the form lists 13 social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn but also Vkontakte – used primarily by Russian speakers – and GitHub, popular among programmers. Travelers are asked to provide their user names. The Trump administration has not outlined how it would store or analyze the information it would collect under the broader policy, The proposal lit up social media around the world, and one activist said he feared that the information repository of traveler data could become vulnerable. Where does that content go to? Where is it kept? How safe? Is it encrypted? Jamal Dajani, founder of Arab Talk Radio “From what I heard, when you give up your phone to Homeland Security, they download the contents,” said Jamal Dajani, a journalist, Middle East analyst and founder of Arab Talk Radio, a program based in San Francisco. “Where does that content go to? Where is it kept? How safe? Is it encrypted?” He noted that U.S. government entities have been hacked by Russia, China and other nations, and that information in the hands of the government is not necessarily safe. Kaye, who also is serving a three-year term as the United Nations global special rapporteur for freedom of expression, called the plan to search the cellphones of visitors a “disproportionate intrusion into privacy.” “Everything we do, everything we are, everybody we know, is on our phone. And so if we’re demanding that people provide that to government, we’re opening ourselves up to all kinds of intrusion,” Kaye said. EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE Travelers from countries in disfavor are likely to respond in a certain way, Kaye said. “They may not bring their devices, and they could certainly say they are not on social media,” Kaye said. If other governments began demanding the same of Americans, he added, travelers may respond as they do when traveling to China, which already practices deep control of people’s digital lives, foreigners and Chinese alike. “If you’re going to China, and you are really concerned about maintaining your privacy and your contacts, you leave your phone, your tablet, your computer at home,” Kaye said. Kaye said he was not given to “slippery slope” arguments but found it difficult not to make one with the latest proposal. “If we’re doing this at the border, what’s the argument for stopping there? Why not continue on with domestic travel?” Kaye asked.I Was There Too #59 Actor Ahmed Best joins Matt for a jumbo sized episode of I Was There Too to discuss playing Jar Jar Binks in The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. Recorded live from Largo at the Coronet as well as the Earwolf studio, Ahmed tells us about the many stand in roles he played during the filming of the films, being pulled from the cast of Stomp in San Francisco, and contributing his own ideas on what the iconic Yoda lightsaber battle should look like purely as a fan of Star Wars. Plus, we find out if Ahmed really suffered severe burns from hot tea being spilled on his lap and if he really beat out Michael Jackson in a role during Confirm or Dispel Dubious IMDB Trivia. Stay tuned after the interview for a preview for an upcoming podcast mini-series by Matt entitled ‘The Complete Man,’ a spin-off of Amanda Lund’s brilliant podcast ‘The Complete Woman.’ Find it on Stitcher Premium. This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: WASTHERE) and Audible (www.audible.com/wasthere).A U.S. consumer watchdog agency that helped unravel the Wells Fargo & Co. scandal has an unconstitutional structure because it gives too much power to its director, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The court said the way that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is organized violates the Constitution’s separation of powers because it limits the president’s ability to remove the agency’s director, currently Richard Cordray, a Democrat and former Ohio attorney general. The ruling, if upheld, would curtail the authority of an agency that has been opposed by the banking industry and some Republican critics. They view the CFPB — established as part of the Dodd-Frank reforms after the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 — as a thorn in the side of the industry and one that has overreached in its regulation of consumer financial matters. “This is a good day for democracy, economic freedom, due process and the Constitution,” Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement. The law now states that the bureau’s director can be removed only “for cause,” such as neglect of duty. The court said that conflicted with the Constitution, which allows the president to remove executives for any reason. Hensarling has proposed overhauling Dodd-Frank, including replacing the CFPB’s single director with a bipartisan, five-member commission. On Tuesday he called the CFPB “arguably the most powerful and least accountable Washington bureaucracy in American history.” But consumer advocates and some top Democrats decried the court’s ruling, saying it opened the door to the prospect that the CFPB’s efforts could be weakened under increased political pressure from the White House and Congress. The law creating the CFPB “carefully struck a balance between protecting the consumer bureau from politics and the (financial) industry’s political allies while ensuring it was accountable and had effective oversight,” said Dennis Kelleher, president of the consumer advocacy group Better Markets. The court’s ruling is “damaging to American consumers” and “it’s going to embolden the industry that’s been trying to kill” the agency, Kelleher said. The CFPB said it disagreed with the ruling by the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and asserted that the ruling would not slow its efforts to investigate wrongdoing and seek enforcement actions. “The bureau will continue its important work” while “considering options for seeking further review” of the court’s ruling, CFPB spokeswoman Moira Vahey said in a statement. “Today’s decision will not dampen our efforts or affect our focus on the mission of the agency.” Even the court, in a ruling written by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, said it rejected the notion of shutting down the CFPB and that the bureau instead “will continue to operate and perform its many duties.” But the court ruled that the CFPB should do so “as an executive agency akin to other executive agencies headed by a single person, such as the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury.” That means the president “now will have the power to remove the director at will, and to supervise and direct” the CFPB’s chief, the court said. For now, the court’s ruling is unlikely to be noticed by consumers because “it’s virtually without significance” in terms of affecting the CFPB’s current work to protect consumers, said Robert Hockett, a law professor at Cornell Law School who tracks the financial industry. “If it has any effect at all, (the ruling) probably will render the CFPB even more zealous” in its investigative efforts “because it reinforces a growing perception that there’s a systematic backlash against financial regulation,” Hockett said. The CFPB was one of the U.S. regulators that investigated Wells Fargo over the San Francisco bank’s creation of some 2 million unauthorized checking, savings and credit card accounts. The bank last month agreed to pay the agency, along with the Los Angeles city attorney’s office and other government entities, $185 million to settle the case, which has prompted a broader investigation into banking industry sales practices. The settlement included a $100 million fine paid to the CFPB, the largest fine yet levied by the agency. “That is a dramatic amount as compared to the actual financial harm to consumers, but it is justified here by the outrageous and abusive nature of these fraudulent practices on such an enormous scale,” Cordray told the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs at a hearing last month on Wells Fargo’s sales practices. The agency has taken legal action against banks, mortgage companies, credit card issuers, payday lenders and debt collectors and others. The CFPB says that over five years, it has recovered $11.7 billion that it returned to more than 27 million harmed consumers. On Tuesday, the agency issued yet another enforcement action, ordering the Navy Federal Credit Union to pay $28.5 million to settle civil charges alleging that it made “false threats” about debt collection to its members, which include active and retired service members. The CFPB has been enmeshed in partisan politics since it was created by Congress in a major financial overhaul law in 2010 to protect consumers from harmful banking and lending practices. The CFPB was conceived by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a fiery critic of Wall Street who lambasted Wells Fargo Chairman John Stumpf for the bank’s sales practices at the Senate Banking Committee hearing last month. President Obama had considered naming Warren to head the CFPB, but her nomination probably would have run into strong opposition from congressional Republicans. Cordray has run the agency since it began operating in 2011. Warren said Tuesday that the court ruling “will likely be appealed and overturned.” But even if it’s upheld, the CFPB “has been, and will remain, highly accountable to both Congress and the president,” she said in a statement.Image caption The small coin was found at Fulford on the the outskirts of York A rare coin found in York by a man who took up metal detecting a week before has been described as "jaw dropping". Experts at Yorkshire Museum said the coin was 1,400 years old and is one of only 19 ever found. The Anglo-Saxon gold shilling was one of the first coins minted in York and is believed to be worth between £5,000 and £7,000. It was found at Fulford, near York, by Ian Greig who had only bought a metal detector a week previously. Mr Greig said he was initially unaware of its importance. Image caption The coin dates from the mid 7th century and was struck in York "It was not until a friend of ours, who I had emailed, came back with some pictures of very similar coins that we realised what we had found and its historical significance." Andy Woods, curator of money and medals at Yorkshire Museum, said the coin, which is smaller than a five pence piece, was a "one-in-a-million" find. "When Ian first brought it in to me my jaw absolutely hit the floor. It is the first coin ever made in York." He said: "It was made sometime around 620 to 650 AD and they are incredibly rare. This is only the 19th example of this type of coin ever found." Mr Woods said the coin had a human figure holding two crosses on one side which might represent Paulinus, the first Bishop of York. "We cannot say that for certain but it is the right time and the right place." As the coin was found on its own it is not classed as treasure under the Treasure Act so ownership rests with the finder and the landowner, Fulford Parish Council. Mr Greig said despite an offer from a private collector he would prefer it to be on public display and is in discussions with Yorkshire Museum about them acquiring the coin.Firstly, I want to thank you for sending me a message saying you were shipping late. I completely understand (I get so behind on shipping my etsy orders it's crazy) and I know a lot of people didn't get the same messages and were worrying so thank you for giving me a heads up! I had gone back to bed this morning because I wanted to keep sleeping in, but my mother and sister brought up my Secret Santa package. Of course I had to open it! It opened the cat and dog toys first. As you can see in the pictures, it was basically an immediate hit with Wilbur. (My dog Maggie was out of the house, but she really loves tug toys so her gift was perfect!) Next it was the "crazy cat lady" shirt. I think after raising 46 foster kittens, that is definitely a title I possess! Now I have a shirt announcing it! :3 The sweetarts were wrapped in "A Christmas Story" wrapping paper, so I actually paused for a second after starting to open so I could get a picture. I actually got a box of these yesterday for Christmas, but they were all eaten by me and my family... THIS BOX IS ALL FOR ME MUAHAHAHAHA! Thank you! The cat/raccoon hat is really really adorable and it's also really warm. I had a sock monkey type one that smelled kinda funny so I think that's why my dog ate it. This is a great replacement and it is staying out of Maggie's reach. I opened up the makeup last. It is so gorgeous! I've actually been trying to get a more brightly colored palette because all I have are nudes, and I didn't get any makeup for Christmas this year. I love these two toned shadows because they always make the most beautiful colors. This palette has really great pigment! Thank you so much for your extremely thoughtful gifts! You obviously did your research. I've never gotten a group of gifts that fit me perfectly! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU from me, Maggie the dog, and Wilbur the kitten.PRICING GUIDE FOR NEW PLAYERS: - Bottles naturally vary from $20 to $100 (avg $60) - Potions naturally vary from $30 to $200 (avg $115) - Scrolls naturally vary from $30 to $300 (avg $165) - Armor naturally varies from $200 to $1000 (avg $600) - Weapons naturally vary from $200 to $1000 (avg $600) - Special low prices are $10, $10, $25, $200, and $200 respectively. - Really high prices appear to be about quadruple whatever random value they would've had on that day. FEEDBACK FOR GAME AUTHOR: I loved the old Drug Wars flash game. This game, while I think it has great potential, is unfortunately held back by a host of bugs and glitches resulting in players finding it less fun to play. Issues I observed with the game, in order from biggest problems to least: - Not all medals are functioning properly. I made it 360 days / "through one year" before retiring with a total profit over 25 million, with 80950 items traded, Merchant Rank "Markets Top Earner", 6285 employees, and naturally all the shop upgrades. Yet, I was not awarded any of the {First Upgrade, Shop Growth, Master Trader, Shop Upgraded, Staff Master} medals. - Very frustrating glitch, as has been pointed out by most reviewers of the game, that while going using increase/decrease arrows in the marketplace, if you click 'too fast' / seemingly randomly, the transaction will be canceled and go back to a neutral screen as if you had never been trying to buy or sell those items in the first place. - Big-time glitch allows the player to increase their shop space item limit without bound. After playing normally for awhile and making all four shop upgrades, I observed a shop space maximum of 540 items. However, if you have say a quantity of 100 of any one item, and you go to sell that item but instead of selling 100 you decrease the amount down to just 1 item to sell, well that results in your maximum item shop space to increase by 99. So players can keep selling most, but not all, of any one item, and then re-purchasing essentially double the amount of that item, and keep going. Using this, I had a shop space of over 10,000 items. Bug is that if I sell Y of an item I had X quantity of, my maximum shop space goes up by (X-Y). - Pretty game-breaking glitch wherein you can hire negative quantities of employees even from day 1, which results in an equally nonsensical glitch of RECEIVING $1,000 from each 'non-employee' every 15 days. - Money greater than $2 billion can't be displayed by the game, and it just keeps wrapping from -$2 billion till it counts back up to $2 billion again, and keeps wrapping / reverting negative repeatedly. - When selling goods, if you remove more than you wanted, you can't increase the number of items to sell (up arrows do not work) - For whatever reason, the prices do not change from the 29th to the 30th days. And the last three aren't bugs, but just other observations: - One year contains 365 days, not 360. - Vagrant is misspelled as "vagrent" - It's kind of sexist flavor text to say 'your wife insisted on jewels' -- you could say 'your spouse'.We investigated the navigational capabilities of the world's largest land-living arthropod, the giant robber crab Birgus latro (Anomura, Coenobitidae); this crab reaches 4 kg in weight and can reach an age of up to 60 years. Populations are distributed over small Indo-Pacific islands of the tropics, including Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). Although this species has served as a crustacean model to explore anatomical, physiological, and ecological aspects of terrestrial adaptations, few behavioral analyses of it exist. We used a GPS-based telemetric system to analyze movements of freely roaming robber crabs, the first large-scale study of any arthropod using GPS technology to monitor behavior. Although female robber crabs are known to migrate to the coast for breeding, no such observations have been recorded for male animals. In total, we equipped 55 male robber crabs with GPS tags, successfully recording more than 1,500 crab days of activity, and followed some individual animals for as long as three months. Besides site fidelity with short-distance excursions, our data reveal long-distance movements (several kilometers) between the coast and the inland rainforest. These movements are likely related to mating, saltwater drinking and foraging. The tracking patterns indicate that crabs form route memories. Furthermore, translocation experiments show that robber crabs are capable of homing over large distances. We discuss if the search behavior induced in these experiments suggests path integration as another important navigation strategy. The terrestrial life-style,
, whether it is a dictatorship like Iraq or a democracy like Honduras or Venezuela. It is good to keep this in mind when you are reading the international news.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. April 6, 2016, 11:09 PM GMT / Updated April 6, 2016, 11:09 PM GMT By Jon Schuppe After he signed a controversial new "anti-discrimination" law last month curbing LGBT protections, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said he wasn't worried about employers following through on threats to leave the state. But the economic backlash has continued in potentially damaging ways. A handful of companies have said in recent days that they would either pull, reconsider or avoid projects in North Carolina — moves that separate them from a much larger field of firms, including many of the state's biggest employers, who have signed a letter of opposition to the law. A similar movement helped turn the tide against a bill in Georgia that would have made it easier for businesses to deny services to gay couples. But in North Carolina, lawmakers have showed no sign of backing down. PayPal President and CEO designee Dan Schulman speaks during an event at Terra Gallery in San Francisco, California in this file photo. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/Files REUTERS PayPal On March 18, PayPal announced plans to build a $3.6 million global operations center in Charlotte and hire 400 people to work there. Five days later, the state legislature held a special one-day session to head off a Charlotte city ordinance extending anti-discrimination protections to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people — including the freedom to use the bathroom of their chosen gender. The rushed vote, and McCrory's late-night signature, essentially nullified that measure and prevented any other efforts to pass LGBT protections. On Tuesday, CEO Dan Schulman said the company was scrapping its plans. He said in a statement that the new law "perpetuates discrimination" and violated the company's "values and principles." He also pledged to work with the state's LGBT community to press for the new law to be repealed. North Carolina lured PayPal with $2.7 million in economic development grants, but the state estimated that the facility's payroll alone would have generated more than $20 million a year. Google Ventures Last week, the CEO of Google's venture capital arm notified his partners that he did not want to invest in projects in North Carolina "until the voters fix this," Re/code reported. The decision didn't have any immediate impact, since Google Ventures has yet to back any North Carolina startups. But the state is home to a huge technology and research industry, including a bumper crop of entrepreneurial companies, and could have benefited from the firm's support. Startups raised $1.2 billion in investment funding in 2015, three-quarters of which came from outside the state, according to North Carolina's Council for Economic Development. Braeburn Pharmaceuticals Two days before the new law passed, the Princeton, New Jersey-based drug company, which specializes in medications that treat drug addiction, announced that it would build a manufacturing and research facility in Durham County, saying it would create 52 new jobs as part of a $20 million investment in the area. After the law passed, the company said it might change its mind. "Building a manufacturing and research facility is a business necessity to ensure we fulfill our commitment to patients; we are reevaluating our options based on the recent, unjust legislation," the company said in a statement. Red Ventures The South Carolina marketing and technology company had plans to expand its Charlotte operations building out its offices at the city's University Research Park and double its local workforce to about 1,000. The company was enticed by a package of tax breaks. CEO Ric Elias said he hoped to add thousands of jobs in the future. But now that could vanish. In an open letter to McCrory posted Tuesday to Twitter, Elias, a North Carolina resident and former McCrory supporter, said the law "does not reflect the values of our people, our state or our democratic process." He said the law forced him to "seriously reconsider adding more jobs in a state that tolerates discrimination." he also said he was joining the fight to get the law repealed.Police are concerned for the welfare of a missing 19-year-old woman who was last seen in the Bondi Junction area more than two weeks ago. Bee Bollard, also known as Rubi, was reported missing after she failed to return home in Marrickville. She was last seen at the Bondi Junction bus interchange on Friday, 30 September about 10:30 am. Bee Bollard was last seen at Bondi Junction two weeks ago. Police said the 19-year-old may have been with two males aged about 16 years. Concerns are held for Ms Bollard's welfare, as she suffers a medical condition and is without her medication. She is described as being of Asian appearance, 150cm tall of slim build and long brown hair. It is not known what Ms Bollard was last wearing and police said she may be frequenting the Bondi or Glebe areas.PORT Adelaide fans got their first look at what promises to be a potent forward line, with Charlie Dixon and Jack Watts working in tandem at training on Wednesday morning. At an open session attended by about 1000 supporters at Alberton Oval, Dixon and Watts lined up alongside each other during match simulation. Dixon played deeper most of the time during the 20-minute drill, although there were occasions he pushed up with Watts dropping back into space. The Power are hoping the addition of Watts – acquired in a trade from Melbourne for the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft – will assist with their delivery into attack. Dixon, 27, is coming off a career-best season after booting 49 goals and averaging 6.5 marks a game. The pair also collided during an earlier contested ball drill with Watts keeping his feet after being on the end of a big bump from the 105kg Dixon. Skipper Travis Boak appears to have recovered from a badly bruised hand. Boak had his middle two fingers strapped on his right hand, but had no trouble training and slotting a goal from the boundary. Gun recruit Tom Rockliff was also in the thick of the action through the midfield, showing no effects of off-season shoulder surgery, although he had limited involvement in contact drills. Not all of the Power's big guns were on the track. Former Geelong speedster Steven Motlop and midfield bull Sam Powell-Pepper were walking laps together. All Australian ruckman Paddy Ryder was on light duties, completing some sprints, agility running drills and laps of the oval. Defenders Hamish Hartlett, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Jasper Pittard were on similar programs. Matthew Broadbent was running laps at three-quarter pace as he continues to build back to full fitness after struggling with an ankle injury at the end of last season. All Australian forward and three-time club champion Robbie Gray took part in the majority of the session, but didn't complete the match simulation. He instead did extra running with key defender Jack Hombsch – who had hip surgery in July – and vice-captain Ollie Wines. Gray had surgery for testicular cancer in September followed by a bout of chemotherapy as a precaution.(Newser) – Cathy McCulloch writes that as of last week, she hadn't read Fifty Shades of Grey ("honest!"). The barrister is intimately familiar with portions of it now, however, due to a case that she describes as "exceptional" in a blog post spotted by the Independent. Her client was a father charged with eight counts of incestuous rape that allegedly occurred over a six-year period; he "had absolutely no real defense other than 'I did not do it.'" His daughter, on the other hand, had given a "compelling interview" to police, explaining in detail what had allegedly occurred. There was just one thing that nagged at McCulloch: "the use of certain words, phrases, and descriptions of how she felt which seemed beyond her years." Then her client mentioned his daughter's favorite book (which he was unfamiliar with): Fifty Shades of Grey. An instructing solicitor on the case who also had not previously read it picked up a copy and uncovered "too many striking similarities" between the girl's statement and the novel. In all, the team discovered 17 examples that "appeared to have been lifted from the book," per a more technical description of the case. McCulloch analyzed the passages and the girl's interview as part of her cross-examination preparations. On the trial's third day, the girl took the stand, and McCulloch began "gently." Just seven minutes later—during which McCulloch brought up those striking similarities—"we were finished." The girl admitted she had made up the allegations to teach her "strict" father a lesson. The prosecutor re-examined the girl and she confirmed that it had all been a lie. An immediate acquittal followed. (This Fifty Shades "re-enactment" landed a student in jail.)A federal court ruled today that voting districts drawn by Wisconsin Republicans are unconstitutional. The ruling is a major victory for state Democrats who have been in the minority for six years and lost even more ground in the recent election. A three-judge panel tossed maps drawn by Republican lawmakers five years ago, saying that they violate the voting rights of Democrats. Critics have argued that Wisconsin Assembly’s district map is unconstitutional because it was drawn in such a way that some voters’ ballots are meaningless. Some districts are carved up in such a way that they are dominated by Republicans and the plaintiffs argue that Democrats’ voting power in those districts is muted. The court wrote: “We find that Act 43 was intended to burden the representational rights of Democratic voters throughout the decennial period by impeding their ability to translate their votes into legislative seats. Moreover, as demonstrated by the results of the 2012 and 2014 elections, among other evidence, we conclude that Act 43 has had its intended effect. Finally, we find that the discriminatory effect is not explained by the political geography of Wisconsin nor is it justified by a legitimate state interest. Consequently, Act 43 constitutes an unconstitutional political gerrymander.” In Wisconsin’s 2012 Assembly races, for example, where Democratic candidates received 200,000 more votes overall than Republicans — 1.4 million versus 1.2 million — Republicans managed to overwhelmingly capture the Assembly, 60 seats to 39. State Republicans drew the boundaries in 2011, insisting it was the GOP’s right and duty after winning control of state government. Democrat litigants insist Republicans unconstitutionally gerrymandered the lines to benefit the GOP. Today’s federal court ruling can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.It's hard for any rational human to look at this chart and not conclude that Bitcoin is on an utterly parabolic rise, fueled by greed, speculation, and fascination, while being completely divorced from any "fundamentals." http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/mtgoxUSD#rg180ztgSzm1g10zm2g25zv We have no idea when the music will stop (it could go to $500 or $1000!) but at some point there will be a moment when it ends in tears, and people will wonder why they paid 40% more for something than it was selling at the day before. Here's what's really fascinating and unique about the Bitcoin boom. This isn't the first time we've seen a bubble in something in a privately created thing that's off the traditional financial markets. For example, in the early 2000s, there was a legitimate bubble in the stuffed animals called Beanie Babies. It's not clear why suddenly people started paying through the nose through them, and why whole industries were created around them, but it happened, and then they died. In the 90s there was something of a baseball card bubble. Bitcoin is somewhere in the middle: A privately created financial instrument. But what sets Bitcoin apart is the real-time data on it. You can go here and watch Bitcoin trade tick-by-tick, which is not something you could ever do with these other unconventional micro-bubbles. Meanwhile, the Bitcoin advocates (like all bubble apologists) have great stories (this is a response to Cyprus and wild central banks!), but in reality that's just an excuse. This is a fascination that people have, and the market is incredibly tiny, so it doesn't take too many new people wanting to dabble to make the price go nuts. That's all. And it's enjoyable watching it in real time.In a dramatic change of events that is a) sure to not win the administration any goodwill point with the citizens of the free, or enslaved, world or their insolvent leaders so desperately reliant on the US for day to day funding, and b) will confirm the state of complete policy chaos that is at the core of the Obama administration's handling of the ObamaPhone spygate (where for some reason the fact that the US spied on foreigners, as it should, has taken far more precedence over the NSA intercepting and recording each and every domestic communication, with neither checks nor balances), the earlier reported news originating from the Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dianne Feinstein, who said that "the White House has informed me that collection on our allies will not continue, which I support" was a fabrication. Instead, as The Hill reported shortly thereafter, "A senior administration official on Monday rejected Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Diane Feinstein's claim that the U.S. has halted intelligence collection against its allies. In a statement released earlier Monday, the California Democrat said that the White House "has informed me that collection on our allies will not continue." But the administration official called that statement "not accurate." In other words, the situation surrounding Obama's global Watergate hotel, has devolved to a state where the executive and the Chair of the Legislative's intelligence committee are not even able to communicate in order to get their story straight about lying what the US will and won't do in the future. Because, needless to say, any promise that the US won't do what it obviously will continue doing as there is absolutely no downside to doing so, is merely the latest lie in long and illustrious chain of seasonally adjusted truths. From The Hill: "While we have made some individual changes, which I cannot detail, we have not made across the board changes in policy like, for example, terminating intelligence collection that might be aimed at all allies," the administration official said. And then the confusion and backtracking began: After the administration’s statement, a spokesman for Feinstein clarified that the senator intended to say that the U.S. was ceasing "collection on foreign allied leaders.” Feinstein also said that it was her understanding President Obama "was not aware" the U.S. had been monitoring the cellphone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Obama first learned of the program, which apparently began in 2002, during an internal audit of intelligence practices this summer. Why do we know Obama is "not" lying? Because he had no comment. In an interview Monday afternoon with Fusion, the president refused to comment when asked about when he became aware of the surveillance. What we do know, is that Obama no longer has a direct feed to Merkel's cell phone. Whatever that means: The administration has announced at least one determination, however. White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week that Obama assured Merkel in a private phone conversation that the administration was not currently monitoring her cell phone, nor would they do so in the future. All the BS aside, in retrospect if indeed the NSA, being a government agency, does its job with the "efficiency" with which the government makes up lies on the fly, then there is absolutely nothing to worry about. For either the allies of the US, as long as that special status continues, or the billions of electronic communications intercepted among US citizens each day.The Darlene Michael Scola and Jordan Rodarte "AHS"-themed wedding was one for the books. This couple just threw a glam Halloweekend wedding that puts those sorry pumpkin patch celebrations to shame. The Darlene One guest (on the left) dressed up as Denis O'Hare's "Hotel" character Liz Taylor. Michael Scola and Jordan Rodarte, who tied the knot on Oct. 29, pulled off an impressive “American Horror Story”-themed wedding at the real-life Hotel Cortez ― a.k.a. the Oviatt Penthouse in Downtown L.A., where the exterior shots of the FX show’s fifth season were filmed. “We’ve been fans of the show since the beginning and always have super themed premiere parties for every season at our vintage West Hollywood apartment,” Jordan told The Huffington Post. The Darlene Looking dapper, fellas! Actress Naomi Grossman, who played Pepper in the second and fourth seasons of “AHS”, even served as the ring bearer at the ceremony. The couple reached out to her on social media, and to their surprise, she agreed to attend. The Darlene The grooms posing with actress Naomi Grossman who plays Pepper in the miniseries. “She was a delight and having a cast member there really sealed the deal!” Jordan said. “She was a fan favorite.” Other “AHS”-related details included: Invitations featuring the same font used in the opening credits of the show: Instead of escort cards, they put guests’ names on hotel tags attached to skeleton keys, which they displayed on an Art Deco butler tray. The photo booth was filled with masks of various “AHS” characters including Lady Gaga as The Countess, Twisty the Clown and Pepper. Courtesy of the couple Some eerie photo booth fun. Each reception table featured a framed photo of a different classic horror movie character: The Darlene The reception tables were a nod to classic horror movie characters. Guests were encouraged to sport 1920s, Gatsby-esque attire, and their wardrobe choices did not disappoint. The Darlene The guests in their finest flapper garb. The couple landed on the “AHS” theme somewhat accidentally. During their search for vintage or haunted venues in the Los Angeles area, they came upon the Oviatt Penthouse. “After Michael proposed to me and we started planning, we knew almost immediately we wanted a Halloween wedding,” Jordan said. “The ‘AHS’ thing came in once we chose our gorgeous Art Deco venue ― only to find out it was where they were filming ‘AHS: Hotel!’ That’s when we really went for it.” The Darlene The wedding cake is an Art Deco masterpiece. The couple first met through work in 2010. Michael popped the question in August 2015 at the Versace mansion in Miami. See more photos from their hauntingly chic fete below:It was one of the worst-kept secrets in the world — and on Wednesday, President Bush confirmed it: In a major speech about the war on terror, the president, for the first time, acknowledged the existence ofaround the world. He said 14 terror suspects held in them have been moved to Guantanamo Bay — and he's asking Congress to change the law so they can be tried by special military tribunals. The 14 include men allegedly behind the worst terror attacks against the United States, including 9/11. The President also defended the way terror suspects are being interrogated. CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric sat down with the President for an exclusive interview at the White House, and she asked him about this transfer to Guantanamo. "The reason why we're moving them there is we want them to go through a military tribunal. We want them to receive the justice that they denied other people," Mr. Bush said. "But the other thing is that we have to have the capacity to interrogate — not torture, but interrogate people to learn information." The President says information already obtained from interrogating terror suspects has protected the country from attack. Couric asked the President if he could give any indication about the kind of information he was able to glean from the "high-valued targets." "We uncovered a potential anthrax attack on the United States. Or the fact the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had got somebody to line up people to fly airlines, to crash airlines into I think the West Coast, or somewhere in America, and these would be Southeast Asians," Mr. Bush said. "This is pretty rich data that has been declassified, so that I'm capable of telling America the importance of the interrogation program, and I'm going to call upon Congress to make sure the interrogators has the capacity to do so without breaking the law. See we're not interrogating now, because CIA officials feel like the rules are so vague that they cannot interrogate without being tried as war criminals. That's irresponsible." Couric asked Mr. Bush if this is a tacit acknowledgement that the way these detainees were handled was wrong. "No. Not at all. It's a tacit acknowledgement that we're doing smart things to get information to protect the American people," the President said. "I've said to the people that we don't torture, and we don't." President Bush also insisted that the war in Iraq is a key part of the war on terror, and that it must be won. Couric asked the President what exactly he means when he says that the country can't cut and run, that the United States must stay to win — otherwise, we'll be fighting the terrorists here at home on our own streets. "I mean that a defeat in Iraq will embolden the enemy, and will provide the enemy more opportunity, to train, plan to attack us, that's what I mean. One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror," Mr. Bush said. "I believe it, but the American people have got to understand that a defeat in Iraq, in other words if this government there fails, the terrorists will be emboldened, the radicals will topple moderate governments. I truly believe that this is the ideological struggle of the 21st century. And the consequences for not achieving success are dire." Mr. Bush added that when he thinks about potential threats, his biggest fear is that "somebody will come in, slip into this country and kill Americans. "And I can't tell you how. You know, one way to look at it is we have to be right 100 percent of the time in order to protect this country, and they got to be right once," he said. You can see much more of Couric's interview with President Bush on our CBS News 9-11 Special — "Five Years: How Safe Are We?" tonight at 10 (9 p.m. Central).George Halas, shown in 1963, fought fiercely to beat the Packers, but he also campaigned for a new Green Bay stadium. Credit: Packer Plus files By, George Halas is synonymous with the Chicago Bears, a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame who founded, played for and coached the franchise he loved. "Papa Bear" also pioneered the growth and expansion of the National Football League and is one of the league's most revered figures. Halas was a fierce competitor and wanted badly to beat Chicago's most heated-rival Green Bay at every opportunity. "Believe me, Coach Halas loved to beat the Packers," said Mike Ditka, former Bears tight end and head coach. "I had no clue about the rivalry, but I quickly found out. Every year, we had to play them twice, and those were the most important games of the year to him." But Halas also had a soft spot for the league's smallest franchise. "Coach Halas had tremendous respect for Vince Lombardi," Ditka said. "There may not have been any (love lost with Curly Lambeau), but he had great respect for Lombardi and the Packers organization." Halas and Lambeau, two competitive and impatient men with large egos, went head-to-head from 1921-'49, setting the tone for one of the greatest rivalries in professional sports. But Halas also greatly valued the survival of struggling franchises to ensure the NFL grew and prospered. Green Bay became an official professional franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1921 (renamed the NFL in 1922), but lost the franchise after the first season due to illegal use of college players in a 20-0 loss to the Chicago Staleys (now Bears) on Nov. 27, 1921. Green Bay was expelled from the league during its winter meeting in January 1922. While it was Halas who was instrumental in bringing the infractions to the league's attention, he also fought to reinstate the Packers. Lambeau bought back the franchise in 1922 for a $250 fee, including $50 of his own money. Green Bay returned the favor in 1932, when the Chicago franchise was struggling. According to the Packers media guide and the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Halas accepted a $1,500 loan from the Packers to meet his payroll. "We (the players) always heard of the stories of the hard financial times for both the Packers and the Bears in the early days," said former Packers back Herm Schneidman, who played from 1935-'39. "Lambeau hated to lose to the Bears, and Halas hated to lose to the Packers. Those guys could scream pretty good at us fellows during the games. It was pretty intense. Curly got all worked up leading up to the Bears game every time." Green Bay faced tough times on and off the field at the end of Lambeau's tenure in the late 1940s. The Packers won their sixth world championship in 1944, but they had losing seasons in 1948 (3-9) and 1949 (2-10) and continued to struggle financially. Lambeau fell out favor with the team's board of directors for the purchase of Rockwood Lodge as a training site in 1946 and was embroiled in an internal power struggle before resigning in 1950 to coach the Chicago Cardinals. How ironic that Lambeau coached in the same city for two seasons against Halas, whose Bears were the superior franchise at the time. Green Bay endured the 1950s with three head coaches before hiring Lombardi from the New York Giants in 1959. The team desperately needed a new stadium to replace City Stadium in the mid-1950s, and the league brass watched closely as it considered whether Green Bay could continue to be a viable NFL franchise. Halas spoke at an emotional rally at the Columbus Club on March 31, 1956, in support of a new stadium as voters flocked to the polls to decide the stadium bonding funding issue. More than 1,000 fans packed the auditorium to hear city officials, Lambeau, Halas, Gene Ronzani, Lisle Blackbourn, and former Packer Johnny "Blood" McNally and Tony Canadeo push for a "yes" vote to build a new stadium. Headlines in the Green Bay Press-Gazette's issue stated, "Dramatic Appeals Made: Halas, Lambeau urge 'Yes' Vote at Pep Rally. The "yes" vote prevailed and a new stadium was unveiled for the season opener in 1957 against the Bears, with Halas, who had stepped down as coach of the Bears for two seasons, in attendance. Green Bay edged Chicago, 21-17, to complete a weekend celebration christening the only stadium in the country designed exclusively for football. A new stadium did not change the team's losing ways. They finished 3-9 in '57 and hit rock bottom in '58 with a 1-10-1 record under Ray "Scooter" McLean. McLean was let go, and Packer President Dominic Olejniczak asked Halas for advice during the ensuing head coaching search. Halas endorsed Lombardi, a New York Giants assistant, stating "Lombardi is your man." And the rest is history. "George Halas was a towering figure in the NFL," former Green Bay guard Jerry Kramer said. "Without question, coach Lombardi had a lot of respect for Halas. More than respect, even a reverence." On game days, both head coaches had a burning desire to win. "We were pretty successful back then, but it was always a battle with Chicago and Papa Bear," Kramer said. "Ugly, tough games, like 9-6. George was a rascal and could give you some lip along the sideline, usually not fit to print. "But they were two great coaches who had a lot of respect for each other and the Packers-Bears rivalry." This story appeared in Packer Plus Magazineereskigal @ 28th May 2010 00:06 (Read 78,362 times). S2 kept their promise so far and still bumps up content in weekly patches. Another one is about to come the next days: Tundra! Today I received an image of the next hero to be added to Heroes of Newerth. Its name is Tundra, and from watching the Artwork you can guess that it will live up to its name.Tundra will take the role of a ganker, in addition to the latest addition Bubbles (DotA port: Puck) they are a nice addition to everyone's gankpool.The Abilities are not published yet, but stay updated.But know what you all came to this blog for: The artwork.In my opinion he looks more like a strength carry than a ganker, but let's see what his abilities are. I'm also curious about which side it will fight for: Legion or Hellbourne. But I hope it will be an evil one =).Stay tuned for the next patch notes to catch the abilities, and post your opinion here.Nowhere in his discussion of how General David Petraeus will fare when he takes over the CIA in August does Washington Post columnist David Ignatius challenge the basic operation of the Agency itself. His article of July 8th asks what sort of agenda Petraeus will pursue and concludes, “America needs a great intelligence service, and it will soon have a director whose ambition matches the agency’s mission.” Within the parameters of his vision, Ignatius’s article makes perfect sense. He is right on the mark when he writes, “This is a bruised organization, wounded by so many years of public criticism, and it needs a leader, not a martinet.” Where The Post columnist errs, however, is that “the many years of public criticism” does not cause him to reflect on whether the Agency is worth salvaging. This lack of questioning, much less exposing, what are essentially massive and ongoing criminal activities by the CIA directed from the White House typifies how far The Post has slipped since the days it refreshed the practice of journalism by exposing the Watergate scandal. Ignatius writes that Petraeus will be a Director who told the Senators that confirmed his nomination he will listen to the dissenters and grumblers in the Agency and answer his own e-mail and that on some days he would even eat in the employee cafeteria. (Wow, what a guy, huh?) Ignatius wrote his column after “spending a week with Patraeus’s entourage in Kabul,” and being the good reporter he is we may be rightly distressed by his observation that the CIA post, among other things, will allow Petraeus to stay with the fights in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are likely to shift to paramilitary-intelligence missions, once the uniformed troops leave.” This means these wars are liable to be continued just as the Obama regime is waging wars in Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, and Libya, keeping them secret when it can and denying that they are wars when it can’t. It suggests the U.S. will keep up its deadly drone assassinations being waged without even the flimsiest pretext of legal authority and in spite of hundreds or thousands of innocent civilians who are being butchered. Not to be ignored, either, is incoming “Defense” head Leon Panetta’s remark July 9th in Kabul that the U.S. will keep 70,000 troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2014 — a higher figure than announced by President Obama. According to The Washington Post of July 12, Panetta’s aides “scurried afterward to say he misspoke.” Why the U.S. today needs one soldier stationed in the Middle East, where we are now widely reviled, confounds me. By now substantial majorities the American public, like their European cousins, want all their troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq, yet their elected officials betray the sound instincts of their citizenry. “The best CIA directors,” Ignatius writes, “have cut through the mediocrity that can develop in a closed bureaucracy and demanded excellence. I hope Petraeus can do that, too.” The question Ignatius ignores is “excellence at what?” Bribing politicians and buying voters in foreign countries with U.S. tax dollars? Engineering the violent overthrow of governments? Arming one nation to fight another? Tracking down pro-democracy activists so totalitarian rulers can imprison them? Teaching torture techniques? Kidnapping suspects off the streets and flying them to other countries for torture and assassination in secret prisons concealed from the Red Cross? Creating killer drone attacks against suspects who turn out to be innocent? By the testimony of several former CIA officials, the Agency has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for causing millions of deaths. We ignore, too, at our peril the enormous influence of this criminal Agency on the shaping of American foreign policy. Just retired “Defense” secretary Robert Gates was a former Director of the CIA. President Obama is a former CIA payroller of slavish allegiance to the Agency, who conveniently decided not to prosecute Bush era officials even when presented with allegations of their crimes — in violation of the U.S. Constitution. His predecessor George W. Bush also spent time on the CIA payroll and Bush’s father, George H.W. Bush, was Director of the CIA before becoming President. What’s more, numerous former CIA officials hold positions of influence in the Federal bureaucracy. The real issues concerning the CIA are not the management issues about which David Ignatius writes. They are the life-and-death issues about the CIA’s toxic poisoning of American values. The Agency has become precisely what President Harry Truman feared when he signed its enabling legislation: “an American Gestapo.” Its abolition would evoke cheers in scores of nations whose inhabitants have suffered dreadful punishments at its hands. Sherwood Ross Sherwood Ross is a Miami-based media consultant who directs a public relations firm for good causes and writes on current affairs. He formerly worked as a reporter for major dailies and as a columnist for wire services. To comment or contribute to his Anti-War News Service, reach him at sherwoodross10@gmail.com.For the fourth straight year, Washington, D.C. is the most literate city in the United States, according to a recent study on literacy. The study, by Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), examined how well Americans used their literacy skills in the nation’s largest cities. Rounding out the top five were Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh. CCSU ranked the cities based on six categories: bookstores, residents’ educational attainment, newspaper circulation, use of online resources, the library system, and periodical publishing resources. The most literate cities were largely in the Northeast, and they generally had a well-educated and well-paid population. The focus of the study was not on reading test scores, but on reading culture, explained Dr. John W. Miller, head of the study and CCSU president. “This isn’t about whether or not people can read, it’s about whether they do read,” Miller said. MORE: America’s Most Content (and Miserable) States The Brief Newsletter Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. View Sample Sign Up Now But while Dr. Miller’s study does not consider students’ reading test scores, education still plays a key role, said Miller. All but one of the 10 most literate cities were in the top quartile nationwide for the percentage of people with at least a bachelor’s degree. In Seattle, the second most literate city, 57.7% of the population had a college degree, the highest among all cities considered. But a well-read city should not just be made up of degree-holders, Miller stressed. “It’s not all one way,” Miller said, noting that cities where a large portion of residents are college educated can still slip in the rankings if, simultaneously, many other residents fail to complete high school. At the other end of the spectrum, cities with poor literacy were also less educated. The 10 cities with the poorest reading habits were also in the bottom quartile nationwide for the percentage of people with a college degree and for the percentage of residents with a high school diploma. Many of these cities were in the bottom quartile nationwide for the percentage of people with a college degree, as well as for the percentage of residents with a high school diploma. In Anaheim and Fresno, less than 75% of residents had a high school diploma, while in Stockton just 17.9% of residents had a college degree — all among the worst rates for major cities. Another factor the study found that often plays a role in the development of a highly-literate city is income, Miller noted. “Seattle, Minneapolis, they have higher income levels than a lot of cities.” Some cities, however, still scored well despite lower income levels. Miller highlighted New Orleans as an example. The city was in the top quartile for literacy, although its median household income was just $34,361, well below the U.S. median of $51,731. In order to have a high-paid, well-educated workforce, cities must also have the jobs necessary to bring-in or retain that talent. According to Miller, “Cities that are more successful in terms of business development also have more a more educated population, [and] also have higher income.” In a number of the most literate cities, high-paying professional, scientific, and management occupations are especially prominent. Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. all are among most literate cities and in the top five cities for such jobs — measured by percentage of total employment. MORE: 10 Weird Things Thieves Steal For the nation’s least literate cities, the opposite is often true. “Cities that are at the bottom have lower levels of business formation, [and] consequently lower levels of good jobs [and therefore] lower salaries,” Miller told 24/7 Wall St. California cities Fresno, Stockton, and Bakersfield, and El Paso, Texas, were all among the nation’s least literate cities. They also had among the 10 lowest proportions of professional occupations. Based on the report published by Central Connecticut State University, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the literacy ranking of 77 U.S. cities with populations of at least 250,000. The study reviewed city literacy based on six categories — library systems, bookstores, educational attainment, digital readership, and newspapers and other publications. Education metrics considered by Miller are from 2012, library system data
past and presently, however, more recently the availability of information has changed drastically. The expansion of technological abilities of the human race has been vast in the last century. Previously, decisions economic or otherwise were based on word of mouth and personal knowledge. Loans were assured by friends and goods were bought by recommendations or proximity. Whilst these methods of decision making are not ignored today there is more information out there about anything and everything than there ever was before. With access to the internet the assumption of perfect information is more and more realistic. The market participant can access almost perfect information when choosing a product. The modern world has allowed us to be very close to having perfect information should be choose to acknowledge it. Therefore, knowledge plays a vital part in modern economics, recording past choices and having access to other people choices allows us to make more informed decisions in the present. On the other hand, you can consider all the information and have all the knowledge in the world and still make an irrational decision. It can be argued that there are more factors to making a decision than just knowing all the options and choosing the one with the best economic outcome. Our emotions and influencing circumstances have come to guide our heads more than rationale. For example, if your do not need a top, economic logic suggests that you would not purchase one. However, if there is a top on sale, our surroundings imply not that you are losing £15 as the purchase is not necessary but gaining £10 on the sale price of this £25 top. Situations which are shown from a positive outlook are more appealing than saying the same thing from an equal but negative outlook: 30% success is better than 70% failure; although rationally they are the same. This suggests that we are simply at the whim of our surroundings and that knowledge plays only a small part in modern economics; that the remainder of economics is the decision of marketing ploys. However, I disagree, individuals have the choice to act rationally if they are aware that it is possible. Additionally, the increased prevalence of technology should encourage people to make more rationally informed decisions. AdvertisementsHoards of mindless sheeple stampede anywhere the puppet masters plant fictitious monsters by Mike Adams By now, you've probably hea... http://humansarefree.com/2016/07/the-pokemon-zombie-apocalypse-hoards-of.html Hoards of mindless sheeple stampede anywhere the puppet masters plant fictitious monsters Pokemon demonstrates the technological and social viability of augmented reality mind control The possibilities of absolute mind control are limitless. This is why I have long understood that the fate of human freedom may one day depend on small bands of rebels carrying out activities that could include: Setting off small-scale, portable EMP weapons to disable technological control systems run by oppressive, dictatorial regimes all over the world. (North Korea, anyone?) Conducting armed raids on AI robots to destroy and disable them. (See my related article How to Kill a Google Robot.) Hacking into and taking over remote controlled vehicles or robots to commandeer them for the public good. Seizing control of augmented reality systems to overlay messages of truth that appear in the virtual worlds. By now, you've probably heard of Pokemon Go, the new "hybrid reality" mobile app game that overlays real world geographic locations with virtual monsters that are collected for points.What you may not yet know is that the game was actually developed by a CIA-funded software front group for the purpose of using all the mobile device cameras of the brain dead public to conduct what I call "mass redundant surveillance" of any area requiring immediate video documentation by the CIA or NSA. It's essentially a CIA spying machine pretending to be a game To accomplish citizen-assisted spying, the game's puppet masters simply plop a virtual monster into any desired surveillance location, and, all pointing their mobile cameras at the virtual "monsters" so they can earn their virtual "points." (See bizarre photos and videos below...)As this is happening, the video from selected players' cameras is being streamed to the CIA in real time, along with precise GPS coordinates of the players' locations.The more people the CIA wants to converge onto an area of interest, the higher the monster value they place at that location.As these photos show, when high-value monsters appear in such locations, hoards of Pokemon players rush to the scene via bicycles, taxis, automobiles and even on foot... all pointing their cameras at the high-value target and upstreaming real-time video to the CIA.In effect, Pokemon Go is the CIA's way of turning an obedient population of obedient zombie humans into inadvertent collectors of actionable on-the-ground intelligence.Pokemon is the game that turns obedient, bored citizens into highly effective domestic spies who are unwittingly working for the police state.Witness these scenes from actual Pokemon Go "monster" locations where high-value monsters suddenly appeared and hoards of mindless humans instantly converged:If any of this looks familiar, it's because the scene looks ripped right out of AMC's The Walking Dead zombie apocalypse TV hit series:Here are some almost unbelievable videos:Today this virtual world only appears on mobile devices... soon it will be displayed inside contact lensesRight now, the Pokemon Go zombies have to view the virtual overlay of the game through their mobile devices. This is why they keep walking off cliffs, strolling into traffic andas they stare mindlessly at their Pokemon screens in the hopes of catching some make believe monster.In Encinitas, California, two men walked right off a cliff while playing the game, plunging 80 feet in the real world where there are no points awarded for being incredibly stupid.(Unless you work for the federal government, in which case maximum stupidity and incompetence earns you raises, bonuses and increased vacation days.)The next step of the game, however, will transition the augmented reality tothat are worn over the eyes.These transparent visors will overlay monsters onto the apparent image of the real world as seen by players, eliminating their need to stare at mobile devices.Instead, you'll just see these people mindlessly running around like crazed crack heads, seemingly desperate to reach something that actually doesn't exist.And the final future step will bewhere full motion HD graphics are displayed on the inside of contact lenses to create the augmented reality illusion that Pokemon monsters really are walking around the real world.At this point, Pokemon players' disconnect from reality will be complete, and they will exist at the whim of the game maters (i.e. Dungeon Masters) who decide what images, people, vehicles and events to drop into the virtual worlds that these people see as the real world.As you might have guessed, this is not just a massive spying machine, but a totalitarian mind control system that will eventually have the power to assert absolute control over everything a person sees, hears and experiences.Augmented display contact lenses, when combined with head-worn cameras and ear pieces, can actively censor "unapproved" images or text messages (i.e. anything the government doesn't want you to know) by literally redacting text you're not supposed to read, overlaying government-approved advertising and social control messages onto the walls of buildings, roads or even the sky in the real world, placing virtual floating "WANTED" messages over the heads of individuals identified by the government as being "dangerous," and so on.If such technology comes into existence, it would spell the total doom of human liberty and the nearly unstoppable dominance of the technocratic elite.One answer to all this is, of course,that fry all electronics in the local area, returning people to reality by destroying the circuits that maintain their virtual worlds (mental prisons) which are controlled by the dominant technotarians.If things don't change, the future of human beings may look eerily similar to real zombies.Anthony Davis had arguably the most efficient season for a 21-year-old in NBA history just two short years ago. He was the darling of the league, the favored building block of NBA GMs, and a legitimate MVP candidate according to the esteemed Zach Lowe. All of that, even in retrospect, made sense. Davis was going to be unleashed in Alvin Gentry’s go-go offense and AD had posted an absurd 30.8 PER the year before with the far less respected offensive mind of Monty Williams calling the shots. Here is the list of players to ever post a 30+ PER and notice it is stacked with Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers. Davis did it at 21 — no one had ever accomplished that feat so young. The head coach’s plan has not taken flight, and that motto itself has been shown the door. Yet, I believe Davis is on the cusp of reaching those heights, and even higher. Let me explain. The Monty Williams plan can best be explained as training wheels. Anthony Davis was rarely asked to create his own shot beyond attacking the offensive glass. He was the world’s most overqualified garbage man by cleaning up misses at the rim from (mostly) Tyreke Evans, hovering along the baseline for highlight slams, and shredding the net as a deadly pick and pop threat. Gentry arrived, injuries (not his fault) came along too, and the training wheels were forcibly removed. In the past two years Davis has seen his usage increase substantially. The vast majority of that increase can be tied to AD cooking for himself rather than allowing a point guard to serve him the dishes we were all used to under Monty. Like many kids without training wheels or young adults living on their own for the first time, there were mistakes. Many, many mistakes. In the last two years Davis has posted an eFG% more akin to his rookie season than that of the world beater we saw in 2015. Turnovers have increased; shots in the restricted area have diminished. All along, be mindful of the fact that Davis has improved. Each summer Davis comes back better, yet it has shrouded by the ever present request to do more from the coaching staff. 22.7% of AD’s shots came off two or more dribbles last season according to NBA Stats, nearly double what it was (11.9%) in 2014-15. Working alone in the NBA is harder than working together. Davis should ideally do less of the job by himself in the upcoming season. Over the past two seasons, his work load has only grown as the proportion of shots after two seconds or two dribbles has steadily increased. Anthony Davis Shot Tracking Data Anthony Davis Tracking Touch 2+ Secs eFG% 2+ Dribbles eFG% USG% eFG% Anthony Davis Tracking Touch 2+ Secs eFG% 2+ Dribbles eFG% USG% eFG% 2014-15 31.5% 42.4% 11.9% 42.3% 27.8% 53.6% 2015-16 32.2% 37.4% 14.7% 40.4% 29.6% 50.8% 2016-17 39.5% 42.9% 22.7% 47.5% 32.6% 51.8% Playing alongside DeMarcus Cousins, Jrue Holiday, and Rajon Rondo, New Orleans should ask Anthony Davis to do far less of the lifting on his own. The addition of Chris Finch as well should alleviate some of AD’s burden as more inventive methods of operation are implemented. Crashing the offensive glass more should be on the table, adding more easy baskets for a team that may at times struggle to space the floor. Looking at Davis and Cousins, one would assume that Davis would be the one to float around the perimeter to give way to Boogie in the paint. Despite appearances, it is DeMarcus Cousins who is far more suited to playing around the elbows thanks to his superior passing ability and long range shooting acumen. I hope for less isolation post ups and more rim running and baseline prowling from AD in the upcoming year. Toss in a license to crash the glass and Davis should discover more attempts within the restricted area than he’s seen thus far under Alvin Gentry. Creating less of his own offense (thanks to a changing role and being surrounded by better creators), more shots closer to the basket, and the ease of fewer double teams are on tap for Anthony Davis. The lessons he learned when Gentry took off the training wheels should now be better applied. And Davis will, even with all these environmental improvements, himself come back better after a healthy summer to focus on his craft without distraction of injury rehabilitation. While I’m no fan of Rajon Rondo, acquiring another legitimate NBA shot creator will make Anthony Davis better. A healthy summer to tinker with his game and a training camp to get Davis and Cousins on the same page with assistant coach Chris Finch should also prove incredibly valuable. 2014-15 Anthony Davis was incredible. The ideal building block. An MVP candidate. This year, expect Anthony Davis to be even better.The New York Red Bulls Under-16s will host Chivas USA in the Quarterfinals of the playoffs on Wednesday, July 8 at the Red Bulls Training Facility. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT. The Red Bulls U-16 team began the first of three USDA playoff matches on Tuesday, June 23 in Westfield, Indiana, versus IMG Academy. The Red Bulls won in convincing fashion, scoring five goals and managing only to concede once. Zaire Bartley was named man of the match for his overall outstanding play and for his two second half goals that helped seal the win for the Red Bulls. The following day, the Red Bulls were called right back into action against Solar Chelsea from Texas. It was another win for them as they continued their impressive scoring from their last match, tallying six goals while still only conceding once. Omir Fernandez was named man of the match for not only assisting on two goals for the Red Bulls, but for scoring one himself. This win brought the Red Bulls point total to the maximum of six in two days and put them on top of their playoff group. Their final playoff game was against another MLS Academy, Portland Timbers, who also had total of six points. Therefore, a win or a tie was all that the Red Bulls needed to advance to the quarterfinals. The Red Bulls started shaky and they found themselves trailing for the first time in the playoffs, as they conceded an early goal after only three minutes. The Red Bulls quickly responded by scoring two consecutive goals in the first half and then cemented their lead by scoring an additional two goals to start the second. Although the Timbers were able to pull one back, it was not enough to bring them victory. Mason Deeds was deemed man of the match. The Red Bulls finished on top of their group and advanced to the next round of play against Chivas USA.EDIT: turns out yhey stopped wrapping them in foil. have to order foil from an after market candy wrapper company (custom wrappers for weddings and the like). still planning to f=do a recipe that looks right. planning to mold it into the proper shape so I can eat them while I watch the show....As seen in serenity on that beautifully strange commercial with the subliminal message that caused river tam to flip out on an unsuspecting bar full of people, [link] I give you an accurate fruity oaty bar wrapper. made to fit a very non fruity, non oaty bar ( wanted people to be able to actually make one.....) It fits hersheys king size. Not the giant ones, the king size. Chosen because they are wrapped in foil beneath its paper wrapping. should be easy enough to do. dark chocolate have gold foil (as this bar is supposed to in the finished product.)Painstakingly researched from unused production art and official merchandise (the stand for the fruity oaty bobbleheads is one)I hope y'all think it's as shiny as I do.The mandarin says Not bad! Delicious!Working on a recipe for multicolored fruity oaty bars you can eat.Dane Wigington geoengineeringwatch.org Climate engineering is a completely runaway juggernaut of total insanity. The planet's climate system is unraveling by the day as the geoengineers try frantically to control it with ever more desperate and destructive measures (which were a primary cause of the climate disintegration in the first place). As the photograph below clearly shows, powerful radio frequency transmissions have a profound effect on clouds that have been aerosolized by the jet aircraft spraying of toxic electrically conductive heavy metals. RF transmissions over the Prince Edward Islands can be seen in the image below. Massive Aerosol operations off the west coast of the North American continent, such heavy spraying is used in conjunction with RF transmissions. Bizarre cloud configurations commonly occur due to the radio frequency bombardment of the atmosphere for climate modification purposes. Lake Superior/Arrowhead region of N. Minnesota The following image is from the Eastern Pacific, June 26, 2015. The 90 degree angle cut out of the aerosolized cloud cover is a signature of RF influence. After over 65 years of climate "intervention", very real damage has been done to the Earth's life support systems (along with countless other forms of anthropogenic destruction to the biosphere). The climate engineers are now appear to be attempting to use the very same intervention methods which caused the damage in the first place, to mitigate the harm already done. There is no sanity in this equation. The visible RF influence in the noctilucent cloud image below indicates probable evidence of project "LUCY" and project "ALAMO" at work. The ongoing radio frequency saturation in our atmosphere is extremely harmful to living organisms, including us. The 2 minute video below is an excellent capture of RF manipulation on weather systems, it is shocking and well worth the time to view. If we are to have any chance whatsoever of salvaging the planet's life support systems, climate engineering must be exposed and halted. Make you voice heard. DWWe live in a strange time. Historically, reporters and editors have believed that their job is to disseminate news. That is no longer true. Now, most reporters and editors believe that their principal function is to prevent people from learning things they are better off not knowing. Day after day, they run interference for their party, the Democrats. Blockading inconvenient stories from making the news is job number one. Consider Fast and Furious. The Obama administration deliberately encouraged guns to be sold illegally and transferred to Mexican drug lords, for reasons that have never been explained. Hundreds of Mexicans and least one or two Americans died as a result. Was that a news story? In Mexico, yes; here in the U.S., it was generally greeted with yawns. Benghazi: four dead Americans, including an ambassador who had pleaded with his own State Department–run at the time by a prominent presidential contender–for security that never came. Mysteries abound: what was the ambassador doing in Benghazi anyway? Why did the CIA have an “annex” nearby? Why did one of the alleged ringleaders of the attack give one interview after another to American news outlets while the Obama administration did nothing to apprehend him, or any other participant in the attack, for nearly two years? Why didn’t the administration even attempt to send help to the Americans while they were under attack? Where were Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as the disaster unfolded, and what instructions–if any–did they give? Was Obama too concerned with his fundraising trip to Las Vegas to pay any attention to the Americans who were besieged in Benghazi? And where did the crazy story of the internet video come from, anyway? Why weren’t we told that on the night of the attack, our intelligence agencies reported that the terrorist attackers were using State Department cell phones to report to their superiors? On the VA, don’t get me started. Just today, more details about the scandal emerged–secret waiting lists, altered records, dying veterans. A year or two ago, leftists like Paul Krugman were touting the VA as evidence that socialized medicine is a smashing success. Mightn’t the current scandal tell us something about the desirability of government-administered medicine? Our reporters and editors won’t touch that angle with a stick. Then we have the burgeoning IRS scandal. If you are a New York Times reader, let me bring you up to date: the IRS, urged on by Democratic Party politicians, has gone to considerable lengths to suppress conservative-oriented nonprofit organizations. Among many other things, it sent 1.1 million pages of documents, some of them confidential materials that it is a felony to disclose, to the FBI, encouraging the FBI to stir up criminal prosecutions of conservative donors. When its activities came to light, the IRS stonewalled and likely destroyed incriminating documents, while its key employee refused to testify under oath, relying on her privilege against self-incrimination. Scandal, anyone? It is impossible to understand our press’s supine performance without acknowledging that most reporters and editors are Democratic Party operatives who would rather conceal the news than report it. Pete Wehner writes: Here’s a thought experiment. Assume during the George W. Bush administration the IRS had targeted MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, the Center for American Progress, and a slew of other liberal groups. Assume, too, that no conservative groups were the subject of harassment and intimidation. And just for the fun of it, assume that press secretary Ari Fleischer had misled the press and the public by saying the scandal was confined to two rogue IRS agents in Cincinnati and that President Bush had declared that there was “not even a smidgen of corruption” that had occurred. Let’s go a step further. Assume that the IRS Commissioner, in testifying before Congress, admitted that the emails of the person at the heart of the abuse of power scandal were gone, that the backup tapes have been erased and that her hard drive was destroyed. For good measure, assume that the person who was intimately involved in targeting liberal groups took the Fifth Amendment. Given all this, boys and girls, do you think the elite media–the New York Times, Washington Post, The News Hour, and the news networks for ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN–would pay much attention to it? Answer: They wouldn’t just cover the story; they would fixate on it. It would be a crazed obsession. Journalists up and down the Acela Corridor would be experiencing dangerously rapid pulse rates. The gleam in their eye and the spring in their step would be impossible to miss. You couldn’t escape the coverage even if you wanted to. The story would sear itself into your imagination. That is true, obviously. Look what the so-called “mainstream media” did with an inconsequential lane closure on a bridge! The one place where I part company with Wehner is his reference to “the elite media.” There is nothing “elite” about the New York Times or the Washington Post, although the Post’s editorial board is actually pretty good. I can’t imagine anyone claiming that the CBS, ABC or NBC evening news shows are “elite.” All of these news outlets are, in fact, low-grade and partisan. They are entitled to no deference and should be accorded none.Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email An alleged plot by Islamic fundamentalists to take over Birmingham schools by ousting headteachers and staff through dirty tricks campaigns is being investigated by education chiefs. The city council and the Birmingham Mail have received documents which purport to show Jihadists are targeting schools and orchestrating false allegations against staff, including non-Muslims, in an operation dubbed Trojan Horse. Meanwhile, West Midlands Police have reopened a fraud investigation at one school named in the supposed leaked letter – and Ofsted is currently conducting a snap inspection at another. The documents claim to be leaked written correspondence from one Birmingham fundamentalist to another in Bradford and details plans to roll out Trojan Horse to Bradford as well as Manchester. The letter states some Birmingham headteachers have already been forced out and predicts others will follow. Police probe ‘fake letters’ at school as two heads named in document quit Once ousted, the Muslim fundamentalist group allegedly tries to install its own supporters in key positions to encourage the school to educate children on strict Islamic principles, including the segregation of boys and girls in some lessons. To achieve the aim some schools apply for Academy status, effectively taking them out of the control of the local education authority, and allowing them to be run on religious lines. The alleged plot is said to involve recruiting Salafi parents and staff – hard-line followers of Islam – to help spread false allegations about school leaders, including claiming sex education is being promoted to Muslim schoolchildren or Christian prayers. One passage in the documents states: “We have caused a great amount of organised disruption in Birmingham and as a result we now have our own Academies and are on our way to getting rid of more headteachers and taking over their schools. “Whilst sometimes the practices we use may not seem the correct way to do things you must remember this is a ‘Jihad’ and as such all means possible to win the war is acceptable.’’ Birmingham City Council was sent the documents in December and has alerted West Midlands Police and the Department for Education. This week Ofsted inspectors launched a surprise inspection at Park View Academy in Alum Rock, where it has previously been reported one staff member has complained non-Muslim employees are being discriminated against. It was also claimed the school was attempting to introduce Islamic studies to the curriculum. Lindsey Clark, Park View’s executive head, reportedly said faith classes were being organised, but for after-school lessons. She said it was a ‘safeguarding issue’ for children allegedly being hit in local madrasahs. Meanwhile, police have confirmed to the Birmingham Mail that a fraud investigation has been reopened at Adderley Primary School after the documents came to light. It is understood the investigation centres on allegations of ‘faked’ resignation letters. Both schools were named in the documents, along with Saltley School. The documents claim former Saltley headmaster Balwant Bains would ‘soon be sacked’. In fact, the much respected principal resigned last November after a damning Ofsted report criticised his “dysfunctional” relationship with governors. An alleged plot to oust headteacher Tina Ireland at Regents Park Community School by ‘planting the seed’ of SATs cheating allegations is also detailed in the documents. The long-serving and respected teacher and her deputy, Michelle McCusker, resigned in October after education chiefs scrapped the primary school’s SATs results following cheating allegations. The Mail has spoken to education figures across Birmingham who have expressed concerns about disruption at a number of city schools with a high Muslim pupil population over the past two years. Meanwhile, Peter Hay, Strategic Director for People at Birmingham City Council, alerted city councillors to the anonymous documents on February 10 and revealed some heads had also received them. He told them: “Those head teachers who have seen these documents have found them disturbing and have passed them on to the local authority. “The letter and documents currently reaching some head teachers are very similar to material received by senior officers and politicians in the council late last year. “We take all such matters very seriously and promptly and properly considered the allegations with colleagues in West Midlands Police, Equalities, Birmingham audit and legal staff. ‘‘The city council is taking this matter very seriously and has already initiated an investigation by Birmingham Audit. “I am sure you will understand that I am not in a position to share the details of that, but can reassure you that this matter is under review by senior councillors and officers. “The council is deeply committed to its core purpose of fairness and democracy and will do everything it can to deliver a better city for all. “Those who choose anonymity and fear as their methods should not be allowed to detract from their commitment.’’ West Midlands Police is being kept updated on the council inquiry. Superintendent Sue Southern, the Head of Prevent & Protect West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “In December 2013 Birmingham City Council brought the content of a letter they were investigating to the attention of West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit requesting we make an assessment of whether any criminal offences had been committed. “The assessment at that time and remains the case today is that the allegations in the letter were for further investigation by Birmingham City Council and Department for Education and were not a matter for the Police. “The city council has continued to keep us updated on their enquiry in the event that any findings either warrant police investigation or impact on our joint delivery of Prevent across the city.’’ A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are aware of the serious allegations made in relation to some schools in the Birmingham area, including Park View, which are now being investigated by Birmingham City Council and West Midlands police. “We will not hesitate to take firm action if necessary. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.” WHAT'S IN THE DOCUMENTS The documents allegedly feature correspondence from one Birmingham Muslim fundamentalist to another in Bradford. They detail a five point guide for taking over a school and encourage rolling out Trojan Horse to Bradford and then Manchester, cities with rapidly growing Muslim populations. The documents outline alleged successful plots being carried out against a number of Birmingham headteachers. The documents also give a step-by-step guide for targeting other under-performing schools with dirty tricks methods, involving the spreading of lies about the school heads. Once forced out, hard-line Muslim supporters move in and push through plans to make the schools academies. The academy status, as promoted by schools minister Michael Gove, allows them to be run out of the control of the local authority, with funding provided direct from central Government. The secret documents state: ‘’Operation ‘Trojan Horse’ has been very carefully thought through and is tried and tested within Birmingham, implementing it in Bradford will not be difficult for you.’’ Trojan Horse, the documents state, has been fine-tuned so that it is ‘totally invisible to the naked eye and allows us to operate under the radar. I have detailed the plan we have in Birmingham and how well it has worked and you will see how easy the whole process is to get the whole process is to get the head teacher out and our own person in.’’ The documents state schools with poor Ofsted reports and with large Muslim student populations should be targeted for takeover. They add: ‘’The poor performing schools are easy to disrupt, the better performing with strong head teachers is much harder and so we have to manufacture a strong enough reason, but rest assured we have not failed yet, no matter how difficult removing the head teacher may be. You just have to be clever and find the most appropriate way to deal with the school.’’ The documents add: ‘’This is all about causing the maximum amount of organised chaos and we have fine-tuned this as part of operation Trojan Horse. You must identify what the heads strengths are and build a case of disruption around that.’’CHICAGO, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Fourteen Chicagoland vehicle towing companies and individuals are named as defendants in a lawsuit recently filed by U-Haul Company of Illinois, Inc. in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants fraudulently towed U-Haul trucks and trailers in order to charge U-Haul exorbitant and baseless fees for the return of the equipment. "U-Haul filed the lawsuit after an extensive investigation following an increasing number of U-Haul rental equipment had been towed in the region under suspicious circumstances," said U-Haul Area District Vice President Steve Hansen. "This lawsuit follows a string of recent news stories on other Chicagoland tow truck companies allegedly engaging in unlawful behavior." According to the lawsuit, various defendants allegedly offered payments to U-Haul customers in exchange for their participation in the tow fraud aimed at billing U-Haul for thousands of dollars in unnecessary towing and vehicle storing fees. The complaint alleges that the defendants falsely represented to U-Haul that its equipment required their towing due to vehicle accidents and mechanical breakdowns that never actually occurred. Investigators have obtained confessions from various individuals involved in the fraud. "U-Haul always pursues recourse against individuals who involve U-Haul equipment in nefarious activities," Hansen said. "We do this on behalf of the millions of honest U-Haul customers we serve each year to keep their costs low and to make their communities a safer place to live." In addition to legal recourse, U-Haul retains a robust investigations unit that works closely with law enforcement and U-Haul Team Members across North America. This unit has uncovered various types of fraud and illegal activity throughout the U.S. and Canada. Persons who have knowledge of, or have been victimized by, the fraud alleged in this particular complaint are encouraged to report this information to the Consumer Protection Division of the Illinois Attorney General's office at 1-800-386-5438 and www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/consumers, and to contact the attorneys for U-Haul in this lawsuit, LaRose & Bosco, Ltd. at (312) 642-6614. The Defendants The lawsuit names as defendants the following Chicagoland vehicle towing companies and individuals: Traffic Recovery Inc., Muhanad Ali, Ambition Towing Inc., A.T.I. Recovery, Haifa Ali, Rafat Ali, Evans Towing and Recovery Inc., Lutredze Evans, Automotive Transport Specialist Inc., Ibrahim Ziaha, South Side Towing Inc., Jennifer Abdelrahman, Affordable Towing and Recovery LLC, and Tremaine L. Hemingway. About U-Haul Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 20,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 135,000 trucks, 107,000 trailers and 38,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 491,000 rooms and more than 44 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is one of the nation's largest propane retailers. www.uhaul.com Contact: Jeff Lockridge, External Communications Sebastien Reyes, Director of External Communications E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com Phone: 602-760-4941 Website: www.uhaul.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090622/LA34860LOGO-b SOURCE U-HaulEntertainment Tonight host Nancy O'Dell addressed Donald Trump's lewd comments about her in 2005 to then-Access Hollywood host Billy Bush on-air on Monday. O'Dell's complete comments can be seen Monday night on ET. "I feel it's very important that I address you all directly," O'Dell said on ET. "As a journalist for 26 years now, it is my job to bring you news about others, rather than turning the focus on myself. But by now, I'm sure that most of you have heard the audio tape which became national news and part of the presidential race. My name was mentioned and, unfortunately, the release of it has thrown me into the middle of the political arena of which I didn't ask to be a part." WATCH: Donald Trump Denies Sexual Assault Claims, Again Calls Taped Comments 'Locker Room Talk' in Second Debate "I released a statement on Saturday and I truly mean what I said," she continued. "There is no room for objectification of women, or anyone for that matter, not even in the 'locker room.' The conversation has got to change because everybody deserves respect, no matter the gender or setting. And as a mom, I have to add that our kids, especially our young girls, need to know that their hard work, their achievements, their intelligence, their heart are most important, and those things will not go unnoticed." O'Dell also thanked all her fans for the support she's received since Friday. "I also want to take this time now to thank you, the viewers, who so graciously open your homes to Entertainment Tonight every night," O'Dell said. "I've been flooded with your messages from around the world, and I so appreciate all of your kind words. I have been reading as many as I can and they are completely renewing my faith that we all want a better and more inclusive society. So, once again, I thank you all for your support." NEWS: Billy Bush Suspended From 'Today' Show Amid Trump Scandal On Saturday, O'Dell released a statement on the tape, noting that she was "saddened that these comments still exist in our society at all." "When I heard the comments yesterday, it was disappointing to hear such objectification of women," the statement read. "The conversation needs to change because no female, no person, should be the subject of such crass comments, whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender. As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that as a society we will always strive to be better." In the second presidential debate on Sunday, Trump continued to call his sexually explicit comments about O'Dell -- as well as Days of Our Livesactress Arianne Zucker -- "locker room talk" when grilled by debate moderators Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz. WATCH: 'Today' Show Addresses Billy Bush's Suspension Over His 2005 Conversation With Donald Trump "This was locker room talk," Trump responded. "I'm not proud of it. I apologize to my family, I apologize to the American people." In his initial statement after the video surfaced, the 70-year-old Republican presidential nominee said, "This was locker-room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course -- not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended." Meanwhile, 44-year-old Bush has also apologized for his role in the tape. In addition, the Today show co-anchor has been suspended from the NBC morning show. In an internal memo obtained by ET, Today show senior producer Noah Oppenheim said on Sunday that "there is simply no excuse for Billy's language and behavior on that tape" and that he's been suspended "pending further review of this matter." "Obviously I’m embarrassed and ashamed," Bush said in a statement to ET on Friday. "It’s no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago -- I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry." In the footage released by the Washington Post, Trump can be heard telling Bush that he tried to seduce O’Dell, Bush’s co-host at Access Hollywood at the time. WATCH: Ivanka Trump Shares a Moment With Chelsea Clinton After Debate "I moved on her and I failed," Trump said, referring to her as "Nancy." "I'll admit it. I did try and fk her. She was married." "I moved on her like a bch, but I couldn't get there. And she was married," he continued. Bush and Trump then began coarsely discussing the appearance of Zucker, whom the two men were en route to meet for a Trump guest appearance on the soap. "I've got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her," Trump said. "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- I
days after Charles's execution, on the day of his interment, a memoir purporting to be written by the king appeared for sale. This book, the Eikon Basilike (Greek for the "Royal Portrait"), contained an apologia for royal policies, and it proved an effective piece of royalist propaganda. John Milton wrote a Parliamentary rejoinder, the Eikonoklastes ("The Iconoclast"), but the response made little headway against the pathos of the royalist book.[297] Anglicans and royalists fashioned an image of martyrdom, and in the Convocations of Canterbury and York of 1660 King Charles the Martyr was added to the Church of England's liturgical calendar. High church Anglicans held special services on the anniversary of his death. Churches, such as those at Falmouth and Tunbridge Wells, and Anglican devotional societies such as the Society of King Charles the Martyr, were founded in his honour. With the monarchy overthrown, England became a republic or "Commonwealth". The House of Lords was abolished by the Rump Commons, and executive power was assumed by a Council of State.[300] All significant military opposition in Britain and Ireland was extinguished by the forces of Oliver Cromwell in the Third English Civil War and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.[301] Cromwell forcibly disbanded the Rump Parliament in 1653,[302] thereby establishing the Protectorate with himself as Lord Protector.[303] Upon his death in 1658, he was briefly succeeded by his ineffective son, Richard.[304] Parliament was reinstated, and the monarchy was restored to Charles I's eldest son, Charles II, in 1660.[305] Art Partly inspired by his visit to the Spanish court in 1623,[306] Charles became a passionate and knowledgeable art collector, amassing one of the finest art collections ever assembled.[307] In Spain, he sat for a sketch by Velázquez, and acquired works by Titian and Correggio, among others. In England, his commissions included the ceiling of the Banqueting House, Whitehall, by Rubens and paintings by other artists from the Low Countries such as van Honthorst, Mytens, and van Dyck.[309] His close associates, including the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Arundel, shared his interest and have been dubbed the Whitehall Group. In 1627 and 1628, Charles purchased the entire collection of the Duke of Mantua, which included work by Titian, Correggio, Raphael, Caravaggio, del Sarto and Mantegna.[311] His collection grew further to encompass Bernini, Bruegel, da Vinci, Holbein, Hollar, Tintoretto and Veronese, and self-portraits by both Dürer and Rembrandt. By Charles's death, there were an estimated 1,760 paintings, most of which were sold and dispersed by Parliament. Assessments In the words of John Philipps Kenyon, "Charles Stuart is a man of contradictions and controversy". Revered by high Tories who considered him a saintly martyr, he was condemned by Whig historians, such as Samuel Rawson Gardiner, who thought him duplicitous and delusional.[316] In recent decades, most historians have criticised him,[317] the main exception being Kevin Sharpe who offered a more sympathetic view of Charles that has not been widely adopted.[318] While Sharpe argued that the king was a dynamic man of conscience, Professor Barry Coward thought Charles "was the most incompetent monarch of England since Henry VI", a view shared by Ronald Hutton, who called him "the worst king we have had since the Middle Ages".[320] Archbishop William Laud, who was beheaded by Parliament during the war, described Charles as "A mild and gracious prince who knew not how to be, or how to be made, great."[321] Charles was more sober and refined than his father,[322] but he was intransigent. He deliberately pursued unpopular policies that ultimately brought ruin on himself. Both Charles and James were advocates of the divine right of kings, but while James's ambitions concerning absolute prerogative were tempered by compromise and consensus with his subjects, Charles believed that he had no need to compromise or even to explain his actions.[324] He thought he was answerable only to God. "Princes are not bound to give account of their actions," he wrote, "but to God alone". Titles, styles, honours and arms Charles, as painted by van Dyck between 1637 and 1638 Titles and styles 23 December 1600 – 27 March 1625: Duke of Albany, Marquess of Ormonde, Earl of Ross and Lord Ardmannoch 6 January 1605 – 27 March 1625: Duke of York 6 November 1612 – 27 March 1625: Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay 4 November 1616 – 27 March 1625: Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester 27 March 1625 – 30 January 1649: His Majesty The King The official style of Charles I as king in England was "Charles, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc." The style "of France" was only nominal, and was used by every English monarch from Edward III to George III, regardless of the amount of French territory actually controlled. The authors of his death warrant referred to him as "Charles Stuart, King of England".[329] Honours Arms As Duke of York, Charles bore the royal arms of the kingdom differenced by a label Argent of three points, each bearing three torteaux Gules. As the Prince of Wales, he bore the royal arms differenced by a plain label Argent of three points. As king, Charles bore the royal arms undifferenced: Quarterly, I and IV Grandquarterly, Azure three fleurs-de-lis Or (for France) and Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or (for England); II Or a lion rampant within a tressure flory-counter-flory Gules (for Scotland); III Azure a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland). In Scotland, the Scottish arms were placed in the first and fourth quarters with the English and French arms in the second quarter. Coat of arms as Duke of York from 1611 to 1612 Coat of arms as heir apparent and Prince of Wales used from 1612 to 1625 Coat of arms of Charles I used (outside Scotland) from 1625 to 1649 Coat of arms of Charles I used in Scotland from 1625 to 1649 Issue James, Charles, Charles I's five eldest children, 1637. Left to right: Mary Elizabeth and Anne Charles had nine children, two of whom eventually succeeded as king, and two of whom died at or shortly after birth. Ancestry See also Notes References Further reading HistoriographyPark rose to global prominence after she delivered a speech at the One Young World 2014 Summit in Dublin, Ireland — an annual summit that gathers young people from around the world to develop solutions to global problems. [3] Her speech, about her experience escaping from North Korea, received 50 million views in two days on YouTube and social media, with a current total of more than 80 million. [4] Her memoir In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom was published in September 2015. [5] Park Yeon-mi (or Yeonmi Park ; born 4 October 1993) is a North Korean defector and human rights activist who escaped to China in 2007 and settled in South Korea in 2009. She came from an educated, politically connected family that turned to black market trading during North Korea's economic collapse in the 1990s. [1] After her father was sent to a labor camp for smuggling, her family faced starvation. They fled to China, where Park and her mother fell into the hands of human traffickers before escaping to Mongolia. [2] She is now an advocate for victims of human trafficking in China and works to promote human rights in North Korea and around the globe. Park was born on 4 October 1993 in Hyesan, Ryanggang, North Korea. Her father was a civil servant who worked at the Hyesan town hall as part of the ruling Workers' Party, and her mother was a nurse for the North Korean Army. Her father later established a metal smuggling operation in the capital, Pyongyang, where he spent most of the year while his wife and daughters remained in Hyesan. Her family was wealthy by North Korean standards during most of her childhood, although the family later struggled after her father was imprisoned for engaging in an illegal business. [7] Park has an older sister, Eunmi. Park's father was arrested for illegal trading and subjected to hard labor. Her views of the Kim Dynasty changed when she watched an illegally imported DVD of the 1997 movie Titanic, which caused her to realize the oppressive nature of the North Korean government. She states that the movie taught her the true meaning of love and gave her "a taste of freedom".[8] When reunited with his family, Park's father urged the family to plan their escape to China. Unfortunately, her older sister Eunmi left for China early without notifying them.[1] Park and her family feared that they would be punished for Eunmi's escape, so they escaped North Korea by traveling through China with the help of brokers who smuggle North Koreans into China. Chinese and Korean Christian missionaries helped them relocate to Mongolia, and South Korean diplomats facilitated the family's transition into Seoul. After this harrowing journey, which concluded in 2007, Park became a full-time activist for human rights in North Korea.[1] China Edit Park and her family escaped North Korea by crossing the border into China. On the night of 30 March 2007, with the aid of human traffickers, Park and her mother crossed a frozen river and three mountains to get into the Chinese border. Park’s father was sick and stayed behind in North Korea, thinking his illness would slow them down.[1][9] After crossing the Chinese border, Park and her mother headed for the Chinese province of Jilin. They unsuccessfully tried to find Park's sister, Eunmi, asking the traffickers about her whereabouts. Yeonmi and her mother assumed that Eunmi had died.[1] One of the traffickers threatened to report Park and her mother to the authorities if Park didn’t have sex with him. Her mother intervened for her safety by offering herself to the trafficker. In October 2007, Park sent word to her father and arranged to smuggle him into China. There, he was diagnosed with inoperable colon cancer. In January 2008, while the family was living in secret, Park's father died aged 45. The family was unable to formally mourn him, fearing that they would be discovered by Chinese authorities, and buried his remains in the ground of a nearby mountain. Park said, “There was no funeral. Nothing. I couldn’t even do that for my father. I couldn’t call anyone to say my father had passed away." Park and her mother found a Christian shelter headed by Chinese and South Korean missionaries in the port city of Qingdao, China. According to Park, the Christian missionaries only agreed to help her under the condition that she first become a Christian.[10] Due to the city's large ethnic Korean population, they were able to evade the attention of authorities. With the help of the missionaries, they took a chance and fled to South Korea through Mongolia.[1] Mongolia Edit In February 2009, after receiving aid from human rights activists and Christian missionaries, Park and her mother journeyed to Mongolia to seek asylum from South Korean diplomats, traveling through the Gobi Desert.[1] When they reached the Mongolian border, guards stopped them and threatened to deport the pair back to China. Park recalls that at this point she and her mother pledged to kill themselves with their own knives. “I thought it was the end of my life. We were saying goodbye to one another.” Their actions persuaded the guards to let them through, but they were placed under arrest[11] and kept in custody at a detention center at Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. On 1 April 2009, Park and her mother were sent to Ulaanbaatar’s Chinggis Khaan Airport to fly them to Seoul. Park felt relieved to be free at last; the Daily Telegraph reported, "'Oh my God,' she thought when Mongolian customs officials waved her through. 'They didn’t stop me.'”[1] South Korea Edit Park and her mother had difficulty adjusting to their new lives in South Korea, but they managed to find jobs as shop assistants and waitresses. Park also continued her education in Dongguk University in Seoul.[1][12] In April 2014, South Korean intelligence informed Park that her sister, Eunmi, had escaped to South Korea via China and Thailand. Park and her mother eventually reunited with Eunmi.[1] United States Edit Park moved to New York City in 2014 to complete her memoir while expanding her role as an activist. She audited classes at Barnard College and then applied and was accepted to the Columbia University School of General Studies, starting there in the Fall 2016 semester. She is currently pursuing a B.A. in Economics.[13]Republicans will take on Obama's "pen and phone" executive actions this week by voting on legislation that would give the courts more power to interpret laws and regulations that the GOP say are being foisted upon the nation by an unchecked and "overgrown bureaucracy." The House Judiciary Committee will vote Wednesday on whether to advance the Separation of Powers Restoration Act, a bill, sponsored by Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, who is battling with the Obama administration over floodplain regulations in his home state. "The endless stream of rules and regulations being rolled out by federal agencies has real consequences for real people all across the country," Ratcliffe said in a statement. "Unelected federal bureaucrats are not accountable to the American people and can't be voted out of office; yet, they wield immense power to impose regulations that have the force of law." Obama back in 2014 threatened more federal regulations when he said he wasn't waiting around for legislation from the Republican Congress. "I've got a pen and I've got a phone," he said, adding that he can "use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions." Under current law, agencies have wide latitude to interpret and enforce statutes and regulations, leaving little recourse for challenge. Republicans accuse the Obama administration of using the current law to push too far on dozens of rules and regulations spanning the government. Ratcliffe's bill would give the courts, not the agencies, the authority to interpret all questions of law, including both statutes and regulations, said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. "Today's federal administrative state is an institution unforeseen by the Framers of our Constitution, that is rapidly mushrooming out of control," Goodlatte said. "This overgrown bureaucracy is tipping our system of checks and balances away from the legislative and judicial branches, and towards a stronger, emboldened, and overreaching executive." Ratcliffe is fighting an executive order issued by President Obama in January that redefines and significantly expands the definition of a floodplain, "so that it would better align with his administration's climate change agenda." Obama issued the order on Jan. 30 and said it was needed "in order to improve the nation's resilience to current and future flood risk." The Senate has introduced an identical bill introduced by 11 GOP lawmakers. "This bill reasserts the clear lines between the courts' role in interpreting the law, and the Executive Branch's role in enforcing the law," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., said. "By doing so, it takes a strong step toward reining in the regulators."EDIT: Any Realm version from 4.0.0-RC1 and above supports RealmList<String> natively, so use that instead. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — I’ll be honest: I really dislike titles that say, “X is an anti-pattern”. Especially when the pitfalls of a specific approach aren’t obvious, the opposite is also claimed to be an anti-pattern, and so on. In the case of RealmList<RealmString>, you can’t really “support” it at all. I even should have mentioned this already in my Realm schema design article. The idea of using RealmList<RealmString> to overcome the limitation that RealmList of primitives is not supported (WHICH IS NOT A LIMITATION SINCE 4.0.0) was designed as a hack, back when there was no better solution. Apart from being hideous and not exactly transient to the developer, it also brings some problems along with it. Well, there is a just as hacky solution, but at least you don’t bloat your Realm schema with it :) Problems of RealmList<RealmString> 1.) You need to define a new RealmObject for it You need to create a RealmObject for something that isn’t really meant to be a separate class, an unnecessary wrapper. It also creates a link, which means… 2.) Objects accessed via a link need to be deleted manually Basically if you use RealmList<RealmString> in a class, then in order to clear up the RealmString objects bound to it, you must iterate the RealmResults first, call deleteAllFromRealm() on their managed RealmList, and only then can you actually delete the objects. Iterating a RealmResults creates a proxy per accessed object, so this can be memory-intensive with large datasets, even though this data should belong directly to the RealmObject, not via a link. 3.) Link queries are slower than normal queries Simply put, a link query takes more time than a query on an indexed field. 4.) Any write to the RealmString table notifies any other RealmObject that has a link to it (pre-3.0) (only applies before Realm 3.0) The coarse-grained change listeners assume that your object could have been modified if RealmString was modified, which results in unnecessary calls to RealmChangeListener, which typically calls adapter.notifyDataSetChanged(). Solution: storing RealmList<primitive> as a String Yup, the problem is that people try to store the primitives as a List. It doesn’t have to be a List, though. Think about it — you can parcel any List of elements into a String. Even your every-day JSON parser does it all the time. Parcelling a list to a String is especially easy with a list of primitive values. Look at this gist from the RealmList<RealmInteger>, … issue: Instead of creating an unnecessary wrapper for the List<String>, instead it maps it into a single String field, with join separators. For Java, this can be done with Commons-Lang’s StringUtils.join(), or Stream API backports. Or manually with StringBuilder. Whichever works. Why does this work well? Since Realm 0.88.0, you need to add Realm to the project as a Gradle plugin, right? Well with that came in the Realm-Transformer, which converts all direct field access into proxy method calls. This is great, because this is what allows us to manually create “computed properties” like total as this.total = quantity * price;. But this allows us to create custom getters/setters, that set the String field even though you give it a List, or returns a List even though the field is a String. Something like this: And if we don’t want to add Commons-Lang to the project, you can use this method from Spring Framework: Or something of that sort. Joining a string shouldn’t be too hard. Conclusion Don’t create unnecessary links. Purge the RealmList<RealmString>. Added note (2017–01–17): But if you still need to separate the elements into their own list, then create a separate RealmObject for it, not a RealmString. Here is a concrete example:Maybe you haven't been watching the Rockets for a while. Maybe their abject mediocrity over the last, oh I don't know, 15 years, has left you complacent. Maybe you grew up during a time when the Rockets weren't winning titles and contending for championships. Or maybe you just didn't care that much...until now. No one is going to judge you for hopping on the bandwagon now that the Rockets appear to be relevant (and perhaps good even) again, particularly since the Texans season is (unofficially) over and what else are you going to do, talk about the NFL draft? I know that is what sports radio wants from you, but you're a smart sports fan and you like teams that win. So, welcome back...or for the first time...to the NBA and your hometown Houston Rockets. For those who haven't been around for a while, a lot has changed in the last 10 years. So, I'd like to act as your official tour guide to the 2013-14 team, show you around the roster, introduce you to the GM and the coach, give you some insight into what to expect from this team this year. Hint: it's going to be interesting. Continue Reading The Long Timer You'd think a list of guys that have been with the team for a while would be longer than one guy, but, in the span of just over two years, the entire roster has been turned over and only Chandler Parsons remains. Parsons is in his third year after being taken in the second round of the draft. He's primarily a small forward though he will slide to power forward in smaller lineups. He has surprising athleticism and runs the floor well. Two seasons ago, he was one of the team's better perimeter defenders. That slipped a bit last year and he's trying to get back to that form. He is a streaky three-point shooter who can light it up on occasion, but will go through several-game shooting slumps, but he is probably the third best player on the team and is one of the leaders on the floor. The H-Town Stars At the end of training camp last year, the Rockets had a gift dropped into their laps. The Oklahoma City Thunder, desperate to clear some cap space, decided to move talented sixth man James Harden. The Rockets picked him up for a steal and he has rapidly become one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. Don't let his trademark bushy beard fool you into thinking he is some gruff, surly, punk. He's a quiet, thoughtful guy who is supremely gifted. Though he has struggled early this season from distance, he is a great three-point shooter to go with one of the more devastating middle-range games in the NBA. He also has a slow, deliberate long step move referred to as the "Euro Step" which is a signature for him and allows him to get to the basket with ease. He is always near the top of the league in free throws attempted and made, and is an outstanding passer. His biggest challenge will be to become a better defender. At the moment, it might be a stretch to call him mediocre as he sometimes seems lost on that end of the floor, but he is the team's best player and he's still in his mid 20s with plenty of time to improve. This offseason, the Rockets managed to woo free agent big man Dwight Howard away from the LA Lakers. Howard is a prototypical center with tremendous upper body strength and stellar athleticism. He gives the team a terrific interior defender and is always near the top of the league in blocked shots and rebounds. Howard has been criticized for being a little too happy go lucky, particularly in LA, but his struggles there were more likely about his injury issues than his attitude. Where Howard struggles is from the free throw line, where he frequently shoots below 50 percent. That allows teams to employ a "Hack-a-Dwight" strategy late in games to force him to score from the line. So far this year, he has looked better from the charity stripe, but it could be argued that his misses have cost the team at least one game. The Lin and Yang One of the biggest controversies in the early part of the season -- at least among hard core fans, particularly fans of Jeremy Lin -- is who should start at point guard. Lin is a great distributor, an improving shooter and has the star power thanks to his star turn in New York, but Linsanity was not enough to land him the starting job. Patrick Beverley, a pick up from a league in Russia, won the starting job thanks to his strong, tenacious defense and shooting touch. In reality, both will get minutes together on the floor when the Rockets go small, which they will likely do often, but who will get time will be heavily dependent upon match ups any given night. The Gunslingers The Rockets don't have a lot of firepower coming off the bench, but they do offer a pair of shooters, one that also brings some defense. This year's free agent acquisition Omri Casspi, the first NBA player from Israel, has been a bright spot early in the season. The 6'9" forward can play both forward spots and is an excellent outside shooter. Francisco Garcia came over in a trade last season and immediately demonstrated his outside shooting touch, but also surprised with some excellent defense in the playoffs. Both are the best offensive threats off the bench after Lin. The Trade Bait It's almost unfair to categorize Omer Asik with this title. Last season the free agent big man became one of the biggest surprises in the NBA. Not only did he rank second in the league in rebounding (behind Dwight Howard), but he singlehandedly made increased the Rockets defensive rank by 14 spots when he was on the floor. He might be the team's best defender. But, the experiment of Asik at center with Howard at power forward has been, at least in part, responsible for the Rockets slow starts. When the Rockets brought in Howard, it was fairly clear that Asik's days in a Rockets uni were numbered. He deserves a chance to start somewhere. Don't be surprised if he is starting elsewhere by the trade deadline. The Bench For all their strengths, the bench is still a bit of a mess. After Garcia, Casspi and Lin, there is a mix of various players that have yet to contribute much. The most promising is Terrence Jones, someone many believed would be the starter at power forward in training camp. His defensive struggles have limited his playing time, but don't be surprised if his minutes gradually increase throughout the year. After Jones, the next most likely off the bench include forward Donatas Monteunas, who shows promise but has struggled when the lights are on, Aaron Brooks, a former Rockets starting point guard who provides a veteran backup and good shooting, backup center Greg Smith and veteran defensive presence Ronnie Brewer. They have some talent, but the bench is not considered a strength. The Mastermind If you don't know about Rockets GM Daryl Morey, he is gradually changing the way the league measures player strengths and weaknesses. Always gifted at finding diamonds in the rough and getting them for next to nothing, he was routinely criticized for not landing the big fish before Harden and Howard both starting wearing Rockets red. He is now considered on of the best -- if not THE best -- at his job in the NBA. He's like a crazy fantasy league owner who makes moves willy nilly, but there is a method to his madness as evidenced by the talent he has assembled on this team. The Coach In the 1980s, Kevin McHale drove Rockets fans nuts as he won titles with rivals the Boston Celtics. Though he had limited experience as a full-time coach (and not a ton of success) before joining Houston, he has shown himself to be a hard-nosed, no nonsense coach that works to the strengths of his players. He has done a terrific job over the last couple years molding this young roster. Now, it will be interesting to see if he can manage the star power of Harden and Howard. In fact, Howard said playing for McHale was one of the reasons he joined the Rockets in the offseason. Team Strengths The Rockets were one of the best offensive teams in the NBA last year and all they did was add Dwight Howard, so it will be no shock if they continue their offensive exploits. They love to run the ball and there is plenty of up and down, back and forth play by this young squad. They want to rebound and run, grab the ball out of the net and run, create turnovers and...yes, run. They are a fun team to watch and they are unselfish as a whole. They love to shoot from distance and though they haven't been great this season so far, that should improve with their shooters. Team Weaknesses As good as they were last year offensively, the opposite was true on the defensive end. Like so many young teams, they seem to lose their focus on the defensive end of the floor more often than they should. They must improve on that end of the floor if they want to go deep in the playoffs. The Rockets are also turnover prone. They expect to turn the ball over more than most teams because they also expect to have more possessions, but anything below middle of the pack will result in some serious struggles. They can also be a streaky shooting team from distance and from the line. What to Expect This is a very fun team to watch and you will be entertained most nights. But with their youth and lack of experience playing together, there will be some serious growing pains. The Rockets have enough talent that they should beat most bad teams, but they are still learning how to play together. The goal is to be better in March than they are in November, hopefully much better. I'm still not convinced this is a contender this year, but they are very close and with some chemistry developed over the long season, I wouldn't count them out either. The best part is that they are young and have the potential to be good together for quite a few years. For more info, check out All Systems Go, our Rockets season preview.India is a land of sacred shrines, holy rivers and imposing festivals. Among the festivals of Kerala, Thiruonam is the most important and it is celebrated for ten days with grandeur and magnificence irrespective of caste or creed. The Onam festival, which falls in the first month of the Malayalam year Chingam (Tamil month of Avani) is a national festival in Kerala. The Vamana Legend The origin of the festival dates back to very early times. It is believed that the festival commemorates the vanquishing of King Mahabali who was deprived of his empire by Lord Vishnu in His Vamanavathara. The Devas, who became zealous of the peace and prosperity which prevailed in Mahabali’s reign, prayed to Lord Vishnu to rebuff the King. Vishnu, in the form of a Dwarf, appeared before Mahabali and asked for a plot of ground measuring three times his foot. With great pleasure the philanthropic King, without knowing what the consequences would be, acceded to His request. Assuming a gigantic stature, Vamana measured the universe twice length-wise and breadth-wise with his foot and found no place for the third. Mahabali bowed down and entreated the Lord to put His foot on his own head. Now, Vamana who and grown into Trivikrama, placed his foot upon the King’s head and pushed him down to the nether world. Advertisement In Ancient Madurai The people were so grieved at the loss of their beloved King that they prayed to Lord Vishnu to allow him to visit the earth once in a year. Tradition has it that the visit is made on the day of Thiruonam during the month of Chingam. The story of Mahabali is narrated by the Tamil poet Nappoothanar in the opening lines of his work Mullaipattu in the Sangham Age. This incident is also referred to in Thirukkural and Silappathikaram. We have literary evidence to show that the Onam festival was celebrated in ancient Tamil Nadu. From Madurai Kanchi, one of the Sangham works in Tamil literature, it is learnt that the Onam festival was celebrated in the city of Madurai by the Pandya King, Nedunchezhiyan of Talaialankanam and its citizens more than 1,500 years ago. The author, Mankudi Maruthanar, gives a fine description of the festival. Sitting in the royal courtyard the King used to offer valuable gifts to the poets, dancers, singers and warriors of his country. The elephant fight was an important part of the festival those days. Advertisement Day Of Drums From the hyms at Thevaram of the seventh century A.D., we learn that the Onam festival is celebrated by the Saivites during the Tamil months of Aipassi in the temple of Kapaleeswarar at Mylapore (in Madras). According to Thirugnanasambandar, the important item of the festival is the grand feast. The Vaishnavite literature, Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, describes the Onam festival as a day of drums. Music played an important role in the festival. Centuries ago Kerala formed a part of the Chera kingdom and subsequent to the long and bitter war between the Cheras and the Cholas the Kerala region separated itself from the mainstream of the Dravidian culture. Shut off from the rest of Tamil Nadu by the long range of the Western Ghats, Kerala has been able to preserve many old customs, ancient heritage and important festivals of Tamil Nadu.Image copyright Getty Images Matt Damon has been criticised as "tone deaf" for his recent comments about sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. The actor and writer is facing a backlash on social media for saying people should be paying more attention to men who are not sexual predators. In an interview for Business Insider on Monday, Damon said men not involved in sexual misconduct in Hollywood are not gaining attention. "We're in this watershed moment, and it's great, but I think one thing that's not being talked about is... the preponderance of men I've worked with who don't do this kind of thing," he said during an interview while promoting his new film Downsizing. The actor's name was trending on Twitter on Tuesday in reaction to the remarks, plus others he has made recently. Many social media users condemned the actor for suggesting not being a sexual predator was an accomplishment. It is not the first time Damon has commented on sexual abuse following rape allegations against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. Last week in an interview with ABC News Damon said groping and rape were two different things and shouldn't be treated the same. "There's a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?" Damon told ABC'S 'Popcorn' with Peter Travers "Both of those behaviours need to be confronted and eradicated, without question, but they shouldn't be conflated, right?" Rose McGowan, who has accused Weinstein of rape, called Damon "dense" for his most recent comments. Both sets of remarks drew criticism from other actresses, including from his Good Will Hunting co-star Minnie Driver - who said Damon was among those to be "utterly tone deaf" on the topic - and Debra Messing and Alyssa Milano, in a frank thread on Twitter. Milano's tweet in October urging people to share their stories of sexual harassment on social media initiated the global #MeToo movement. Millions of women and men used the hashtag to highlight the sexual abuse they had faced. Despite much of the reaction condemning Damon's comments there has been some defence of his remarks. Damon has come under the spotlight before regarding allegations against Weinstein. He previously denied trying to stop a story about the producer's behaviour when it was investigated by a reporter in 2004. Sharon Waxman has said she looked into rumours an employee of Weinstein's in Italy was procuring women for him. She said Damon and Russell Crowe called her to vouch for the employee. Image copyright REX/Shutterstock Image caption Damon worked with Weinstein on films including Good Will Hunting But Damon has said he did not know the detail of the allegations. "I would never, ever, ever try to kill a story like that," he told Deadline. Waxman, who then worked for the New York Times, was ultimately unable to publish any allegations relating to Weinstein's sexual behaviour. In October, Damon gave an interview with his Ocean's 11 co-star George Clooney in which both actors called Weinstein, who produced some of their most successful early movies, a bully. Damon also said "this level of sexual predation is not something that I ever thought was going on".KABUL (Reuters) - In a dimly lit room at the back of an Afghan house, 21-year-old Zahara is crouched on a plank of wood weaving a large carpet on a loom that she was able to buy using a microfinance loan of $1,100. Safia (R), an Afghan woman who benefits from a microfinance loan program, works at her beauty salon in Kabul December 21, 2010. More than 1.5 million loans worth $831 million have been given out in the past seven years, said the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA), which was set up by the government in 2003 to coordinate the sector. Picture taken December 21, 2010. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani Zahara started weaving carpets when she was 10 and did not go to school, but the loan from non-profit development group BRAC allowed her to start her own business about 18 months ago and she has since taken out two more loans of $330 each. “When I first got the money, the carpets I was making were small and now I can make bigger carpets,” said Zahara, who heard about microfinance loans from her neighbor in Kabul. “Before I made carpets for other people and now I make them for myself.” More than 1.5 million loans worth $831 million have been given out in the past seven years, said the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA), which was set up by the government in 2003 to coordinate the sector. Thirty years of conflict have shattered Afghanistan’s economy and infrastructure, leaving two-thirds of the roughly 30 million population illiterate and at least a third in dire poverty. Aside from security fears, microfinance is facing a shortage of skilled people to run programs, as well as challenges in reaching sparsely populated rural areas and religious concerns among conservative Muslims about paying interest. “If you talk to the real villagers, they need money,” said Fazlul Hoque, head of non-profit development group BRAC in Afghanistan, which is responsible for half the country’s
the team even had a package for the senior fullback. His memory of the whole incident is a bit hazy. “I kind of just blacked out. I was running back to the sideline just like, ‘I don’t know what even happened,” he said. “The play seemed like it was two hours long. I felt like I couldn’t get up. It was weird. I didn’t know what to do.” Stefanelli, a local product out of Good Counsel High School in Olney, transferred to Maryland after redshirting one season at Temple in 2012. He played in two blowouts in his first year with the Terps, but didn’t play again until Mike Locksley took over as interim head coach following Randy Edsall’s firing in the middle of last season. “It’s kind of hard to not be able to go out there and spill my guts like the rest of my teammates can,” he said. “So that’s been the hardest part, that I can’t put it all out there for my teammates, for my boys. But I’ve been able to motivate them while I’m on the sidelines, be energetic and not pull the team down.” When Walt Bell came over as the Terps’ new offensive coordinator this offseason, Stefanelli’s role with the team came further into question. He’s a fullback, and Bell’s offense has no use for fullbacks. But any concerns he had were assuaged in his first meeting with the new coaching staff. “They told me the role would be small, but I’d have a role,” Stefanelli said. “And that was pretty much it. I knew he wasn’t lying to me.” So Stefanelli helped in practice and special teams, waiting for his opportunity. Quietly. “He’s a good guy. He does what he’d told. He doesn’t ask questions,” Johnson said. “You tell him to jump, he doesn’t ask ‘How high?” He just does it.” And on senior day, he finally got his big reward. As Maryland goes to a bowl game, Stefanelli’s time on offense is almost certainly over. He won’t be getting any more chances at the end zone, and his career-carries count will stay at one. But when his time as a Terp is over after this season, he’ll be able to look back on this one-yard plunge. “Our offensive coordinator wanted me to have something special to remember,” Stefanelli said. “It was a great opportunity to do it my senior year, senior day. It’s something that I’ll never forget.”President Trump speaks before signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 24. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP) President Trump signed an executive order Friday establishing task forces in every agency for “removing job killing regulations and increasing economic opportunity.” Trump, who signed the measure in the Oval Office with the chief executives from U.S. firms such as Lockheed Martin, Dow Chemical and Archer Daniels Midland standing behind him, said each task force “will make recommendations to repeal or simplify existing regulations.’’ “It will ensure that every agency has a team of dedicated people to research all regulations that are unnecessary, burdensome and harmful to the economy, and harmful to the creation of jobs and business,’’ he declared. “Every regulation should have to pass a simple test: Does it make life better or safer for American workers or consumers. If the answer is ‘no,’ if the answer is no, we will be getting rid of it and getting rid of it quickly.” Under the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act, eliminating a rule entails a detailed process in which agencies must subject such proposals to subject comment. It typically takes at least a year and a half to wipe a rule off the books, according to the George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center, although more recent ones can be overturned more quickly by a majority vote in Congress and the president’s signature. Trump has already overturned two Obama-era rules that way and is poised to nullify others. [Why Trump’s plan to cut regulations is even bolder than it seems at first glance] Earlier on Friday, speaking to activists at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said that he aimed to preserve key environmental and worker safeguards but that 75 percent of all federal regulations are “horrible.” “We’re working very hard to roll back the regulatory burden so that coal miners, factory workers, small business owners and so many others can grow their businesses and thrive,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “We cannot allow government to be an obstacle to government opportunity.” A coalition of public watchdog and environmental groups is already challenging a Feb. 8 executive order Trump signed that calls for the elimination of two regulations for every new one that is issued. Scott Slesinger, who serves as legislative director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement that the latest directive also poses a threat to the public. “Don’t be fooled,” Slesinger said. “No matter how President Trump tries to dress it up, this order is a directive to kill the safeguards Americans depend on for clean air, drinkable water and safe food.” The group of CEOs, which also included top executives from Johnson & Johnson, United Technologies, U.S. Steel and 3M, greeted the order’s signing with applause. Afterward, U.S. Chamber of Commerce senior vice president and chief policy officer Neil Bradley said his group would help identify some rules that could be eliminated. “We look forward to working with the federal agencies to help identify rules that harm the economy and threaten jobs,” Bradley said in a statement. But American Sustainable Business Council CEO David Levine called the measure “misguided.” “Regulations exist for a reason,” he said in a statement, adding that regulations protect businesses and the public “from a range of real risks and threats that markets can not adequately address. In addition, good regulations encourage innovation, a key ingredient to a robust economy. Let’s not lose those vital benefits.”The Real Madrid star's personal fortune now stands at €210m placing him top in Goal's annual report of footballers' wealth Cristiano Ronaldo is the richest footballer in the world, according to the 2015 Goal Rich List, an annual chart of the game's wealthiest active players. The Real Madrid star, 30, also topped the list in 2014 but has bolstered his position over the last 12 months to emerge €10 million ahead of second-placed Lionel Messi with an overall personal wealth of €210m. Ronaldo has increased his wealth substantially, thanks largely to having collected bonuses for helping Real Madrid to the Champions League and Club World Cup crowns. He also received a sum for winning the 2014 Ballon d’Or. Added to that, further earnings were reaped from commercial deals with companies such as Toyota, Herbalife and Samsung, while his long-term association with Nike remained a key money-spinner. Barcelona’s Messi, who was just €2m short of Ronaldo’s wealth in 2014, continues to generate huge amounts off the field through both commercial tie-ins and property moves, which have seen him build up an extensive portfolio. Industry experts worked with specialists across the globe to bring together the final chart for 2015, detailing a catalogue of investments by the world’s best-paid and financially-savvy players. Neymar charted third in the Goal Rich List, with he and his family still benefitting from a huge chunk of the forward’s transfer from Santos in 2013. Paris Saint-Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic came in fourth, with Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney the fifth and final player to register personal wealth of over €100m. Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham topped the list in 2013 before his retirement from the game.'I just heard POP POP': Survivor tells of how he and sorority twins tried to give felon who took them hostage TVs, computers and jewelry before he saw Andrea Rebello, 21, shot dead Andrea Rebello, a junior at Hofstra, was shot dead at 2.20am on Friday in her Uniondale sorority house A masked male intruder, today named as Dalton Smith, was also shot dead The victim's twin, Jessica, was also held hostage along with her boyfriend Police were alerted when their friend Shannon Thomas was allowed out to get cash from an ATM and immediately called the authorities Police accidentally killed Robello after Smith grabbed her and used her as a human shield Smith had three previous convictions for robbery and one for assault, there was a warrant out for his arrest after he absconded parole in April The survivor of a horrific hostage situation at an off-campus Hofstra University house told of how he and and sorority twins Andrea and Jessica Rebello tried tried to appease their captor by giving him their TVs, computers and jewelry. John Kourtessis revealed on Saturday that he heard the 'POP POP' of police gunshots that accidentally killed 21-year-old Andrea as she was used for a human shield by convicted felon Dalton Smith. Smith, who was wanted for a parole violation at the time he took the students hostage, had grabbed the diminutive college student in a headlock and declared 'I can't go back to jail!' when Nassau County police officers entered the house. Scroll down for video Deadly ending: Police say Dalton Smith, 30, held 21-year-old Andrea Rebello, right, and her twin sister at gunpoint before Smith and Rebello were killed by police Tragic: Andrea's boyfriend, Brad Wilson, parted ways with her after partying at a bar near the Hofstra University campus on Thursday night. He never got to say goodbye to his sweetheart before she was killed Horrific: John Kourtessis, who is dating Jessica Rebello - the surviving twin sister - recalled how he tried to keep the gunman calm throughout the ordeal Mr Kourtessis - who is Jessica's boyfriend - told the New York Post that he and the Rebello twins and their friend Shannon Thomas desperately tried to appease Smith after he burst into their house near the campus of Hofstra University on Long Island, New York. None of it, though was enough, for Smith - who had an extensive criminal history dating back 15 years. Andrea's boyfriend, 22-year-old Brad Wilson, told the Post that he is anguished he wasn't there when his girlfriend was taken hostage. Mr Wilson has been partying with the twins, Miss Thomas, and Mr Kourtessis at the popular student bar McHeeb's on Thursday night to celebrate the end of the school year. But Andrea wasn't having a good night and Mr Wilson parted ways with the group after they left the bar about 2am, he said. He and Andrea were separated abruptly. 'We never got a chance to say goodbye,' Mr Wilson said. Victim: Andrea Rebello (right), has been shot dead by a masked intruder during an invasion of the home she shares with her twin sister Jessica (left). The suspect was also shot dead at the scene Loss: The twins reportedly lived at the home just a block from campus with more of their sorority sisters The Rebello twins, Mr Kourtessis and Miss Thomas went home after a trip to 7-11. They were settling in when suddenly, a ski-mask clad man burst into the house and pointed a gun at the horrified students. 'Somebody in this house f***** up and owes this Russian guy $10,000,' Smith, 30, demanded. None of the students knew anything about the 'Russian guy' that Smith was talking about - but they knew the gun he was wielding meant business. The Post reports that Smith followed the home to the girls' California Avenue sorority house. He targeted them after seeing them spending large amounts of money in the drinking spot. Around 2.20am he allegedly peered through the window in his ski mask and knocked on the door before forcing himself in and taking the group hostage. Raiding the home he shouted: 'I saw you at the bar drinking. I know you have more money than this!', according to police sources quoted in the Post report. Mr Kourtessis said he tried to calm everyone down, believing that if they gave Smith what he wanted, he would leave. Escaped: Shannon Thomas, right, was close friends with Andrea Rebello and was at the house on Friday night when they were robbed. She escaped and called police 'He was saying... that he just needed us to cooperate. I said, "Listen, we have all this money here."' The students handed over their computers, their TVs, their jewelry. Mr Kourtessis said he tried to show Smith that they were doing what he asked, explaining, 'This is worth $3,000, this is worth $1,500, we’re almost there.' But it wasn't enough for the greedy Smith. The Rebello twins and Miss Thomas were sobbing. Mr Kourtessis said he was doing his best to protect the women by keeping them - and especially Smith - calm. They moved to the upstairs of the home to go through the twins' jewelry box. When Miss Thomas, a high school friend, said she could give him $700 cash, if she could go to an ATM, he let her out of the house. As soon as she left, she called the police. Nassau County police officers arrived and knocked on the door. Thinking that Miss Thomas has returned, Jessica answered the door. When she saw police - she ran to safety. Horror: It is unknown at this time whether Rebello's twin sister witnessed the killing, but police confirmed that her sister had remained in the home while another girl was allowed outside However, Mr Kourtessis and Andrea were still upstairs with Smith - who was now panicking that officers were in the house. 'I can’t go back to jail! One of you, get over here,' Smith said. He grabbed Andrea in a headlock and forced Mr Kourtessis to crawl with him down the stairs in an effort to evade the officers inside. 'I see an officer there, with his gun out, standing by the steps. So I’m thinking, "Good, there’s a cop there,"' he told the Post. At that point, he escaped, running and hiding behind a couch. Police spotted Smith and trained their guns on him. 'Put the gun down and let her go,' officers shouted. Smith replied, 'I'm going to kill her.' 'I hear POP POP, two shots,' he said. Sisters: Jessica and Andrea Rebello, pictured, remained in the home while another girl was allowed out to collect money from an ATM. The girl called police immediately and they arrived minutes later Break in: Police said that the masked, armed intruder knocked on the front door before forcing his way inside the home and holding the friends, including Andrea (left), hostage 'I run out and I run toward where they are.' He then saw officers fire twice more at Smith. He screamed for Andrea. She did not answer. Nassau police said she was shot in the head. Officers fired eight times at Smith. He was hit by seven bullets and died at the scene. The eighth struck Andrea Rebello. Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, New York, home to explain to Rebello's parents what happened. The shooting came just days before the school's commencement ceremonies, which are scheduled to take place Sunday. A university spokeswoman said Saturday students will be handed white ribbons to wear in memory of Rebello. Smith, 30, of Hempstead, had a warrant put out for his arrest on April 25. He had been found guilty of robbery in the 1st degree and had an extensive criminal background going back to 1999 with multiple convictions for theft and assault. He also spent time in prison and was convicted again for handling contraband goods while behind bars. Two of a kind: Jessica is back home with her family in Weschester County, morning the loss of her sister Andrea Victoria Dehel, who lives four doors down told the New York Times that she heard shouting. At first is sounded like 'a bunch of drunk college students,' she told the Times. 'And then the screaming just got worse and worse and worse. And then we heard thuds, like five bangs,' she said. Dehel said she and her boyfriend stepped onto their porch and they could hear what sounded like a woman pleading for her life, just as police cars raced down the street. 'I turned to my boyfriend and I said, 'I think someone just got murdered'. It was awful,' she said. '[Police] drew their weapons and went inside,' neighbor Frank Pugliese, 19 told the Post. 'She was pleading for her life. You could tell she was scared. It was a surreal moment... She was pleading — her voice was trembling and she yelled, "No, no!"' Scene: Officers guard the area leading to the white house, background, where the shooting broke out Scene: She was home with two other girls and a male when the break in took place around 2.30am Thomas told the 911 dispatcher that he had a silver handgun pointed at her friend's head in a bedroom, NBC reported. The dispatcher passed the information to police and less than a minute later, Nassau County police officers reached the home. Anthony Kourtessiss said his son was being questioned by police last night and Jessica was 'inconsolable'. 'It’s a terrible situation,' he told the newspaper. '[Jessica] was very upset, inconsolable right now.' Distraught: Hofstra University students gather near the house where the girl and an armed intruder were killed Rebello was a member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority and lived with six of her sorority sisters at the home, including her sister. Students flocked to Twitter to express their grief at the killing, with many writing 'R.I.P' messages to Andrea and sending her twin sister their best wishes and prayers. A private vigil was held at the Hofstra Student Center last night and it was announced today that her funeral will take place on Wednesday. Rebello's father, Fernando, was too distraught to discuss the incident outside the family's home in Tarrytown, New York, yesterday. 'It's my daughter, my baby daughter,' the landscaping company chief told the Journal News outside the home he shares with wife Nella. 'She was so beautiful. I'm so confused. 'I don't know what to do,' he added. Her godmother told the newspaper: 'It's just too tragic'. Andrea was a junior at Hofstra studying Public Relations and Sociology and had attended Sleepy Hollow High School alongside her sister. 'I'm 100% Portuguese and have an identical twin sister so I guess that makes me kind of unique?' she wrote on her blog. Principal Carol Conklin-Spillane said the girls were 'a set' and Andrea was devoted to her family who are close to other members of the Portuguese community in the area. 'She had a devotion to family and sense of purpose and of opportunity,' she said. Sadness: The suspect and the girl were both shot after police arrived at the Long Island home Photographs on her Facebook page show the girl as a popular student who enjoyed hanging out with friends and her twin sister, while her blog documents her cooking hobby. Neighbors said their house had a vegetable garden and the twins would sometimes drop off the produce. 'They brought me some vegetables from their garden. They’re very nice people. They’d do anything for you,' Harris Bank told the New York Post. Her funeral will be held at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow and will be officiated by the Rev. Osvaldo Franklin, of Our Lady of Fatima in Yonkers, who gave the twins their first communion. He said they helped with Mass for several years after that. Authorities said Andrea's twin sister is now with their family. On Friday morning, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz released a statement condemning the shooting as a'senseless act of violence'. 'The Nassau County Police have notified us that early this morning a Hofstra student was killed during a tragic crime which took place in a rental house off campus,' the statement read. Home: The victim lived at the home which is just a block from the university campus with sorority sisters Campus: The private university, on Long Island in New York, has nearly 13,000 students 'The police investigation is ongoing, and we do not yet know all of the relevant details. What we do know is that a young member of the Hofstra family has been taken from us in a senseless act of violence.' Friday was the last day of exams for students at the university and graduation is being held on Sunday, but Rabinowitz added that the ceremonies would go ahead as scheduled. 'The accomplishments of our graduates must be recognized, and together our community will heal and find the strength to move forward,' he said. Hofstra University is a private college on Long Island, New York. Nearly 13,000 students attend the university, which is about 25 miles east of New York City.This is how low some media outlets will go to encourage social media interaction. ABC’s Chicago affiliate posted a photo of Spain’s devastating train crash on Facebook asking people to “like” it order to “send thoughts and prayers to the victims.” Posted Thursday at 2pm ET, the news station has since removed the contentious line—but not before it made its way to Reddit and hundreds of readers left critical comments. “Whomever approved the strategy of desperately begging for your fans to ‘Like’ a photo in which 70 people were killed should be fired for being terrible at their job,” Jeremy Bronson wrote on Facebook. The derailment occurred on Wednesday outside of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, killing 78 people and injuring 140. Grainy video footage of the crash has been circulating around the Internet ever since. “On Thursday, Spanish news media reported that the driver had said the train’s speed had been about 120 miles per hour, more than double the limit in the stretch of track where the train derailed,” the New York Times reported. “On the day of the wreck, he took over from another driver just 60 miles before the crash, according to Spanish news reports.” The news station’s photo has collected 879 likes. I’m sure that’s a huge consolation to the victims’ families. Photo by elentir/FlickrConventional NGVs rely on a process called cascaded secondary emission. Ambient low-level and near-infrared light are first collected by the goggle's objective lens. The photons are then converted into electrons and travel down a vacuum-sealed onto a plate studded with millions of tiny holes. As the electrons pass through these holes, they set off a chain reaction that releases hundreds of other electrons -- all in the same pattern as the original photon -- which then hit a phosphorescent plate to create the familiar green-tinted image. The problem is that this process demands thousands of volts of electricity to generate the number of electrons needed to be effective. The Australian team's process instead relies on aluminum gallium arsenide nanostructures that do basically the same thing but without the vacuum tubes. "We managed to fabricate very teeny, tiny structures. Those magic structures are capable [of] changing the intensity of the light, change the shape of the light, and, at the same time, change the color of the light," Mohsen Rahmani explained in an ANU video. "Our eyes are capable only of seeing light in the visible spectrum. If we can fabricate an area of nanostructures on flat surfaces like glass, at the end of the day we will be able to convert invisible light in the nighttime or dark areas into visible light." The new process would still require an external energy supply to work, but would need only a fraction of a conventional NVG's power. What's more, it can be produced as a thin film -- similar to printed solar cells -- which will drastically reduce the bulk and weight of future NVGs. The team has submitted their findings to DARPA for further development.The “organic food” market is the fastest growing food sector, yet it is unclear whether organically raised food is nutritionally superior to conventionally grown food and whether consuming organic food bestows health benefits. In order to evaluate potential health benefits of organic foods, we used the well-characterized fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Fruit flies were raised on a diets consisting of extracts of either conventionally or organically raised produce (bananas, potatoes, raisins, soy beans). Flies were then subjected to a variety of tests designed to assess overall fly health. Flies raised on diets made from organically grown produce had greater fertility and longevity. On certain food sources, greater activity and greater stress resistance was additionally observed, suggesting that organic food bestows positive effects on fly health. Our data show that Drosophila can be used as a convenient model system to experimentally test potential health effects of dietary components. Using this system, we provide evidence that organically raised food may provide animals with tangible benefits to overall health. Copyright: © 2013 Chhabra et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Here, we report on the use of the Drosophila model to assess the health benefits of organically farmed produce. Flies were raised on a variety of diets and their overall health evaluated. Flies raised on organic food showed improved performance on most tests, such as increased fertility and stress resistance. It is well known that dietary factors affect Drosophila fertility, longevity and health. High fat diets have been shown to lead to cardiac dysfunction [16]. Very low and high caloric diets shorten fly life span, presumably due to the unhealthy effects of under- and overfeeding, respectively. Longest life spans are usually observed at low calories, short of underfeeding, a situation referred to as Calorie Restriction [17]. Interestingly, dietary carbohydrates and protein have largely opposing effects on fly physiology, with high carbohydrate loads leading to increased weight gain and fat accumulation and high protein diets leading to highly fertile and leaner flies [18]. Our own work on diet-dependent disruption of metabolic homeostasis demonstrates that overfed adult flies develop metabolic abnormalities, dependent on which macronutrient was fed in excess. Flies fed a carbohydrate rich diet shows signs of Type 2 diabetes, while flies on high protein diets show signs of ketosis. Under both conditions, flies develop insulin-resistance, a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes [19]. These data suggest that the fly model can be successfully used to investigate issues concerning nutrition, mammalian metabolism and health. The absence of a convenient model system to experimentally test the health claims associated with organic foods therefore makes evaluation of any beneficial effect of organically raised foods challenging. In order to develop a better understanding of the potential health benefit of organic food, we used the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as an easy to use model system. In the past, Drosophila melanogaster has been successfully used to investigate biological problems such as genetics or developmental biology [8]. Over the last decade, Drosophila has increasingly been used to model human conditions such as immune [9] and cardiac function [10], as well as neurodegenerative diseases [11], infectious diseases [12] and aging [13]. In addition, Drosophila models for metabolic disease have recently been developed: In a model of sucrose overfeeding, Drosophila larvae show symptoms consistent with Type 2 diabetes [14]. Moreover, when the insulin-producing cells (IPC) are ablated, adult Drosophila show signs of Type 1 diabetes. Interestingly, when these IPC-ablated flies are injected with insulin, those symptoms are alleviated [15]. Investigations into the nutrient content of organic food have reported increased amounts of vitamins, carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols [4] – [6]. However, the situation is less clear when the effects of organic food on health are evaluated. Confounding the analysis are issues associated with the transport and storage of foodstuff, the percentage of organic foods in the consumer diet and the kind of organic food consumed [1]. These complications are reflected in a meta-analysis of 50 years worth of data that found no statistically relevant correlation between increased consumption of organic foods and improved health [7]. Organic farming aims to preserve soil and ecosystem health by forgoing heavy use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. In addition to these potential beneficial effects on the environment, consumers are attracted to organic foodstuff because of the claimed positive health effects, presumably due to the absence of pesticides or artificial hormones [1]. Potential detrimental effects of pesticide application may include disruption of neuro-endocrine signaling, negative effects on immune function or the development of cancer, depending on the particular class of pesticide. Especially prenatal exposure, or exposure during infancy, may aggravate these effects (for a review, see [2] ). It has been shown that infants consuming a predominantly organic diet have almost non-detectable levels of organo-phosphorus pesticide metabolites [3], suggesting a starting point for investigating molecular mechanisms of the potential health benefits of organic foods. Total mRNA was isolated from at least 75 10-day old females using Trizol (Invitrogen) and further purified using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen). cDNA was generated with 0.5 µg total mRNA in a 10 µl reaction using the iScript cDNA synthesis kit (BioRAD). 0.8 µl of the iScript reaction was used as QPCR template. QPCR was performed as described [22] on a BioRAD CFX96 RealTime PCR System using the ABI SYBR-Green PCR master mix following the manufacturers instructions. Each QPCR reaction was performed using at least two biological replicates in triplicate each. For activity measurements, flies were collected and cultured as for life span assays. At 10 days, flies were separated by sex, and measurements were taken in a LAM25H-3 Locomotor Activity Monitor (Trikinetics Inc.) over at least a 48 hr period using 20 animals per vial. Activity was recorded every 10 minutes. For assays testing resistance to starvation and H 2 O 2 (SIGMA), at least 8 vials of newly eclosed flies containing 25 males and females each were collected and aged for ten days under the same conditions as for life span analysis. For starvation assays, flies were then shifted to vials containing a 2% agar matrix to avoid desiccation. For H 2 O 2 assays, flies were shifted to vials containing 2% agar with 5% sucrose/5% H 2 O 2. The number of dead flies was counted twice daily. Newly eclosed flies were collected under light anesthesia, randomly divided into treatment groups and housed at a density of 25 males and 25 females each per vial. At least ten such vials were used per treatment as per [21]. Flies were passed every other day and the number of dead flies was recorded. Produce was purchased from a local outlet of the Whole Foods national chain of supermarkets (Whole Food Markets, Austin, TX) that carries both organic and conventional produce. Whole Foods is a leading national retailer of organic food items in the US and was instrumental in establishing a national organic food marketplace and setting national standards for the certification of organic foods. Organic produce is manufactured according to USDA guidelines outlined in the National Organic Program (NOP, http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop ). Experimental, produce-based diets were prepared by homogenizing 1500 g of the indicated items in a Hamilton blender. Homogenized produce was then mixed in 1 L ddH 2 O (final volume) containing 10% agarose. After autoclaving, tegosept to a final concentration of 2.3 g/l was added and 5 ml of food was dispensed into individual vials. The wild type strain Canton-S was obtained from the Bloomington Drosophila Stockcenter at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN). All flies were kept in a humidified (50%), temperature-controlled incubator with 12 hour on/off light cycle at 25°C in vials containing standard cornmeal medium [20]. Results and Discussion In order to test directly whether organically farmed food elicits beneficial health effects, we raised fruit flies on diets made from extracts of different produce without any additional supplementation. We then subjected the flies to a series of experiments to determine their overall health. Longevity and fertility are the most important life history traits of an animal and are excellent indicators for overall health. Drosophila cultured on produce extract diets were generally shorter lived than flies raised on regular lab food, presumably due to limited nutritional balance in diets prepared from a single produce source. This is represented in the survivorship curves, which do not possess the usual sigmoidal shape, but rather resemble relatively straight lines (Figure 1). Nonetheless, flies raised on organic potato, raisin or soy diets had significantly extended longevity compared to flies raised on conventional produce extracts, while flies raised on an organic banana diet had similar longevity to flies raised on conventional banana food (Figure 1, for full statistical analysis please refer to Table S1). PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 1. Longevity of D. melanogaster fed organic diets. Survivorship curves of female fruit flies fed diets made from extracts of potatoes, raisins, bananas or soybeans (grey: conventional food; black: organic food; statistically significant changes (p<0.005) are indicated by asterisks). Median survival times of flies on conventional and organics food sources, respectively, are: potatoes: 16 and 22 days (∼38% longevity increase, p<0.0001); raisins: 2 and 24 days (∼20% longevity increase, p<0.0001); bananas: 24 and 26 days (p = 0.1543); soybeans: 8 and 14 days (∼75% longevity increase, p<0.0001). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052988.g001 Next, we tested the fertility of flies raised on the organic diets versus flies raised on conventional diets. As shown in Figure 2, flies fed extracts of any organic produce had significantly higher daily egg production than flies fed conventional diets. Interestingly, flies fed the normal balanced laboratory diet have significantly higher fertility, with an egg production peak between five and ten days, while flies fed the produce extract had steadily declining fertility levels, reminiscent of what is observed with longevity. Due to the extremely short life spans of flies raised on soy diets, flies raised on soy diets were excluded from all subsequent assays. PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 2. Daily egg-laying of flies exposed to organic diets. Egg production of flies fed the indicated food was determined daily. Shown are the averages of four biological replicates; error bars represent the standard deviation (grey: conventional food; black: organic food; statistically significant changes (p<0.005) are indicated by asterisks; p<0.0001 for all food types). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052988.g002 These data suggest that organic foods are more nutritionally balanced than conventional foods, or contain higher levels of nutrients, leading to improved fertility and longevity. In order to further investigate whether organic food provided nutritional benefits, we determined the survival times of flies when starved. Flies raised on organic potato extracts survived wet starvation significantly longer than flies fed conventional potato extract, suggesting a higher nutritional value of the organic extract. No change in survival time was observed with organic banana extract, while flies fed organic raisin extract had decreased survival times (Figure 3, for full statistical analysis please refer to Table S1). PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 3. Starvation tolerance of flies raised on organic diets. Survivorship curves of female flies raised for 10 days on the indicated food sources. Flies were then transferred to starvation media and dead flies were counted twice daily (grey: conventional food; black: organic food; statistically significant changes (p<0.005) are indicated by asterisks). Median survival times of flies on conventional and organics food sources, respectively, are: potatoes: 6 and 24 hours (p<0.0001); raisins: 24 and 24 hours (p<0.0001); bananas: 24 and 48 hours (p<0.0001). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052988.g003 We next measured the oxidative stress resistance of flies fed the organic diets in order to test whether organic food provided protection against oxidative damage. As shown in Figure 4, flies raised on organic potato or banana diets, but not raisin diets, survived this treatment longer than conventionally fed flies (for full statistical analysis please refer to Table S1). In addition, we measured the spontaneous activity of flies fed organic diets over a 48-hr period. As shown in Figure S1, flies raised on extracts of organic raisin and banana food had higher overall activity than flies fed the conventional diets. PPT PowerPoint slide PowerPoint slide PNG larger image larger image TIFF original image Download: Figure 4. Oxidative stress resistance of Drosophila raised on organic food. Survivorship curves of female flies raised for 10 days on the indicated food sources. Flies were then transferred to media containing H 2 O 2 and dead flies were counted twice daily (grey: conventional food; black: organic food; statistically significant changes (p<0.005) are indicated by asterisks). Median survival times of flies on conventional and organics food sources, respectively, are: potatoes: 24 and 30 hours (p<0.0001); raisins: 24 and 24 hours (p<0.0001); bananas: 30 and 30 hours (p<0.2172). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052988.g004 The organic food market is rapidly growing, partly due to the consumers' perception of superior nutritional quality of organic foodstuff. However, verification of any health claims associated with organic food is complicated by the lack of an adequate system to experimentally test those claims [1]. Several groups attempted meta-analyses of the available reports in the literature to assess the qualities attributed to organic food items, but this large-scale review of the literature provides conflicting results. In one such study, the authors find that organic foods generally have higher amounts of vitamins and polyphenols, as well as higher amounts of essential amino acids [23]. In contrast, a similar very recent analysis of ∼50 years worth of data concluded that the hypothesis that organic food has higher nutritional value is not supported [24]. Nonetheless, both studies found
Mythic difficulty. L'ura Naaru's Lament damage reduced by 20% in Mythic difficulty. Umbral Cadence damage reduced by 15% in all difficulties. Player vs Player The Fierce Combatant achievement is once again visible in the Player vs Player achievement category. Recurrent Arena and Rated Battleground titles such as Duelist and Gladiator are now correctly available to players who earned their respective achievements in Season 4. Temple of Kotmogu Orbs of Power can no longer be dropped by summoning a mount. Quests "Supplying the Antoran Campaign", and similar quests, can now be turned in to Turalyon on any instance of the Vindicaar. Toys The Horse Tail Costume now comes with a tail, as advertised. October 20 Hotfixes Classes Priest Shadow Void Tendrils spawned by Call of the Void should no longer cause game performance issues when attacking an enemy affected by Grounding Totem. Battle Pets Lesser Pet Treats and Pet Treats should once again stack. Naxxy will now fly alongside you when you’re on a flying mount. Player versus Player Your item level is now set to 935 while participating in Tournament Rules wargames (was iLvl 900). October 17 Hotfixes Achievements Power Ascended no longer requires the quest "A Gift from the Six". Dungeons and Raids Tomb of Sargeras Mistress Sassz’ine Fixed a bug where Abyss Stalkers could become stuck in the walls. Fallen Avatar Dark Mark damage reduced by 25% in Heroic difficulty and 20% in Mythic difficulty. Kil’jaeden Armageddon Rain damage-over-time and impact damage reduced 15% in Mythic and Heroic difficulties. Erupting Reflection health reduced 20% in Mythic difficulty. Flaming Orb time to minimize size reduced to 6 seconds in Heroic and Mythic difficulties (was 10 seconds). Focused Dreadflame damage reduced to 12 million in Mythic difficulty. Illidan's Sightless Gaze damage reduced 20% in all difficulties. Items Corrected an issue causing Feverish Carapace, Recompiled Guardian Module, and Shifting Cosmic Sliver’s effects to trigger far less frequently than intended for Brewmaster Monks. October 10 Hotfixes Argus Fixed an issue where bonus rolls would fail to occur when defeating some Greater Invasion Point bosses. Fixed an issue on Mac'Aree where players were being sent to graveyards incorrect graveyards. Dungeons and Raids The Nighthold Fixed an issue preventing players from getting loot when killing Grand Magistrix Elisande. Player versus Player Death Knight Chains of Ice now reduces the target's movement speed by 50% for Unholy and Frost Death Knights in PvP situations (was 70%). Monk Windwalker Storm, Earth, and Fire spirits will now gain Tigereye Brew. Tigereye Brew now reduces your damage dealt by 25% (was 20%). October 4 Hotfixes Class Halls Players no longer need to complete “The Seat of the Triumvirate” in the Argus storyline to unlock “The Ruins of Oronaar”, which allows further follower and mission progression. Follower equipment that improves item level is more likely to appear from Argus missions, once “The Ruins of Oronaar” has been completed. The final tier of Argus missions are now less difficult, reward more Veiled Argunite, and reward more bonus Gold. October 3 Hotfixes Argus Resolved an issue where some players could have the Army of the Light emissary complete but were unable to see Vindicator Jaelaana and turn it in. Classes Paladin When Chain of Thrayn is unequipped, it cancels any active Avenging Wrath or Crusade. Priest Holy Guardian Spirit's heal should now be more responsive when the target is being attacked from multiple sources. Items Carefully Hidden Muffins are now Bind-on-Acquire. Player versus Player The cooldown of Vindicaar abilities will no longer reset when joining a Skirmish or Arena. September 29 Hotfixes Argus Characters who were unable to access the Netherlight Crucible after performing an account transfer can once again access it. Shadowcaster Voruun on Mac'Aree should now respawn more often when he is up. Classes Paladin Protection Steed of Glory will now correctly function with Highlord's Chargers. September 26 Hotfixes Argus Account-wide access to World Quests and treasures in Antoran Wastes is now allowed once "The Assault Begins" chapter of the Argus campaign has been completed. Account-wide access to Invasion Points and Greater Invasion Points is now allowed once the "Dark Awakenings" chapter of the Argus campaign has been completed. Items Zenk'aram, Iridi's Anadem now correctly increases Shadow damage in Voidform. Netherlight Crucible Dark Sorrows damage increased by 40%. Player versus Player Druid Shred now deals an additional 25% damage while stealthed in PvP situations (was 50%). Rake now deals an additional 50% damage while stealthed in PvP situations (was 100%). Feral Enraged Maim now costs 5 Combo Points. Enraged Maim incapacitates the target for 5 seconds (was 6 seconds). Enraged Maim now has a 10 second cooldown (was 6 seconds). The damage of the Lunar Inspiration version of Moonfire is reduced by 20% in PvP situations. Ferocious Wound reduces the maximum health of the target by 15% (was 25%). Demon Hunter Imprison's duration on players is now 3 seconds (was 4 seconds). Detainment increases Imprison's cooldown to 45 seconds, up from 30 seconds. Monk Mistweaver PvP Template Versatility increased by 5% PvP Template Armor increased by 10% Mana Regeneration increased by 5% in PvP situations. Life Cocoon's absorb is increased by 10% in PvP situations. Paladin Holy Avenging Crusader heals for 175% of damage dealt (was 200%). Shaman Restoration Earth Shield reduces all damage the target takes by 10% (was 15%). Warlock Destruction Chaos Bolt's damage is reduced by 10% in PvP situations. Focused Chaos increases Chaos Bolt damage by 65% (was 75%). Firestone increases critical strike chance by 65% (was 75%). PvP Template Intellect increased by 6%. September 22 Hotfixes Achievements Fixed a bug that excluded certain repeatable Highmountain Clan chests from counting toward the Treasures of Highmountain Achievement. Argus Invasion Points Crazed Corruptors’ Shadow Bolt spell now deals significantly less damage. Classes Warlock Wrathsteeds will once again leave glowing hoofprints while flying. Event Corin Direbrew Healing should now scale properly with player level. September 19 Hotfixes Classes Paladin The Netherlight Crucible trait Infusion of Light will no longer proc from Greater Blessing of Wisdom healing. Non-Player Characters Fiona's Caravan should no longer be mysteriously missing on some servers. Grand Lector Enaara should now properly appear during the world quest "Recurring Madness" on Mac'Aree for all players. Player versus Player Druid Feral Enraged Maim (Honor Talent) will now be properly removed from targets when they take damage from abilities and spells. Professions Herbalism Fel Lasher drop rate increased. It can now also drop from Astral Glory on Argus. Quests The Tomes of Torment are no longer difficult to see during the quest "Lessons of Fire and Pain". Abandoning "Talgath's Forces" or "Flanking Maneuvers" after completing one quest should no longer prevent you from re-acquiring the other. September 16 Hotfixes Argus The Elite enemies around the Seat of the Triumvirate will now leash back to their location when appropriate. Classes The Netherlight Crucible trait Shadowbind will now correctly benefit from the caster's Critical Strike chance. Player versus Player Shaman Elemental, Restoration Fixed a bug causing Lava Burst and Lava Burst: Overload to deal less damage than intended in PvP situations. Restoration Spirit Link (Honor Talent) can no longer be applied to targets under level 100. Professions Technique: Glyph of Fel-Touched Shards should be usable again to learn how to make the glyph. Quests The "All In" scenario in Suramar should no longer become stuck at 96% progress. September 13 Hotfixes Argus Toraan has been reminded of his allegiances and now provides an Argussian Reach faction discount. Fixed a bug preventing some of the Seat of the Triumvirate dungeon World Quests from counting toward the appropriate Emissary. Dungeons and Raids Seat of the Triumverate Shadow Pounce cast by Shadow Stalker panthara should no longer destroy Sealed Void Caches for the Let it All Out achievement. Zuraal the Ascended Dark Aberrations should cast Release Void Energy if disoriented. Viceroy Nezhar Fixed a bug where Viceroy Nezhar could cast Howling Dark while under the effects of Dark Bulwark, making it impossible to interrupt. Fixed a bug where Viceroy Nezhar sometimes did not begin the fight by gaining energy. Tomb of Sargeras Mistress Sassz’ine The blood visual for Dread Sharks has been improved on Mythic difficulty. Burden of Pain now counts damage after absorbs such as Stagger, Blood Shield, or Power Word: Shield on all difficulties. Player versus Player Monk Mistweaver The Ancient Mistweaver Arts version of Soothing Mist will no longer incorrectly cancel when recasting on a new target. Quests Fixed a bug preventing Peacebloom vs. Ghouls from being playable for Brazie the Botanist’s quests. September 12 Hotfixes Argus Soultender Videx is no longer required for the Commander of Argus achievement. [With restarts in each region] Argus Waystones no longer drop from bosses in Invasion Points. Any Argus Waystones in your possession have been converted to Veiled Argunite. [With restarts in each region] The quests Invasion Point Offensive and Invasion Onslaught no longer require Argus Waystones. [With restarts in each region] The Argussian Reach emissary again requires 4 World Quests completed. Classes Developers’ notes: All of the damage increases below are a combination of buffing specs that don't benefit from the Netherlight Crucible's item level increase as much as other specs, as well as tuning the specs relative to each other. Death Knight Frost All damage increased by 4%. Demon Hunter Havoc All damage increased by 3%. Druid Feral All damage increased by 2%. Hunter Beast Mastery All damage increased by 6%. Survival All damage increased by 5%. Monk Windwalker All damage increased by 9%. Rogue Assassination All damage increased by 5%. Outlaw All damage increased by 6%. Subtlety All damage increased by 1.5%. Shaman Enhancement All damage increased by 3%. Creatures The yetis of Feralas should once again have facial hair. Dungeons and Raids Vault of the Wardens Fixed a bug preventing Inquisitor Tormentorum’s associates from automatically engaging players. Tomb of Sargeras Demonic Inquisition The number of Echoing Anguish debuffs has been reduced to 2 (was 3) on Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic difficulties. Kil’jaeden Reduced the health of Kil’jaeden, Erupting Reflection, and Shadowsoul by 5% on all difficulties. The maximum distance from the center of the platform that Armageddon can spawn has been reduced on all difficulties. The radius of the explosion from Bursting Dreadflame has been reduced on all difficulties. Chaotic Eruption damage and knockup has been reduced on Mythic difficulty. Player versus Player All specs that received general damage increases above have been reduced by an equivalent amount in PvP, as the Netherlight Crucible’s item-level increases to the player’s Artifact weapon have very little impact on PvP. September 8 Hotfixes Argus Fixed a bug that allowed players to teleport to the nearest flight point in Antoran Wastes even if it was inactive. The Broken Shore The Deliverance Point building accumulation rate has been increased for all regions. The intended result is for buildings to complete at approximately the same rate as they did before 7.3. Classes Shaman Restoration and Elemental Shaman’s Chain Lightning spells should now use a consistent casting animation. Dungeons and Raids The Deadmines Defeating Glubtok should correctly award loot. Razorfen Kraul Players should find it easier to find the items and complete “Going Going Guano” The Temple of Atal’hakkar Defeating Shade of Hakkar in Sunken Temple should correctly award loot. Wailing Caverns Players should find it easier to find the items and complete “Deviate Hides”. September 6 Hotfixes Argus Fel Lava on Argus will no longer damage pets. The number of World Quests required to complete the Argussian Reach Emissary is reduced to 3 (was 4) until next week, when more Argussian Reach World Quests will become available. Classes Druid [Hotfix in testing] Fixed a bug preventing Starsurge from having visual or sound effects. Priest [Hotfix in testing] Fixed a bug that made Void Eruption’s Vampiric Touch missile display incorrectly. Shaman Elemental Overloads should correctly hit if the target is behind the caster. Dungeons and Raids Humanoid mobs in low level dungeons should drop gold once again. Pet Battles Fixed a bug in which Gloamwing and Snozz counted for each other toward the Aquatic Assault achievement. Quests The objective requirement for the "Core Mechanics" World Quest has been reduced to 8 Crystalline Construct Cores (was 20). September 5 Hotfixes Argus A treasure hidden off the edge of the Antoran Wastes has now been moved on to the island. The Paraxis now fires at player locations, allowing players to avoid the damage from the effect. Classes Druid Feral Thrash should now be able to proc Ashamane's Bite and Primal Fury without requiring the Tier 19 2-piece bonus. Items Flight Master's Whistle should no longer go on cooldown if the cast is canceled. Players should no longer be able to use high item level Holiday items at low levels. Player versus Player Players have a 30% reduced chance to Dodge and Parry attacks while in PvP situations (was 20%). Stealth effects should no longer be removed when Dalaran Sewers starts. Death Knight Unholy Crypt Fever damage reduced by 25%. PvP template Strength reduced by 2%. Frost PvP template Strength reduced by 3%. Demon Hunter Havoc PvP template Agility reduced by 3%. Druid Balance Circadian Invocation will no longer keep the Druid and target in combat for an extended time. Feral Brutal Slash now deals 40% less damage in PvP situations. PvP template Agility reduced by 3%. PvP template Armor increased by 15%. PvP template Versatility increased by 20%. PvP template Stamina increased by 5%. Feral Instinct increases damage you deal by 2.5% per rank in PvP situations (was 5%). Monk Windwalker Serenity increases your damage deal by 16% in PvP situations (was 22%). Paladin Holy Avenging Crusader healing should now properly scale with Versatility. Retribution Templar's Verdict deals 7% less damage in PvP situations. Divine Storm deals 7% less damage in PvP situations. Rogue Subtlety PvP template Agility reduced by 3%. Symbols of Death increases your damage by 10% in PvP situations (was 15%). Catlike Reflexes increases Dodge chance by 5% in PvP situations (was 20%). Warrior Arms PvP template Strength reduced by 2%. Scenarios Endless Halls Your camera should no longer occasionally flip around when moving between rooms in the Endless Halls. You should no longer be able to get stuck on the objects in the middle of the Endless Halls rooms. Quests “Commander's Downfall” and “Felfire Shattering” should no longer remove Army of the Light Reputation. Players who are removed from the Lightforged Warframe during the quest "Lord of the Spire" will no longer be prematurely teleported back to Destiny Point. Hadrox and Radix should now have an appropriate amount of health when engaged for “Slumbering Behemoths”. September 1 Hotfixes Argus Orix the All-Seer's turn-in quests have been replaced with a vendor list. Some Fel Spreader models are no longer incorrectly displaying as an Ethereal Holoplatform. Achievements All players are now granted “Part of History” at level 110. Classes Druid Druids with the Glyph of Stars should now see the new casting animations for Sunfire and Moonfire. Mage Time and Space trait correctly echoes Arcane Explosion at the location of the previous Arcane Explosion. Priest Discipline Priests will no longer shuffle in the air when combining Levitate and Light's Wrath. Shaman Stormkeeper now buffs Lava Beam Overloads. Dungeons and Raids Some lower level dungeon quest mobs now drop their quest items more frequently. Tomb of Sargeras Goroth Now once again displays the correct visual effects. Fallen Avatar Touch of Sargeras now creates 4 fissures in Mythic difficulty (was 5 fissures). Touch of Sargeras damage reduced by 10% in Mythic difficulty. Fallen Avatar now generates 20% less energy when Tainted Matrix and Corrupted Matrix beams are not intercepted by players. Fixed an issue where some players falling into the second phase of the fight took unintended damage. Kil’jaeden Now once again displays the correct visual effects. Items Crystalline Swords should no longer freeze in midair. Player versus Player The Dutiful PvP companions should now be purchasable once players reach Prestige 7 on any character. Stealth and Invisibility effects will be removed when assaulting bases in Domination battlegrounds such as Arathi Basin. Professions Due to a bug, Technique: Glyph of Fel-Touch Shards will temporarily no longer drop from Inquisitor Vethroz. August 30 Hotfixes Argus A Prime Naaru has found its way onto the Vindicaar to provide aid to recently fallen heroes. Tassia Whisperglen, a stablemaster, has traveled to Argus. Items and abilities granted by Class Hall research should now work on Argus. Fel Lava on Argus will no longer damage pets. Classes Mage Rule of Threes causes Arcane Missiles to properly fire a total of 8 missiles. Dungeons and Raids Tomb of Sargeras Misstress Sassz’ine Health decreased by 5% in Mythic difficulty. Razorjaw Waverunner health decreased by 10% in all difficulties. Hydra Shot split damage decreased by 25% in all difficulties. Maiden of Vigilance Fixed a bug with Unstable Soul not working correctly in Raid Finder difficulty. Sisters of the Moon Moontalon’s health was unintentionally increased on Mythic difficulty in 7.3. It has been reverted to its original value. Corrected an issue that could cause tanks to incorrectly be targeted with Lunar Beacon and Incorporeal Shot. Player Characters Fixed an issue that prevented one Night Elf Male hairstyle from appearing. Artifact weapons with a challenge artifact appearance selected should no longer revert to their base appearance if the player is logged out while in a different specialization. Quests Gul'dan should once again drop his eye in Normal and Heroic difficulties for "The Nighthold: Darkness Calls". August 29 Hotfixes Dungeons and Raids Tomb of Sargeras Fallen Avatar Fixed a bug that prevented Explosive Shot and Stampede from correctly dealing damage to Fallen Avatar. Player versus Player Demon Hunter Havoc PvP template Stamina reduced by 5%. Demon Hunter Vengeance Demonic Trample now provides a 50% movement speed increase while carrying a Flag in battlegrounds (was 100%). Death Knight Frost PvP template Stamina reduced by 7%. Death Knight Unholy PvP template Stamina reduced by 7%. Mage Frost Chilled to the Core increases Frost damage by 10% in PvP situations (was 20%). Warrior Arms PvP template stamina reduced by 5%. Fury PvP template stamina increased by 3%. Quests: The lack of basic facilities was not the only major challenge faced by the 250-Bed District Hospital in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, because there was only one ambulance available to shuttle thousands of Rohingya refugees who needed treatment at the hospital.The Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail witnessed the actual situation when visiting the hospital on Sunday in the Cox's Bazar district, about 300km from the capital Dhaka.Tuanku Syed Faizuddin, who is also the Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) president, was heading a delegation of non-government organisations (NGO) to visit the hospital and have a closer look at refugees being treated at the hospital.The delegation would be at Cox's Bazar until Monday before heading to Dhaka on Tuesday and Wednesday.According to a statement from MAIPS, he was touched by the situation when briefed by specialist surgeon at the hospital, Dr Pu Chaw Nu who said the most pressing need was for ambulances since only one was available compared to the demand from thousands of patients.In addition, support staff such as medical assistants and doctors were inadequate and the limited beds forced the hospital to place patients on the floor.According to Dr Pu the hospital desperately needed aid from all quarters for more appropriate facilities as it involved the lives of the refugees who entered Bangladesh on a daily basis.Operation theatres were also limited and only basic equipment was available and could not be used for more complicated surgery, he said.Meanwhile, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin said MAIPs was prepared to assist parties who are keen to volunteer to help the 500,000 refugees.-- BERNAMAA report released Monday revealed that the cost of child care has increased so dramatically that the average monthly fee for an infant in a child care center is now more expensive than the average cost of food for a family of four. Titled "Parents and the High Cost of Child Care," the report was conducted by Child Care Aware of America, a federal information resource for parents and childcare providers. The study examined child care centers and did not account for different forms of care like nannies, relatives or babysitters. While researchers found great disparities in the cost of childcare across the country, the increase universally outpaced increases in average household income. "Child care is a major expense in family budgets, often exceeding the cost of housing, college tuition, transportation or food," wrote Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., executive director of Child Care Aware of America, in a release. "Unlike all other areas of education investment, including higher education, families pay the majority of costs for early education. These expenses come at a time when young families can least afford them." Child care costs varied widely from state to state, ranging from $4,863 per year in Mississippi to $16,430 in Massachusetts. The report noted factors like cost of living and labor costs for the discrepancies. The report revealed a few other anxiety-inducing figures as well: The cost of child care fees for two children exceeded housing costs for homeowners with a mortgage in 20 states. Child care fees for two children in a child care center exceeded annual median rent payments in every state. The annual average cost for an infant in center-based care was higher than a year’s tuition and fees at a four-year public college. Fraga urged readers not to interpret the results as a question of the high costs, but rather a call to action for lawmakers. “Eleven million children younger than age 5 are in some form of child care. Ensuring this care is high-quality, affordable and available for families is crucial to our nation’s ability to produce and sustain an economically viable, competitively positioned workforce,” said Fraga. “Thanks to several federal policy proposals before Congress and other federal agencies, we are on the cusp of great leaps toward improving child care in this country."Few would argue that the Vancouver Canucks prospect pool is deeper since Jim Benning took over as general manager before the 2014 NHL Draft. NHL.com is providing in-depth prospect analysis for each of its 30 teams throughout August. Today, the Vancouver Canucks. Despite trading 11 draft picks since taking the job, Benning is excited about the depth in Vancouver's system. He also takes issue with claims it lacks high-end talent, pointing to defenseman Olli Juolevi, forward Brock Boeser and goalie Thatcher Demko. "Right there we have potentially a No.1 goalie, a top-pairing defenseman and a top-six scoring winger, so I am excited about our group of prospects," Benning said. Canucks 30 in 30: Season outlook \| Fantasy outlook \| Burning questions, reasons for optimism Here are the Canucks' top five prospects, according to NHL.com: 1. Brock Boeser, RW How acquired: Selected with No. 23 pick of 2015 NHL Draft Last season: University of North Dakota (NCAA): 42 GP, 27-33-60 After helping North Dakota win the NCAA championship as a freshman last season, the sides agree another season of college hockey will allow Boeser, 19, to continue developing his 6-foot-1, 191-pound frame while adding a leadership role. "Offensively he's got great vision, he goes to the gray areas to score, and when he gets to those areas he's got that snap shot, that quick release that surprises a lot of goalies," Canucks director of player development Stan Smyl said. "Of course, at the next level everyone is a little better and you have to get it away a little quicker. It gets a little tougher, a little faster, a little stronger. There are still steps, but he'll figure it out." Projected NHL arrival: Next season Video: Brock Boeser and Troy Stecher get mic'd up 2. Thatcher Demko, G How acquired: Selected with No. 36 pick of 2014 NHL Draft Last season: Boston College (NCAA): 39 GP, 27-8-4, 1.88 GAA,.935 save percentage Demko, 20, changed his goaltending style after hip surgery last summer and the results of his improved mobility were impressive. He helped Boston College reach the NCAA Frozen Four and was named the top goalie in college hockey, but the Canucks will be careful not to rush their athletic 6-foot-4, 210-pound prospect, pointing to the three or more years that Cory Schneider, Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom each spent in the American Hockey League. "Everybody gets excited and obviously we do too," Canucks goaltending coach Dan Cloutier said. "He's a big goaltender that competes and battles, but at the same time it takes goalies time to take it to next level and Thatcher is no different." Projected NHL arrival: 2018-19 3. Olli Juolevi, D How acquired: Selected with No. 5 pick of 2016 NHL Draft Last season: London (OHL): 57 GP, 9-33-42 Smyl praised the 6-foot-2, 182-pound left-handed defenseman for his playmaking and poise while standing out at his first development camp. Juolevi talked about making the NHL as an 18-year-old, but Vancouver will be patient with the skilled native of Finland. "I feel he can be a top-pairing defenseman," Benning said. "He's so smart and he plays with poise and he reads the play so well that I just feel we have to be patient with him and develop him properly, but I feel he's a blue-chip prospect." Projected NHL arrival: 2018-19 Video: Vancouver Canucks prospect camp 4. Nikita Tryamkin, D How acquired: Selected with No. 66 pick of 2014 NHL Draft Last season: Canucks: 13 GP, 1-1-2; Yekaterinburg (KHL): 53 GP, 4-7-11 Despite four seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League before coming to North America in March, Tryamkin doesn't turn 22 until Aug. 30. A contract clause that lets him return to Russia rather than going to the American Hockey League improves his odds of sticking this season, even as the seventh defenseman, but there were signs during his 13-game introduction to the NHL that he's ready. "For being such a big man at 6-foot-7, 265 (pounds), his mobility and coordination is excellent," Benning said. "His reach defensively and to know when to put his stick in there to break up plays defensively was really good, and over the course of the 13 games he played, he just seemed to get better as he got more confidence." Projected NHL arrival: This season 5. Anton Rodin, RW How acquired: Selected with No. 53 pick of 2009 NHL Draft Last season: Brynas (SHL): 33 GP, 16-21-37 Rodin, 25 (6-foot, 185), went back to his native Sweden in 2013 after two unsuccessful seasons in the AHL, but in the three years since, he has emerged as a top-six scorer. He was leading the SHL with 37 points in 33 games before a skate cut that severed tendons above his knee ended his season in mid-January, but he was named league MVP. "He always had the hands and the skill, but in gaining strength his game progressed to where he played in the hard areas of the ice too," Benning said. Projected NHL arrival: This season Video: 30 in 30: Vancouver Canucks 2016-17 season previewAmerican troop strength stands at about 95,000, and by the end of August the figure is expected to swell to 100,000 -- three times the number in early 2009. Commanders say more boots on the ground inevitably means more casualties. As the harvest ended and the pace of battle accelerated, more American troops were streaming into the country as part of President Barack Obama's decision last December to dispatch 30,000 reinforcements in a bid to turn back a resurgent Taliban. Some U.S. military officers speculated that the spring drop in fatalities was due in part to the fact that many Taliban fighters in the south -- the main focus of NATO operations -- were busy harvesting the annual opium poppy crop, a major source of funding for the insurgents. After a dip in American deaths last spring following the February capture of the southern town of Marjah, U.S. fatalities have been rising -- from 19 in April to 34 in May to 60 in June. Last month's deaths for the entire NATO-led force reached a record 104, including the 60 Americans. This month's coalition death count stands at 89, including the 66 Americans. The month has brought a sharp increase in the tragic images of war -- medics frantically seeking to stop the bleeding of a soldier who lost his leg in a bombing, fearful comrades huddled around a wounded trooper fighting for his life, the solemn scenes at Dover Air Force Bare in Delaware when shattered relatives come to receive the bodies of their loved ones. "Recent months in Afghanistan have... seen tough fighting and tough casualties. This was expected," the top U.S. and NATO commander, Gen. David Petraeus, said at his Senate confirmation hearing last month. "My sense is that the tough fighting will continue; indeed, it may get more intense in the next few months." U.S. commanders say American casualties are mounting because more troops are fighting -- and the Taliban are stiffening resistance as NATO and Afghan forces challenge the insurgents in areas they can't afford to give up without a fight. U.S. officials confirmed the latest American deaths Friday but gave no further details. Five of the latest reported deaths were a result of hidden bombs -- the insurgents' weapon of choice -- and the sixth to an armed attack, NATO said in statements. Six more Americans were reported killed in fighting in the south -- three Thursday and three Friday -- pushing the U.S. death toll for July to a record 66 and surpassing June as the deadliest month for U.S. forces in the nearly nine-year war. KABUL, Afghanistan—In a summer of suffering, America's military death toll in Afghanistan is rising, with back-to-back record months for U.S. losses in the grinding conflict. All signs point to more bloodshed in the months ahead, straining the already shaky international support for the war. With the additional troops, U.S. commanders have been stepping up the fight against the insurgents in their longtime strongholds such as the Arghandab Valley, Panjwaii and Zhari -- all on the outskirts of Kandahar city, the biggest urban area in the ethnic Pashtun south. Much of the fighting in those areas involves brief but intense exchanges of fire. NATO and Afghan patrols also must maneuver through fields often littered with homemade bombs, which have become the biggest killer of pro-government forces. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins around Aug. 11, may provide some respite in the bloodletting because Taliban fighters and Afghan government forces will be fasting, although some commanders believe the insurgents will keep up the pace in areas where the coalition is trying to step up their own operations. Fighting around Kandahar is part of a NATO strategy to secure the city, the Taliban's spiritual birthplace where support for the insurgency runs deep. U.S. commanders have described Kandahar city as the key to controlling the Taliban's southern heartland because of the city's symbolic links to the insurgency. As the U.S. and its allies step up pressure around Kandahar, Taliban resistance has also intensified in Helmand province to the west and in Zabul province to the east. Those three provinces account for roughly 70 percent of the U.S. deaths this month. "We are going into places that have been significant support bases for the Taliban for the past several years, and they're going to fight hard for those," Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez, who directs day-to-day operations, said this month. "And that's why we expect the casualties to go up." The rise in casualties is likely to erode support for the war in Washington and the capitals of the 45 other countries that provide troops -- especially if NATO commanders are unable to show progress in curbing the Taliban. The Dutch are due to remove the last of their 1,600-member force at the end of this month, and Canada plans to remove its 2,700 troops next year. Obama has promised to begin withdrawing U.S. troops in July next year with the pace to be determined by conditions on the ground. At the same time, there are signs that Afghan patience with the presence of thousands of foreign troops is running thin. In the capital, Kabul, police fired weapons into the air Friday to disperse a crowd of angry Afghans who shouted "Death to America!", hurled stones and set fire to two vehicles after an SUV, driven by U.S. contract employees, was involved in a traffic accident that killed four Afghans, according to the capital's criminal investigations chief, Abdul Ghaafar Sayedzada. The contractor, DynCorp International, confirmed that its employees, working on a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, were involved in an accident on the main road to the Kabul airport. In a statement, DynCorp said that when its employees got out of their vehicle, they and other DynCorp employees, who arrived at the scene to help, were attacked by the crowd, which burned their vehicles. "Our condolences go out to the families of those who were killed or injured," DynCorp said. "An investigation is under way." People at the scene claimed foreigners fired shots, killing and wounding Afghan civilians. DynCorp said the contractors fired no shots and that Afghan police helped move the contractors to safety away from the crowd. Hospital officials said the deaths and injuries were caused by the traffic accident. Ahmad Jawid, who also was at the scene, asked: "Are we not Muslims? Are we not from Afghanistan? Infidels are here and they are ruling us. Why?" ------ Associated Press Writer Amir Shah in Kabul and AP researcher Monika Mathur in New York contributed to this report. © Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.But we are seeing guys battle hard. We are seeing them push to make plays. And the only difference between Weeks 1 and 2 from a defensive standpoint -- the difference between winning and losing -- is that they were able to make a few plays in the fourth quarter and in the red zone. That isn't to say the Cowboys have a great defense. They don't. We all know it, and compared to league averages, the Cowboys must do better in nearly every category from what we've seen. The name of the game in the NFL is: "Who is going to make that play at that moment to win this game?" That is how defense is played. Every team is going to give up between 300-400 yards most weeks, 20-24 points and several highlights. The teams are too good. The players are too talented. There are almost no "clean sheets" in the NFL. The rules are geared toward the offense and the league wants excitement. They don't want a 3-0 game. They want 28-27. Once we establish that this is the NFL and both teams are really good and all of these games are going to be close from week to week, we cut through the noise and get down to the name of the game. Here, the Redskins have a chance to take a 10-point lead with a touchdown in the fourth quarter. That seems pretty big against a young quarterback like Dak Prescott. So this play, on 3rd-and-6, has a chance to either put the game in a great spot, settle for a field goal to put you up by six, or maybe, Barry Church can make a play. There is a lot to look at here. First, see Church and Jones in the middle of the field playing safety. Jones is the extra guy on the left
their actions, political officials stand aloof from the daily lives of citizens. One reason they create so many rules and regulations, day after day, that make the common worker’s life more difficult, is that they do not bear the costs of compliance themselves. And they are not aware of many of the costs their new rules have created. Smith criticized the hubris of government officials who created the poor laws and restrictive guild apprenticeship laws, and condemned the suffering and injustice they caused. The poor laws violate man’s natural liberty because: “to remove a man who has committed no misdemeanour from the parish where he chuses to reside, is an evident violation of natural liberty and justice.” Smith makes a similar claim about the injustice of apprenticeship laws: The property which every man has in his own labour, as it is the original foundation of all other property, so it is the most sacred and inviolable….to hinder [the poor man] from employing this strength and dexterity in what manner he thinks proper without injury to his neighbour, is a plain violation of this most sacred property. Government officials, through hubris, poor knowledge, and corrupted moral judgments, have abused many people, especially the poor. They frequently neglect the injustice and other evil consequences of their policies. Smith’s responses are two-fold. First, he recommends decentralizing political authority. We can see this in his treatment of public works: Even those publick works which…cannot afford any revenue for maintaining themselves, but of which the conveniency is nearly confined to some particular place or district, are always better maintained by a local or provincial revenue, under the management of a local or provincial administration, than by the general revenue of the state, of which the executive power must always have the management. Second, Smith argues that most issues should be left largely to private citizens. Even in his views on education, which left Smithians hold up as one of the most modernly liberal of his proposals, Smith seems to think that, although subsidizing education to defray its expense might be necessary, the issue remains open. Here are his final words on the subject: This expence, however, might perhaps with equal propriety, and even with some advantage, be defrayed altogether by those who receive the immediate benefit of such education and instruction, or by the voluntary contribution of those who think they have occasion for either the one or the other. (Emphasis added) Smith thought widespread education was important for a flourishing commercial society. So important that some public funding and some government requirements might be warranted. But then again, that education perhaps ought to be supplied entirely privately. Smith tolerated, even supported, government intervention in cases of overwhelming public interest. But that hardly makes him skeptical of markets and private enterprise. England in his day was a far cry from a state of perfect natural liberty. So Smith often suggested slow and modest reforms of current government interventions for pragmatic reasons. But he was not in doubt as to the ideal: “All systems either of preference or of restraint, therefore, being thus completely taken away, the obvious and simple system of natural liberty establishes itself of its own accord.” The presumption of liberty is at the core of Smith’s view of politics.1 of 1 2 of 1 TransLink today (March 31) announced its new electronic fare card will be called Compass. The pre-paid electronic fare card will be part of a new network-wide fare-payment system that will incorporate faregate barriers on the SkyTrain and SeaBus routes. TransLink says the new electronic card will simplify fare payment while the gates will address fare evasion. Construction work on the $170-million project is slated to start this spring with the system operating by 2013. Burnaby resident Oleksiy Gayda was the winner of a public contest to name the new fare card. Today Gayda received his prize of an iPad and a “year’s worth” of free transit once the new fare-card system is in place, TransLink said. Gayda was randomly selected as the contest winner after TransLink received more than 70 entries suggesting the name Compass. In total, more than 56,000 entries were received last fall as part of the public naming contest, TransLink says. After TransLink selected the top-three names—Compass, Starfish, and TPass—a public vote was held to determine the winner. Compass earned more than 40 percent of the votes, TransLink said. The fare-card design features the word Compass on a blue background with a directional symbol around the letter "C". This morning, dozens of TransLink employees were handing out blue Compass buttons and providing information to transit riders across the system. TransLink spokesperson Michael Madill said he was pleased with the public response. “People like the name. It’s kind of catchy,” Madill told the Straight. “People are excited that we’re moving to a new fare-card system,” he added. “Mostly people who’ve been travelling, they know what systems are in place in London, Hong Kong, Europe, the States, so they’re just excited to see that coming to Vancouver now.” Madill said the faregate system will help ease concerns about fare evasion. “It won’t solve the fare-evasion problem but it certainly will reduce it. And people will be able to feel more safe and secure on the system.” Madill said there will be little change to the existing fare system at first, once the fare card is introduced. “There may be some small tweaks but generally we’ll keep the zone system in place until we get some data about our customer movements and we work out a system that’s better and even more fair than the system that we have now.” Madill said distance-based fare payment could be an option. He said the Compass brand will be useful as the new fare system is rolled out. “We’ll have a lot of messages for people over the next couple of years to transition to the new system so this’ll help lead the way.” He said construction related to the faregate system will likely start by late May or early June. SkyTrain riders offered a mixed response today after learning about the new farecard name. SFU student Michelle Cheng said Compass was the best of the final-three names. “TPass sounds like a cheap imitation of the U-Pass,” she said, referring to the universal transit pass for postsecondary students. “Compass is the best one but it still doesn’t really stick out,” she told the Straight. Marty Wood said Compass is a good name. “It relates to where you’re going and the direction. It’s as good a name as any other,” the New Westminster resident told the Straight. Vancouver resident Andrew Witt said he was more concerned about the planned faregate system than the naming contest. “Names don’t matter. What matters is barriers,” he told the Straight, calling the faregates “an instance of increased policing”. Asked about the fare-card name, Witt said: “I think the more ridiculous it is, the better. Starfish is far superior.” Burnaby resident Sean Canasa questioned the need for a faregate system. “I think it’s just a waste of money honestly,” he told the Straight.When people in the Muslim East and democratic West thought of China, they tended to think of it as a unified, strong, homogeneous and peaceful nation of Chinese people with a long, shared history happily living and advancing under Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) glorious rule. In the relaxed post-Cold War political atmosphere, and especially after the West had engaged China, they tended to think of China as if it were a democracy, completely ignoring or subconsciously forgetting that China was still being ruled by one of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. Impressed by the breathtaking state-led development in China over the past 30 years and wanting strongly to enter the huge Chinese market to make millions, many nations and big corporations simply turned a blind eye to China's policies of heavy-handed repression of the Turkic and Muslim Uighur people of East Turkestan, which China renamed "Xinjiang". However, the myth of a unified, strong, homogeneous and peaceful China has been increasingly challenged and shattered by the recent series of tragic events in East Turkestan and inner China, shocking both the Chinese people and the international community who were used to believing Beijing's interpretation of the political history of annexed territories and its so-called preferential treatment of the minorities. The Uyghur people, just like the Tibetans, will simply not continue to accept China's colonial and apartheid rule in their homeland in the 21st century. The ball is in Beijing's court. On May 22, Chinese state media reported a bombing at an open market in Urumqi which caused the deaths of 31 people and injured 94. Although no Uighur group claimed responsibility, Beijing blamed the Uighurs. The attack was a latest in a series of attacks, including the Urumqi train station, Kunming train station and Tiananmen Square, allegedly carried out by the Uighurs. The attack on civilians was deplorable. While the Chinese government continues to blame the violence on the "three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and religious extremism", many Chinese were brutally awakened to the facade of Beijing's narrative of a "peaceful liberation of Xinjiang" and the "happy dancing and singing" Uighurs in colourful costumes who offer nothing but praise to China's colonial rule in East Turkestan. The bad blood between the Chinese state and Uighur people didn't begin yesterday. It began when Chinese communist forces led by General Wang Zhen occupied the East Turkestan Republic in October 1949 with the support of the Soviet Union and pacified the resistant Uighur people through public executions and massacres. Tens of thousands of Uighurs were killed by Wang's troops in communist China's conquest of East Turkestan. Promises of self-rule Although Chinese communists initially promised self-rule and even independence for non-Chinese people, it soon reneged on its promise after annexation and established the "Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region" in 1955. Contrary to Beijing's claims that "Xinjiang has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times", Xinjiang in Chinese literally means "New Territory". The name "Xinjiang" is a direct insult heaped upon the indigenous Uighur people who have lived there for thousands of years while the use of "East Turkestan" by Uighurs is criminalised. The Uighur people, like the Tibetans and Mongols, have never enjoyed autonomy in their so-called Autonomous Region because all the political, military, police and economic decision-making powers are in the hands of Chinese officials. Uighurs at all government levels serve as figureheads, including the regional chairman. Since China annexed East Turkestan, the relationship between the Chinese state and the indigenous Uighurs has been one of coloniser and colonised. In order to control the "New Territory", China ruthlessly suppressed any sign of Uighur unrest and transferred millions of loyal Chinese settlers into East Turkestan, providing them with jobs, housing, bank loans and economic opportunities denied to Uighurs. At the same time, Chinese state corporations exploited the abundant natural resources of East Turkestan and transferred them to the Chinese motherland, leaving nothing to the Uighurs. While East Turkestan which is roughly the size of Iran possesses huge reserves of natural gas, oil, gold, uranium, coal and other minerals, the living standard of Uighurs is one of the lowest in China. The Uighur population in East Turkestan, which was nearly 90 percent in 1949, is now only 45 percent, while the Chinese population grew disproportionately due to state-sponsored mass settlement from around six percent in 1953 to the current 40 percent (excluding the Chinese military, seasonal workers and floating population). Many Uighurs believe Chinese are already a majority since Beijing continues to encourage their settlement. The Uighur resentment toward Chinese rule comes from their loss of independence, failure to master and change their political destiny, and the sense of being overwhelmed by millions of Chinese settlers, who threaten their very existence as an historic, sovereign, and indigenous majority in their homeland of East Turkestan. They also resent the current Chinese colonial and apartheid rule, the systematic repression of Uighur people since 1949 and the reframing of its wholesale attack on the Uighurs as a fight against "Islamic terrorism" since 9/11. Cultural 'genocide' What is more, China tested 45 nuclear devices, both under and above ground, between 1964 and 1996 in East Turkestan, polluting air, water, land, and slowly killing both people and livestock due to the effects of radiation. Uighur resentment toward Chinese rule was further reinforced by China's current policies of cultural "genocide" on Uighur identity, culture, religious beliefs and practices, in addition to Chinese soldiers' extrajudicial and indiscriminate killings of Uighur men, women and children. The Uighurs feel powerless to defend their historic homeland, their way of life, identity, culture, language and religion from Beijing's ever-intensifying onslaught and Chinese settlers appropriating everything that once belonged rightfully to them. When moderate Uighurs such as Professor Ilham Tohti and linguist Abduweli Ayup who had tried to work within the Chinese system were denounced and arrested, some then took matters into their hands out of desperation and committed horrific acts of political violence against not only Chinese security forces, but also against settlers. Such attacks were immediately taken advantage of by Beijing to skillfully spin the narrative that it faced a "terrorist threat from Muslim Uighurs" and "China was also a victim of terrorism" in order to win public opinion both in China and the world and silence international criticism of its subsequent heavy-handed repression. Regardless of how China spins the story, the vast majority of Uighurs are peaceful and hoping for a peaceful change. Our repeated calls for a peaceful dialogue to resolve the political situation have fallen on deaf ears in Beijing. We believe a peaceful resolution of the East Turkestan issue is in the interest of both sides and the vicious cycle of violence has proven to be not a solution at all. The Chinese government must understand that East Turkestan cannot be a land of opportunity and prosperity for the colonising Chinese settlers and a land of death and destruction for the indigenous Uighur people. Simply put, Beijing cannot maintain political stability or create ethnic harmony in East Turkestan by pointing a gun at every Uighur's head and fight the so-called three evil forces by treating all Uighurs as terror suspects or enemies of the Chinese state. China has a clear choice - either treat the Uighur people as genuine Chinese citizens by honouring China's constitution and Regional Ethnic Autonomy Laws, or treat them as non-Chinese citizens and allow them self-determination to pursue their own political future. The Uighur people, just like the Tibetans, will simply continue to reject China's colonial and apartheid rule in their homeland in the 21st century. The ball is in Beijing's court. If China continues to resist choosing either, but rather applies the same old failing method of heavy-handed repression on the one hand and forcible assimilation on the other, then it only means China has chosen war with all Uighurs and China will eventually turn its "New Territory" into its own Palestine. Alim A Seytoff is the spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress and the president of Uyghur American Association based in Washington, DC.At the annual F8 developer conference today, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company would be releasing an API for its live-streaming video feature. This will allow developers to build live Facebook video right into their apps. To demonstrate, Facebook showed off a DJI drone, live-streaming an aerial shot of Zuckerberg directly to the social network. It briefly hovered onstage next to the social network's founder and chief, who waved nervously before wishing the aerial robot goodbye. DJI introduced live-streaming to its drones in the summer of 2015 with the release of the Phantom 3. But that capability only worked with YouTube and and its Chinese equivalent, Youku. Pilots will now have a third option, and it will be a platform with a massive and rapacious audience. Facebook has been pushing live video into people's news feeds, and streams from publishers and celebrities have been getting hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers and tens of millions of total views. GIF from @kerrymflynnDetails: 1 Ticket for $20.00 (1 ticket gets in all 20 raffles) New this year: Bonus Ticket : No more that 200 tickets will be sold. Bonus Gun (or gift card) 1 New gun raffled off every week for 20 weeks. 1 ticket gets in all 20 raffles, no matter how many times it wins No more than 1000 tickets are sold The first raffle is March 03, 2018 and then every Saturday after that for 20 total Saturdays. All of the necessary information is listed on the back of the raffle ticket The winning number will be pick at the Monona Fire Station at 9:00am, Saturday mornings. One ticket is eligible for every week, even if it has won already The winner will be contacted via phone, email or mail after the drawing date The winner doesn’t have to take the gun, they can substitute a gift card to Cabela's for the value listed next to the gun. This also allows those who are under 18 to purchase a raffle ticket.The BJP hit out at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Ganga’ attack on PM Modi. Union minister Uma Bharti urged Rahul Gandhi not to run away after the assembly elections and come with her to the Ganga to see the cleaning work being done there. She told NDTV: "I urge Rahul Gandhi not to run away to Thailand as he is likely to once the assembly election results are out. He should come with me to the Ganga and if work to clean it has not started, either he can jump into the Ganga or I will.” She also called Akhilesh Yadav’s SP ‘the enemy of Ganga. She said: “Work is on in four out of five states but the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order to all Ganga districts not to give a no-objection certificate (NoC) to the clean Ganga campaign... I can give you a copy of the order," the minister said, adding, in more advice for Rahul Gandhi, "Either he should throw Akhilesh off his bandwagon, or get off his." Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said: “Modiji keval Ganga maa se wade hi nahi karte, balki Ganga maa se sauda bhi karte hain, kahte hain pahle vote do tab kam karenge. (Modi does not only make promises to the Ganga, but even strikes deals with her, saying first vote for me and then I will work). Modi told Maa Ganga that first make him the Prime Minister and then only he will carry out its cleaning works," said Gandhi seeking votes for local party MLA Ajai Rai from Pindara assembly seat under Banaras Lok Sabha constituency. While attacking Modi for allegedly making "conditional promises" to the people of Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi promised in the same vein if Congress-SP alliance forms government in UP it "will give Rs 20 lakh to youths for starting their own business." "Modi strikes relationships with the Ganga maa saying he he is beta of Banaras and that Maa Ganga called him to Varanasi," said Rahul and asked, "Does Maa Ganga had only one son and that too from Gujarat? "Ganga belongs to everyone and not to a single person." Referring to a slew of PM's alleged promises for Varanasi, Rahul said "Modi had promised Metro rail, did people get it?" "Modi talked of making making Benaras a Kyoto city, give each house clean drinking water, fly luxury planes over Ganga and to set up a Bhojpuri film city here," said Rahul asking if the city got any of these things till now despite lapse of over three years since he became the PM. Accusing the Prime Minister of failing in fulfilling his promise of providing jobs to people, Rahul said he did nothing for the farmers and youths, but "waived loans of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and country s top 50 richest families". "Modi comes here, gives long speeches, shows dreams to people and asks them to make him Prime Minister, make BJP win the UP assembly elections and only then he would provide jobs to unemployed youth, work for the development of the state," said Rahul. Exuding confidence that Congress-SP alliance would win the UP assembly elections, Gandhi said the polling in the last five phases has shown that voters favoured Congress-SP alliance while "Modi ji lost his smiles had looked sad as if he has already lost the polls." The Congress vice president further said the Congress-SP alliance will even continue beyond the UP assembly elections. With inputs from agenciesThose aren’t my words. Followers of mine on Facebook and Vine have recently called me “the most interesting dog in the world”. I can’t say I know all the dogs out there to be able to judge this, but with an ego already through the roof, I’m not sure what harm there is in bashfully accepting this title. If you follow me on my social networks, you’ll likely know that I just won the award for Best Active Living Blog at the Petties! This just goes to show that flexing really does pay off. But seriously, it’s got to tell you something when the Best Active Living award goes to a dachshund, a dog which is commonly misjudged as being a lap dog, or one that doesn’t need much exercise. Anyone who owns a dachshund knows we’re hunting dogs at heart, bred to pursue ferocious badgers. Once I found out I won, I couldn’t resist throwing a quick celebratory pose in my nicest jacket and tie. At first I thought I’d go tout nude for this one to showcase my winning physique, but I figured the award speaks enough for itself. I’m not the only one who promotes an active lifestyle though. There was another dachshund blog (rather ironically) in the same category as me. I’m talking about YouDidWhatWithYourWiener.com, a blog dedicated to helping small dogs (and mainly dachshunds) live an active and healthy lifestyle, especially through hiking. Be sure to check them out. I think the Petties is missing a few award categories though. I can really picture myself entering for “Best Cultured Dog”, “Most Traveled Dog”, “Best-Looking Dog”, “Dog Who Hosts the Best Parties”, etc. I’ll have to send them those recommendations sometime.. Anyway, stay tuned for my acceptance speech video coming soon. Keeping on the theme of an ‘active lifestyle’ though, the day after I found out about the award I attended WienerFest Montreal for the annual wiener dog races, costume contest, and other fun events! However, on our way there I was surprised when Mum got us pulled over for speeding. That’s really not like her, but I guess she was just excited to get me to the race. I tried to throw some cuteness charm on the cop, but I guess he wasn’t really a dog person. Nothing like a nice speeding ticket to kick off your day! Although this laid heavily on Mum’s mind, Dad and I were all game-face. We arrived at the park and walked around a bit, making appearances and greeting fans who were eager to get their picture snapped with me. I licked one lady’s hand and she told me she’d never wash it again. That’s the kind of fan devotion I like to see. And one fan even recognized me by my anchor nose mark alone! The first event I participated in was the costume contest. People really liked my Royal Mountie outfit that I wore on Canada Day, so I figured I would ‘tour it around’ a bit and wear it here. I guess it was a good choice though, because I won. Then it was time for the races. After having already placed 3rd in the Ottawa Wiener Dog Races and having just won the Petties award, I had high hopes. I did well in the qualifying round, and went on to the semi-finals. Here is the video of the semi-finals where I slid across the finish line for first! Then it was onto the finals, which unfortunately didn’t go as well. With the speeding ticket still fresh in Mum’s mind, I think she was in an overly prudent mood, because she delayed slightly when releasing me upon hearing the starter gun. With the track not being very long, those precious milliseconds cost me the race. However, I can’t say it’s all Mum’s fault. I acknowledge some blame myself for not catching up and passing them. Actually, that’s a slight weakness of mine for racing. I am a little timid of other dogs, and if I don’t come out ahead and stay ahead, I’m hesitant to pass those in front of me. Anyway, in truth I think I probably needed this defeat. It gave my recent ego some needed ‘grounding’. And win or lose, I still get to enjoy my squeaky ball at the end! To make things better still, that night I got to stay in a nice hotel with Mum and Dad for a relaxing evening. Here’s me getting checked in: I told Mum that she would be sleeping on the floor for her poor performance, and that I would be taking her place in the bed. Although, after an hour or so I started to feel bad considering what she went through that morning, so I let her sleep on the foot of the bed instead – with one pillow. Then, a bit later I had the pleasure of watching myself on the 6:00 news from the comfort of Mum’s spot in the bed! (Ego back to cruising altitude!) So there you have it folks, a few ups and downs but overall a great day. After all, it’s about having fun – and I had lots of it. To all the fans I met there, it was a pleasure meeting you, and to all I’ve yet to meet, I hope one day we may. Now, being called ‘the most interesting dog in the world’ leaves me a lot to live up to. However, in just the past few days I’ve noticed Mum and Dad calling around to all these strange places and scheduling out-of-the-ordinary vet checkups. I don’t know, but I’m starting to get a whiff of ‘vacation’ in the air. (I better be nicer to Mum if I want to come!) This should be “interesting”… Keep ballin’, ~ Crusoe If you dig my adventures, please “like” and “share” below! : ) My New Book! Featuring my worldly travels far and wide, from Europe to Mexico and more, and the whole story of my surgery and recovery! Rated 5 stars on Amazon! Get Yours! Comments commentsThe phrase Yam Suph (Hebrew: יַם-סוּף) in the narrative of the Exodus refers to the body of water which the Israelites crossed following their exodus from Egypt. The same phrase appears in over 20 other places in the Hebrew Bible. While traditionally understood to refer to the Red Sea, (the saltwater inlet located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula), the appropriate translation of the phrase remains a matter of dispute; as does the exact location referred to. It is now often translated as Sea of Reeds - with several competing theories as to where this was. Translation and location [ edit ] It has traditionally been understood to refer to the saltwater inlet located between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, known in English as the Red Sea. More recently, alternative western scholarly understandings of the term have been proposed for those passages where it refers to the Israelite Crossing of the Sea as told in Exodus 13-15. These proposals would mean that Yam Suph is better translated in these passages as Sea of Reeds or Sea of Seaweed. The word suph by itself means'reed', e.g. in Exodus 2:3. This was pointed out as early as the 11th century, by Rashi.[1] In Jewish sources, 1 Kings 9:26 yam suph is translated as "Sea of Reeds" ("near Eloth" "in the land of Edom").[2] This may refer to a large lake close to the Red Sea, which has since dried up due to the Suez Canal. It was in Egypt, specifically in the Suez valley next to the Sinai Peninsula, and north of the Gulf of Suez. It could also be the Gulf of Eilat, which is referred to in the Books of Kings (1 Kings 9:26). The Lake of Tanis, a former coastal lagoon fed by the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, has also been proposed as the place Moses parted the waters.[3] Heinrich Brugsch suggested that the Reed Sea is Sabḫat al Bardawīl, a large lagoon on the north coast of the Sinai Peninsula.[4] More conjecturally, it has also been suggested that suph may be related to the Hebrew suphah ("storm") or soph ("end"), referring to the events of the Reed/Red Sea escape itself: The crossing of the sea signaled the end of the sojourn in Egypt and it certainly was the end of the Egyptian army that pursued the fleeing Hebrews (Ex 14:23-29; 15:4-5). After this event at Yam Suph, perhaps the verb Soph, meaning "destroy" and "come to an end," originated (cf. Amos 3:15; Jer 8:13; Isa 66:17; Psa 73:19). Another possible development of this root is the word suphah, meaning "storm-wind"...The meanings "end" and "storm-wind" would have constituted nice puns on the event that took place at the Yam Suph.[5] Occurrences [ edit ] The occurrences of the term are as follows:[7] End of the eighth Plague of Egypt: KJV: "And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt." other translations: Exodus 10:19 NJPS: "The LORD caused a shift to a very strong west wind, [8] which lifted the locusts, and hurled them into the Sea of Reeds; not a single locust remained in all the territory of Egypt." which lifted the locusts, and hurled them into the Sea of Reeds; not a single locust remained in all the territory of Egypt." SET: "HASHEM turned back a very powerful west wind and it carried the locust-swarm and hurled it toward the Sea of Reeds; not a single locust remained within the entire border of Egypt." Prologue to The Exodus: KJV: "But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt." other translations: Exodus 13:18 NJPS: "So God led the people roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Now the Israelites went up armed out of the land of Egypt." SET: "So God turned the people toward the way of the Wilderness to the Sea of Reeds.[9] The Children of Israel were armed when they went up from the land of Egypt." The Passage of the Red Sea. After the pursuing Egyptians have been drowned in "the waters" of "the sea": KJV: "Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea." other translations: Exodus 15:4 NJPS: "Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has cast into the sea: and the pick of his officers are drowned in the Sea of Reeds." SET: "Pharaoh's chariots and army He threw in the sea, and the pick of his officers were mired in the Sea of Reeds." The Exodus continuing: KJV: "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water." other translations: Exodus 15:22 NJPS: "Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water." SET: "Moses caused Israel to journey from the Sea of Reeds and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur; they went for a three-day period in the Wilderness, but they did not find water.[10] " During God’s further instruction to Moses after the Ten Commandments: KJV: "And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee." other translations: Exodus 23:31 NJPS: "And I will set your borders from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of Philistia, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hands; and you will drive them out before you." SET: "I shall set your border from the Sea of Reeds to the Sea of the Philistines.[11] " In the wilderness, before the conquest of Canaan: KJV: "(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea." Other translations: Numbers 14:25 NJPS: "Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valleys. Start out, then, tomorrow, and march into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds." SET: "And HASHEM said, “... The Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley - tomorrow, turn and journey toward the Wilderness in the direction of the Sea of Reeds.”" The New King James Version translates "the Way of the Red Sea" (capitalized) at each occurrence, suggesting that the Israelites may have used an ancient trade route, but this is not reflected in other English translations and the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges argues that 'no definite road is meant'.[12] Just after the death of Aaron: KJV: "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." other translations: Numbers 21:4 NJPS: "They set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Sea of Reeds, to skirt the land of Edom. But the people grew restive on the journey," SET: "They journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Sea of Reeds to go around the land of Edom, and the spirit of the people grew short on the way." Continuing the wanderings in the Wilderness: KJV: "(10) And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea. (11) And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin." other translations: Numbers 33:10-11 NJPS: "(10) They set out from Elim, and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. (11) They set out from the Sea of Reeds, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin." SET: "They journeyed from Elim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. (11) They journeyed from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the Wilderness of Sin." The opening verse of the book of Deuteronomy has an occurrence of Suph on its own. Some translations, including the Septuagint, have taken this as an abbreviation for the full form, others not: KJV: "These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab." other translations: Deuteronomy 1:1 NJPS: "These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan. — Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph, between Paran, and Tophel, Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab," SET: "These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel, on the other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the Arabah, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Di-zahab; eleven days from Horeb, by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea."[13] Moses reviews the strategy after the initial failure to invade Canaan. KJV: "But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea." other translations: Deuteronomy 1:40 NJPS: "As for you, turn about, and march into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds." SET: "And as for you, turn yourselves around and journey to the Wilderness, by way of the Sea of Reeds." As above: KJV: "Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days." other translations: Deuteronomy 2:1 NJPS: "Thus, after you had remained at Kadesh all that long time, we marched back into the wilderness by the way of the Sea of Reeds, as the LORD had spoken to me: and skirted the hill country of Seir a long time. " SET: "We turned and jouneyed to the Wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds, as HASHEM spoke to me, and we circled Mount Seir for many days.[14] " Looking back on the events of the Exodus: KJV: "And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;" other translations: Deuteronomy 11:4 NJPS: "what He did to Egypt’s army, its horses and chariots; how the LORD rolled back upon them the waters of the Sea of Reeds when they were pursuing you, thus destroying them once and for all;" SET: "and what He did to the army of Egypt, to its horses and its chariots,
fitness is good. Sometimes, when you accumulate games, you need to have a little rest again, to build on that, to recover and then go even harder. For us, it is important to know to stop him before he gets to that point." Wenger noted that Wilshere did not "hold back" on the pitch and that it would be pointless telling him to do so against Sweden, as he sounded a note of resignation over Hodgson's decision. He also made a dig at the Football Association, whom he accused of being too easily influenced by the media. "I saw it coming, that's all I can say," Wenger said. "Because of Jack's suspension [for the Fulham game] … because of the fact that England looks for some midfielders and, as well, because the media puts some pressure to bring him in as quickly as possible. You [the press] always have a big influence on the FA. "Anyway, I have no choice. I have good relations with Roy Hodgson. We spoke about the situation, he knows my feeling and I know his feeling. You know that I think it is early for Jack. We found a good understanding and a good compromise. Roy wants him in the group to connect with the players." Wenger reminded his audience that Wilshere had suffered the original stress fracture when playing for England against Switzerland in June last year. "You cannot ask a club not to overplay a player if he is not injured with the club," he said. And Wenger warmed to a familiar theme when he attacked the purpose of international friendlies, particularly the upcoming round of fixtures. "You don't know how the November friendlies can prepare you for a game in February," he said. "There are a lot of politics behind these games. When you see some teams travelling [long distances], you think: 'Is it more to pay back some corporation than prepare a team for the next official game?' "The problem is not to have too much conflict with the interest of the clubs. But when we play next Saturday at 12.45pm against Tottenham and [Santi] Cazorla plays for Spain in Panama on Wednesday night, you cannot say there is no conflict of interest between the two. It is also difficult to understand why these games are not like the official games and played on a Tuesday night."Snoop wants you to rap about anti-virus and hackers in this terrible marketing campaign Using a celebrity endorsement can be a really successful tool in achieving attention of media and online community. However, in most cases, using a celebrity relevant to a product or service is a lot more effective in delivering a clear message than a completely random one.This story is about a random one. In 2010, Symantec bizarrely teamed-up with rapper Snoop Dogg (a.k.a. Snoop Lion) in an awareness campaign called “Hack is Wack”. The idea was to make an anti-cybercrime rap video and submit it to a competition to win a Toshiba laptop, some tickets to one of Snoop’s concerts and an opportunity to meet Snoop Dogg’s management team. Yes, Snoop Dogg's management team. Not Snoop Dogg himself. Video The campaign was ridiculed on the internet (no surprise). Symantec has long taken down its promotional videos featuring Snoop and its associated website content, but fortunately this guy captured the magic for posterity. Check the video below. Let‘s call one of those rap guys I wonder how was Snoop chosen for the campaign? Somehow I imagine Symantec‘s executive trying to be „up-to-date with younger generations“ and looking like Steve Buscemi (in the GIF below) and saying „We should use one of those rap guys“. Jokes aside, I like Snoop, but from marketer‘s perspective this was a terrible choice. Snoop Dogg isn’t known for being a model citizen. In fact, he’s been accused and convicted of a number of crimes: In 1990, he was convicted of cocaine possession. In 1993, he pled guilty for gun possession. Snoop was also tried and acquitted of murder charges in 1996. The case involved the killing of an alleged gang member who was shot by someone in the vehicle Snoop was riding in. In 2005, Snoop was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman at the taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2003. Snoop made legal news again in 2006. He and his posse were taken in custody at a London airport in April after the group got into a fight at the terminal. In 2006, he was arrested at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California, after officers found marijuana and a gun in Snoop’s vehicle. Although these crimes are not linked to identity thefts, hackers, etc., Snoop is not a role model who should have been in „anti-cyber-crime“ campaign. Campaign’s website – full of security holes and vulnerabilities Even more embarrassingly the security giant went live with a branded site that was infested with security holes, including a cross-site scripting flaw that amusingly lent itself to a rickrolling attack. In a statement issued almost a week later, Symantec acknowledged the problems, which it said „were now resolved“. The security problems with the site prompted a question on Twitter: Did they hire Snoop Dog as just a spokesman or did he also write the code?“ #hackiswacked Results They succeeded in getting about 200 videos uploaded, so kudos to them (I guess). The quality of the submissions, however, is, um, well, let’s just point out that no video received more than 2 of 5 stars at the end of the contest. Snoop is probably disappointed. History doesn’t record who won the competition (at least I could not find it), and what Snoop Dogg’s management team made of them. But some of the competition entries can still be found on YouTube. Here are few gems: If marketers were actually involved in this campaign, they failed to go viral the way they wanted. The campaign was poorly executed. All it received was mockery. Need more ideas? If this was not enough for you, here are few more ideas for celebrity endorsed campaigns. Feel free to use them. I believe they can compete with “Hack is wack”. Charlie Sheen + Tide He would talk how this magic white powder changed his life. At the end of the campaign no one would know whether he talks about Tide or Cocaine. Chris Brown + Peta Campaign’s main objective: to raise awareness of animal abuse. Conclusion “Hack is wack” was a shameful campaign with poor execution: Terrible idea. What could have gone right here? Poor choice of celebrity. Why would you choose someone with criminal history to spread the awareness of anti-cybercrime, hackers, identity thefts, etc.? Campaign’s website was full of security holes. Symantec produces software for security. Shouldn’t security be their top priority? What should I think about them when they can’t even guarantee their own security? Oh, one more thing. They could not even spell Snoop’s name right. Here’s a post with the screenshot of contest’s rules. They spelled "Snoop Dog” everywhere (forgetting the additional “g” in “Dogg”. Follow Marketing Shmarketing on Facebook and Twitter.An Open Letter To Best Buy Regarding the iPhone X, and Anyone Else Who Fears Our Robot Overlords Bobby Smith Blocked Unblock Follow Following Oct 29, 2017 And no, this isn’t a b**** fest about the price gouging. So I’m a technology geek. I grew up on Mario (yes, I have a Switch). I remember waiting in line with my grandpa the night that SMB3 came out at our video game rental store. No, it was a local shop, not Blockbuster. But I had a membership at Blockbuster. I was in the line when the iPhone 3GS was released, I have a DSLR camera with all the latest gadgets and whistles — when I travel, I carry no less than two portable batteries, my Macbook Pro 2016, an Asus MB169c (portable USB-C monitor), etc etc etc. I could bore you all day, but the point is technology is my hobby and my passion. It’s also my job — I’ve worked in software for more than 10 years, and when I was lost in college I simply remembered that I loved everything about computers — I loved building them, I loved playing games on them, I loved typing essays on them, so I naturally gravitated to the thing that I knew best. I haven’t looked back since, but needless to say I eat, breathe, live, and get paid to do this stuff. So naturally I’m reliably on the Apple iPhone upgrade cycle, and of course even though I upgraded last year to an iPhone 7 (a great phone, by the way — the best yet), I knew the iPhone X was the next shiny ball I just have to go after. I also have to fund all of these massive technology purchases, so I work really hard to do that. But I also have to have somewhere to purchase them, too. For better or for worse, I just don’t like the Apple Store. I don’t exactly like how sanitary or mechanical it feels, I mean every time I’ve had an issue with an Apple product (there haven’t been many), the store is a great place to get guidance on what to do (or replace) next. Dongle gate rings a bell, I don’t know how many last minute dongles I lost, picked up, lost again, and rushed to the Apple Store to buy because it was the only place in time who had them. Fine on you, Apple — I’m a fan of you for your products, anyway. For better or for worse, I buy a lot of stuff on Amazon. But I’m also pretty impatient. And I’ve also returned a lot of stuff on Amazon. So small things are fine, but I usually just don’t trust really big ticket purchases to Amazon, so that’s out. Best Buy has always been a win/win for me. In my eyes they were always the small guy, the guy getting steamrolled by technology but a hold out from the 90’s — the days where you shopped at Circuit City, or maybe a Microcenter for your goods (hey, they’re still around!). Best Buy was the evil empire of these guys, but still, heck they’re not Amazon. Their not eating the world with their software or ordering systems, but they’re a survivor that employs real people with real personalities at real storefronts. I’ve had my share of what the crap experiences at these storefronts, mind you, but I really, really, really want someone like Best Buy to exist in the world of today that’s ever gravitating towards automation faster than Donald Trump is working himself out of the presidency. And Best Buy has an excellent price match policy. They were price matching verified Amazon sellers before anyone else. They’ve also got a membership rewards program. Buy a bunch of stuff, get points, get gift certificates, etc. They were one of the first to have a good one of those, too. I also have a Best Buy Credit Card. When I buy really expensive stuff on it, they have great promos with 0% APR for 6 Months, or lots of extra points. Yes, they have plenty of reasons for me to shop there. And they also have real, tangible stores. Again, with real people. So I’m one of those that have tried and might occasionally order in from something like Uber Eats, or get my groceries through Instacart. I am an on-the-cusp millennial. Just in that place where people say it could swing either way. I know what MASH is, but I also know what Kim-moji is. I listen to Led Zeppelin to get in the mood for a road trip, but I might gravitate to some Kanye (MBDTF is one of the greatest albums of my adulthood) when I get a frisky on the road. But I always, always, go back to eating out at a restaurant. I like talking to people. I’d rather shop at the local grocery store, and complain about the waits, or complain that they’re out of stuff, but hey, it’s the experience I’m craving. I’m an introvert, but I do crave social interaction with other people. And people, for better or worse, drive technology. There’s real heart and soul in the things we’ve chosen to build over the years. The hardware has made games look outstanding, but time and time again history has shown that Mario is the work of hundreds of engineers with real passion into what they’re doing. When they see the smile on a player’s face, that’s what they live for. They live and die by their work, ready to unleash it onto the world. They understand that it’s all about the experience. They understand, that the customer is always first. So yeah, I still believe in people, even though things like what we’re going to do about the ever increasing tide of automation are on the tips of everyone’s lips. Ever heard of the concept of Basic Income? I have. These are some real social issues that I find really, really interesting. And really important. I believe that humans are destroying the planet, but I also believe that we genuinely want to do better, and that well-funded innovation will drive the path to a better future. I do believe, by the essence of our existence, that humans actually care. We do actually give a shit. Now that I’ve been rambling a while, let’s move this story further. The title of what you’re looking for was probably another “no, not another rant about Best Buy price gouging the iPhone X”. Yeah, that’s a funny story. This article wasn’t originally supposed to be about that. Remember, I want the small big guy to win. I want to have stores where I can still pick stuff up. I want to have loyalty programs, elite silver status tiers, I want to wait in long lines at midnight to get the next best, shiniest new thing. It’s what’s made me tick forever. This is not that story, but it is a story about how I’ll never spend another penny at a Best Buy store, or Best Buy online, ever again. And that comment breaks my heart, but I’ve decided I just have to speak with my wallet. The night of the preorder for the iPhone X — I’ve done this rodeo before, but I almost never go directly through Apple. This time though, with the promise of an ever short supply of iPhone X’s, I decided I would prepare the way everyone else was recommending. I downloaded the Apple Store app, on both my and my wife’s phones. And our iPads. I made sure our Apple Wallets were up to date with reliable credit cards that never get declined. I even called American Express to triple check that I wouldn’t have any issues with an unusually large purchase — two iPhone Xs, and two Apple Care+ plans. Fully paid in cash, because I’m not an Apple Upgrade Plan member, I’m an AT&T customer. I’ve never bought a phone out right before, I was always one of those who went with the 200 bucks up front and you keep the phone after two years (those contract agreement things). But most of those have gone away, and now you pay a monthly installment and you can potentially keep your phone, or after a year trade it in for a new one and continue to pay 50 bucks a month. So I paid both of our iPhones off a few days in advance so we could keep them and give them to my grandmother and my mother-in-law. Yeah, we’re one of those families. Three generations of iPhone strong. But this time with the shortages and the need, the desire to be first — I decided I’d just go ahead and pay the phone off. No complications, just buy it out right, easy, right? So 3:01AM, EST arrives, and I’m ready to go with double-fisting iPhones in my hand (this is a sickness, do you see where this is going?). I load the Apple Store app. Please try again later, the store is closed. So I close the app quickly — with both hands! I’m ambidextrous — and again — and again — and again. 3:03 is here. Then 3:04. Then 3:06. So at this point, the store “isn’t back up”. I’m worried. My palms are trembling and shaky. This isn’t gonna happen, I’m just not going to get this phone. So I start to think about other options. I’ve bought six iPhones directly through AT&T before, on those contract agreements that have since gone away. Maybe I should shift back to old reliable. So I go to the AT&T website, armed with my credentials, log in and put the phones in my cart. Go through the wizard to answer what type of purchase it would be. But, I could never get submit to work. I tried again, and again, and again. The page just wouldn’t submit my order to the final checkout page. 3:15AM. Strike two, that option seems to be out. So hey, no sweat. I’ve stood in line for an iPhone before, several times. Back when preorders were crushing the internet. I’ve waited at the Apple Store before. I’ve waited at AT&T before. 3AM, 6AM. So yeah, it looks like another wait is in my future. But then I remember my unsung hero, big guy of a little guy’s world, Best Buy. It’s not that crazy, why not? I have 6 months 0% APR on my Best Buy card with my name on it. So maybe I should try, why not? I’ve bought game systems from best buy on launch day. I’ve bought Macbooks, cameras, all of the things you can think about. Best Buy is reliable. They have a great return policy. So I launch bestbuy.com on my laptop, fired up and ready to go. 3:19AM. I select the full price option, add some Apple Care+ to my cart. $2600 and change. Damn, wow. That’s a lot of money. But look! Delivery of November 3rd. Yes! Score! So I click on my address. I’ve just recently moved to the Boston area from Atlanta, so I’ve had to change my address on all the things — credit cards, utilities, etc. Best Buy was probably the last thing on my mind. And man, was I tired. But I was absolutely sure to use the correct address to fill out my order. The Boston address. No problem, because it’s the same address as the billing address on my credit card. No, not the Best Buy credit card, but my good old reliable American Express that I’ll use to make this purchase, because I know it’ll go through. No fraud alerts for big purchases. Except, the order is declined. Damn! Well, I’ll just use my Bank of America credit card with a massive credit limit. Declined. Okay, my Best Buy credit card. Declined. My Bank of America Travel Rewards card. Success! Four credit cards later, and the order goes through. It’s almost 4 in the morning by now, but the order says delivered on November 3rd. I’ve stayed up all night, but I also have a work deadline tomorrow and I’ve done some multitasking, so I might as well just stay up and finish this off. Hey, it’s Friday, I can work from home anyway. So I get back in the zone and belt out some code, and at around 5:30 I receive an email from Best Buy. We cannot authorize your purchase. Damn! I though this was taken care of. But you didn’t cancel my order outright, Best Buy! I have 24 hours to correct the problem. So I ring up Bank of America on the phone and explain the situation. Yep, that’s a fraud alert — Apparently a ton of fraud tripping on Best Buy on this night of crushing iPhone preorders, but click* click click and bam, try the charge again! Thanks Bank of America, you’ve always been swell. So I go back through my email and click on the link to bestbuy.com to update my billing information. Low and behold, success! Order tracking shows that everything has gone through, and now I just have to wait for the next delivery stage, fulfillment to be shipped. Except, wait a second, what’s this? I’m going through the order summary. Four items. Two iPhone X 256GB Silver, and two AppleCare+ plans. Check. Three of the items have a shipping address that’s the same as my credit card billing address. But one of the items, the iPhone for my wife, has a delivery address of my old-old Atlanta address. The one I’ve updated several times in Best Buy’s systems but still occasionally nags me in the store when I swipe my card. They swore they fixed that, didn’t they? I haven’t had anything shipped to that address in years. But you know, it’s 6 in the morning, I probably had little sleep, and maybe I made a mistake. Strange it would only apply to one of the four items in my cart. Which is one order/purchase. But there’s a single item that has the wrong address, so I’ll need to call and have this fixed ASAP. So I call bestbuy.com thinking I’m about to have this resolved. Yes, I’m in the home stretch. No problem. But no, that’s not the way things were about to work out. It’s okay that I’m on hold for over thirty minutes. I reached a real human being who would understand my dilemma — this should be squared away no big deal. Except it apparently was a big deal. The person on the phone told me that, under no circumstances what so ever, could she change the order delivery address for the single item without having to resubmit the order. Therefore, pushing back my delivery date to well into December. I told her it was the incorrect address for just one of the items, and while I don’t think I made a mistake, I need to have this resolved. I mean, with the tens of thousands of dollars of purchases I’ve made over the years with Best Buy, I’ve rarely had a problem. I’ve been a super-satisfied customer. This couldn’t be that big of a deal, right? So she tried to help. She said, “one moment”, and placed me on hold for five or ten minutes. After that ten minutes, she comes back really excited. “Yes! Here’s what you can do. You can let the order be shipped to you, but when you receive your UPS tracking number, you can contact them to just pick the item up at their delivery center, or just change the shipping address.” One part of me thought this answer was a little sketchy. You see, I’ve worked in customer service before as well (at the very beginning of my software career, and in high school and college, I worked in IT at a local Office Max. You see, there’s a reason that deep in my heart I want the Best Buy’s of the world to win). I knew this kind of sounded like passing the buck of proverbial responsibility to another third party vendor. Hey, if they screw it up, it couldn’t possibly be Best Buy’s fault. But I was so tired. Logic was out the door. I had about 4 hours of sleep the night before due to a deadline. I just had flown in the morning before after an interesting two weeks that had me flying from Atlanta, to Boston, to Atlanta, to Chattanooga, back to Atlanta, back to Chattanooga, and finally back home to Boston. It’s been a long two weeks, it’s time to collapse. I know that Super Mario Odyssey is awaiting me on the switch. I had already put in a couple of hours earlier in the night, but I was all out focused on iPhone now. So I relented, reassured by her excitement. I grabbed my things, thinking I had won the day — packed my laptop into my backpack, placed the Switch back on its dock, and went and slipped into bed next to my wife who had to get up in about 30 minutes. 6:35AM now. And I slept until about 9:30AM, when my super cute little Beagle-Jack Russell mix, a peppy little 15 lbs, climbed into my bed, sat in my face and farted. Yes, it was time to go outside, buddy. I get it. I dragged myself out of bed. But still, this nagging feeling was in the back of my head, that for some reason my plan of having an iPhone X on launch day just wasn’t going to come to fruition. Something was going to get screwed up. I’d have to fight with UPS. And Best Buy. And maybe Bank of America. Dammit, something just wasn’t quite right. Zoom forward a couple of days. It’s Sunday, and I’m sitting around with absolutely nothing to do. Except load up Wired and check out a review bashing the new Sonos One. Well, not bashing, but just talking about the bugs in the Alexa integration. So yeah, I’m also a Sonos fanboy. And Bose. I travel a lot for work, so I have a pair of noise cancelling QC-35’s I can’t live without. And at home, I’ve got a pair of Play:1’s paired with a PlayBar on the big screen, and two more Play:1’s, one for each of the bedrooms. A harmonious wall of sound, all synchronized pretty incredibly by a groovy iOS app. Except I can’t get it to work with my damned TV remote control. And sometimes I have problems with it working with my Apple TV. Hey, bugs, right? But I love technology, as I’ve spurted off many times. And I’ve really wanted to get into the Virtual Assistant ecosystem, but I just haven’t jumped full steam ahead. I don’t have an Echo. I use Siri, but it’s more of a novelty than anything. Until I bought the Apple Watch 3, that is. The one with built-in LTE. I went for a long walk a couple of days after buying it without my phone. I ordered an Uber without my phone. For once, Siri was a viable away to navigate the controls of my virtual connection to the reality that is the internet. I was finally sold on the terminal of the future. Bring on the chatbots. So yeah, back to my obvious illness — Sonos One. Lukewarm review, but it works with a virtual assistant! God, my wife’s going to kill me. But it’s okay, I’ll put it in the Back Bathroom so she can talk to it and load her favorite playlist while getting ready for work in the morning. My plan for world domination is working, before you know it we’ll have 3 more One’s in the house and everything will be swell. But I really want to pick one up today. So what’s my option. Best Buy, the big little guy in blue, comes to my rescue once again. I fire up bestbuy.com. Click click, saved credit card, checkout. Bam. Pick up in store. Good to go in a few hours, no problem. So my wife and I head out to do our Sunday errands. Groceries. The local Patel Brothers and Whole Foods. Maybe a trip to Costco, need to get a new rug for the living room. Ever since we moved our cute little face-farter, the wonder pup, has been missing having a rug in the living room. And last but not least, before heading back home from the Neverending Journey Part Four, to Hobbiton and back, do not pass Hogwarts and collect 200 Rupies — we’ll stop by Best Buy and pick up that Sonos One. I casually mention to my wife, yes dear, just one more quick errand. So I walk into the store, up to the counter. My local Best Buy in South Boston. This really nice guy, Jay, is standing at the order counter and thirty seconds I’m ready to go. Except that I’m not, because I first had to go back to the Nintendo aisle and pick up a Link Amiibo. And also a generic IR remote control so I could work around that pesky Sonos bug trying to get the Apple TV 4K remote to control the volume without having to launch the Sonos app all the time. First World Technology Problems. So yeah, back to the counter with Jay to pick up my order and check out. Credit card, ID, tap tap tap, verify and do you want your receipt, no, just email it to me — all squared away. But right before I turn to leave, that voice in the back of my head knowing that my iPhone X order was about to go all sorts of sideways wrong — I aim to misbehave — I decide to approach the topic with Jay. “So yeah, you know I preordered a couple of iPhone X’s. Had a bunch of credit cards get declined.” “Yeah, I heard about that from everyone.” “Yeah, you see the funny thing is, I bought four things, three of them had the right shipping address but one of the iPhones had the wrong address. Something I haven’t even used in years. I don’t know why, I don’t think I screwed it up.” “Is that right?” “Yeah, anyway, I called BestBuy.com and asked them to change it, but they said they couldn’t do anything about it unless they had to cancel the order and I’d have to pre-order again. So this nice lady told me to just call UPS when it ships.” “Oh, she said that?” “Yeah, and I was just a little concerned, that didn’t sound right.” “Oh yeah, they won’t change your address. Not on that.” “Oh, yeah see! I thought that sounded a little suspect. So what can I do, anything?” “Well, you see those people who sit in the call-center in Minnesota, they don’t really deal with customers or anything like that. So they really don’t know.” “Oh.” “Yeah, but you see I can change the address right here for you. What’s your phone number?” “Ok. Great. So I just changed your” click click “address right here, and deliver to Boston, ok. Done! You’ll receive an email in like 20 minutes updating you.” “Awesome, that’s all I had to do!!?” “Sure thing, you should be all squared away.” So yeah, that was painless. Big blue small guy, Best Buy is always to the rescue. You know, I wasn’t even mad at this point after reading how Best Buy completely took advantage of me, at 3AM in the morning, fueled on fumes, not realizing that the cost of my carrier-less iPhone X was $100 more than MSRP. Yeah, that one pissed me off, too. It made me think about cancelling my order, for all of 5 or 6 seconds. But hey, I’m a sucker. $200 bucks I didn’t need to spend more for two launch day iPhone X’s. I’m insane. But I wasn’t even mad right now, because this fella right here Jay just took care of everything. I hop into the car, and my wife rolls her eyes as I try to elaborate on how I had saved the day. Oh, and that Sonos, don’t worry about that I’m just going to play with it and return it dear, I promise. But I saved the day! So we pull up into our building, unpack the groceries out of the car and while waiting for a few secs for the trunk to open, I open my email. “Best Buy — Your Shipping Address has been updated.” Great! “Best Buy — Item(s) cancelled.” What the f**?!? So I open that second email after we get upstairs with the groceries. “Robert, we canceled item(s) from your order. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify your information, so we cancelled item(s) from your order.” Not a phone. Not a phone and a protection plan. Not the one item that had the incorrect shipping address. Best Buy cancelled the entire order. So I call up BestBuy.com immediately. I get someone on the phone after about 15 minutes. “Hi, how can I help you?” <long winded explanation of a story> “So can you help me?” “I’m sorry sir. <something something something>. So when an order is cancelled, there is nothing we can do. It failed validation, so I can just escalate it to the validation department.” “Ok, can you transfer me there?” “Oh no, they will email you back in the next 24 or 48 hours or so.” I hung up the phone. I went back downstairs, got into my car, and drove back to my local Best Buy. I was aiming this time to speak to Jay and get to the bottom of this. Jay had since left. But Sharma (who was really nice!) was ready to help. <long winded story, novel of the year> “Okay, yeah, let me make a call and figure out what’s going on. So the billing address is the right address, the one where the stuff you want to go is located?” “Yeah, that’s right, three of the four items were right.” “Ok sure that’s strange, let me see what’s going on.” She gets on the phone and calls someone. Silence. Then another call. More silence. A few minutes later, she starts speaking into the receiver. “Uh huh. Yeah, so I have this customer who …” <long winded story, but she got every detail of it right> “Ok.” There was a look on her face like she was really, really, really about to disappoint a customer. “Oh, so nothing else you can do, right?” “Hmm, ok, thanks.” She hangs up the receiver. click* “So yeah, this automated system, it failed to validate your address, but that makes no sense I mean right? So when my manager, Jay, changed the address in the system, and it just let him change it, well the order processing failed to validate something. I’m not sure what it was. But my order technical support rep from BestBuy.com says that the system automatically cancelled the order, so yeah, there’s not really anything we can do. Wow. Okay. I had to let that sink in and process it for a second. She walks over to another computer terminal. “Yeah, I mean okay if I go in and try to place the order again, it looks like a December 15th order date. So yeah I have no idea, it sounds so strange. I mean your address was the same as your credit card address, right? It wasn’t like your card was declined or anything. They’re just saying the system cancelled the order due to a validation or something like that.” “So there’s nothing you can do?” “No. Unfortunately not. I mean I text messaged my manager Jay and asked him, and he said that basically we’d have to place the order again.” “Okay. So what’s next?” I will have to admit, my face was pretty red here. Even in times of stress or anger, I tend to speak pretty softly, but my words were something like this: “But basically, it was you guys who screwed up, right? I mean, not like you, or Jay or whatever, but Best Buy screwed up. I mean I get it’s the cloud or whatever, the software that cancelled the order automatically, but you own the software, and by you I mean Best Buy the company, not you, but yeah, I’m not sure I see why — I mean, isn’t there someone else you can talk to? Do you guys not have anyone you can talk to when stuff like this happens?” “No, I’m afraid not. I mean, I really understand that this got really screwed up.. But there’s not really anything I can do.” Ok. Think fast. “Ok, so I mean, won’t you guys get any phones on Friday? I mean, I can stand in the line all morning. I mean, I think at least you guys could hold two aside if they haven’t been preordered.” “Yeah, the thing is I have no idea. I mean I can’t tell you that. I mean, I will be there on launch day, yes! But we have no clue what we’re getting. I couldn’t possibly guarantee you a phone of X or Y or Z, I have no idea if we’ll have any 256’s at all. Or silver or black. But I mean, if I have them, I would definitely hold them for you. No problem. I mean, I’d even give you some free accessories you know, if it would make you happy.” “But, you’re not sure.” “Yeah of course I can’t tell you that.” She writes down my name and number on a sticky note. “But I promise if we have some, yeah, a little later in the day I can definitely even hold them for you. I just don’t know what we’re going to have.” “Ok, so that’s it? There’s just not anything else I can do?” “No, unfortunately not. I’m so sorry.” And she was genuinely sorry. I mean, it’s not like it’s her fault, or really even Jay’s fault.. It’s not like he meant to intentionally cancel my order, just to piss me off. These are real people, who work in a real store, with real feelings. I’m sure they want their customers to be happy. I can totally see that look on her face right now. “But you see, yeah, it’s the system. I mean yeah, the system cancelled the order. There’s not even anything my technical support guy can do on the other end, you know?” So that’s why I’m not going to shop at Best Buy, or BestBuy.com, any more. I shredded my credit card in a fit of mindless rage, just to step back and have my wife say “honey, it’s just a dumb phone.” Best Buy completely screwed up my order after price gouging me an extra $200 bucks, that I wasn’t even mad about. But because “the system” in the cloud screwed my order up, and because customer service isn’t empowered with the right tools to make sure the person who’s paying the money is happy, I just won’t shop with Best Buy again. Because it’s the software that’s in control of the process, and not the people. So why purchase from the big box retailer that employs people any more? I should just order from the system and play by it’s rules. This is why, unfortunately, the Best Buys of the world will probably not survive too much longer. Not with the rampant threat of Amazon on the horizon. Amazon are the experts at process automation. So when exceptions happen, they fix them. The
easily sweep it across or around, or in graceful loops. (Or, if you’re me, an awkward, lumpy approximation of a loop—the kind that would cause Sonic the Hedgehog a serious injury were he to attempt to speed around it.) It can be fussy when it comes to recognising your daubings, actually: it’s doubly annoying when your insect-sized ally, Issun, chides you when you’ve done the right thing, but not quite precisely enough for the game’s liking. But it’s forgiving enough that mistakes are rarely costly. Using WASD for movement is an acceptable trade-off; there’s controller support here, but drawing doesn’t feel nearly as intuitive with a pad. The real benefits come during combat, where the immediacy of the brush controls means you can call upon its deific powers much more often. An ink meter ensures you can’t just use it for every attack, but it’s more fun to mix things up anyway. With two of a steadily growing range of celestial weapons bound to each mouse button, you can whip enemies with a close-range melee attack to send them sprawling, before following up with a volley of fire from range and then pulling out the brush to cleave them in two as a final flourish. If you’re more of an explorer than a fighter, don’t worry: combat is rarely a roadblock, and many encounters are optional. Sure, some opponents require specific techniques to defeat: one beast requires you to wear it down before it collapses, ready for its protective shell to be opened up with your Bloom ability so you can happily whale on its weak point. But plenty of others will eventually yield to relatively crude tactics if you’re more of a button-masher. Then again, scrapping with style is incentivised, with a ranking for each encounter – from a wilting sapling to a sakura tree in full blossom – determining your post-battle cash reward and encouraging you to finish quickly without taking damage. PERFORMANCE AND SETTINGS Okami’s a technically competent port without many bells and whistles. It runs at a locked 30fps, which suits the game but will no doubt disappoint some—I expect modders will already be working on changing this. Beyond that, it does the basics, offering a range of resolutions (up to 4K on capable hardware) and the ability to enable V-sync, but not much besides. You can choose between the original 4:3 aspect ratio and a widescreen presentation, and while load times are short, there’s an option to enable the loading screen minigames that weren’t included in earlier ports. Some brush abilities do feel slightly overpowered. Conjure a large cherry bomb next to just about any opponent and you’re laughing, but the sheer breadth of abilities makes you more likely to experiment: drawing dots to produce a wall of thin trees gives you a breather in the tougher battles. Pulling up a menu to use health top-ups or consumables that convey temporary buffs feels like a clunky throwback, but if you’re careful enough you’ll rarely need to use these. And during the sporadic boss fights, you might welcome the brief reprieve while you heal up or shuffle your attacking options. These encounters are expertly staged, with creative touches that make the monstrous, imposing guardians so much more than just a longer health bar to slowly whittle down. One can be hooked onto hovering blossoms to hold it in place, while a multi-headed behemoth requires you to pour sake down its necks to get it sleepily drunk. With clear tells, incoming attacks can be dodged without too much effort, while weapons that double as shields give you extra protection in a pinch. With a dodge and a leap that allow you to avoid blows with room to spare, they’re as forgiving as Hideki Kamiya-directed boss fights are ever likely to get: some might take a while, but the outcome is never really in doubt. Still, it’s only right that you should feel powerful, even in the face of an opponent the size of a pagoda; you are, after all, blessed with the power of a god. The ease of combat—and the ability to sprint away from encounters in the overworld—encourages you to spend more time exploring all corners of Nippon. And away from the critical path, there’s plenty to find, with dozens of rustic vignettes that expertly blend light and dark: these are places haunted by ghosts of the past (and unsettled by a clear and very present danger) but the villagers and townsfolk you meet are frequently funny and memorable. There’s plenty of to-ing and fro-ing should you choose to tackle those side quests, and though Amaterasu moves at a fair clip when she reaches full speed—an odd but charming touch requires her to gradually build momentum—the segmented nature of the world makes backtracking less enjoyable. There is a fast-travel system, though in keeping with Okami’s desire to let everything unfold at a measured pace, it discourages you from using it too often by making you pay for the privilege. You’ll have to stump up the yen for a special coin, which can be dropped into a body of water to create a vortex, letting you warp to similar points across Nippon. If it’s rare to encounter a game that follows the rituals and routines of Japanese myth, Okami also follows some more conventional rhythms. In a structural sense it’s similar to a Zelda game—or at least a Zelda game prior to Breath of the Wild—with a large, open hub linking smaller, more labyrinthine areas, many of which yield new abilities that in turn unlock more of the world. Okami’s dungeons aren’t as intricate as its closest inspiration, and its puzzle solutions are often alarmingly simple, though often the joy is in the details: the tactile process of drawing water from a pool to fill sake barrel, for example, or a lift mechanism that sucks up bombs, the explosion sending you rocketing up to the next floor. There are silly and exciting set pieces besides: you might have to dig through rocks to find a water source against the clock, or prevent a log from plunging down a waterfall by tethering it to flowers on the riverbank as it hurtles along. It’s a little more flexible than old-school Zelda in places, and by the latter stages you’ll have enough powers that there’s often more than one way to deal with a situation. If a treasure chest is protected by licking flames and there are no pools nearby, you can produce a swirl of wind to blow them out instead. Not to get too soppy about it, but there’s something in the way Okami directly involves you in the telling of its story—essentially casting you as an artist retelling a fable in the strokes of your brushwork—that feels strangely magical. There’s a sense of wonder in even the simplest interactions, whether it’s gentle dabs of ink producing stars to complete constellations, a crescent to accelerate nightfall, or a snaking line traced to a floating bloom to spirit Amaterasu upward. It’s there, too, in its quieter moments, like the idyllic animation that plays out when you feed a wild animal, the camera lazily circling as they chow down while Amaterasu peacefully sits and watches. Like the intro, you can skip it. But why would you want to?Kenyan gays and lesbians and others supporting their cause wear masks to preserve their anonymity as they stage a rare protest, against Uganda's increasingly tough stance against homosexuality and in solidarity with their counterparts there, outside the Uganda High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, Feb. 10, 2014. Homosexuality has been criminalized in Uganda where lawmakers have recently passed a new bill, which appears to have wide support among Ugandans, that prescribes life imprisonment for "aggravated" homosexual acts. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) * Opponents say law violates constitutionally rights, freedoms * Western donors have cut aid to protest the law * Telecom firm stops ads in local paper which outed gays By Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA, March 11 (Reuters) - - Ugandans opposed to a new anti-homosexuality law that punishes gay sex with long jail sentences have filed a constitutional petition alleging that the law violates fundamental rights. The Anti-Homosexuality Act metes out jail terms of up to life for "aggravated homosexuality" while "aiding and abetting homosexuality" is punishable by seven year prison sentences. Some Western donors have cut aid to Uganda in protest. The punishments are some of the harshest in Africa, a continent where homosexuality is broadly taboo and illegal in 37 countries. Fear of violence, imprisonment and loss of jobs means few gays in Africa are open about their sexuality. Activists say the new legislation, signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni on Feb. 24, infringes on fundamental rights to privacy, non-discrimination and freedom from cruelty and inhumane treatment. "This Act not only represents an effort by the Executive and Parliament to scapegoat an unpopular minority for political gain but we believe it also violates the highest law of our country," said Andrew Mwenda, a journalist who is one of the petitioners. The court receiving the petition must now set a date for a hearing. Complex judicial cases in Uganda can take sometimes years to go through full consideration. The United States, Uganda's biggest donor, has called the legislation "atrocious", likening it to anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany and apartheid in South Africa. It said it is reviewing ties. The World Bank and some European donors - Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands - have withheld aid or loans worth more than $118 million. Despite Western opprobrium Museveni has strengthened his political appeal by signing a bill that most Ugandans firmly support, analysts say. During the bill signing, Museveni said homosexuality was emblematic of the West's "social imperialism" in Africa. Powerful Christian groups with links to U.S. evangelical groups have labelled homosexuality an imported Western social evil. Petitioners, who include eight Ugandans and two rights groups, have also asked for a "permanent injunction" against media houses from publishing pictures, names and addresses of suspected homosexuals. Ugandan tabloid newspaper Red Pepper has outed hundreds of gays since the bill was signed into law. A day after Museveni enacted the legislation, Red Pepper's front page read "Exposed: Uganda's top 200 homos". Orange Uganda, a unit of French telecommunications giant France Telecom, said on Tuesday it had cut advertising in Red Pepper due to its campaign to out gays. Red Pepper said its coverage was in the public's interest but rights groups say the reporting exposes gays to violence, blackmail and harassment. "The decision was made by (the) group to ensure that our brand does not contradict our company's ethics and values," said Vanessa Clarke, director of external communications for Orange SA, the owner of Orange Uganda.In a huge show of support, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday endorsed Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, saying "we need more people in Washington, D.C. that will stand on principle and defend the Constitution." Paul's endorsement puts a stamp of approval on Moore's anti-Washington campaign which he rode to victory recently in a primary against Sen. Luther Strange, appointed earlier this year to replace former Sen. Jeff Sessions when he became the Attorney General. Washington's Republican establishment, including President Trump, rallied for Strange but Moore beat him by wooing pro-Trump, anti-Washington voters. Now Trump has endorsed Moore in his race with Democrat Doug Jones. Utah Sen. Mike Lee also endorsed Moore this week. Should Moore win, as expected, he is likely to join the conservative wing led by Paul, Lee and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and lead the party's challenges to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. During his campaign Moore has sharply criticized McConnell and was the target of negative advertising by a McConnell-backed political action committee in his primary with Strange. In endorsing Moore, Paul said in full: "Judge Roy Moore has spent a lifetime defending and standing up for the Constitution while fighting for the people of Alabama. We need more people in Washington, D.C. that will stand on principle and defend the Constitution. I look forward to welcoming him to the Senate very soon." Moore recently came to Washington after beating Strange. On that trip he met with Paul, Lee, and Cruz. He also met with the NRA. A former judge, he made a name for himself by refusing to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from an Alabama Judicial Building, despite orders to do so by a federal court. Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.comIn an effort to better understand ocean acidification and the effects of climate change on coral reefs, an international team of scientists have created mini-lab that can mimic the composition of the future ocean as climate change continues to alter Earth. Stanford researchers have helped open a new door of possibility in the high-stakes effort to save the world’s coral reefs. Working with an international team, the scientists – including Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment Senior Fellows Jeff Koseff, Rob Dunbar and Steve Monismith – found a way to create future ocean conditions in a small lab-in-a-box in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The water inside the device can mimic the composition of the future ocean as climate change continues to alter Earth. Inside the mini-lab, set in shallow water two to six feet deep, elevated levels of water acidity were created to test the reaction of a few local corals. (Other corals in the vicinity were not adversely affected.) It was the first controlled ocean acidification experiment in shallow coastal waters. The scientists’ study, published in Scientific Reports, describes how they simulated predicted future ocean conditions off Heron Island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, representing a new paradigm for analyzing how reefs respond to ocean acidification. Focusing conservation efforts “Installing systems like this at reefs and other aquatic environments could be instrumental in helping us identify how ecosystems will change and which locations and ecosystem types are more likely to remain robust and resilient,” said Lida Teneva, a Stanford doctoral student studying with Dunbar. “From this, we can determine which habitats to focus our conservation efforts on as strongholds for the future,” Teneva said. Oceans absorb more than a quarter of all atmospheric carbon dioxide, concentrations of which are increasing at a rate twice as fast as at any time in the past 800,000 years or more. This leads to increasingly intense water acidification and widespread coral reef destruction. The potential loss is tremendous: reefs provide aquaculture, protein and storm protection for about 1 billion people worldwide. Standard in situ studies of ocean acidification have multiple drawbacks, including a lack of control over treatment conditions and a tendency to expose organisms to more extreme and variable pH levels than those predicted in the next century. So, in 2007, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute developed a system that allows for highly controlled semi-enclosed experiments in the deep sea. For their recent study, Stanford researchers modified the system for use in coral reefs. The complex device, the Coral Proto – Free Ocean Carbon Enrichment (CP-FOCE) system, uses a network of sensors to monitor water conditions and maintain experimental pH levels as offsets from environmental pH. It avoids many of the problems associated with standard in situ ocean acidification studies, and – unlike lab and aquarium experiments – makes it possible to study amid natural conditions such as seasonal environmental changes and ambient seawater chemistry. The study was funded by the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Government, the National Science Foundation and the Pacific Blue Foundation. Images: David I. KlineBRENHAM, Texas, July 29 (UPI) -- Fast-foot giant McDonald's fired a Houston-area employee this week for refusing to serve an off-duty police officer. The officer was with his family in a Brenham, Texas, restaurant when the employee refused to serve him. A second employee saw the incident and served the officer instead. McDonald's management was told of the incident later and promptly fired the employee. Brenham Police Department shrugged off the incident on their Facebook page, describing it as "the exception rather than the rule." "We're not judging McDonald's and their employees based on the action of this one worker," Chief Craig Goodman told KHOU-TV. "Just like we ask the community and the country to not judge our police officers because other officers make bad decisions." McDonald's told Fortune Magazine it definitely was not the rule. "At our restaurants, we proudly support police officers and all divisions of first responders. We are grateful for the chief of police, and the force, for understanding that this was an isolated incident," the company said. "All customers, including local law enforcement officers who protect and serve our communities, are always welcome at our restaurants." Goodman believes part of the reason the incident occurred was because the employee's son is currently in jail for serious and unrelated charges. Goodman said the officer, a former Marine, is "disappointed in what happened, mainly because his kids were with him." Similar events have happened at fast-food outlets recently, illustrating the growing antipathy some have toward police after recent shootings by police. RELATED Officers in Freddie Gray arrest to undergo internal affairs review A Noodles & Company, in Alexandria, Va., and a Taco Bell in Alabama fired employees and quickly apologized after officers were refused service. But casual dining chain Shoney's is trying to go the opposite direction and offers free meals on Wednesdays to law enforcement to show their "tangible and heartfelt" gratitude.Arizona forward Ray Smith (center) announced he will retire on Thursday (Getty Images) When his left knee buckled the summer before his senior season at Las Vegas High School, Ray Smith vowed to return stronger than ever the following year. When the same fate befell his right knee during practice before his freshman year at Arizona, Smith once again tirelessly dedicated himself to the rehab process. Scroll to continue with content Ad Only after suffering an ACL tear for a third time in less than 30 months did the former five-star recruit concede it was time to hang up his jersey and basketball shoes for good. Smith announced his retirement from basketball on Thursday after an MRI exam confirmed that the right knee injury he suffered during an exhibition game on Tuesday night was as serious as he had feared. The 6-foot-8 forward tore his ACL and suffered other ligament and meniscal damage, injuries that would have sidelined him for the entire 2016-17 season even if he had decided to keep playing. “My run in basketball has been great,” Smith said in a Tweet thanking those who have helped him throughout his career. “My father once told me that just because someone is a good basketball player doesn’t make them a good person. That the sport doesn’t define who we are, only what we can do. I love the game of basketball, but I have decided to step away from the game for good. “I will still be involved with the team and I will still attend THE University of Arizona. Pretty much what I’m saying is thank you BASKETBALL, you’ve been GREAT! But the 6-8 long, athletic wing that can play multiple positions is out. DROPS THE MIC” Story continues Smith suffered the injury midway through the second half on Tuesday night when he went up for a layup, landed awkwardly and crumpled to the ground. Arizona coach Sean Miller feared the worst as Smith had to be helped off the floor and further testing confirmed his suspicions. “In the 25 years I have been a college basketball coach, I have never felt as helpless as I did when I saw him go down on Tuesday night,” Miller said in a statement released Thursday by Arizona. “No 19-year-old kid should have to experience three season-ending injuries in a 30-month period of time. “I have watched Ray work with our strength and conditioning coach tirelessly for two years. I have seen him in our training room around the clock, doing everything he can to play the game he loves. To witness his extraordinary efforts and see this happen to him once again is beyond disheartening.” While Smith’s future away from basketball should be very bright, his absence is a blow to an Arizona program that hoped to contend in the Pac-12 and nationally this season. The Wildcats aren’t as deep or as versatile defensively without the 6-foot-8 combo forward. Smith’s injury is the most dire news of what has been a rough preseason for Arizona. Leading returning scorer Allonzo Trier’s eligibility this season is in question after he sat out Tuesday’s exhibition game for unspecified reasons, while promising backup center Chance Comanche is suspended indefinitely for academic reasons. Being down to seven healthy scholarship players is a major concern for Arizona, but the Wildcats can learn from Smith’s positivity. On the night of his injury, Smith tweeted, “Thanks to all the fans but I’m blessed man to even be where I am. One of my lil bros from vegas was murdered in his apartment the other day.” In his statement, Miller emphasized that Arizona will continue to support Smith. “Ray is surrounded by a community that loves Arizona Basketball, current and former teammates that look at him as a brother, and a coaching staff and family that is beyond supportive and forever with him,” Miller said. Although the mountain that Ray is climbing continues to change, my belief in him to be a resounding success in life has never been stronger.” – – – – – – – Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila in January. (Ezra Acayan/Reuters) During his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump boasted that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” On the 100th day of his presidency, Trump invited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has said that he used to roam the streets on a motorcycle looking for criminals to kill, to the White House. A Duterte state visit to Washington or Mar-a-Lago would be a ghastly spectacle, given the way the Philippines have pursued a war on drugs even more literal than the one in the United States, leaving thousands dead. While Trump bloviates about “American carnage,” the Duterte regime produces its own bloodbath. Trump’s courtship of a man who shares his taste in crude, violent political rhetoric might have been marginally motivated by the American administration’s concerns about North Korea, as White House chief of staff Reince Priebus has claimed. But the substance of the leaders’ conversation is a reminder of the dark — and now international — glamour of the war on drugs, and the dreadful consequences of that fascination. Trump and Duterte are hardly the first two people to have discovered the macho power of harsh talk about crime, specifically drug-related crime. Bill Bennett, who ran President George H.W. Bush’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, imagined taking a page from Saudi Arabia and beheading drug dealers publicly, though I’m willing to grant Bennett the courtesy of imagining he intended for those executions to take place after trials, rather than on an ad hoc basis like the killings taking place under Duterte. Bennett’s fantasies about executing drug dealers echoed widespread sentiments in popular culture. As I wrote last year, the entertainment industry, despite its supposed liberalism, was quick to embrace drug traffickers as the industry’s villains of choice during the rise of the blockbuster era. These fictional bad guys were convenient for an industry eager to ratchet up splashy, cinematically exciting violence: They had access to serious weaponry and were perfectly willing to inflict extreme damage, from crashing trains to torturing cops’ families, to move their product. Their determination and utter amorality in turn meant that fictional cops were justified in shooting, and sometimes killing, these fearsome adversaries. If drug criminals wouldn’t be taken alive, what could pop culture ask decent people who wanted to protect their communities to do? Trump’s declarations that Mexicans are “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” and his repeated invocations of “bad hombres” and “American carnage” in cities across the country, are the references of a man who for decades has taken inflammatory and irresponsible positions on crime to his own political benefit. Now, he has the ability to actually implement some of his tough talk. Trump’s attorney general, Jeff Sessions, intends to reinvigorate the American war on drugs. And for all major Hollywood figures did to oppose Trump’s election, this is essentially a line the movie and television industries have also advanced for decades: that drug criminals are supervillainous threats to American cities who can be clearly identified and need to be executed without trial. Of course, neither the American war on drugs initiated by President Richard Nixon, nor the massacres set off by Duterte in the Philippines, look much like Hollywood extravaganzas. In the United States, it more often looks like people frightened, injured or even killed in no-knock raids, people arrested on possession charges who languish in jail because they can’t afford bail or lose access to the financial aid that makes higher education possible, and voter disenfranchisement. In the Philippines, the drug war means people lying shot dead in the street as the rain beats down on their bodies or struggling to rest in heinously overcrowded jails, depicted in shattering photos taken by the New York Times’ Daniel Berehulak. Trump’s defense of his invitation to Duterte was similar to the rationale that’s kept Hollywood fighting the drug war decade after decade: They’re both popular. Of course, Trump has never had to live with any of the consequences of his demagoguery, whether he’s demonizing the Central Park Five long after their exoneration or talking recklessly about jailing his opponents. Trump may have been touched by the gassing of Syrian children, but the ongoing slaughter of Filipinos seems like an abstraction to him, easily disguised with talk of toughness. This is the thing about living in an era defined by a president who treats the world like a show he’s producing, rather than a fragile thing for which he bears a fearsome responsibility. You can’t stage the fictions of your imagination in the real world without exacting terrible costs, even if other people end up paying them. Rodrigo Duterte isn’t an action hero; he’s a monster. And whether Trump understands it or not, his actions could make him one, too.Image caption The blind were among those who appealed for their state funding to be maintained at a special hearing The US state of Minnesota has shut down all non-essential public services because of a row over the state budget. The Democratic governor, Mark Dayton, wants spending cuts and tax increases, but the Republican-led legislature rejects higher taxes. On one of the busiest holidays of the year - 4 July weekend - parks and campsites will be closed. The impasse has parallels with the budget dispute between President Barack Obama and the US Congress. Immediate impact State agencies began winding down at midday local time on Friday. Roughly 23,000 state workers out of 36,000 are expected to be off work. Services deemed critical will be unaffected. They include prison staffing, state police patrols and carers at nursing and veterans homes. Payments to schools will also continue during the shutdown, as well as food stamps, Medicaid and temporary assistance to needy families. Image caption Tax rises proposed by Governor Mark Dayton are the sticking point This is 4 July weekend, the holiday celebrating American independence, when people like to enjoy the great outdoors. So the closure of leisure facilities is likely to have the most immediate impact. Parks, campsites, the state zoo and the landmark Capitol building in state capital St Paul will all be shut. Republican leaders asked Governor Dayton to call a special session to approve a 10-day funding extension, saying they believed they were close to a budget deal. But the governor dismissed the offer as "a publicity stunt". Minnesota Republican Chairman, Tony Sutton, called Gov Dayton a "piece of work", and accused him of inflicting "maximum pain" for political reasons. One of the senior local Democrats, Ken Martin, laid the blame on Republicans, saying they drove the state to a shutdown to protect millionaires from the tax increases proposed by Gov Dayton. "Shame on you for putting the interests of your rich campaign donors ahead of the well-being of the constituents you are supposed to represent," said Mr Martin.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted in favor of no fewer than six resolutions condemning Israel at its 192nd Session of the 56-member Executive Board in Paris on Friday. In its 6th resolution, the UN body criticized Israel for not fulfilling an agreement reached in April to allow a visit by a UNESCO delegation seeking to inspect Jerusalem’s Old City. In May, Israel canceled the visit at the last minute. The visit had been heralded as a possible sign of a thaw in ties between Israel and UNESCO, after Jerusalem cut off contact with the UN body following its recognition of a Palestinian state in 2011. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up A government official said the cancellation was due to Palestinian “politicization” of the UN mission contrary to the agreed parameters of the visit. Israel had announced in April that it would allow a mission from UNESCO to visit the Old City in May, in exchange for an agreement from the Palestinians to postpone a UN debate on five resolutions condemning Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. UNESCO members voted in favor of these five previously pending resolutions on Friday, condemning Israel over a variety of issues including the preservation of archaeological sites in the Old City, the construction of a visitors’ center, plans to build an elevator by the Western Wall, accusations of archeological excavations said to be damaging Muslim sites atop the Temple Mount, the alleged deterioration of educational and cultural institutions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and plans to invest in sites its considers national heritage sites, like the Tomb of the Patriarchs. The UN body’s Arab and Islamic bloc led the drive for the adoption of the resolutions, backed by Russia and France. The UK and Italy abstained while the US was the only country to vote against. The Israeli envoy to the organization, Nimrod Barkan, blasted the decisions, calling UNESCO’s “preoccupation” with Israel “obsessive.” UNESCO was the first UN organization to accept the Palestinian state as a member following the failed bid by President Mahmoud Abbas in 2011 to achieve upgraded status for Palestine; a year later, the UN General Assembly upgraded Palestine to non-member state status. UNESCO lost an estimated $80 million per year in donations from the US following the admittance of the Palestinians. AP contributed to this report.Pine tree sap can be tapped and used to make paint and resin products. It makes a great water-proof sealant for buckets and tarps and can be used as an adhesive (boil it to reduce thickening and add ash to it to strengthen its waterproofing qualities). Pine tree sap can also be used as stove fuel and it can be boiled and mixed with ash or sand and compressed to make concrete. Fortunately, tapping a pine tree for its sap causes no permanent damage to the tree. To begin, find a mature, live, good-sized, tight-barked pine tree for the best results. Pine trees most suitable for tapping include Southern Yellow Pine, Black Pine, Loblolly Pine, and Improved Slash Pine. Even though pine trees are evergreens, sap will run faster in the early spring and early fall and in warm weather. Using a machete, hatchet, or similar tool, hack the bark away from the live wood about 3 feet from the ground to create a 10 inch wide by 6 inch high cleared area. It is in this area that we will score the tree to reach the sap. Place a bucket flat against the bottom of the cleared area and tie it tightly against the tree so it remains in place. The bucket will need to fit tightly against the tree to collect sap as it oozes from the tree. If the bucket is not flexible enough to conform to the shape of the tree, use a piece of metal flashing to form a funnel leading into the bucket. Next, hack “V”-shaped notches in the cleared area above the bucket. The bottom of the scored “V” should point towards the bucket. Leave the bucket attached to the tree to collect sap as it drains from the tree wound. It may take days for the sap to ooze and collect in the bucket. If the sap flow decreases, cut additional, fresh “V” notches in the tree. When you occasionally check the bucket, remove any debris that has fallen and collected in the container.Re: Outline of finance structure From:john.podesta@gmail.com To: robbymook2015@gmail.com CC: d.cheng@me.com Date: 2015-01-17 21:46 Subject: Re: Outline of finance structure I would target the big donors/raisers on Ready For list for early solicitation into this program. Denis, did you see the Patricoff/Shuman letter? On Jan 17, 2015 6:23 PM, "Robby Mook" <robbymook2015@gmail.com> wrote: > I think all of this makes sense. I like the advisory group--that's a > great way to sidestep contracts. > > On Sat, Jan 17, 2015 at 6:19 PM, Dennis Cheng <d.cheng@me.com> wrote: > >> With respect to the “kickoff” strategy, I suggest launching a >> “founders”/“angel investors” group (name is just a placeholder) on day one >> for the first quarter of the campaign, with each member being asked to >> raise $X by the first FEC filing deadline. All donors who want to raise >> will be enlisted to this group - basically, the precursor to our official >> Finance Committee. And we set the minimum levels, benefits, and ground >> rules up front. For example, to be a “founder”, you are expected to raise >> $25K in primary money by the first FEC deadline. And then to be a Finance >> Committee member (our version of Pioneers and Rangers; again, name TBD), >> you are expected to raise a minimum of $50K (inclusive of the first $25K) >> during the primary campaign. And then down the road, we can decide if we >> want to give finance titles based 100% on fundraising performance. For >> example, we can have levels and corresponding merit-based titles at $50K, >> $100K, $250K, $500K, etc. And establish a fair and clear policy for how we >> count bundling (for example, if you bring in new raiser, you get credit for >> their first $25K but nothing beyond that). >> >> For “friends” who want to help or who have asked for consulting roles, we >> either steer them to join the founders group (and then the finance >> committee) or if it makes sense, we create an ad hoc “finance advisory” >> group for the worker bee types to leverage their strengths and to make them >> feel included. >> >> And I think for every elected official who gives their support to the >> campaign, we ask each of them to max out personally and from their >> candidate committee (and leadership PAC if we decide to accept leadership >> PAC $) and encourage them to join the Finance Committee and raise at least >> $25K by the first FEC deadline and $50K+ overall for the primary. >> >> I think for the first quarter of the campaign, we leverage our senior >> campaign officials to headline recruitment briefings around the country; >> leverage HRC for direct fundraising events; and then in the 2nd quarter, we >> hold our first official Finance Committee meeting for raisers who >> successfully raised $25K+ and are pledging to raise $50K+. So that only >> those who deliver are invited to attend. Again, 100% merit based. >> >> On Jan 17, 2015, at 5:54 PM, Robby Mook <robbymook2015@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Below is the finance organizational outline I wanted to discuss on our >> 7pm call. John, I'm sending you another document I want to discuss with >> you afterwards. >> Talk to you soon! >> >> >> PRINCIPLES >> >> • No titles (for the first two quarters?) >> • Merit based system for titles or roles later in the campaign >> • No consultants (say at least for the first two quarters?) >> >> >> STRUCTURE >> >> Finance Chair (necessary)? >> This person would be a point of contact to manage politics and incoming >> from key donors. >> >> >> “Kickoff committee” >> This would be a committee of die-hard supporters and past raisers that >> would organize regional briefings (with John?) in target cities/markets to >> kick off the raising effort. Attendees would be asked to raise a certain >> amount of primary money each by Q2 (do we need events to support this?). >> This committee would be a select group with demonstrated capacity to >> organize raisers. It would act as a test for people who desire a >> leadership role in the campaign’s fundraising efforts. This could also be >> a place to direct people who have asked for a consulting role in the >> campaign. >> >> Examples: >> --Capricia Marshall? >> --Brian Wolff? >> --JB Pritzger? >> --Laura Hartigan? >> --How do we want to engage elected officials? >> >> >> >The change is significant, since until now any building with more than eight apartments was forced to include an area to protect residents from nuclear war. To compensate for the coming shortfall, all new bunkers will have to be capable of housing at least 25 people each. Nuclear bunkers in private homes are one of the peculiarities that have defined Switzerland for over half a century. It is said to be the only country in the world with the capacity to shelter almost all of its 7.8 million population. The country is currently home to some 300,000 nuclear refuges in private homes, schools and hospitals. Additionally, there are 2,500 public fallout shelters, some of which can hold hundreds of even thousands of people. In total, there is enough protection for more than 95 percent of the population, according to official data. The change in the law approved by the government on Thursday was first suggested by the Council of States in June, in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster. Prior to the nuclear crisis sparked by the March disaster, the discussion had focused on whether to abolish the home bunker requirement completely and instead build shelters only in hospitals. Switzerland’s system of emergency shelters was created in the 1960s, at the height of the paranoid Cold War era, amid fears of nuclear war between East and West. Many bunkers are now used as storage space, and one was even converted into "the world's first no-star hotel". The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen closed for business in June 2010 but remains open as a museum. In 2005, the then member of parliament Pierre Kohler presented an initiative to abolish the law that made the construction of nuclear bunkers mandatory in private homes on the grounds that these “relics of other times” made housing more expensive. After
’ awareness and understanding about bacteria, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance. The innovative nature of the project, concerning the implementation setting and the combination of activities ranging from bioinformatics to natural antibiotic testing, contributed to dismiss misconceptions, enhance the sense of self-responsibility, and promote the development of procedural skills. Using the agar diffusion method, biossays were performed with the extracts previously prepared and with commercial antibiotics, to allow a comparative overview. The participants observed, registered and discussed the results obtained, and prepared a brief activity report, which was discussed, aiming to summarize the key points of the contents addressed and the procedures carried out throughout the project. Another activity involved the preparation of plant extracts from organisms described in the literature as having antibiotic properties, some of which were brought to the laboratory by the participants. The tasks performed were expected to give an idea of the complexity involved in screening and testing natural antibiotics. In another session, the participants discussed the biosynthesis process of allicin, the major phytoactive compound to which garlic’s antibiotic properties are ascribed, while carrying out a practical activity that demonstrates that garlic’s antibiotic compounds are induced upon injury ( Fig. S1-A ). They were introduced to several measures required to handle such volatile, unstable substances and reflect about the ecological meaning of the production of compounds with antibiotic properties, especially amongst bacteria. The other interactive lecture introduced a bioinformatics exercise addressing the evolution of a gene coding for resistance to an antibiotic ( Fig. S1-B ). The purpose was to acquaint the participants with tools commonly used in research with which they were not familiar. Most importantly, it was intended to reinforce the significance of antibiotic resistance, by providing an evolutionary perspective. The contextualization of the project was made during an interactive lecture covering scientific notions and concepts related to bacteria, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance that have been discussed as pivotal in previous research studies [22], [25], [26], [27], including: bacteria’s growth, adaptability, and ubiquity; antibiotics’ activity spectrum, modes of action, and production processes; and the causes and consequences of bacterial resistance to antibiotics ( Fig. 1 ). The project began by an introductory session in which its scope and aims, the activities to perform, and basic laboratory safety rules were presented to the participants. Following this introduction, as outlined in Fig. 1, the participants took part in integrated activities, aligned with the goals of the project and with the contents addressed: three interactive lectures, six wet lab activities, and two dry lab activities. Microbiology Recipes: antibiotics à la carte was developed as a one-week long inquiry-based hands-on project for high school students. Whereas traditional educational interventions to decrease antibiotic use and improve knowledge about antibiotics have mainly relied on information campaigns and state or nationwide programs [4], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], practical activities in this scope are much scarcer [12], [13], [14], [15]. Practical work, generally understood as activities that demand an active engagement in the manipulation of objects and materials [16], [17], [18], has been known to scaffold students’ learning by: sparking their interest [17], [19] ; fostering social interaction [18], [19] ; and promoting scientific reasoning by allowing to make connections between observable phenomena and the underlying ideas [16], [19], [20]. Practical work can be an efficient strategy to promote students’ knowledge about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance, considering that at high school levels, the understanding about these concepts can be compromised by: their abstract nature; misconceptions about the notion of microorganism [21], [22] ; and difficulties in transitioning between micro and macro levels of conceptualization [23]. This study focuses on the outcomes of the project Microbiology recipes: antibiotics à la carte, implemented in the scope of Porto’s Junior University (UJr) ( http://universidadejunior.up.pt/index.php/paginas/english/home ). As a member of the European Children’s University Network (EUCU.NET, https://sites.google.com/site/eucunetevents/ ), UJr is a summer school-based initiative that seeks to promote Science & Technology), Arts, Humanities and Sports education amongst elementary and high school students (aged 11 to 17). Each year, a list of projects designed by university lecturers and implemented by undergraduate and graduate students within the university facilities is made available in UJr’s website, so that interested students can chose and apply to the one(s) they prefer. Considering that educational programs targeting young people expectably contribute to a future generation of scientifically literate antibiotic users, the purpose of this study was to develop, implement and assess a hands-on interventional program to promote awareness about antibiotic resistance at high school levels (ages 15–17 years). The main goal of the project Microbiology recipes: antibiotics à la carte was to promote the participants’ understanding of biological concepts and processes underpinning the notion of antibiotic production and activity, by eliciting their engagement in microbiology procedures. The development of antibiotic drugs provided the basis for infectious disease control. However, with the emergence and widespread of drug-resistant and multidrug resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance has become a major public health issue. Paradoxically, the overuse and misuse of antibiotic drugs have scaffolded this turn of events in the warfare against bacterial infectious disease [1], [2]. Unreasonable antibiotic consumption in human healthcare and farm animal husbandry increases the selective pressure for resistant bacteria, accelerating the rhythm at which resistance spreads. In this context, as emphasized by the World Health Organization, in the report “Overcoming antimicrobial resistance” [3] and 11 years later by selecting the theme “Combat Drug Resistance” for World Health Day 2011, it is necessary to promote informed decision-making about antibiotic consumption. Accordingly, the calls for public health education programs have resulted in numerous educational resources, such as the ones made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/campaigns.html ) and the Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education ( http://www.aware.md/ ). Nevertheless, reliable indicators of the efficacy of most of these resources are still missing [4]. Furthermore, studies show that the general public remains unaware of basic aspects related with antibiotics’ modes of action, and frequently engage in misinformed behaviors [5], [6]. This reinforces the importance of developing health education programs to promote appropriate antibiotic use and enhance public understanding about antibiotic drugs. Using IBM SPSS Statistics 20, descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed to examine and compare the responses obtained. One sample t-tests were used to examine the mean scores for the items measured on five point Likert-type scales. Scores below, equal or above the midpoint of the scale (test value = 3), were respectively considered indicative of negative, neutral or positive responses, for a 95% confidence interval. For the open-ended questions, paired samples t-tests were used to compare the pre−/post-test variation in the number of correct/incorrect notions provided per response, and in the rubric scores. Variations were considered significant for p<0.05. The strength of the mean differences registered was measured using Cohen’s d [43]. Effect sizes equal to 0.2, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8, or above 0.8, were respectively considered small, medium or large [43], [44]. For the responses codified as dichotomous variables (e.g. a “Don’t know” answer), the McNemar test was used to compare pre-test and post-test scores [45]. The analyses of the participants’ pre- and post-test responses were conducted with the purpose of measuring the range of impact of the project, and unveiling the qualitative variations in the participants’ reasoning. Besides determining the number of students who provided correct and incorrect responses, the content of those responses was scrutinized. For every response, the number of correct and incorrect notions was quantified, and their pre−/post-test variation measured. To gauge changes in the participants’ reasoning, coding rubrics were developed for each question (See Table S1 ), informed by Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive domains, a classification system that categorizes cognitive thinking skills according to levels of abstraction [39], [40], [41]. The interpretation of the participants’ responses was based on previously defined guidelines [41], [42]. To obtain a broader, more inclusive depiction of the effectiveness of the project, a mixed methods approach was used [31], combining questionnaire analysis, observations, and analysis of activity reports ( Fig.1 ). Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered on the participants’ understanding, reasoning, interest and procedural skills. Considering the reported influence that students’ engagement and interaction with their peers has on learning [18], [19], [32], [33], these two aspects were also evaluated. According to the Portuguese biology curricula, the 10 th and 11 th grade biology and geology programs include contents related, respectively with cell structure and uni−/multicellularity [28], taxonomy and classification systems [29]. However, the concept of antibiotics is only addressed at 12 th grade biology [30]. Therefore, in spite of being science students, these participants were not expected to be particularly knowledgeable about antibiotic resistance as a result of their formal education. The study involved 42 high school science students who participated in the project in 2010 (n = 25) and 2011 (n = 17). The participants (30 females, 12 males, aged 15 and 16 years) had just finished grades 10 (n = 28) and 11 (n = 14). All of them enrolled in the project by their own initiative, by registering online at UJr’s website, and following the procedures required. As most of UJr’s applicants are underage, the parents’ consent is formalized through the payment of a registration fee. Taking into account all ethical requirements, each project is institutionally approved by both UJr’s organizing committee and the board of direction of each Faculty where the activities take place. For the purpose of this study, the assessment of the project’s outcomes was depicted in the project’s planning, together with the outline of every activity proposed. Upon entering the project, the participants were invited to take part in the study and informed of its nature and aims. They were given the chance to participate in the project without participating in the study, and to withdraw from the latter should they wish to. All the data collected were processed and analyzed anonymously. The opportunity to practice new techniques and procedures (n = 25), to learn more about antibiotics and bacteria (n = 23), and the good environment and interaction that took place (n = 6), were highlighted as the most positive features of the project. In contrast, thirteen participants reported that the quality of the project could be improved by further increasing its practical component. The participants reported that they enjoyed participating in the project (p<0.001) and that it contributed to enhance their curiosity about the subjects addressed (p<0.001). They though that the contents were interesting (p<0.001), well-structured (p<0.001), and adequately articulated with the techniques (p<0.001). They believed that the project fostered the improvement of their understanding (p<0.001) and capacity to critically reflect about the issues discussed (p<0.001). Although considering that some effort was required for the successful completion of the activities (p = 0.002), they did not perceive the tasks proposed as too difficult (p = 0.69). Table S4 summarizes the participants’ mean responses to the feedback questionnaire. There were specific references to the fact that “resistance [genes] can be transmitted between bacteria”, and that “it is important to be careful about how antibiotics are used”. Some participants mentioned the social interaction that took place, stating that “the environment helped [them] to feel at ease” while engaging in the activities. Most of them were not acquainted with their colleagues, but by the second day all of them were working harmoniously. Everyone was called out by their names and cooperated with one another. The environment was light and easy-going, although there was some healthy competition between groups. In spite of the expectable side talk, the participants were actively engaged in every task that they were asked to perform at a seemingly steady level throughout the week. They were eager to share their experiences as antibiotic consumers with their colleagues, and were particularly interested in how antibiotics are produced and act. They repeatedly mentioned that they were “going to share this information with relatives and friends”, because people “need to be alerted about this”. A – antibiograms obtained with commercial antibiotics – the even growth of the bacterial culture indicates an efficient inoculation; the clear inhibitory halos surrounding two antibiotic disks indicate that these were placed carefully onto the plates. B – Although the bacterial culture is not as evenly distributed as in ‘A’, its density allows the visualization of a halo in the point where a drop of garlic aqueous extract was applied (left side); the fact that the inhibitory halo is centered in relation to the half of the plate in which it was applied suggests the cautiousness of the participant who prepared the plate. Plates C and D were prepared by the same group of participants in consecutive days. The results evidence an improvement of their streaking technique. In C, an excess of inoculum appears to have been irregularly and incompletely distributed. The scratches in the medium (from the left to the middle of the plate) are suggestive of excessive pressure while streaking. In contrast, in D the inoculum is much more evenly distributed. Most of the participants mentioned that they were unfamiliar with the laboratory procedures carried out and frequently asked questions about the surrounding laboratory equipment, wondering if it was “similar to the equipment available in research labs”. From the start, all of them were very careful in handling the materials and performing every procedure. Nevertheless, in addition to an evident enhancement in their self-confidence, their procedural competencies improved considerably along the week, as illustrated in Fig. 2. This was also observed for their engagement in the dry-lab activities. Although most of them had never experienced working with bioinformatics tools, they had no problems in following the protocols and discussing the issues raised. No relevant difficulties or misconceptions were identified during the activities, although several participants admitted that they “did not know the human body harbors so many bacteria” and that antibiotic drugs affect bacteria from the human microbiota. Also, whilst most of them knew that edible plants and herbs may produce substances with pharmacological interest, they did not know that plant extracts can be used to inhibit bacteria. There was also an increase in the number of participants conveying correct notions in questions Q1, Q2, Q3, Q5, Q6, Q8, Q9, Q10 and Q11 (See Table S3 ), and a decrease in the number of participants who did not answer questions Q3 (27 vs. 0, χ 2 (1) = 23.04, p<0.001), Q6 (20 vs. 5, χ 2 (1) = 11.53, p<0.001), Q8 (33 vs. 9, χ 2 (1) = 22.04, p<0.001), Q10 (11 vs. 0, χ 2 (1) = 9.09, p<0.001), and Q11 (19 vs. 3, χ 2 (1) = 14.06, p<0.001). Significant pre−/post-test differences were observed for every question in the questionnaire (p<0.05). There were significant improvements in the quality of the participants’ responses, as demonstrated by the enhancement in the rubric scores for the eleven questions presented ( Table S2 ; see Table S1 for details on the pre−/post-test scoring rubrics). For most questions, there was an increase in the number of students able to achieve top-level responses in the post-test (Q1: 1 vs. 11; Q3: 0 vs. 13; Q4: 0 vs. 5; Q5: 0 vs. 6; Q7: 1 vs. 16; Q9: 12 vs. 23; Q10: 0 vs. 3). This improvement can be ascribed to: Discussion The project Microbiology recipes: antibiotics à la carte was a weeklong hands-on program designed to enhance the participants’ understanding about bacteria, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. In line with this main goal, the data gathered reveals that this project provided the participants with a more elaborate picture of antibiotic resistance, by retooling them with more accurate conceptions about the interaction between bacteria and antibiotics, increasing their awareness about the perils of antibiotic resistance, and enabling them to bring into the equation a range of personal mitigating actions. The quality of the participants’ responses was indicative of increased reasoning competencies (Table S2). Whereas high school students have been shown to have some difficulties in explaining biologic phenomena involving complex cause-effect relationships [46], the participants were able to mobilize notions that were not conveyed in the beginning of the project. They were able to cross-link elements that suggest a more thorough appraisal of individual actions to address some of the questions raised (as illustrated in Table S3). This was a very interesting outcome, considering that the main goal of the project was not to induce rote learning, but to empower the participants with concepts and scientifically sustained lines of reasoning to inform their decisions. That is why most questions allowed for responses within both the lower and higher levels of cognition defined by Bloom [41], [42]. Even if some only evoked knowledge and understanding (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q8, Table S1), others also demanded analysis, synthesis and evaluation, among other competencies (Q4, Q6, Q7, Q9, Q10 and Q11, Table S1). As discussed in Lord & Baviskar [41], these emerged from the participants’ responses integrated in a continuum. Previous studies have documented an array of misconceptions about bacteria, namely the confusion between these and other microorganisms, and the overestimation of their harmful effects [22], [26], [27], [47], [48]. At the beginning of the project, many participants already defined bacteria as unicellular, prokaryotic microorganisms, which is not surprising, given that they had just finished the 10th and 11th grades, the instructional levels in which the Portuguese biology curriculum comprises contents related with cell structure, uni−/multicellularity [28], taxonomy and classification [29]. What is interesting to find is that there was an increase in the quality of the definitions of bacteria provided by most of them at the end of the project. This is particularly important, considering that misconceptions about this notion can lead to misinformed behaviors [7], [25], [34]. For instance, it has been argued that the use of antibiotics for flu treatment can be a consequence of bacteria and viruses being misperceived as identical microorganisms [6], [7], [34], which is aggravated by a well-described tendency for physicians to prescribe antibiotics as a prophylactic approach to avoid latent and concomitant bacterial infections [49], [50]. When enquired about the adequacy of using antibiotics for flu treatment, the participants’ opinion shifted from the belief that these drugs are a suitable option, to the perception that this would be an inadequate line of treatment. Contrasting with the reported tendency for bacteria to be associated with illness [22], [47], the participants acknowledged from the start that microorganisms can be both beneficial and harmful for humans. Nevertheless, following their participation in the project, they enhanced their repertoire of examples of bacteria that can have either effect. Moreover, whereas in the pre-test many of them believed that antibiotics only target pathogenic microorganisms, they ended up acknowledging that these drugs collaterally hinder part of the human microbiota. Taking into account the generalized lack of awareness towards the susceptibility of these vital communities to antibiotics [26], this is a relevant finding, as it may alert about the need to control antibiotic use. Besides encouraging the use of antibiotics only when strictly necessary, the importance of following the physicians’ advice must be stressed, especially in what concerns finishing a full course of treatment [25], [26]. Having a general picture of the dynamics of bacterial growth can be insightful in this regard. Taking this into account, the bacterial growth curve was extensively discussed with the participants, leading to a substantial improvement of their description of the bacterial growth cycle. Most importantly, they understood that the knowledge about these aspects is necessary for adequate antibiotic use. The participants’ conceptualization of antibiotics was also improved. Whilst many of them initially neglected the fact that these compounds only act on bacteria, most of them stated clearly in their post-tests that bacteria are the only target for antibiotic drugs. They also realized that each antibiotic has a more or less broad activity spectrum, and that their specificity is not limited to a particular bacterial species. Beyond providing the participants with a notion of what antibiotics are and how they act, the project was designed to evidence difficulties in counteracting and mitigating antibiotic resistance. A deeper evaluation of these difficulties can be obtained by appraising the complexity of the antibiotic production process, especially regarding the time involved, which barely allows keeping in pace with the rapid rate at which resistance spreads [51], [52], [53], [54]. These aspects were emphasized throughout the project, which, based on the data gathered, was shown to enhance the participants’ consciousness about the steps and difficulties in the development of new antibiotics. Public misperceptions about antibiotics and bacteria extend to antibiotic resistance, which is often regarded as a feature of the host and not of the bacterium [25], [26]. To some extent contrasting with these reports, most of the participants were reasonably aware that antibiotic resistance refers to bacteria and not humans. But by the end of the project all of them acknowledged this aspect. Moreover, they called attention to the existence of resistance-related genes that can be transferred between bacteria. However, their success in answering correctly to question Q11 (“Do you agree with the statement: The progeny of antibiotic resistant bacteria is also resistant? Justify your answer”) was limited, since the distinction between horizontal and vertical gene transfer was somewhat misapprehended. Drawing on the weight of evidence pointing towards the major role of horizontal gene transfer in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance [53], [55], the project stressed the idea that antibiotic resistance genes can be interchanged between phylogenetically unrelated bacteria subjected to the selective pressure introduced by the same antibiotic [56]. The fact that this notion was not consistently manifested in the participants’ responses, suggests that some fine-tune adaptations of the instructional design and/or of the measurement instruments are required in future editions of the project. The participants were able to link antibiotic resistance with the improper use of antibiotics, which is a promising outcome, even if this improved understanding may not necessarily translate into adequate behaviors in this scope [34], [35]. The participants became more aware of measures to contain antibiotic resistance. Besides recognizing that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics has increased the number and diversity of resistant bacteria, they stressed the shortening of effective antibiotics and the difficulties in developing new ones. This awareness expectably fosters the recognition that judicious antibiotic use is fundamental [5], [26], [51]. Consistently, there were also noticeable changes in the participants’ beliefs about personal actions to address resistance. Interestingly, they went from identifying the production of new antibiotics as the only solution, to summarizing a series of individual behaviors that they though must be stimulated, as for instance avoiding self-medication, respecting the physician’s instructions, and reducing use. This outcome suggests that the project fostered the participants’ sense of self-responsibility, an essential condition for the success of any initiative aimed at promoting rational antibiotic use [26]. Concerning the factors underlying the effectiveness of this project, it is important to consider the influence of two major elements: the project’s instructional design and the environment in which it was implemented. This project has a marked hands-on character sustained by a meaningful and up-to-date body of scientific data and theory. In its design, particular attention was given to the balance and alignment of both components in each of the activities proposed. In fact, this aspect was highlighted by the participants, who expressed their satisfaction about the way in which practice and theory were integrated. Well contextualized practical activities are known to foster the ability to connect observable and conceptual dimensions [16], [19], [20]. Given that the project addresses biological processes that occur at microscopic and molecular levels, a possible explanation for the improvement of the participants’ conceptual understanding rests on the scaffolding provided by the visual outcomes and the diversified set of procedures involved in the activities. Amongst its educational benefits, practical work is also expected to promote learning indirectly, by enhancing students’ interest [18], [57], [58], [59]. Accordingly, this project was intended to stimulate the participants’ short-term engagement with the contents and procedures, aiming to prompt their learning. Besides the observational field notes collected, the participants’ feedback reinforces the role of the practical tasks in engaging them in the activities. They mentioned that they valued the opportunity to practice their procedural skills, which is particularly important considering that most students do not get the chance to carry out practical work at their own schools [57], [60]. Furthermore, given that they consistently emphasized the interest and appeal of the activities, it is possible that this factor contributed to the improvement of their knowledge and understanding. It must be kept in mind that this interest was most likely situational [17], [61], deriving from the environment surrounding the participants. The summer school setting in which the project was implemented constitutes a key situational element that must be accounted for. UJr’s educational goals are placed within an informal, friendly, and relaxing environment of engagement and interaction, allowing it to be regarded as an educational leisure context. [32]. Studies have shown that these contexts harbor privileged opportunities for social interaction between the students, which may have a beneficial impact on their experience and learning [18], [19], [32]. Interestingly, many participants viewed the project precisely as an opportunity to interact with their peers, monitors and researchers, and associated this aspect with its success. Finally, this study raises several questions that are worth pursuing in future research. Based on the observations conducted, extending the study to a broader universe, focusing on diverse age groups, instructional levels and curricular backgrounds, should facilitate general conclusions. To avoid sampling biases, it would be particularly useful to implement the project in a formal classroom context. This was a case study with a small sample of high school science students who personally decided to enroll in the project. Therefore, although statistically significant results were obtained, these do not exclude the chance that these students might already nurture a personal interest about this topic, which might have made them more prone to engage in the activities. Nevertheless, this did not manifest in their baseline knowledge, which was not particularly robust. In turn, it raises the question of whether the magnitude of the improvements in the participants’ understanding would be identical if their baseline knowledge was sounder. It is also important to take into account that the project was implemented in a summer school setting, which, as mentioned above, can have impacted positively on the participants’ interest and learning. Implementing the project in formal settings would not only permit addressing this issue, but it would also grant the chance to embed the activities and contents in the students’ science curriculum, in articulation with the other school subjects. This should enable to distinguish the effects of traditional instruction practices from the outcomes of the activities. Having this in mind, the project’s activities can be easily adapted and implemented in schools. Moreover, besides being contextualized in the Portuguese biology curricula [28], [29], the concepts addressed are covered in science curricula from other countries, including the National Science Education Standards [62]. Another aspect to consider relates to the subjective nature of the qualitative data gathered through the open-ended questions in the pre- and post-tests. Although these were required to identify subtle variations in the quality of the participants’ reasoning [63], their interpretation is open to subjectivity, regardless of the thoroughness of the content analysis performed. The notions provided by the participants in response to the tests used in this study can be applied to the development of closed questions to be used in future quantitative studies. Future research could also look into the influence of the project on the participants’ antibiotic use behaviors. This study was set up following a pre−/post-test design, in which the post-test was applied immediately after the completion of the project. Therefore, the findings must not be extrapolated beyond its framework. Especially considering that the study was not devised to evaluate long-term retention of information, and the improvements identified in the participants’ knowledge and understanding do not necessarily imply positive modifications on their antibiotic use behaviors. In fact, the association between knowledge about antibiotics and antibiotic use is not utterly demonstrated, given the contrasting evidence conveyed in different studies [7], [34], [35]. The assessment of this specific dimension can be achieved through a long-term longitudinal study to track the impact of these activities by the time these teenagers reach adulthood and engage in decision-making concerning antibiotic use. Overall, this and other projects alike represent a contribution to enhance the consciousness about judicious antibiotic use amongst future generations. In addition, the insights made available in this study extend beyond the topic specificity of the project, by evidencing the educational benefits of incorporating hands-on activities in science education programs.Stephanie R. Pasco Infowars August 27, 2009 It is my intention to give you clips from documents, many from the United Nations that prove there is a plan to depopulate this planet. I will also provide quotes from various people and organizations that further show this agenda is afoot. I pray the guidance of the Lord God Almighty will be with me in this pursuit to warn others of this dark plot against humanity. Everything written in this paper is easily verifiable. It may take some time and effort, but I took great pains to make this paper as accurate as I possibly could. The depopulation agenda is based on nature worship, or Gaia worship. In Genesis, God clearly told Adam and Eve, and then Noah and his family to go forth and multiply to fill the earth. Nowhere in the Bible does God rescind that clearly spoken commandment. Therefore man is attempting to supercede the command of the Lord God in heaven: The Creator! I ask you, who knows more about the state of the earth, the created, or the Creator? The basis for the depopulation agenda is a standard all elitist’s hold dear. This standard is called: The Hegelian Dialectic: Problem – Reaction-Solution Create the Problem Cause a Reaction Offer a Solution You will see exactly how they have created the problem; caused a reaction so widespread it is really quite impressive how successful they have been; and offered a solution: A deadly solution. I ask that you please make an attempt to distribute this paper everywhere you possibly can. The time grows short and so many are going to be caught unawares. By getting the word out, you may be able to prevent someone from needless pain and suffering. Aldous Huxley William Benton, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State at UNESCO 1946: (UNESCO is the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization) “As long as a child breathes the poisoned air of nationalism, education in world-mindedness can produce only precarious results. As we have pointed out, it is frequently the family that infects the child with extreme nationalism. The schools therefore use the means described earlier to combat family attitudes that favor jingoism (nationalism)…we shall presently recognize in nationalism the major obstacle to development of world mindedness. We are at the beginning of a long process of breaking down the walls of national sovereignty. UNESCO must be the pioneer.” (Emphasis mine throughout) Club of Rome, The First Global Revolution, 1991: “In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill (this is absolute proof that man made global warming is a fabrication)…. But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap of mistaking symptoms for causes. All these dangers are caused by human intervention and it is only through changed attitudes and behavior that they can be overcome. The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.” Mikhail Gorbachev: “We must speak more clearly about sexuality, contraception, about abortion, about values that control population, because the ecological crisis, in short, is the population crisis. Cut the population by 90% and there aren’t enough people left to do a great deal of ecological damage.” Aldous Huxley, Brave New World 1946: “There is, of course, no reason why the new totalitarians should resemble the old. Government by clubs and firing squads, by artificial famine, mass imprisonment and mass deportation, is not merely inhumane (nobody cares much about that nowadays); it is demonstrably inefficient and in an age of advanced technology, inefficiency is the sin against the Holy Ghost.” Aldous Huxley, Lecture named Population Explosion 1959: “…Let us ask ourselves what the practical alternatives are as we confront this problem of population growth. One alternative is to do nothing in particular about it and just let things go on as they are…The question is: Are we going to restore the balance in the natural way, which is a brutal and entirely anti-human way, or are we going to restore it in some intelligent, rational, and humane way…Try to increase production as much as possible and at the same time try to re-establish the balance between the birth rate by means less gruesome than those which are used by nature – by intelligent and human methods?…There are colossal difficulties in the way of implementing any large-scale policy of limitation of population; whereas death control is extremely easy under modern circumstances, birth control is extremely difficult. The reason is very simple: death control – the control, for example, of infectious diseases – can be accomplished by a handful of experts and quite a small labour force of unskilled persons and requires a very small capital expenditure.” Barry Commoner, Making Peace with the Planet: “There have been ‘triage’ proposals that would condemn whole nations to death through some species of global ‘benign neglect’. There have been schemes for coercing people to curtail their fertility, by physical and legal means that are ominously left unspecified. Now we are told that we must curtail rather than extend our efforts to feed the hungry peoples of the world. Where will it end?” Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, April 28, 1997, Testimony before Congressional Committee: “There are some reports, for example, that some countries have been trying to construct something like an Ebola Virus, and that would be a very dangerous phenomenon, to say the least. Alvin Toeffler has written about this in terms of some scientists in their laboratories trying to devise certain types of pathogens that would be ethnic specific so that they could just eliminate certain ethnic groups and races; and others are designing some sort of engineering, some sort of insects that can destroy specific crops. Others are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves. So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations. It’s real, and that’s the reason why we have to intensify our efforts, and that’s why this is so important.” Jacques Cousteau Jacques Cousteau UNESCO Courier 1991: “In order to save the planet it would be necessary to kill 350,000 people per day.” Jacques Cousteau, Population: Opposing Viewpoints: “If we want our precarious endeavor to succeed, we must convince all human beings to participate in our adventure, and we must urgently find solutions to curb the population explosion that has a direct influence on the impoverishment of the less-favoured communities. Otherwise, generalized resentment will beget hatred, and the ugliest genocide imaginable, involving billions of people, will become unavoidable.” “Uncontrolled population growth and poverty must not be fought from inside, from Europe, from North America, or any nation or group of nations; it must be attacked from the outside – by international agencies helped in the formidable job by competent and totally non-governmental organizations.” Bertrand Russell, The Impact Of Science On Society 1953 “I do not pretend that birth control is the only way in which population can be kept from increasing… War… has hitherto been disappointing in this respect, but perhaps bacteriological war may prove more effective. If a Black Death could be spread throughout the world once in every generation survivors could procreate freely without making the world too full… The state of affairs might be somewhat unpleasant, but what of that? Really high-minded people are indifferent to happiness, especially other people’s… There are three ways of securing a society that shall be stable as regards population. The first is that of birth control, the second that of infanticide or really destructive wars, and the third that of general misery except for a powerful minority…” Henry Kissinger, 1978: “U.S. policy toward the third world should be one of depopulation” David Rockefeller, 2000: “We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order.” David Rockefeller: Memoirs 2002 Founder of the CFR: “We wield over American political and economical institutions. Some even believe we are part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political structure, one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty, and I am proud of it.” David Rockefeller, Co-founder of the Trilateral Commission: David Rockefeller “We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine & other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promise of discretion for almost 40 years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plans for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. Thomas Ferguson, the Latin American Case Officer for the State Department’s Office of Population Affairs (OPA) (now the US State Dept. Office of Population Affairs, est. by Henry Kissinger in 1975): “There is a single theme behind all our work -we must reduce population levels,” said Thomas Ferguson, the Latin American case officer for the State Department’s Office of Population Affairs (OPA). “Either they [governments] do it our way, through nice clean methods or they will get the kind of mess that we have in El Salvador, or in Iran, or in Beirut. Population is a political problem. Once population is out of control it requires authoritarian government, even fascism, to reduce it. “The professionals,” said Ferguson, “aren’t interested in lowering population for humanitarian reasons. That sounds nice. We look at resources and environmental constraints. We look at our strategic needs, and we say that this country
but here he has touched upon perhaps the greatest flaw running throughout leftist political philosophy: the failure to accept and appreciate human nature. The reality of human nature is the reason why leftist economic ideas always fail so miserably, why leftist governments always become illiberal, if not tyrannical, and in this case, why cultural assimilation has failed so miserably. Of course young men (and women!) yearn for noble, idealistic, heroic causes, leaders and ideas. They always have. This is why even today, so many political and religious movements focus so strongly on youth. It is why the Hitler Youth was formed, as well as the Young Pioneers of Communism, which still today populate Castro’s Cuba. It is why Jihadis so avidly recruit the young. All these ideologies recognize how vital it is to capture the minds and hearts of the young, because once done, such recruits are not easily turned. It’s human nature. Western leftism has not forgotten the importance of indoctrinating the youth with desired, ideological messages. On the contrary, there are many, many examples of this. Disney’s recent revival of the Muppets, or Cars 2, both of which vilify “Big Oil” are two examples of leftist indoctrination. There are literally hundreds more. The failure of leftist philosophy is not that they don’t recognize this aspect of human nature, it’s their belief they can and should change it. Along the way there has however been this unintended consequence. By pressing the message among our youth that America is not exceptional, noble or virtuous, that indeed America is a bad place, a country guilty of grievous and unforgivable sins, they have left what O’Sullivan sees as a vacuum for assimilating youth from other cultures. Although they learn our language, are educated in our schools, and adopt our culture, they also adopt the ideas that America is guilty of exploiting other countries and peoples, that we are arrogant and high-handed, that we have much to apologize for. Or even that we deserve to be punished. Brought up on a steady diet of such messaging from the left, it’s little wonder that the Tsarnaev brothers were so ready to be radicalized by an anti-American Islamic message, as is appears what happened.Like most of you, I prefer MetaCPAN over CPAN. The biggest issue I had was any google search and older blog posts all linked directly to CPAN. I found 'MetaCPAN Helper' on the Chrome Web Store however using it caused google to pop up a page about me being redirected whenever I clicked on a CPAN link costing me a few extra seconds to get where I wanted to go. Like many of you I thought this was unacceptable so a little while back I created my own extension that does not have this issue. What the extension does is rewrite all search.cpan.org url's to search.mcpan.org without any tracking, annoying popups, or redirect pages. Hopefully this will help some of you out. If you have any issues or features you would like to add you can do so at: https://github.com/bvierra/chrome-metacpanredirect/issues or send me a pull request. Source Code is available at: https://github.com/bvierra/chrome-metacpanredirect Extension is available at: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/meta-cpan-redirect/blakeebdldmplhhegjofiaidnijmiphjRochester, N.Y. (WHAM) - A University of Rochester professor has stepped down from his position as director of his department after comments made on social media last week. A University of Rochester spokesperson confirmed Sunday that Ted Pawlicki had voluntarily stepped down after publishing a Facebook post chastising people who said they wanted to leave the country after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. The post stated, "A bus ticket from Rochester to Canada is $16. If this is not your America, then I will pay for your ticket if you promise never to come back." Pawlicki made the post in a Facebook event for a in which participants demonstrated against the results of the presidential election. The comment was deleted within a few hours of being posted. Pawlicki resigned from his position as director of the undergraduate programs in computer science. He remains on the faculty. A statement released by the university says Pawlicki apologized for the post. The statement reads: "The university is aware of a faculty Facebook comment that caused concern and for which the faculty member has since apologized. Freedom of expression is a foundational principle at the University of Rochester and for all citizens of the US. Students and faculty alike are free to express their views." U. of R. students have varying opinions. "Stepping down is a good move to show that at least, if anything, that he acknowledges something was wrong," said Thomas Mariano. "I think the forum in which he expressed them was the unacceptable part," said Kelsey Daly. "I think it's okay for them to share their political views, but in a student forum like that for the U of R seems unprofessional." Katy Smith said doesn't believe it's fair. "I think it's definitely unfortunate that he had to step down," she said. According to lawyer Sharon Stiller, workers don't have as many labor law protections if they work for a private employer, such as the University of Rochester. “The National Labor Relations Board has taken the position that speech on social media constitutes concerted protected activity and has the same protections just like you were at work grumbling about your employer's policies," she said. She said one should not assume they're protected and should ask questions before posting. "Certainly, if what they're going to be posting could be significantly in relation to their career, check it out first," she said. "Ask somebody about what kind of protections that exists."Another week of the Proposition 8 gay marriage trial is over, and you know what that means! Yes, that you got four more glorious recaps of the action. BUT ALSO Jessica, your favorite lawyer ever, is back to explain everything to us laypeople! Last time, Jessica told us about the equal protection clause. Specifically, she explained how our side is trying to prove that Prop 8 violates that clause because it discriminates based on sexual orientation. This time around, she’ll explore Team Totally Right’s other arguments — there are several! So here we go, these are all the possible ways we could win this thing, it’s like a choose your own adventure book but a judge gets to do the choosing: If you support marriage equality, it’s obvious to you that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. And even if you don’t understand the legal rationale, that discrimination seems inherently wrong. Conveniently, there’s a good argument from a legal standpoint, too. So with a strong legal argument and a convincing message, can’t we just focus all of our attention on equal protection? No. I. We Got 99 Reasons but They Just Need One Effective advocacy can’t stop with one convincing argument. Our side wants to ensure they’re providing the judge with multiple paths to rule in our favor. For example, take the arguments regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation. Obviously, our attorneys argue, discrimination based on sexual orientation warrants some form of heightened scrutiny — either intermediate or strict. Proposition 8 is neither “narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest” nor “substantially related to an important governmental interest,” which means that regardless of which level of review the court selects, we win! But, if through incomprehensible twists and turns of logic the court doesn’t decide that classification based on sexual orientation warrants heightened scrutiny — well, we still win. The government has no legitimate reason for denying marriage equality. So using the rational basis test, Proposition 8 must be overturned. But what if the court doesn’t agree with us there, either? Then we need alternative arguments. So, in addition to arguing that Proposition 8 violates the Equal Protection Clause because it discriminates based on sexual orientation, we’re also arguing that this is blatant gender discrimination in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. And in case that’s insufficient to persuade the court to strike down this ridiculous law, Proposition 8 is also unconstitutional because it violates the fundamental right to marry as established by the Due Process Clause. For Proposition 8 to be declared unconstitutional, we only need the court to agree with us on one of these points. The rationale matters because it will help to define how much this affects future issues pertaining to marriage equality. But for this case, any will suffice. Unconstitutional is unconstitutional; you don’t get extra bonus points because the law violates the Constitution in multiple ways. II. Gender and the Equal Protection Clause With that in mind, let’s begin with gender discrimination. Fortunately, the law here is well-established, and therefore much easier to follow. We don’t need to evaluate the four factors to determine whether gender is a suspect class. Since Craig v. Boren in 1976, a law that discriminates on the basis of gender has been subject to intermediate scrutiny. Classifications based on gender are unconstitutional unless the government can demonstrate that the classification is substantially related to an important governmental interest. We can’t simply jump into talking about what intermediate scrutiny would mean for us, though. We first have to establish that the law classifies people based on gender. This may seem obvious. I mean, I cannot marry my girlfriend in California. If either of us were male, we could marry in California. Seems like a pretty clear classification based on gender, no? But it’s not quite that simple, because it depends on how you frame the issue. As H8ers (and Mark Harris from the Log Cabin Republicans documentary) are happy to remind us, even with Prop 8, anyone is allowed to marry someone of the opposite gender. Based on that logic, there is no classification; everyone is treated the same. So which interpretation is correct? Conveniently, this issue runs parallel to a case the Supreme Court has already considered. Virginia maintained laws making interracial marriage illegal up until 1967. At the time, those supporting the law argued that it was perfectly constitutional because it treated everyone the same. When declaring the law unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court noted that the mere “fact of application [to both the white and African-American members of the couple did] not immunize the statute from the very heavy burden which the Fourteenth Amendment has traditionally required of state statutes drawn according to race.” By extension, our attorneys argue in their trial memorandum, the fact “that both sexes — gays and lesbians — suffer from Prop. 8’s discriminatory classification does not render it constitutional.” To uphold the law, the government must meet the heavy burden reserved for these types of discriminatory classifications: intermediate scrutiny. This doesn’t mean we win, it just means that the court must examine the law and its purposes more carefully. III. Due Process & Fundamental Rights And if none of these equal protection arguments persuade the court? We turn to the Due Process Clause. In addition to offering one more reason for the court to invalidate Prop 8, this clause offers one more opportunity for mental gymnastics (just in case the gender discrimination arguments were too straightforward). The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment asserts that the government shall not deprive any person of “life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” The Supreme Court has interpreted this to mean that there are certain individual liberties and freedoms that inherently restrict government power. For example, in Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court held that intimate, consensual sexual conduct is part of the liberty protected by substantive due process, thereby invalidating sodomy laws across the country. In some cases, these liberties are so important as to be deemed “fundamental rights.” When the government interferes with these fundamental rights, the action is subject to strict scrutiny review; to withstand a constitutional challenge, the government must demonstrate that this interference is necessary to achieve a compelling governmental purpose. But what is a fundamental right? Some things are clearly established as enumerated fundamental rights — the First Amendment guarantees free speech and religious freedom, and these rights are widely recognized as fundamental. But the Court has also found several fundamental rights outside of the text of the Constitution. For example, Loving v. Virginia provides that there is a fundamental right to marry a person of any race: “Marriage is one of the “basic civil rights of man,” fundamental to our very existence and survival…. To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State’s citizens of liberty without due process of law.” When the fundamental rights are found outside of the text of the Constitution, though, legal scholars and Supreme Court Justices debate the nature and scope of these rights. Some believe strongly in the existence of non-enumerated fundamental rights, while others allege that the court is usurping the political process by protecting these rights. So how do our attorneys persuade the court that Proposition 8 interferes with a fundamental right? They begin with the words of the Supreme Court. Without necessarily recognizing the long-term implications of their assertions, the Court has provided strong guidance. According to Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur, the Court held that “freedom of choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause.” In other cases, the Court has noted that “marriage is the most important relationship in life” and that “choices about marriage” are “sheltered by the Fourteenth Amendment against the State’s unwarranted usurpation, disregard, or disrespect.” This sounds like the language of fundamental rights to me. But again, this is just one step in the process. Establishing the violation of a fundamental right does not inherently mean we win — it just establishes the appropriate standard of review (strict scrutiny), and the court will determine whether the infringing action is permissible. So How Do We Win? Clearly, this is the question everyone cares about. As much fun as tracing the legal analysis may be, the part that matters to everyone on both sides is how it’s going to end. So how does this end? It depends. Pages: 1 2 See entire article on one pageA few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend a seminar held by Atos black belt Chelsea Leah a.k.a Chelsea Bainbridge-Donner. The Shoyoroll sponsored athlete showed us a number of positions from De La Riva, a guard regularly favoured by the school she teaches at – Art of Jiu-Jitsu. At the seminar, I was lucky enough to get to roll with her, and for such a small person she absolutely mauled me. After the seminar she graciously let me send her a few questions for this interview, so here they are! Enjoy! How long have you been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? I’ve been training since mid-2000, so 15 years or so. I took a break for college from 2005-2009, so I was pretty much exclusively swimming, diving, and playing rugby during that time, with no training. I started training again with some frequency in 2010, when I left China to live in Hong Kong. When were you promoted to black belt and who promoted you? I was promoted on the podium in 2014 by Andre Galvao after I won Worlds. Why did you decide to take up the sport? That’s a complicated question. I did strip mall karate for a long time, but my sensei was really getting into MMA and the UFC in the late 1990s (maybe 1998 or 1999). He introduced it to us, and I fell in love immediately. When I moved from Massachusetts to California, I found a BJJ gym and the rest is history, I suppose. How do you feel about the recent world-wide explosion of BJJ? It’s awesome. There are opportunities for athletes in the BJJ community today that wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago. It’s pretty amazing to be coming up at this point in time. Can you name you top 3 fighters that you love to watch? Well… no, not really. I like to watch all my professors: Rafa and Gui Mendes, and Andre Galvao. However, my favorite division to watch is white belt. So many positions! So few points! Anything can happen. Outside of that, I’ve always really enjoyed Durinho’s jiu jitsu. What are your BJJ goals for 2016? Obviously, I’d love to win everything. But more than that, I want to become an athlete that people like to watch, win or lose. One of the things I really don’t want as I grow as a black belt is to become a fighter that people see as boring or predictable. I want to compete as much as possible and really become comfortable on the competition mats. I’m a relatively inexperienced competitor, so doing a lot of competition is incredibly important for me. If you could give one piece of advice to anyone wanting to start the sport, what would that be? Don’t wait. Don’t wait until you’re fit, don’t wait until you’re rested, don’t wait until the summer solstice— just jump in, you’ll be fine, no matter what your level of fitness. This is a sport that soaks up new people and welcomes them into the fold much more easily than almost any other sport I’ve been a part of. While there are definitely problems in the BJJ community, it is a really excellent community for people who are interested in bettering themselves physically and mentally. Would you like to promote yourself? I’ll never get used to this part. You can find me at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leaahhbjj Instagram: @chelsea__leah Blog: chelseabjj.comSpeaking at a University of Melbourne seminar, Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft chief Neil Gane conceded that Australians are no longer content to tail behind the rest of the world when it comes to viewing TV shows like Game of Thrones. However, despite this clear 'buying' signal, Gane said that AFACT members consider this impatience to view content as "unreasonable". Piracy will continue, he said, no matter what providers do. During May, TorrentFreak gathered statistics on who is downloading the massive hit series Game of Thrones. We found that more people are downloading the show compared to last year and that the number of weekly worldwide downloads is roughly the same as the number of viewers HBO has for the show in the U.S. Since the Internet is worldwide by nature, just like their US counterparts Australians were exposed to plenty of buzz about the show and were well aware of when the new series would premiere stateside. But unfortunately and for reasons best known to the entertainment industry, Aussies have to wait an additional week to view episodes of the show. Little surprise then that they turned to BitTorrent in droves, eventually topping the list with 10.1% of all Game of Thrones downloads. However, according to the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, the impatience being shown by fans of the show is “unreasonable.” Speaking at a University of Melbourne seminar last evening, AFACT boss Neil Gane conceded that TV and movie fans might be driven to piracy by delays, but when the same question was framed slightly differently, it proved problematic. Linking to TorrentFreak’s statistics, ITNews reports that they asked Gane if piracy rates were lower on shows that were fast-tracked to Australia. He was unable to answer. AFACT’s members have spent huge sums of money suing local ISP iiNet, yet appear to have a problem answering a fundamental question such as this. The answer, of course, (particularly given Gane’s earlier concession over delays) is that they do recognize that bringing shows more quickly to market in areas such as Australia will reduce piracy, but internal politics restrict them from doing so. But instead, Gane told the seminar that members of AFACT believe that fans of Game of Thrones are behaving unreasonably when they don’t want to wait an additional week to see the show. Predictably, Gane said that reductions in piracy need to be forced through tougher legislation, because he has research that says that no matter what the studios do, people will still pirate. That research, which is yet to be published, comes from the Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation, the outfit that pops up whenever the entertainment industry wants to prove a point, but doesn’t want anyone to know how that point was reached. When the research is published it will apparently show that 86% of ‘persistent’ downloaders and 74% of ‘casual’ downloaders turn to piracy due to cost. As highlighted in our earlier article, the exclusive nature of Game of Thrones will indeed be a factor in pushing people towards piracy. An article published in March titled “Help! I’m Being Forced To Pirate Game Of Thrones Against My Will!” illustrates one such scenario perfectly, with a fan wanting to buy the show but being forced to jump through hoops and pay for stuff he doesn’t want just to gain access. As we’ve said dozens of times before, making content easily accessible is about many things, not just release dates. Once that’s achieved that same content has to be made available at a fair price too, a concept that rarely matches the policies of ‘exclusive’ content providers.My First Review – Abby Kraycar Welcome back to another edition of My First Review. Although reviews typically cover observations from a single event, all the work that judges do outside of events creates many opportunities for feedback. In her first review, Abby Kraycar took the time to acknowledge Chris Wendelboe’s contributions to the judge program as a mentor outside of events. Let’s take take a look. THE REVIEW Date : December 10, 2015 Event : GP Pittsburgh Reviewer: Abby Kraycar, Level 1 Floor Judge Subject: Chris Wendelboe, Level 2 Floor Judge Strengths: Chris, it was absolutely wonderful working with you at my very first GP! GP Pittsburgh had a lot of issues, but having you as my mentor buddy definitely helped me learn a lot more than I would have on my own. Something I noticed that was really awesome is you were so willing to roll with the punches. We had some space constraint issues at the GP where we weren’t able to run our side events (basically at all) so we were told to floor judge the main event. I was a little nervous being a L1 judging the main event of a GP but you seemed fully confident in my ability which totally made me feel more at ease. You kept following up with me after calls which is something I feel helps break that mentor/mentee wall. Areas for Improvement: Something I think could be worked on is awareness. This is something I’ve noticed in most judges. Not only spacial awareness, but 10-15 minutes into the round are the slips out? In round 2 of the main event I had a bunch of calls with no show opponents at the 40 minute mark. The slips weren’t even cut yet, so I went up to the paper team and prodded them along and helped with handing out the slips. I feel like more judges should have been helping hand them out as soon as they were cut since I didn’t get done handing out my stack until 23 minutes left in the round. You took a call in the main event about Nourishing Shoals. The player was asking what the CMC was of the original Nourishing Shoal if he exiled Nourishing Shoal with the original’s ability. You weren’t 100% sure so you asked me, but what you were asking was very vague and I didn’t get the whole story from you, so I thought you were asking what the CMC of the exiled Nourishing Shoal was so the player would know how much life he would gain. We ultimately decided to tell the play the CMC was “2” when it should have been “4” leaving the opponent able to Spell Snare the spell or something to that nature. I feel like this miscommunication on the floor may have been avoided if we had taken the extra few seconds to speak away from the table and get the whole story straight. Comments: One last thing that I think is an amazing quality is your ability to form connections with people. We were only paired up for the first day of the GP, but you followed up with me the second day and pretty much every day since. You made sure that when I had the issue with the player accusing me of making him lose the game for calling him out on slow play that I understood that it wasn’t my fault and he was just looking to blame me for his lose/lose situation. You made me feel better so I was ready to go back out onto the floor re-energized and ready to judge! The every so often message prodding me to write my reviews, take my practice test, and ultimately schedule my L2 test definitely boosts my confidence and makes me realize that the mentor/mentee bond should definitely go beyond just the one day at an event. It is something special that I hope every judge gets to experience. Not only did you teach me a lot about what it means to be a good mentor, but I hoped you learned something while mentoring me as well! I can’t wait to work with you in the future. IN RETROSPECT This review was for my judge buddy during Grand Prix Pittsburgh. I wrote this review for a few reasons: it was my first Grand Prix; Chris was my first judge buddy; and I hadn’t written a review before. Since then Chris and I have been great friends and traveled to many GPs together. At first it was super intimidating to write my first review on a higher level judge; since I’d never written a review before, I had no idea what kind of flak I might get for saying something constructive. However, this review ultimately was a good stepping stone into the world of reviewing. Since then, I’ve realized that judges love feedback, positive or critical, and that the only flak you’ll receive is if your review is either not accurately reflecting what happened or super vague. My review was detailed enough but could have been a bit more descriptive. I’ve also learned that good constructive feedback provides suggestions or fixes rather than just basically saying “this was not so great.” The biggest thing I took away from writing this review was to never be afraid to write a review of ANYONE!Baby bottles with days of the week on adhesive notes I have to write this out -- actually say it out loud and applaud a few special moms living day in and day out the way we all do. Only, they do it differently than I ever did. How? Why am I feeling like giving every single one of these mothers a standing ovation? Two words: Exclusive Pumping. That's right. For some reason, lately I've come to know of more and more women around me who made the choice, when the going got tough, to exclusively pump. I looked into exclusively pumping when my oldest, The Boy, was only a few weeks old. He just couldn't get the hang of breastfeeding, and I was a brand new mother. I had no clue what I was doing and thought that my baby would magically latch on with ease. I was not prepared for the difficulty of a disorganized eater -- one who could not coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing. So I looked into exclusively pumping. I tried to do it, actually. That lasted for about half a day. The reason this has been on my heart lately is that when I've been talking with my mommy friends who exclusively pumped, I sense this twinge of guilt. It's like they feel as if they aren't good enough moms because they are using, or had to use, a breast pump to feed their babies breast milk. That couldn't be further from the truth, and I would like to say that I think you're more of a mom because you have done what you had to do for your baby. You didn't give up. The going got tough, and you know what? You said, "Fine. Bring it on. I'll add a pumping schedule on top of a feeding schedule. I'll bring on those bottles and pump accessory parts that have to be cleaned 'round the clock. I do it for my child." Hold your head up high, woman. Don't think for a second that this isn't good enough because the original plan wasn't working. That doesn't mean you're a failure. Do you hear me saying this? Exclusively pumping is not a failure when it comes to the scorecard of motherhood. Anyway, there really isn't a motherhood scorecard; I made that up. And those of you mamas who use formula are not failures, either. [At this point I stand up from my chair and look at you in the eye to say, "You aren't a failure for using formula, and I really think you're an awesome mom because you are keeping that child healthy and loving that baby. This post is for the exclusively pumping mamas, though, OK?"] At the end of the day, we're all trying to do what's best for our children. Whether you have physical challenges that make conventional breastfeeding impossible or emotional challenges that make it difficult, you are still following the feeding path you believe in. I applaud you, Mama, for taking on extra work. For not only giving your sweet baby that bottle of breast milk, but also pumping that breast milk, cleaning the parts, storing the milk and then starting it all over again in two hours. If I could see you now, I would be standing up from my chair, huge cheesy grin on my face, applauding you and saying, "Bravo! Bravo!" Then I would give you a big ol' hug (and I must confess, I'm not a hugger). You deserve it, though. Cheers to you, lady! Cheers to you! Also on HuffPost:Country Stereotypes* All of these pictures were the first Google Image result for French man, French woman, Mongolian woman, Mongolian man, Korean man and so on (except in cases where there was explicit nudity or violence, for which I chose the second image). What you end up with is a gallery of (mostly) stereotypes of what people in different countries look like. (Note that Google results vary from time to time, country to country.) *Google's define operator explains the meaning of the word "stereotype": "An exaggerated image of the characteristics of a particular group." "[A] negative or limiting preconceived belief about a certain type of person that is applied to everyone in that group." "[A] mistaken idea that many people have about a culture different from their own." All images by their respective owners, reproduced here in Google thumbnail size by Google Blogoscoped.I recently decided to re-watch every episode of Sex and the City, in part to see if Carrie Bradshaw's life lessons hold up now that I'm older, and in part to lighten the mood in the midst of a very dark The Wire binge. While it's true that the New York these women live in is ridiculous, considering the rent-controlled apartments and the fact that none of them seem to have ever taken the subway, there are still moments that cleverly capture city life, even if that life is drenched in Cosmopolitans. Here are our scenes, and be sure to check out our favorite NYC moments on Broad City and Louie, too. THE YANKEE GAME New York is not a rabid sports town, according to experts, and the only reason I bother sitting through nine-plus innings is because of the beer, which somehow tastes better while watching blurry blobs run around after an even smaller blurry blob. "Miranda was a huge fan of the Yankees," Carrie's Voice of God tells us. "I was a huge fan of being anywhere you could smoke and drink at 2 in the afternoon without judgment." Preach, Carrie—bonus points for sport-inappropriate attire, the aviators/fur coat ensemble is clutch... and help land her The New Yankee. PEOPLE WHO NEVER LEAVE NEW YORK There's no clip of this online, sadly, but in the season 2 episode "The Freak Show," Miranda goes on a date with a guy who tells her he hasn't left Manhattan in ten years. This is a "Manhattan guy." These are real people, and though "cool" New York has expanded beyond the Big Island since Sex and the City's heyday, these close-minded assholes still refuse to cross a river (or go above 90th Street). For the love of god, if you meet one of these creatures, buy them a Metro-North ticket and force them to look at some trees that weren't planted by Vaux and Olmstead. CHILDREN AT THE GYM Children are cute and all, but in this city, they're also always in your way (sorry, Jen Chung), getting their sticky little paws all over the subway poles and screaming in your ear while you're trying to get day drunk. When Miranda moves to the Upper West Side, a neighborhood that was and is essentially one giant playground, she finds herself besieged upon by children and their equally annoying parents day in and day out. Children should never be permitted to touch an elevator button, for they will certainly opt to travel half a flight up to the Mezzanine level when they could have taken the damn stairs. AIDAN MOVES IN WITH CARRIE We've got another embed embargo here (click for clip), but Aidan and Carrie's misguided attempt at cohabitation seems all too familiar for just about every failed former lover/roommate life situation in this town. They move in together because Carrie's building's gone co-op and she can't afford her place. He takes up half "her" space, his dog chews on a pair of $380 shoes, and she finds his Rogaine, sparking a massive fight that eventually derails their whole (admittedly shaky) relationship. Moving in with someone is always a bit of an adjustment, but in New York it's almost always initially for financial reasons, and it's also almost always a tight squeeze. "I used to think those people who sat alone at Starbucks writing on their laptops were pretentious posers. Now I know: they are people who have recently moved in with someone." God bless you, Carrie. OH YOU'RE SO BUSY. YOU'RE SO BUSY One of the great things about living in New York post-breakup is that there are plenty of people around, so you've always got an audience while you're crying hysterically on the C train. Indeed, though, hell is other people, and getting bumped on the street by one asshole after another asshole breaks up with you via Post-It note is enough to make you homicidal. This is a pretty great place to be enraged—clip here. Related question: is the modern equivalent of dumping someone on a Post-It a Facebook message, Sticky Note, or subtweet? SAMANTHA'S CAB CONFESSIONAL Samantha's breast cancer plot line was a strong move for Sex and the City's final season, but you have to give the writers double props for how she broke the news to Carrie. Cabs are, after all, a New Yorker's confessional, so it seems only natural to share something so scary and personal with both a friend and a stranger you are paying to drive you around. And, of course, Samantha's health plight is merely overshadowed by the struggle of dealing with a daytime cabbie: "Could you please take 5th? Broadway's a disaster." Clip here. MIRANDA MOVING TO BROOKLYN Perhaps the most dated thing about Sex and the City is its veneration of Manhattan—certainly, these chic ladies would be halfway to Crown Heights by now if this show were set in 2015. But in 2004, Williamsburg's two Starbuckses were nowhere to be found, and Miranda packing up and moving there was as devastating to her girlfriends as it would have been had she defected to the Midwest. "I can’t handle that information," Carrie tells her. Even Miranda's super reluctant: "I'm a Manhattan girl. I don't like anything not Manhattan," she tells Steve (clip here) eventually giving in to the increase in space. In fact, Miranda's move to the boroughs was so monumental back then that the NY Post ran a feature listing all the Brooklyn spots that are "chic and buzz-worthy enough to make Carrie and Co. feel right at home." That list is 11 places long. Oh, to time-travel. EAT ME SANDWICH Long before Justin Timberlake donned a Omelette suit, Miranda lusted after a catcalling sandwich (clip's not embeddable, but you can watch here). "He didn't say it in a sandwich way, he said it in a sexually harassing way," Miranda tells the Blimpie manager after the bun-masked man implores her to, "Eat Me." It's hard to know what about this is the most New York—the proliferation of people handing out unwanted fliers, the street harassment, Blimpie, or the fact that there's such an apparent dearth of single available men here that this creep seems enticing. This wasn't the only time Miranda was catcalled...With all those lumbersexuals and their bushy beards taking a big cut out of the razor business, it’s no surprise that competition is fierce. In an effort to protect its slice of the market, Gillette is suing online subscription razor service Dollar Shave Club for violation of intellectual property. The civil suit filed in Delaware accuses Dollar Shave Club of using patented technology without Gillette’s approval, reports the Wall Street Journal. To back that claim up, Gillette cites a patent from 2004 for a razor blade coating method it uses in its Mach 3, Venus, and Fusion razor products. Gillette wants an injunction preventing Dollar Shave Club from selling any products that infringe on its patents, and is also seeking monetary damages. While the popularity of facial hair has had the razor industry on edge in recent years, web sales of men’s shaving gear is a booming business, almost doubling in the 12 months through May of this year to $263 million, the WSJ notes, which is about 8% of the total $3 billion market. Gillette is trying to elbow its way into an increasingly crowded online sales market for razors: though it has a hold on about 60% of the retail market right now, that market is shrinking, and its online subscription service (launched last year, ostensibly in response to Dollar Shave Club’s existence) only makes up about a fifth of the online market. Psssst… hey, you! Yes, you. Did you like this? We’re a non-profit! You can get more stories like this in our twice weekly ad-free newsletter! Click here to sign up. P&G’s Gillette Sues Dollar Shave Club [Wall Street Journal]There are now two Warrens in Massachusetts calling for a 2018 “people’s pledge.” Newton Mayor Setti Warren said Tuesday he would seek an agreement among candidates to ban advertising from independent political groups in the looming 2018 gubernatorial race — if he runs.
the pitfalls of trying to run a business and family while trying to keep up with the demands of this venue. Apologies to anyone who thought I was suggesting Texas summer temp data would show up in December data. Such transient events are just one more indication of the synoptic scale blocking high which caused that event, not any long term climate issue. Paul Homewood sends his email correspondence and supporting data from the Icelandic Met Office. Here is a PDF file containing the data (referenced in the emails): Reykjavik-1871_Akureyri-1881_Stykkisholmur-1845 —– Forwarded Message —– From: Trausti Jónsson To: paul homewood Cc: Halldór Björnsson Sent: Monday, 23 January 2012, 17:40 Subject: Re: monthly temperatures Hi Paul. We have sent a questions to the GHCN database regarding this and they will look into the problem. Regarding your questions: a) Were the Iceland Met Office aware that these adjustments are being made? No we were not aware of this. b) Has the Met Office been advised of the reasons for them? No, but we are asking for the reasons c) Does the Met Office accept that their own temperature data is in error, and that the corrections applied by GHCN are both valid and of the correct value? If so, why? The GHCN “corrections” are grossly in error in the case of Reykjavik but not quite as bad for the other stations. But we will have a better look. We do not accept these “corrections”. d) Does the Met Office intend to modify their own temperature records in line with GHCN? No. No changes have been made in the Stykkisholmur series since about 1970, the Reykjavík and Akureyri series that I sent you have been slightly adjusted for major relocations and changes in observing hours. Because of the observing hour changes, values that where published before 1924 in Reykjavík and before 1928 in Akureyri are not compatible with the later calculation practices. For other stations in Iceland values published before 1956 are incompatible with later values except at stations that observed 8 times per day (but the differences are usually small). The linked paper outlines these problems (in English): http://www.vedur.is/media/vedurstofan/utgafa/greinargerdir/1995/Climatological1960.pdf The monthly publication Vedrattan 1924 to 1997 (in Icelandic) is available at: http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pubId=278&lang=is&navsel=666 and earlier data (in Icelandic and Danish – with a summary in French) at: http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pubId=240&lang=is&navsel=666 http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pubId=241&lang=is&navsel=666 Monthly data from all stations from 1961 onwards : http://www.vedur.is/Medaltalstoflur-txt/Manadargildi.html Best wishes, Trausti J. Frá: “paul homewood” “paul homewood” Til: “Trausti Jónsson” Sent: Mánudagur, 23. Janúar, 2012 17:09:30 Efni: Re: monthly temperatures Many thanks for this. I have noticed that in the latest version of the GHCN database, NOAA have made certain adjustments to temperatures at several Icelandic stations, which have the effect of reducing temperatures from around 1940 to 1965, and increasing temperatures since. For instance in Reykjavik, there is something like an extra degree of warming added by these adjustments, as per the following link. Also affected are Stykkisholmur, Akureyri and Hofn. ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ghcn/v3/products/stnplots/6/62004030000.gif Can I ask :- a) Were the Iceland Met Office aware that these adjustments are being made? b) Has the Met Office been advised of the reasons for them? c) Does the Met Office accept that their own temperature data is in error, and that the corrections applied by GHCN are both valid and of the correct value? If so, why? d) Does the Met Office intend to modify their own temperature records in line with GHCN? Many thanks Paul Homewood From: Trausti Jónsson To: phomewooduk Cc: Guðrún Þórunn Gísladóttir Sent: Tuesday, 17 January 2012, 11:19 Subject: monthly temperatures Dear Mr Homewood, I attach a table including the monthly temperature averages for Reykjavik (1871), Akureyri (1881) and Stykkisholmur (1845). Best wishes, Trausti J. Lýsing: Could you please send me, or let me know where I can access, annual mean temperatures for Reykjavik and Akureyri, back to 1900,(or when records are available from).. Many thanks Paul Homewood – Advertisements Share this: Print Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn RedditEU foreign ministers will gather Friday for their regular two-day informal meeting, this time in Milan under Italian presidency. Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, will be partaking in the meetings. DW: Considering the numerous crises surrounding the EU - Iraq, Syria, Libya, Gaza and, first and foremost, Ukraine and Russia - is the EU overwhelmed when it comes to international affairs? Elmar Brok: Well, it is not that well developed. The European External Action Service has been up and running for five years and has made great progress. Yet we know that this is not enough. We have no sufficient analysis. We have no unified strategy. How can we, for example, find a lasting solution to the Ukraine question if we, in a thorough sense, have no common Russia strategy? We don't know how we should deal with dictators and Islamist movements in the Islamic and Arab worlds. In addition to pressing questions such as weapons supplies to the Kurds and supporting the Ukrainians in their negotiations with Russia, I believe the informal gathering of foreign ministers should develop a strategy on how we can deal with the challenges in our neighborhood. The EU has a foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, who appears now and then, but she normally stays in the background. The foreign policy tone is often set by the national ministers, particularly the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the French foreign minister, sometimes the British, sometimes the Polish. Is Europe well organized in a foreign policy sense?? In the last five years there have been positive developments, but more needs to be done, the glass is only half full. I believe that these dramatic challenges we have show that we must evolve much more. It is clear to everyone that undiscussed national measures are merely a drop in the bucket. Europe can only be of significance value when its actions are united and when actions are backed by its united economic force. Do you see a readiness on the part of the 28 European foreign ministers to discuss this question? Of course, there is sometimes a problem when it comes to which roll each one will play. I believe we need to have an overall discussion about where the added value is. The results have to be right. We have to break away from certain traditions. Everyone has to realize that even the foreign policies of large nations like Great Britain, France, or Germany have their limits, and they are only effective when implemented together. According to opinion polls, 70 percent of the population would like a unified foreign and security policy. I hope that this can be implemented in a practical sense. Take the decision to deliver weapons to the Kurds in Iraq as an example. The EU couldn't reach a common position and each member was permitted to act as it chose. Is that a model for future decisions? Not everyone needs to do something all the time, but the decisions need to be discussed and organized together. It's good that the decision to deliver such weapons is in the scope of the EU, but who is coordinating it? The member states are coordinating again with each other with the limited possibilities that exist. I think this is a clear indication that Brussels has to take more initiative and develop its capabilities. The European Parliament has often given different responses than the foreign minister to certain questions. How big in reality is her influence on the sum of these national foreign policies? There is an interplay, but we are of course better off because of it. If it is serious, the Council of Foreign Ministers must always decide unanimously while we have the possibility of a majority decision in the European Parliament. That shows that the EU foreign policy chief, who is also vice president of the EU Commission, must assume stronger leadership with her organization. Despite the unanimity, she must generate pressure with suggestions that force the Council to move forward and not only search for the least common denominator. That is one of our most pressing challenges for the new term. On Saturday, the EU heads of state and government will at a special summit, appoint Ashton's successor as foreign policy chief. Italy has nominated their rather inexperienced foreign minister Federica Mogherini. Would she be the right choice? We have also made other suggestions. We must determine: The Christian Democrat Jean-Claude Juncker will be President of the European Commission, so the Socialists have access to the post. The socialists have agreed on Ms. Mogherini. We see there is some concern over her lack of experience. If that now is inescapable on account of the Socialists' politics, then we will express clear conditions. Ms. Mogherini has a decided advantage over Ms. Ashton. She has the support of her own government, whereas Ms. Ashton, as Labour politician, has had to deal with a euro-skeptic regime in Great Britain that hinders more than supports her. The eastern European member states suggest that Ms. Mogherini is too friendly toward Russia. I remember claims from Lithuania, that she would never be approved. Is it possible to put Mogherini in place against the wishes of Russia's neighboring states? She has been told clearly that she must alleviate these concerns and that has been made clear to her. That is made clear first and foremost in the Italian presidency's paper concerning eastern European policies. I believe that she can and will make her position clear. I assume that she will also do that at the informal meeting of foreign ministers. After the rather colorless Ms. Ashton, is a strong personality needed? Who would you suggest? Yes, I would suggest Radek Sikorski (Polish foreign minister) or Carl Bildt (Swedish foreign minister) or Elizabeth Guigou (former minister) from France. But it can't be one of us Christian Democrats because the Socialists are claiming the post for themselves. The Socialists must also make it clear, that they now have the responsibility to suggest a strong personality. They are also required to give this person the necessary space to ensure that the successor is in a stronger position than Ms. Ashton was. Elmar Brok (CDU) is Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. The 68-year-old German has been a member of the European Parliament since 1980.The Canadian Press TORONTO - Premier Kathleen Wynne says the Liberal government has no plans to raise the $100,000 threshold for Ontario's so-called sunshine list of public sector workers. The list comes out later today, and will provide salaries and benefits for tens of thousands of workers, including police, firefighters, nurses, teachers, librarians and civil servants. The $100,000 limit for the sunshine list was set 20 years ago, but Wynne says that's still a lot of money for many people. She says the threshold is "still relevant at that rate," which is why her government is leaving it there -- the same comments she made when last year's sunshine list was released. There are usually thousands of workers in Ontario's electricity sector on the sunshine list, but the government removed Hydro One workers from the list when it started to privatize up to 60 per cent of the transmission agency. Wynne denies the government is trying to bury the sunshine list by releasing it at the start of a four-day long weekend.* French scientist’s study draws fierce criticism * Experts question how paper passed peer review * Journal editors “considering” whether changes needed By Kate Kelland LONDON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The publisher of a much-criticised study suggesting genetically modified corn caused tumours in rats has come under heavy pressure from scientists to retract the paper and explain why it was ever printed. The calls follow a report by Europe’s food safety watchdog this week dismissing the study’s findings. Reed Elsevier, which published the study in its Food and Chemical Toxicology journal in September, said on Friday it was considering the criticisms and would let readers know if it concluded it needed to change the way it checked research. In a statement on its website, the journal said “the paper was published after being objectively and anonymously peer reviewed, with a series of revisions made by the authors and the corrected paper then accepted by the editor.” Hundreds of scientists from around the world have questioned the research, which was written by French researcher Gilles-Eric Seralini of the University of Caen and said rats fed on Monsanto’s GM corn suffered tumours and multiple organ failure. Genetically modified crops are deeply unpopular in Europe but are common in the United State where they have been grown and consumed for more than 15 years. A day after the study was published, Seralini defended his work, saying it was the most detailed study on the subject to date. But more than 700 scientists have signed an online petition calling on Seralini to release all the data from his research. The petition, addressed directly to Seralini, says: “Only a full disclosure of the data can quell any uncertainties over the results you published.” The chief executive of the agricultural research centre Rothamsted Research, Maurice Moloney, said Seralini’s study was “seriously deficient in its design, its execution and its conclusions” - failings compounded by “excessive secrecy around the data”. In a letter to the journal’s managing editor Bryan Delaney, Moloney said it was “appalling that such work should appear in a respected Elsevier journal”. He also demanded to know how the paper managed to pass peer review - a process in which other scientific experts check a study, analyse its methods, question the authors and decide whether it is robust enough to give a reliable result. Marc Van Montagu, president of the European Federation of Biotechnology, said this was “a dangerous case of failure of the peer-review system, which threatens the credibility not just of the journal but of the scientific method overall.” Cathie Martin, a scientist at the John Innes Centre for plant science and microbiology research, said in the light of such widespread criticism of Seralini’s study, “is it not time for Food and Chemical Toxicology to retract the manuscript?” The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a statement earlier this week confirming the findings of its initial review saying Seralini’s study had “serious defects” in design and methodology and “does not meet acceptable scientific standards”. Among other criticisms, the EFSA review panel said the authors had failed to establish appropriate control groups as part of the study, and had chosen a strain of rat that is prone to developing tumours during its normal lifespan. Six separate national food safety bodies also asked to review the study - in France, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium - also came to the same conclusions.Health Impact News Editor Comments: Even though Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s research has been verified many times in dozens of other studies, and even though his co-author’s lawsuit was thrown out of court and he was completely exonerated, the British Press continues to blame him for many things, including now the recent measles outbreak in Wales. Here is Dr. Wakefield’s response, and his challenge to publicly debate anyone on this issue. UK Measles Outbreak Statement from Dr Andrew Wakefield British government is entirely culpable for measles outbreak In the wake of further media distortion, misrepresentation and ignorance in relation to the measles outbreak in Wales, it is important to clarify some key facts. In 1998, following an analysis of all pre-licensing studies of MMR vaccine safety I recommended the use of single measles vaccine in preference to MMR. This remains my position. At that time, in contrast with the false assertions of many commentators, including Richard Horton, Editor of the Lancet, and vaccine millionaire Paul Offit, the single vaccines were licensed in UK and freely available to the British public. While MMR vaccination uptake fell from February 1998, there was a reciprocal increase in the uptake of single measles vaccine – a fact that is never acknowledged in the press. Vaccination clinics administered many thousands of doses of measles vaccine and children were “protected”. Six months later, in September 1998, the British Government withdrew the importation license for the single vaccines, effectively blocking this option for parents. Measles cases in the UK rose when the government withdrew the importation license for the single measles vaccine leaving concerned parents with no choice. When I demanded to know why, if the government’s principal concern was to protect children from measles, it would prevent parents with genuine safety concerns over MMR from protecting their children, Elizabeth Miller of the Health Protection Agency responded “…..if we allowed parents the choice of single measles vaccines it would destroy our MMR program.” The government’s concern seemed to be to protect the MMR program over and above the protection of children. MMR vaccine is not safe Despite the claim of David Salisbury, head of the UK’s Immunization Division, that MMR has, “an exemplary safety record,” two of the three brands introduced in 1988 had to be withdrawn for safety reasons – they caused meningitis. Government officials had approved these dangerous vaccines – Pluserix and Immravax – giving them the great majority of the UK market despite knowing they were high risk and despite having been warned explicitly of their dangers. These government officials put price before children’s health and have been seeking to cover up this shameful fact ever since. MMR vaccine can cause autism The US government have paid out millions of dollars to children whose autism followed vaccine-induced brain damage. A recent government concession in the US Vaccine Court confirms that the parents’ claims were valid all along. In a recently published December 13th 2012 vaccine court ruling, hundreds of thousands of dollars were awarded to Ryan Mojabi (1), whose parents described how “MMR vaccinations”, caused a “severe and debilitating injury to his brain, diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (‘ASD’).” Later the same month, the government suffered a second major defeat when young Emily Moller from Houston won compensation following a vaccine-related brain injury that, once again, involved MMR and resulted in autism. The cases follow similar successful petitions in the Italian and US courts (including Hannah Poling (2), Bailey Banks (3), Misty Hyatt (4), Kienan Freeman (5), Valentio Bocca (6) and Julia Grimes (7) in which the governments conceded or the court ruled that vaccines had caused brain injury. In turn, this injury led to an ASD diagnosis. MMR vaccine was the common denominator in these cases. Live Public Debate The more light that is shone on this subject by way of informed, balanced debate, the better. I am offering to debate any serious challenger on MMR vaccine safety and the role of MMR in autism, live, in public and televised. References 1. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/CAMPBELL-SMITH.MOJABI-PROFFER.12.13.2012.pdf 2. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/CAMPBELL-SMITH.POLING012811.pdf 3. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/Abell.BANKS.02-0738V.pdf 4. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/06/eveningnews/main3915703.shtml (this link might be a redirect now) 5. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/HASTINGS.Freeman.pdf 6. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160054/MMR-A-mothers-victory-The-vast-majority-doctors-say-link-triple-jab-autism-Italian-court-case-reignite-controversial-debate.html 7. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/MORAN.LAWSON011211.pdf Source: Autism Media Channel Vaccine Epidemic by Louise Kuo Habakus and Mary Holland J.D. FREE Shipping Available! More InfoIf you gave up on Legends of Tomorrow in season one, that would be more than fair. What should have been a fun romp through time and space instead got bogged down in a single plot that didn’t showcase the best of the characters involved. It’s to the credit of everyone involved that season two managed to fix almost all of the show’s problems and become a joyful experience. Advertisement All of that collided in last night’s glorious season finale. The main plot of this season has revolved around a Legion of Doom made up of Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), Eobard Thawne (Matt Letscher), and Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller). The Legion of Doom was trying to get its hands on the Spear of Destiny, which can alter reality. Two weeks ago, during World War I, the bad guys managed to get their hands on the Spear. Last week, we saw the world they created with it (all the bad guys are powerful and all the heroes serve them, basically). Last night, their memories restored but minus a few members and powers, our heroes traveled back to WWI in order to succeed where they failed last time. In the process, they break the cardinal rule of time travel and meet themselves. They do manage to defeat the Legion of Doom, but the episode ended with a shot of Los Angeles filled with buildings and creatures from all over time and space. Because talking to your past self breaks time, apparently. Now that season two is over, io9's new Legends evangelists James Whitbrook and Katharine Trendacosta decided to have a conversation about why and how Legends of Tomorrow went from nearly unwatchable to one of the most fun shows on TV. Advertisement James Whitbrook: I have been waiting to have this conversation pretty much the first episode of this season completely hooked me. Watching Legends’ return after the forgettable first season has been like night and day. Katharine Trendacosta: And the award for “Most Improved” goes to... James: The Flash! Wait, no, sorry. Time aberration. Katharine: Ha. James: But seriously, I wanted to ask before we really got stuck in here... be honest. Did you finish the first season of Legends of Tomorrow? Advertisement Katharine: I watched half of it. James: I checked out after about five episodes, which at the time I felt was such a shame as I had really been excited for the show from the moment it was announced. Katharine: It announced all these characters we really wanted to stick around in the other shows! Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), Heatwave/Mick (Dominic Purcell), Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), Martin Stein/half of Firestorm (Victor Garber)—I was so happy that they’d get stories of their own, away from Flash and Arrow. And then season one did nothing Advertisement James: But it was just so... not what I expected from this series at all. The focus on the one arc with Vandal Savage and the Hawkpeople (the name of my retro ska quartet), and having future time traveler Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) sort of be a miserable dad to all these different characters just meant it dragged and dragged. Katharine: It wasn’t any fun. James: They had all of Time and Space at their fingertips, but they were stuck in the land that fun forgot, week after week. Advertisement Katharine: It’s not that it should have just been a series of standalones—although that would have been better—it’s that it got bogged down in the one miserable Vandal Savage story. Which is stupid for a show in its first season. This season proved that you could have a overarching plot and still have fun. James: It felt like they had launched this thing on such a crazy premise—taking disparate characters from across Flash and Arrow and smushing them into a time-traveling spaceship—but then proceeded to play it as safe as they possibly could. But, that’s all in the past now (I swear I will stop making time jokes at some point), because season two has come along and basically been the exact inversion of everything that disappointed me in season one. Advertisement Katharine: Remember how season one started with, like, Rip lying about how the team was all elite and then the reveal was that, lol, no. Rip actually picked them all up because they wouldn’t be missed from when he picked them up? This season felt like they actually explored that issue. James: Totally! Katharine: That these people had abilities, but they weren’t an elite team of brilliant people. This is where they should have started all along! Advertisement James: Season two actually took the joke that kicked off all of this—that these people are in no way prepared to handle the complexity of time travel and guarding timelines—and went “okay, let’s show them doing that, in the funniest way possible.” Katharine: Yes! It recognized that messing with time can go horribly wrong and did it in a fun way. I think getting rid of Rip was vital to that. Advertisement James: Dumping Rip Hunter as fast as they could for most of the season and letting these characters work it out on their own, and in their own way, was one of the smartest things the show did coming into this season. That’s not really a knock on Arthur Darvill, who’s great in the role—but Rip acted as the one big barrier in the way of this team ever actually getting to muck up and learn to become the legends they’re meant to be, and a barrier to a lot of the zany fun we’ve got to see week in week out in every new story. Katharine: He was basically one big set of brakes. And putting Sara in charge was the perfect choice. James: Yes! Caity Lotz can carry an ensemble cast so well. Her being both the leader and the heart of the team with her arc and Damien Dahrk gave season two an emotional core that resonated a lot more than Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s story ever did. Advertisement Mainly because she was an established character—we knew her, we knew her relationships, we knew about losing Laurel. We had the emotional investment in her we never had in Katar and Shayera. Her being so anchored at the center of the show this season really let everyone else just go wild, in terms of the more comical hijinks. Katharine: The first season built up Vandal Savage so much and never paid it off, whereas this season basically assembled a group of villains that actually mirrored the WHOLE team. And a group of villains that were just as ridiculous as the premise deserved Not a piece of scenery was left unchewed. James: And god, yes, the Legion of Doom is so much better than Vandal Savage—because, once again, we were familiar with these characters. They could get on with devouring every piece of scenery in sight because we got the jist of them already in Flash and Arrow. We didn’t need their life stories told to us again and again, we know what someone like Malcolm Meryln or Reverse Flash is going to be like. Advertisement That’s been the big thing I’ve loved about this season. It’s freed itself from the baggage of overexplaining its premise and basically gone “You get it, it’s Doctor Who with a superhero team. Let’s go do that.” Katharine: If you felt lost in the time travel shenanigans, it was fine, because so were the characters. James: The Spear of Destiny might have been the plot device that tied the whole season together, but it stayed out of the way (until the last few episodes) and instead you got a new time, a new setting, a new premise, every week. Confederate zombies! Power armored Shoguns! Stopping the Nazis from nuking New York! Saving the creation of Star Wars itself, with George Lucas! Advertisement It’s honestly like the writers’ room picked different jumbled words out of a hat, and then said “we’re writing a story about this for this week.” It kept the whole show’s momentum always moving, because neither the Legends themselves or the audience knew what would be coming up next. Katharine: GEORGE LUCAS! JRR TOLKIEN! And, of course, the really hot-right-now era of the American Revolution. James: “Anything goes” was pretty much the defining factor of season two. And that’s just a fun as hell premise to go with when you’re a TV show about a bunch of time-traveling goofballs. And at the same time as all that, they did a really good job with shoring up the emotional arcs of the team over the season really well. Advertisement Katharine: In very different ways! They were all on the general theme of teamwork and relationships, but everyone’s development was actually different. James: We talked about Sara becoming the leader and her rivalry with Darhk already, but there was Mick’s evolution into a hero, Stein’s quandary over the daughter he gained from accidentally altering his own history, and even the introductions of Nate and Amaya has been great. It’d be easy to say “none of these characters never really grow but it’s so much fun to watch them goof around it doesn’t matter,” but the show excelled in the goofing AND making us really care about these characters as a team and as individuals. Katharine: Mick’s was SHOCKINGLY good. He lost his partner, decided to join the bad guys, realized he was a member of the team, and became one of the driving forces behind getting the team back together and fighting the Legion. It was a real arc, when Mick would’ve been so easy to slot into pure comic relief. Advertisement James: If anything, I feel that’s become Ray’s job now. He’s team clown. And he’s really, really good at it. Katharine: Let’s talk about the finale, because it was bananas. James: Thanks to this and Power Rangers: Dino Super Charge, I can now say I’ve watched two shows in the last six months that ended with time being weirdly fucked up while dinosaurs roam the Earth. Advertisement THAT’S A VERY GOOD THING IN MY BOOKS. Katharine: What I loved is that, while the consequences were real and bad, the finale never forgot what the show was. It didn’t just turn into an action piece From the moment it started with the miniaturized Waverider, it was like “Yeah, this is who we are now. Our timeship is in danger from a desk lamp.” And, speaking of Ray as comic relief, we also began with Ray’s weird relationship with his suit! Advertisement James: It’s probably the most serious the show has been all season with its time travel logic, and yet, yeah. It was just still so fun. Katharine: Even Rip! Rip meeting Rip was a high point for Rip. Just like both Rips seeing each other and going, “Oh shit, this is going to be so bad.” James: Yesssssss. Them meeting and actually having to team up with themselves was so good. Advertisement Katharine: Again: it was so true to what we’ve seen. They had great intentions, but there was no way they were going to pull that off. The premise of this episode was: The Legion of Doom ended up with the Spear of Destiny and it made everything bad. So let’s go back to when we failed and, without crossing the time streams, try not to fail this time. And then: oh no, we totally crossed the time streams. But we can make this work! James: It was basically the equivalent of the “This is Fine” dog, until the moment they realized that it was very much not fine. Advertisement Katharine: Not to belabor the Doctor Who comparisons. But the ending was basically like the season where Martha left and then the Titanic slammed into the Tardis. Serious moment followed by a nuts set up for the future. James: How great a line is “Guys, I think we broke time” to end the season on? Katharine: It’s a really good one! It follows from their actions, but doesn’t feel like the thing they actually fixed was unfixed. Advertisement James: The consequence of everything they did mattered in a really satisfying way, even if they’d spent most of the past season not having that much of a consequence to running around being silly across time and space. And hey, if the consequences are “L.A. is overrun by Dinosaurs,” those are some damn good ones to have to deal with come season three. Speaking of which, let’s start to wrap this up: we’ve discussed what made season two work so well, but where do you want the show to go next? Katharine: I don’t even know. James: It’s cheating, but I just want season two... two. Katharine: Yeah, me too. Just do “traveling around doing random shit that helps unbreak time.” I’d be good with that. Advertisement James: I really hope they follow on the promise of that cliffhanger. Because it opens up SO much for them. Having them tweak something, seeing what it actually changed, fucking up, trying again... that is a great premise for them to build upon the level of variety in stories and settings we saw in season two. Katharine: I can’t tell from the finale if all of time is just slammed on top of LA means they have to run around and try to sort shit out there. Or if they can travel around time like usual trying to undo this. Either works for me! I think it’s the former, based on how they couldn’t get anywhere but L.A. But this is the kind of show where the fun means I forgive a plot hole. Time is hard. Advertisement James: Time is really hard. But that’s part of the fun! Katharine: The one thing I want is for them to just leave Rip out of it. He passed the torch to Sara officially and walked away. Can we agree his part in this team is done? James: I think it has to be. The team basically only just got him back from his evil brainwashing by the end of the season, and he’s already gone again. If they’re setting up another arc where he returns so soon after this, it’d make me feel like they just don’t know what to do with the character any more. Advertisement So keep him gone, unless they’re planning on having time broken so hard it basically reworked all of Rip’s personality into... someone that could have a bit of fun every once in a while? Either they make him gone for good but make that actually a running gag. Rip leaves, comes back a totally different person because of time travel nonsense, then leaves again a few episodes later. Repeat from season three to 20. Katharine: Yeah, I was about to say: What if Rip appears in every time they go to as a different dude? And every time they’re just like “Fucking Rip again!” James: Hahaha. That is the sort of fun I think we can actually expect from Legends now, and that’s great. They really clicked with this second season and settled into a format that, while doesn’t make for a perfect show, makes for one that’s fun as hell to watch now. Advertisement Katharine: You can forgive a lot of plot holes if it’s fun. James: Whether they can build on that for season three... well, you know what they say. Time will tell!BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes bombed the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, stronghold of Islamic State insurgents, on Thursday, hitting some of the group's offices and killing at least four civilians in the vicinity, residents and a monitor group said. A resident in the city said there were at least 17 air strikes on the heart of Raqqa, and electricity had gone off in the city. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's civil war through a wide network of sources inside the country, said the air strikes hit several locations used by Islamic State, including the perimeter of Raqqa's Governorate building. At least four civilians were killed, it said. It was not immediately clear who bombed Raqqa, which in the past few months has been targeted by a U.S.-led air strike coalition and by Russians and Syrian government warplanes. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny and Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)Top Trump advisor Jared Kushner and Russia’s US Ambassador Sergei Kislyak reportedly talked about setting up a secret communications channel to make certain no one could listen in on their pre-inauguration discussions. The Washington Post Friday quoted US intelligence officials who learned of the discussions through intercepted Russian communications. Kislyak said Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law, suggested the secure channel be set up using Russian diplomatic facilities in the US, according to the bombshell report. Kislyak told his bosses in Moscow that Kushner made the proposal on Dec. 1 or Dec. 2 at Trump Tower. Also at the meeting was Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security advisor, who was forced to resign by the president for, among other things, taking money from Russia for making a speech and accepting payment from Turkey for doing public relations work. The report said Kisylak was shocked by the idea of letting an American use Russian communication gear — because it would have involved security risks for both sides. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Kushner had at least three undisclosed contacts with Kislyak during and after the 2016 presidential election. Kushner failed to disclose the meetings on his security clearance forms. His attorney, Jamie Gorelick, has said in the past that Kushner made “thousands” of calls during that period and did not keep track of them all.Inside the synod hall during the meeting of bishops and cardinals on Oct. 14, 2015. ( Daniel Ibanez/CNA) Culture of Rebuke Has Taken Hold in Church Discourse
of UK voters. Scots have to suck it up: “Leave won, we’re going out of Europe, get over it.” But it does mean they have to ignore several facts that are inconvenient to their cackling delight in Scotland’s supposed failure. Here, for example, is the First Minister on her trip, meeting the head honcho of the European Commission himself, Jean-Claude Juncker. Margaritis Schinas is the chief spokesperson for the EU Commission. And in Mr Juncker’s own words: Here, the FM is meeting the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. And an unnamed EU official told one of Belgium’s Francophone newspapers: It’s not just the European Parliament. A “senior Eurozone government official” was quoted by Buzzfeed News last week as saying “an independent Scotland would probably be granted a fast track to EU membership”. In fact, individual governments all around the EU have voiced their support for Scotland remaining in the community. . BELGIUM The First Minister met with Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group, which has 70 MEPs: Mr Verhofstadt explained his perspective on Scotland remaining part of the EU in the event of independence. “The Dual Kingdom of England and Wales”. An interesting turn of phrase? . GERMANY Reuters reported on 24 June that: Is anyone else in Germany so welcoming to Scotland? Mr Weber is the leader of the European People’s Party Group, the largest single group in the European Parliament, with 216 members. And he’s not alone among the German chancellor’s colleagues: Sigmar Gabriel is the Minister for Economic Affairs & Energy, the Vice-Chancellor, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party. . IRELAND John Bruton, former Prime Minister of Ireland, said the Scottish Government’s timetable for European integration after a 2014 Yes vote was entirely feasible: Enda Kenny is the Taoiseach of Ireland, and spoke for the First Minister at the European Summit after the EU referendum. Micheál Martin is the leader of Fianna Fáil, the second largest party in the Republic of Ireland (operating a confidence-and-supply arrangement with Fine Gael). Michael D. Higgins, the President of Ireland, spoke at the Scottish Parliament a few days after the European referendum. . SPAIN The Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Garcia-Margallo expressly denied in 2012 that Spain would veto the membership of an independent Scotland: This stance makes perfect sense, as Spain has welcomed the independence of several new countries – including ones that joined the European Union. James Ker-Lindsay of the London School of Economics thinks the same regarding the difference between Scotland Kosovo – and by extension, Catalonia: “When Kosovo declared independence from Serbia over four years ago, it was quickly recognised by most of the members of the European Union. However, five members – Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain – refused to follow suit. This has led to suggestions that these countries may also refuse to accept Scottish independence and keep it out of the EU. This is very unlikely, for a number of reasons. For a start, the problem in the case of Kosovo is not the issue of secession. It is the unilateral way in which it was done. If a territory becomes independent with the consent of all the parties concerned, there is little reason to believe that these countries will oppose the move. The strongest evidence to support this view is their reaction to the independence of South Sudan, in July 2011. This occurred with the overt support of the Sudanese government, which was the first country in the world to recognise it. Within hours, the European Union issued a joint statement congratulating the new state on its independence. There was not a murmur of dissent from any of the five countries to this act of collective recognition. Even at an individual level, there seems little to suggest that any of them would block Scotland’s membership of the European Union.” The idea that Spain would veto a recently independent Scotland’s membership of the EU, yet not veto the recently independent Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, or Slovenia – to say nothing of EU candidates Macedonia and Montenegro – seems ludicrous, especially considering that the people of Scotland have already been EU members for decades. . FRANCE Jean-Christophe Lagarde is the president of the Union of Democrats and Independents, the third largest party in France. . POLAND Jacek Saryusz-Wolski is the current Vice-President of the European People’s Party and former Vice-President of the European Parliament. . SLOVAKIA Here’s Robert Fico, the next President of the European Union, ensuring – according to the Scottish Daily Mail – that there can’t even be any discussions about Scotland retaining its EU membership while it’s still in the UK. But on the other hand, here he is offering to preside over a successful bid for Scottish independence within the EU: Lubomir Rehak is the Slovakian Ambassador to the UK, tweeting that in fact he was engaged in talks with Scottish Government ministers already: . AUSTRIA Hans Schelling is Finance Minister of the Austrian government. This week he said: The Daily Record also recently reported the Austrian government’s honorary consul John Clifford saying: . CZECH REPUBLIC According to Channel 4 News reporter Alex Thomson, the Czech consul to the UK also gave his on-the-record backing to an independent Scotland in the EU a week ago: The forces determined to keep Scotland in the UK at the expense of its membership of the EU are playing a classic abuser’s game. They’re trying to present the idea that the EU doesn’t care about Scotland, that they’ll either reject us despite being members for 40 years or implement horrendous austerity and punitive recriminations. That’s a view not supported in Europe itself. As well as all the political examples in this article, a poll by YouGov Deutschland this week showed overwhelming public support across Europe for an independent Scotland’s EU membership, in every country polled. The Unionist media and polity is trying to pretend that the EU will treat Scotland as horribly as the UK has. It’s a claim that so far is entirely at odds with the evidence. . A version of this article first appeared on A Wilderness Of Peace.Story highlights One of the victims died of stab wounds sustained during the attack The other victim died of gunshot wounds sustained in the response to the attack One of the attackers died at the scene and the other at a hospital, police say Jerusalem (CNN) Two people were killed in a stabbing attack at the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem early Wednesday afternoon, officials said. One of the victims died of stab wounds sustained during the attack, according to Israeli police. The second victim was shot by accident by Israeli security forces aiming at the attackers. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said there were two attackers, one who was fatally shot at the scene and one who died at a hospital. Both attackers were armed with knives, police said. Video from the scene showed police cordoning off the area and debris scattered along the stone walls around where investigators were examining evidence. An organization representing Argentina's Jewish community, known as DAIA, identified one of the victims as as Rabbi Eduardo Birmajer, an Argentine. Read MoreThe Xiaomi Redmi 3 launched in January and saw multiple revisions (3s, Pro, Prime), but the new Redmi 4 is quickly clearing the regulatory hurdles to gaining an official status. Info coming out of China suggests that the new model will upgrade the 5 screen to 1080p resolution (up from 720p) and the 13MP camera on the back gains a second LED for its flash (the selfie cam remains at 5MP). The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is powered by an unnamed Snapdragon chipset with an octa-core processor, a Snapdragon 430 perhaps? Its paired to 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, same as the most recent editions of the 3 like the 3s Prime. The metal body will be available in Gray, Silver and Gold and will house a 4,000mAh battery, essentially the same as previous versions. Xiaomi Redmi 4 The phone will allegedly launch at CNY 1,300 ($190/175), close to double what the original Redmi 3 cost. By the way, the international version of the Redmi 3s is 160 currently. SourceArvind Kejriwal's controversial former top officer Rajendra Kumar may soon join Aam Aadmi Party. Arvind Kejriwal's controversial former top officer Rajendra Kumar may soon join his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In his first interview since his arrest by the CBI last year for alleged corruption, the bureaucrat has told NDTV that he does not rule out joining the party of his former boss.Mr Kumar, who was Principal Secretary to Mr Kejriwal when he was arrested in July, recently asked for early retirement from service in a letter that alleged that the CBI wanted him to implicate the Delhi Chief Minister for corruption."I want to continue my social service, whether it is any form or politics,'' he told NDTV. When asked whether he would join AAP, he admitted: "Yes, it could be AAP."The IIT graduate, a 1989 cadre officer, said it wasn't just because of the rapport he shared with the Chief Minister but because of their outlook towards work. "No, it's not about comfort. It's about which path, which method would give me the best possible option," he said.When pushed to say whether Arvind Kejriwal was that option, he nodded, "could be, could be. It could be the Congress, it could be the BJP or the Aam Aadmi Party too.''The official stressed that a shared IIT past has nothing to do with the rapport he shares with Mr Kejriwal. He claimed they met when he was offered a place in the Chief Minister's staff in AAP's previous 49-day government.The CBI case, he alleges, is the result of the perception that he is close to Mr Kejriwal. The bureaucrat has been charged with causing losses of 12 crores by favouring an IT company and giving a 9.5 crore tender for computers when he was in the education department.Mr Kumar said he had received the Prime Minister's award in 2008 for the work he did in that very department. His troubles started, he says, after the first AAP government ended."Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung called me and said that there is a perception that I am close to the Chief Minister. I didn't know what to say to him,'' he said.Since then, Mr Kumar claims, he has been slapped with cases from alcohol smuggling to IT cases. "They even went to my tenant and forced them to leave,'' he alleges. Perhaps Mr Kumar's most serious charge is that the CBI forced and abused people to get evidence against him. The CBI has rubbished the allegation.The House of Representatives on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a bill that could end all U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority in response to a program under which officials give financial support to the families of terrorists who are killed or imprisoned. The Taylor Force Act, named for a former Army officer who was murdered in 2016 while traveling in Israel, would strip the Palestinian Authority of most of its U.S. foreign aid if local officials can’t certify that they stop making payments to terrorists' families, a practice that has been dubbed “pay-to-slay” by critics. It passed easily in a voice vote Tuesday afternoon after a brief debate, a sign of how united Republicans and Democrats are on the bill. “In Taylor's memory, we must stop sending aid money to an entity that rewards his murderer's family,” Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., who drafted the House bill, said Monday in advance of the vote. Senate Republicans are working on a companion version of the Taylor Force Act, which has cleared the Foreign Relations Committee but is yet to receive a vote on the Senate floor. Force’s parents have been working with lawmakers for months, after they learned of a Palestinian Authority program that makes payments to the families of terrorists based on the severity of the crime and the duration of their time in an Israeli prison. “[The PA] actually has a schedule of what you do, and how you do it, and the level of success, that is then commensurate with the level of payment to you and/or your family," Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said in February. "It's an outrageous concept to be in law anywhere; it's an even more outrageous thing to be in law of an authority that we give money to.” The legislation has drawn some criticism from terror victims who worry that modifications made during the Senate debate will defang the original proposal. “There are officials in the State Department and certain congressional offices who are deeply pro-Palestinian,” Stephen Flatow, a lawyer whose daughter was killed in a 1995 terrorist attack, wrote in a Monday op-ed. “They started pushing for all sorts of exceptions and loopholes... Sometimes a flawed bill is better than no bill at all. But not always. Sometimes a bill is so deeply flawed that it is actually worse than no bill—because it will prevent any other action from being taken on the issue. This is one such bill.” But Force’s parents remain supportive. “Over the past year and a half we had to try to understand the world at large and exactly how this terrorism puzzle is put together,” Stuart Force, the Army officer’s father, told the Hudson Institute in November. “The big picture is pretty hard to comprehend, but with your work and your expertise I think we can make some inroads in the funding of terror.”Editor’s note: A version of this article, published on Tuesday, did not properly describe the decades-long battle over the mysterious origins of the Yiddish language—a “weakening” academic battleground marked by petty, ideological fights—which we covered in a two-part series in 2014. Researchers from England, Israel, and the United States are arguing that the Yiddish language may have originated in Turkey, rather than anywhere near Germany, and may be more Slavic than German. The study, published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution last month, uses a so-called ancestral DNA tracking GPS (“Geographic Population Structure”) tool to pinpoint where the first Yiddish speakers may have lived, over 1,000 years ago. One of the paper’s co-authors, Paul Wexler, a linguistics professor at Tel Aviv University, was featured in Tablet’s two-part series on the origins of Yiddish, published in 2014. In the first article in that series, written by the late Cherie Woodworth, entitled “Where Did Yiddish Come From?”, Wexler is described as having “marshal[led] his arguments for two decades to make the radical, implausible, impossible argument that Yiddish did not come from Germany but from the Slavic lands, and the East European Jews came not from the Rhineland but from Persia via the Caucasus and the Khazar steppe.” Woodworth examines examines and compares Max Weinreich’s History of the Yiddish Language, and his “Rhineland theory,” with Wexler’s “Slavic theory,” which challenges Weinrich by averring that “Yiddish has Slavic grammar, syntax, morphemes, phonemes, and lexicon, with a smaller input from Turkic.” This claim, that Yiddish originated in Turkey, is the latest in a string of theories about the language’s beginnings, which reside in an academic field doomed by petty fighting and misguided ideological debates, writes Tablet contributor Batya Ungar-Sargon in “The Mystery of the Origins of Yiddish Will Never Be Solved.” In the past two decades, the debate has shifted. One the one side of the debate are Weinreich’s inheritors, who believe that Yiddish originated in Western Germany in the Rhineland and spread east. On the other side of the debate are those who think that eastern Yiddish, with its heavy Slavic influence and Bohemian vowel structure, is different enough from western Yiddish that it must have arisen independently. But because this is Yiddish linguistics, this debate does not exist so much as rage—intellectually, ideologically, and personally. To grasp a deeper understanding of the academic and identity politics at play with Wexler’s new co-authored paper, consider Ungar-Sargon’s narrative detailing the main conflict residing in the Yiddish academe, which, in and of itself, “represents the conflict at the core of Jewish identity,” Jonathan Brent, the director of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, told her. The main debate among Yiddish linguists is about the origin of the language and coalesces around a single, unexpectedly loaded question: Is Yiddish an essentially Jewish language, one that contained a Semitic component from the start, whose particular combination of Jewish and German elements precisely reflects the dance of contact and seclusion performed by Jews in their European Diaspora? Or is it just another dialect of German? The conflict, writes Ungar-Sargon, “has ballooned in importance, becoming a place where both the past and the future of the Jewish people is battled over, one phoneme at a time, through a combination of academic and extra-academic means. Threats of legal action are par for the course. So are character assassinations, pseudonymous academic hits, accusations of lunacy, and denials of the existence of the Jewish people.” Wexler’s Yiddish origination theories are what Ungar-Sargon calls “fringe,” relying on a position that “Yiddish is neither German not Jewish but a Slavic language with German and Hebrew words slotted into Slavic grammar in a process called ‘reflexification.’ “ The word Ashkenaz itself, he argues, only acquired its present referent—Jews of Germany—after the 11th century. It comes from a biblical word that signified the Scythians, in other words, the Iranians; for Wexler, this provides a crucial clue as to where the Jews came from and who they were prior to this date. Indeed, Wexler does not believe that the Jews were forced out of Palestine in the Roman period, but rather, that the Ashkenazi Jews are descendants of Iranian, Turkic, and Slavic converts to Judaism. And here’s where things get thorny. “I deny the existence of the Jewish people,” Wexler told me on the phone. “Ninety-five percent of the Jews are of Iranian origin.” But Wexler insists that he did not set out to prove such an extra-linguistic thesis. “This was not my goal. It turns out to be the logical conclusion of my linguistic theories.” In light of Wexler’s recent paper, titled “Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to primeval villages in the ancient Iranian lands of Ashkenaz,” (co-authors are Ranajit Das and Eran Elhaik of the University of Sheffield, and Mehdi Pirooznia of Johns Hopkins University), read Ungar-Sargon’s article for a window into Yiddish academic history and “culture, one that puts the cart of ideological conclusion before the scientific horse.” Related: Where Did Yiddish Come From? The Mystery of the Origins of Yiddish Will Never Be Solved Rose Kaplan is an intern at Tablet.Representational Photo A 44-year-old Catholic priest, who allegedly raped a 9-year-old girl in Thrissur, Kerala, has been arrested from Nagarcoil in Tamil Nadu. He had been on the run since April 25, after the girl's family registered a police complaint claiming the priest had sexually assaulted the girl several times in April.According to the police, the girl was sexually assaulted by the priest thrice in April, after he promised to give her free robes for the Holy Communion. The priest allegedly also took nude photographs of the child on his mobile phone.The priest has been relieved of his duties by the Thrissur Arch Diocese.The police have slapped charges under Section-376 (1) of the Indian Penal Code, Section-66 (a) of the IT Act and Section-4 of the Protection of Infants from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, apart from other provisions in the IPC, all of which are non-bailable clauses. Section-66 (E) of the IT Act has been invoked against the priest for allegedly photographing the girl.Theresa May: London Bridge attack shows 'we are too tolerant of extremism' Theresa May: London Bridge attack shows 'we are too tolerant of extremism' Theresa May has said there is far too much tolerance of extremism in the UK and it is time to be more robust in tackling it. Speaking in Downing Street following the van and knife attack that has killed seven and injured 48 in London, the Prime Minister said it was time to say "enough is enough". Warning that the UK was facing a "new trend of terrorism" she described a copycat situation where "terrorism breeds terrorism and perpetrators are inspired to attack....by copying one another and often using crudest means of attack". :: LIVE: Police raid after London Bridge attack :: Eight minutes of terror: What happened where Seven dead in London terror attack Mrs May said this was the third terror attack on UK soil in three months and during that time, the intelligence services had disrupted five further plots. An attack on Westminster Bridge in March left five people dead, and a bomb attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of an Ariana Grande concert two weeks ago killed 22. In response to the wave of attacks, she listed four key points that needed to change in order to tackle the threat of extremism. :: Witness accounts of London terror attack :: Stars to sing at concert 'with greater purpose' Terror timeline: How a night of horror unfolded Firstly, she said we need to deflect the "evil ideology that is a perversion of Islam" and reinforced the need to defend our superior "pluralistic British values". Secondly, she said we need to shut down the "safe space" the internet is providing to terrorists, calling for international action to regulate cyberspace. In response, director of policy at Facebook Simon Milner said: "We want Facebook to be a hostile environment for terrorists". He said the company "works aggressively to remove terrorist content" and that law enforcement are alerted "if we become aware of an emergency involving imminent harm to someone's safety". The Prime Minister's third aim was for the county to have the "difficult and embarrassing conversations" needed to "stamp out extremism across the public sector and across society". :: Was it a mistake to lower the UK terror threat? Diners at Oyster bar extracted to'safe area' :: Trump uses London attack to promote travel ban Appealing to the country to "come together" to tackle extremism she said "we need to live our lives not in a series of segregated, separated communities, but as one truly United Kingdom." Her fourth point was to review the country's counter-terrorism strategy in the light of the changing threat. She also said increased custodial sentences would be brought in for terrorism-related offences if necessary. While she noted that General Election campaigning was suspended on Sunday as a mark of respect, she said violence should not be allowed to "disrupt the democratic process" and canvassing would resume on Monday.Juan Mata says that the Chelsea dressing room has always been "united" behind the manager, André Villas-Boas, and the midfielder believes that the club is back in the Premier League title race, after Monday's morale-boosting 2-1 home win over Manchester City. Villas-Boas has cut an embattled figure in recent weeks, as he has seethed under the weight of criticism and been forced to contend with talk of disharmony in the ranks. The Portuguese has constructed something of a siege mentality and, after the decisive 3-0 Champions League victory over Valencia at Stamford Bridge last Tuesday, he claimed to have given the club's critics a "slap in the face". The triumph over City, when the team recovered from the concession of an early goal to snatch the points through Frank Lampard's late penalty, showed the character in the squad and, according to Mata, reinforced the point that everybody was with Villas-Boas. "The team has shown in the worst moments that we are united behind the manager," Mata said. "Now that we are in a run of results where things are more positive, everything is easier, but we have shown that we are together with the manager and the technical staff, like a family. "The manager wants everyone to feel involved, and feel ready to produce the goods, and that is what we have now. There are lots of players here but we all feel like a part of things." Chelsea have now won three straight matches – the first in the sequence was the 3-0 success at Newcastle United – to sit third in the Premier League, seven points behind the leaders City, and to qualify for the Champions League last 16. Previously, they had lost five of nine games in all competitions. "We showed our character when we went behind to City," Mata said. "We could have really dropped down but we didn't lose any fight. We managed to turn around the game against the league leaders and a team who had not lost a game before this season. That gives us a lot of belief. "We have won three vital games, which has broken the negative run we were in and now we can hopefully start a good sequence to keep on rising up the table. We have to keep fighting to win games because we are still in with a chance of a lot of trophies. "The most important thing in football, in any sport, is confidence. A few days ago, we did not have as much confidence as we do now, and that can only be attributed to results. We can keep growing and growing in confidence." Mata, the £23.5m summer signing from Valencia, who has made such an impressive start to his Chelsea career, also paid a glowing tribute to Lampard, who no longer feels like an automatic selection. Lampard is far from happy at his demotion by Villas-Boas and he struggled to conceal his frustrations after his winning goal on Monday. "Lampard is a legend here, a legend who keeps on providing a lot of good to the club," Mata said. "He is a great presence to have in the dressing room and for me, he is a standard-bearer for the entire world of football. I have only known him a few months but he is a great guy and he has been very accommodating to all the new players coming in. "He has the experience to remain calm even when he's not playing, to know that there will be times when he will play because there are so many games. He still has a lot to give. He will score a lot of goals and play a lot of games this season, I'm sure."Federal authorities unsealed indictments against the operators of some of the world's largest online gambling sites and moved Friday to seize their U.S domains. The U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, charged Isai Scheinberg, the founder of PokerStars, and Raymond Bitar, the founder of Full Tilt Poker, and nine others of fraudulently scheming to thwart a 2006 antigaming law that prohibits U.S. banks from processing internet wagers and payments. The indictments seek the return of $3 billion in allegedly ill-gotten gains. The charges come amid renewed efforts to legalize online gaming in the United States, and as U.S. authorities increasingly invoke asset-forfeiture statutes to seize the American online domains of sites deemed illicit. Those indicted on Friday are accused of masking payments from U.S. gamblers (.pdf) in the form of jewelry, golf balls and flower sales – all in a bid to circumvent the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The top-level domain seizures include PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, UB and Absolute Poker. Some of the sites were still rendering Friday afternoon. Defendant John Campos, vice president of SunFirst Bank of Utah, is accused of processing gambling revenues in exchange for a $10 million "investment," according to the indictment. Campos is expected to make his first court appearance Monday. "As charged, these defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits. Moreover, as we allege, in their zeal to circumvent the gambling laws, the defendants also engaged in massive money laundering and bank fraud," the U.S. attorney said in a statement. Two of the world's biggest online gaming houses – PokerStars, based in the Isle of Man, and Full Tilt, based in Ireland – account for about $1.4 billion in revenues, Forbes said. Scheinberg and Bitar have not been arrested and are located outside the United States. The government said it was working with foreign governments and Interpol to secure their arrests and assets. Photo: JohnSeb/Flickr See Also:The Libretto W100's external hardware design is exactly the same as we described it in our original hands on -- it's a cute little system, though a bit thick. We're still going to point fingers at its Intel Pentium CPU for the heat coming out of the top of the device, however. The fan does seems to be working overtime, but the whole thing still gets rather toasty -- Toshiba assures us that this is one of the issues it's rigorously working on. The accelerometer does turn the device into a e-reader of sorts, but it took a few seconds to adjust the orientation. It's on the software front where we've seen major improvements, and the two screens sure do seem to be working as more of a team. To start Toshiba has put controls throughout the whole Win 7 OS -- on every window there's two added controls to the left of the minimize button. The first lets you extend the specific window across both screens, while the other moves the window either to the top or bottom screen. Beyond those controls there's also a home button on the right edge that brings up a shortcut menus on the bottom panel. The software is fairly snappy and helpful for launching programs, making OS tweaks, etc. However, for the most part we used the bottom screen as a keyboard. As you'll see in the video, Toshiba's come up with six different keyboard options, but we're preferential to the split one that allows for thumb typing. In addition to the keyboards, there's also a touchpad button that brings up a small touchpad area that functions just like a regular touchpad -- as ridiculous as it sounds to have a touchpad on a touchscreen, it's actually pretty helpful if you want to dig through narrower menus.So, what's our overall takeaway after spending an afternoon with the W100? It's definitely working better than the model we saw a few months back, but even when it did work there's not much you can do with it. It's neat as a web surfing device, but very few things take advantage of the two screens -- for instance, we'd like to see a compelling e-reading app (eh hem Toshiba Book Place ). In the end -- even if Toshiba gets all the hardware and software kinks worked out -- we're far from convinced that there's a place for the W100 in our lives for $1,100.It comes just days after Samsung said it halted the unveiling of a new Google Android phone as a sign of respect for those mourning the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs. John Kim, 19, and Russell Lee, 20. John plans to sell his $2 Galaxy S II and Russell plans to keep his. The South Korean company this week rented a store just two doors down from the Sydney Apple store to promote the Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone and its new online music subscription service, Music Hub. The iPhone 4S, Apple's latest revision of its smartphone, goes on sale at 8am on Friday. Samsung is one of Apple's strongest competitors, with its Galaxy S II smartphone making inroads against the iPhone 4. Samsung's tablets are also receiving favourable reviews despite attempts by Apple to use the courts to prevent the tablets from going to market. Tom Mosa and Wil Batterham, both 15. Samsung has also filed suit in both France and Italy in an attempt to block the iPhone 4S from launching but has not filed a similar suit in Australia. It's not the first time the smartphone wars have extended into guerilla marketing tactics. At an HTC event last year Nokia representatives were outside HTC's launch venue in London and the Finnish phone maker even handed out HTC press conference "survival kits" to journalists. People waiting outside Samsung's store on Monday. Nokia also purchased advertising on high-profile sites such as Fairfax Media's smh.com.au on the day the iPhone 4S was unveiled last week, which advertised its N9 smartphone. An embargoed version of Samsung's Music Hub release that went out to select media on September 30 did not include the fact that Samsung would rent the "pop up" store on George Street. Samsung's temporary "pop up" store on George Street, just metres away from the Apple Store. A general media release sent on the night of the Music Hub launch last Thursday - the day Jobs died and just one day after the announcement of the iPhone 4S - did, however, include the fact. Fife Capital's Gareth Sneade, who manages the $24 million building Samsung has used part of for the week, told Fairfax that Samsung approached it within the last three months to rent the bottom floor store front of the building. Samsung Mr Sneade wouldn't disclose how much Fife was leasing the property to Samsung for but said it was providing short-term month-to-month leases to anyone who wanted one. He was ''unaware'' of Samsung's future intentions with the property after Friday and said Samsung ''was a good fit'' to have renting its property. Samsung said it had "no plans" to continue renting the property beyond Friday. The building is yet to be renovated and had a development application approved by the City of Sydney in May. Clothing store Fletcher Jones previously rented the store front, according to land title records. How Fife Capital envisages the store Samsung is currently in temporarily to look like after it is developed. Apple line Sydney school students Tom Mosca, of West Hoxton, and Wil Batterham, of Chatswood, both 15, have lined up outside Apple's George Street store before Friday's iPhone 4S launch. They arrived at 10.30am yesterday. Russell Lee will be using the Galaxy S II to replace his old Nokia 100 phone. The two boys - who are good friends and first met in line waiting for the iPad 2 earlier this year - said many people had approached them trying to convince them to stand in the Samsung line instead of the Apple line. "There's this guy who has come up to us trying to convince us to buy the Samsung Galaxy S II two days in a row now," said Tom. "And he's an idiot. Caroline and Jessica Kim waiting in the Samsung line. "The amount of people asking what we are lining up for is absolutely astonishing," said Wil. Wil said the iPhone 4S was "so much simpler, it's better, it's classier, it's sexier" than the iPhone 4. Inside Samsung's "pop up" store. Both boys said their parents knew they were camping at Apple's store. Tom's parents told him that if he wanted to camp out he could, he said. The last time the two lined up - which lasted 50 hours - was at the same Apple store for the iPad 2. Tom was third in line then, he said, as two others beat him to being first. "The reason I was third was because the other two guys were tourists and they didn't have any place to stay." Tom recently sold his iPhone 4 but is keeping it until he gets the 4S on Friday. He said he laughed when he saw the Samsung store and people waiting in line there. "I mean we're no better than them but at least we're getting an iPhone." Wil interjected with a laugh, saying the two were better. Wil said he wasn't lining up at the Chatswood Apple store that was closer to him as the experience was not as good. "Lining up at the Chatswood store you have to wait outside a mall and you don't get the experience that you would here." Samsung line Two people Fairfax spoke to in Samsung's line - brother and sister John, 19, and Jessica Kim, 20, from Lidcombe and Burwood respectively - said they would sell their $2 Samsung Galaxy S II smartphones to go on a trip to India. John used an iPhone and would be sticking with it, and Jessica an Optus MyTab, which she used as a phone and tablet. They said the were planning on using the funds to finance some of their India trip. A cousin of theirs, Caroline Kim, 21 and from Strathfield, said she would keep the Galaxy S II. Her boyfriend, Russell Lee, 20 and from Lidcombe, would also keep his. He's using it to replace his old Nokia 100 mobile.Brendan Rodgers has warned opposition defenders that Daniel Sturridge will become even more lethal in front of goal as he approaches the peak of his powers. The Liverpool manager believes his No.15 has all the raw attributes to blossom into a truly world-class striker over the coming seasons. Facts speak for themselves as far as the 24-year-old is concerned. Since walking through the doors at Melwood in January 2013, Sturridge has hit 29 goals in 36 games. But it's the consistency levels that has impressed Rodgers most - from a debut strike against Mansfield Town to his latest finish against Arsenal at Anfield; goals have been in constant supply. On Saturday, during the 5-1 Gunners thrashing, Sturridge made one of the best central-defensive pairings in the league, in Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, look tired and fragmented. He opened his body to calmly fire Liverpool's fourth after 20 minutes, but he could have had another earlier in the match - and Rodgers insists the forward was disappointed he shot wide of the mark. "He's a natural goalscorer," the boss told reporters gathered at Melwood. "I know he's disappointed that he had another opportunity to score with his chip. "But he's a magnificent talent and I've always said that I think over the course of the next couple of years, he's got the chance to make himself a world-class striker. "He knows what's required to be a world-class striker; the consistency and the quality you need. He's come into here and maybe he hasn't had that credit because he has consistently done it from the January when arrived. "He will always get goals because of his talent. The beauty about it is he's still only 24 years of age. He's still got a lot of time before he arrives into his peak. "That's been one of the highlights for me coming in here, seeing his development, both as a young player and then his maturity as a man. He
and Washington by pretending to take the side of consumers. How? By pointing out that these ballot initiatives failed to require GMO labels on restaurant, cafeteria and take-out food, and on meat and animal products. During the California and Washington campaigns, industry hammered home its message that the proposed initiatives were “incomplete,” “confusing,” “expensive” and riddled with “loopholes” that somehow benefitted nefarious “special interests.” In fact, consumers would have preferred a more comprehensive law, with no exemptions. But state laws mandate single-subject or limited provision language, and federal law preempts mandatory state labels on meat packages (though not on grocery store shelves, or on meat and dairy cases). In the wake of Monsanto and the GMA successfully sowing confusion over GMO labeling “exemptions,” a growing number of activists have decided to call industry’s bluff by upping the ante. Future plans include pushing not only for GMO food labeling laws, but for all-inclusive food labeling legislation that will require restaurants, schools and grocery stores to label not just foods that contain GMO ingredients, but also foods from factory farms where animals are feed GMO-contaminated feed. As Alexis Baden-Meyer, Political Director of the Organic Consumers Association puts it: Tens of millions of Americans want to know if the food they buy contains genetically engineered ingredients. They want to know whether the meat, fish and animal products they consume come from animals reared on factory farms or CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding Operations), where the animals are inhumanely confined, routinely fed genetically engineered grain, injected with synthetic hormones, engorged with growth promoters and dosed with antibiotics. Concerned consumers want and need this information whether they are shopping in a grocery store, sitting down in a restaurant or worrying about what their kids are eating in the school cafeteria. After we win the upcoming strategic battles over GMO food labeling in Vermont and Oregon, organic consumers and our allies will push for comprehensive factory farm labels as well. SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Help Keep Common Dreams Alive Our progressive news model only survives if those informed and inspired by this work support our efforts Industry’s Next Move: Co-Opting the Right-to-Know Movement Industry sees the writing on the wall. As the head of the GMA admitted last year “we can’t keep fighting these labeling battles in every state.” Monsanto, Bayer and their allies such as General Mills, Coca-Cola and Pepsi know that in 2014, several states including Vermont and Oregon will likely pass mandatory GMO food labeling laws, while a flood of successful class action lawsuits will highlight the fact that major brands are fraudulently labeling their GMO and chemically-tainted junk foods and beverages as “natural” or all natural. Once a greater degree of labeling transparency is required by law, even if in just a handful of states, leading food manufacturers will find themselves in a terrible bind. Will Kellogg’s or Coke admit that their products contain GMOs in Vermont or Oregon, while refusing to divulge this fact in the other 48 states, Canada and Mexico? Or will they be forced to do what they’ve already done in the EU, take these GMOs out of their products? Similarly if they can’t label their junk foods as “natural” or “all natural,” how will they successfully compete in the marketplace? Backed into a corner by the anti-GMO movement, industry has come out fighting. The GMA has called on the Obama Administration and the FDA to bail out Big Food. If grassroots-powered state laws and class action judges will no longer permit the biotech and food industry to secretly tamper with non-organic food and then fraudulently label these products as “natural,” then industry wants the federal government to take away states’ power to require GMO labeling, and at the same time, take away the judiciary’s power to rule on fraudulently labeled “natural” products. Leaked documents obtained by the New York Times reveal that the GMA is lobbying the FDA to allow the use of “natural” on food labels even if the products contain GMOs. As Times writer Stephanie Strom reported on Dec. 19: Use of the term "natural" is now generating battles similar to previous fights over terms like organic, amid initiatives in several states that seek to label foods in a more transparent way. Last summer, Connecticut passed legislation on labeling that would make it illegal to use the word "natural" on the packaging of any food product containing biotech ingredients, and the governor signed it on Dec. 11. At the same time former USDA officials Dan Glickman and Kathleen Merrigan are floating the idea that certain members of the organic elite might be persuaded to back off on the demand for strict GMO labeling if certified organic products are allowed to state on their labels that they are “GMO-free.” As Glickman and Merrigan told the LA Times: Mandatory GMO labeling of all food will continue to arouse passions on both sides of the issue. Though it may not satisfy all GMO-labeling advocates nor be welcomed by all leaders in the biotechnology industry, allowing a GMO-free organic label provides more choice in the marketplace and responds to the demands of millions of American consumers in a practical and common sense way. Meanwhile informed sources in the organic industry are warning that the FDA might be preparing to propose a watered-down federal GMO labeling law designed to co-opt the organic and anti-GMO Movement and take away states’ rights to pass stricter labeling laws covering all genetically engineered ingredients basically nullifying laws now under consideration in Vermont, Oregon and several dozen other states. This strategy would involve the FDA allowing foods made from highly processed GE ingredients, such as cooking oils, high fructose corn syrup and sugar beets, that contain no easily detectable GE proteins down to a specified level to be labeled "natural”; certified organic foods to be labeled as “GMO-free.” Under this strategy, labels would be required on only those foods that contain readily detectable GMO proteins, as determined by standardized tests. In other words a large percentage of GMO-tainted foods would still not have to be labeled. So as we near victory on the GMO labeling front in Vermont and Oregon, and in class-action lawsuits this year, we must beware FDA treachery and the willingness of some in the organic and so-called “natural” industry to sell us out. If the FDA proposes a watered-down federal GMO labeling bill, or a rubber-stamp for the fraudulent industry practice of labeling GMO-tainted foods as “natural” or “all natural,” we must raise holy hell, and mobilize as never before. Either way 2014 is shaping up to be a make or break year for citizen activism on the food and farming front, part of a larger battle that will determine whether we, the grassroots majority, take back our democracy, or surrender to the corporatocracy and their indentured media, scientists and politicians.The St. Paul City Council voted Wednesday to spend nearly half a million dollars to tackle the infestation of the emerald ash borer beetle. Related Articles Minneapolis implements winter parking restrictions; St. Paul ‘monitoring’ conditions Ordway 2019-20 season has ‘The Color Purple,’ ‘Groundhog Day,’ ‘Once on This Island’ Highland Park Middle School online threat began with argument at school, police say Minnesota United will have company. Here’s what’s up with 5 tenants moving in near Allianz Field. Chai Lee, Kris Fredson among 17 members chosen for Met Council The city will take $400,000 from its contingency budget for capital programs and $50,000 from the streets program to pay for a multi-year effort. It plans to replant a tree for every tree it “stumps” — or chops down. Council President Russ Stark cast the lone vote against the proposal, saying he was worried about using up contingency funds so early in the year. In all, the city has removed 9,149 ash trees from its street boulevards, and there are 17,909 to go. That does not include ash trees on the city’s park land, of which there are an estimated 5,500, of which 1,007 trees have been removed. Some of those trees are in secluded areas where they are deemed less dangerous. The ash borer infestation has already engulfed nearly all of St. Paul; the city effort at this point is not to stop its spread, but rather to take down trees before they get sick enough to fall down on their own. The city initially froze funding for the project, along with numerous others, late last year in an effort to prepare for financial shortfalls relating to how it has been applying its “right of way” street maintenance assessments on property owners.Image copyright EPA Image caption French police have begun opening the weapons caches listed by Eta Basque militant group Eta has begun handing over its remaining weapons, ending the last insurgency in Western Europe. At a ceremony in the southern French city of Bayonne, an inventory of weapons, and their locations, was passed to the judicial authorities. French Interior Minister Matthias Fekl hailed the move as a "major step". Eta killed more than 800 people in some 40 years of violence as it sought to carve out an independent country straddling Spain and France. It declared a ceasefire in 2011 but did not disarm. Mr Fekl said the inventory included eight sites, and a police operation was under way to secure them. The caches contain 120 firearms, three tonnes of explosives and several thousand rounds of ammunition, according to a spokesman for the group which mediated between Eta and the French authorities. What is Eta? The group was set up more than 50 years ago in the era of Spanish dictator General Franco. Its goal was to create an independent Basque state out of territory in south-west France and northern Spain. Its first known killing was in 1968, when a secret police chief was shot dead in the Basque city of San Sebastian. France and Spain refuse to negotiate with Eta, which is on the EU blacklist of terrorist organisations. It has taken years to convince Eta members to disarm without getting anything in return, says the BBC's Lyse Doucet, in Bayonne. She says she has been told about 100 hardline fighters still oppose the move. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Eta killed hundreds of people over 40 years How can we be sure Eta has really given up its weapons? French police have begun checking the list of sites handed over on Saturday. There is also the International Verification Commission (IVC), set up in 2011 to monitor Eta's progress towards disarmament. It is not recognised by the French and Spanish governments, but it does have the backing of the regional Basque government in Spain. In 2014, the IVC reported that Eta had taken some of its weapons out of action, but the Spanish government dismissed the move as "theatrical". The Spanish government does not believe Eta will hand over all its weapons, Reuters quoted a government source as saying. How did we get here? Slowly, and with many false starts. Eta's first ceasefire was in 1998, but collapsed the following year. In 2006, it made another pledge to lay down arms that, too, proved to be illusory. In December of that year, it bombed an airport car park in Madrid, killing two people. Four years later, in 2010, Eta announced it would not carry out further attacks and in January 2011, it declared a permanent and "internationally verifiable" ceasefire but refused to disarm. In recent years, police in France and Spain have put Eta under severe pressure, arresting hundreds of militants, including leadership figures, and seizing many of its weapons. Eta's political wing, Herri Batasuna, was banned by the Spanish government, which argued that the two groups were inextricably linked. 'A moment we have been waiting for' - the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Bayonne A simple ceremony in a city hall ended Eta's bloody campaign for independence. In an elegant high-ceilinged room, five people sat around a plain square table as early-morning light filtered through heavy drapes. Bayonne Mayor Jean-Rene Etchegaray welcomed them to a "moment we have all been waiting for". After a few short speeches, French Basque environmentalist Txetx Etcheverry approached the table with a bulky black file, with a dozen blue folders. From where I sat, I could see it included photographs as well as text. The dossier was handed to international witnesses including Italian Archbishop Matteo Zuppi and the Reverend Harold Good, who played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process. French security forces discreetly secured the area and the Spanish government raised no objections to the ceremony going ahead. Ram Manikkalingam of the IVC called it a "new model of disarmament and verification which emerged from Basque society".Vlingo LAS VEGAS--Looks like Siri was just the beginning. Okay, even Siri wasn't the beginning. The ability to do voice-command isn't particularly new, but the marquee feature for Apple's iPhone 4S has gotten the masses to recognize and appreciate its benefits. For the first time, voice-command was a feature people talked about and coveted. At CES, there were better implementations and voice-commands popping up on different devices. Big-name companies got into the mix. Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes Benz, said voice would play a major role in its cars, calling them a driver's "digital companion." Ultrabooks will eventually be getting speech recognition built in. Manufacturers from Samsung Electronics to Lenovo are integrating the feature into their high-end televisions. Indeed, using speech to control a TV was a major trend of the show. Vlingo, which makes a virtual speech assistant for smartphones, announced its "Vlingo for Smarter TVs" software, which it plans to embed into televisions and set-top box. Nuance likewise announced its Dragon TV platform, which is believed to be powering the new voice-and-gesture-controlled Samsung TVs. But this is just the beginning. The voice-recognition companies are looking to get the feature in every electronic device. They also want to get to the point where these virtual assistants follow you from device to device in a consistent manner, so your preferences move where you move. "Everything you see in 'Star Trek'--it's going to be real," said Matt Revis, vice president of product management for Nuance's mobile division. For that to happen, and for consumers to truly gravitate to speech, there still needs to be more education out in the market. "For two and a half years, we've shipped various products that were equivalent or better than Siri, but a start-up is hard to make a market," said Vlingo CEO Dave Grannan. "People really don't know what they need, they need to be shown." Nuance has agreed to acquire Vlingo in a deal that is expected to close later this year. Natural dialogue the key While voice commands have long been used by various industries, including automated help lines and older cell phones, Siri brought attention to an advancement of voice-recognition: the ability to understand our natural language and respond in kind, so Siri really does seem like a person. That's managed to turn it from a utilitarian tool to something you want to use. "Speech initially was used because it was more convenient," Revis said. "But Siri is fun. You're engaged." Over the past few years, there have been huge advancements in voice recognition. Vlingo, for instance, has done a lot of work in improving the artificial intelligence and natural understanding, Grannan said. You can say, "I want to get wasted" and have its program find you local bars, he added. Vlingo's TV service allows for voice commands to work like a dialogue. Make a request, and it will ask a question back to narrow down your choices. There's a back and forth that continues until the user finds what he is looking for. The company is working with one smart-TV manufacturer, and one European cable provider, Grannan said, adding he expects products to come out by the end of 2012. The various companies say that given the intense processing power required for AI, basing the services on the cloud is key. While the microphone picks up your comment on your phone, car, or TV, much of the heavy lifting occurs on the back-end at Nuance, Vlingo, or Apple's servers. Beyond just a remote control That cloud will enable these companies to put voice recognition on just about any connected device. Revis said he envisions every electronic device being able to run these features, and it appears we're pretty close to it. Samsung, for instance, showed off several connected appliances including refrigerators and washers that could easily integrate a Siri-like capability down the line. Likewise, it has opened up its smart TVs to developers in the hopes they better take advantage of the gesture and voice controls. "There are a lot of user scenarios you can dream up," said Joe Stinziano, senior VP of home entertainment marketing for Samsung. "We're opening it up to a developer community that has proven it can be more creative than the original manufacturer." One such scenario involves asking the refrigerator about milk, and having the appliance detect via barcode scanner whether there is any left, or to set a reminder about buying more milk later on, Grannan said. Large tech companies such as Sony, Samsung, or Apple are at an advantage because they make so many of the products that consumers use. The large Asian conglomerates, for example, making smartphones, PCs, appliances, and even home heating and cooling systems, could all integrate voice. Nuance, meanwhile, is hoping to get voice commands in more apps. The company has released a software development kit to allow other programmers to integrate its service into their own apps. Revis noted that Amazon Price Checker and Merriam-Webster Dictionary apps used its technology. As for the further proliferation of voice commands in more products? We're probably still a little away from barking orders at our microwave. "I think we'll see a couple of iterations and won't see mainstream until the end of 2013," Grannan said.Tomato prices tipped to soar after 5m plants poisoned Updated Tomato prices are expected to increase after more than 5 million plants were poisoned at two north Queensland properties. Police say it appears a herbicide was injected into the irrigation system at Bowen. It is the third time crops in the region have been poisoned. Queensland Health says a batch of tomatoes from the property at the centre of a herbicide contamination investigation is safe for consumption. The department has tested a batch of the truss tomatoes and no residue of herbicide has been detected. Queensland Health spokesman Rod Miles says testing of other batches will continue. But Whitsunday Mayor Mike Brunker says it could cost the local economy $50 million. "Personally I think that could be a conservative figure," he said. "No-one's actually sat down and worked that out yet because we're all obviously all focussed on trying to help the police to get a resolution to this case. "But once it flows on to people not having the money to spend in supermarkets and shops it could have a huge effect." Cr Brunker says the State Government should offer a reward to help catch those responsible for poisoning the crops. "This time of year in winter, we supply about 80 per cent of Australia's tomatoes," he said. "People in Brisbane and all over Australia will be paying a higher price for tomatoes. "We've got farmers that can't get enough seedlings to replant - that means prices will go up, so people will be paying higher for tomatoes." Topics: fruit, law-crime-and-justice, crime, agricultural-crops, rural, bowen-4805, australia, qld, whitsundays-4802 First postedEleven years into a gold bull market, Marc Faber publisher of the Gloom Boom and Doom report still doesn't think gold is in a bubble. Joining us via Skype from Chiang Mai, Thailand Thursday, Faber told the Daily Ticker's Aaron Task there are fundamental reasons why gold, already nearly 30% higher for they year, will continue to gain value. Faber admits the price of the precious metal may remain volatile; after hitting a new high of $1923.70 on Tuesday, gold has fallen about $100 per ounce. But in the long-term "gold will be very well supported" because of global demographics and the continued debasement of fiat currencies, including the U.S. dollar. Compare gold prices to the amount of wealth created in the emerging markets over the last decade and the increase in the monetary base around the world, the price of gold is "relatively low," says Faber. Compare it to the quality of politicians and at $1,800 per ounce gold is "dirt cheap," he half jokes. He won't put a price target on the metal but he does say, "according to some statistics the gold price today should be worth between $6,000 per ounce and $10,000 per ounce." If that's true, then "dirt cheap" might be the right phrase. Monetary policy is not only buoying the gold market, it's also responsible for the recent market turmoil, Faber says. "I have argued for years that the Federal Reserve with its artificially low interest instead of creating monetary and economic stability it has created more instability by creating the Nasdaq bubble, the housing bubble, the commodities bubble and now creating a giant government debt bubble." That's not to say Faber is uber-bearish on stocks. He thinks stocks will remain range-bound for the rest of the year and that the see-saw market will persist for the foreseeable future. He predicts global stock markets will go up and down at least by 20-30% annually for the coming years. For now Faber recommends investors stay diversified: 25% in stocks, 25% in real stocks, 25% in gold and silver and 25% in cash.Throughout human history, it has been apparent that few medical maladies are as devastating in their effects as major depression. And since the 1950s, with the advent of the first generation of antidepressants, it has been apparent that depression is a biological disorder. This has generated the tremendous intellectual challenge of how to understand the material, reductive bases of a disease of malignant sadness. Both the tragic components and the intellectual challenge of depression have deepened in the last decade with a series of high-visibility reports that indicate prolonged, major depression is associated with atrophy within the central nervous system. A report in this issue of PNAS by Czéh et al. (1) adds support to a possible route for reversing these morphological changes. Such atrophy is centered in a brain region called the hippocampus. This structure plays a critical role in learning and memory, and the magnitude of the hippocampal volume loss (nearly 20% in some reports; refs. 2–4) helps explain some well-documented cognitive deficits that accompany major depression. These were careful and well-controlled studies, in that the atrophy was demonstrable after controlling for total cerebral volume and could be dissociated from variables such as history of antidepressant treatment, electroconvulsive therapy, or alcohol use. Moreover, more prolonged depressions were associated with more severe atrophy. These findings of hippocampal atrophy raise immediate questions. First, is it permanent? Tentatively, this appears to be the case, as the atrophy persisted for up to decades after the depressions were in remission. In addition, the extent of atrophy did not lessen with increasing duration of remission (2–4). Next, does the hippocampal atrophy arise as a result of depression, or does it precede and even predispose toward depression? There is little evidence for the latter (discussed in ref. 5), and most in the field tacitly assume that this morphological change is a consequence of the biology underlying the affective (mood) aspects of the disease. More challenging, what are the cellular bases of the persistent atrophy? Some plausible candidate mechanisms exist, all built around the numerous ways in which major depression is, ultimately, a stress-related disorder. Sustained stress has three relevant adverse effects on hippocampal morphology. First, it can cause retraction of dendritic processes in hippocampal neurons (reviewed in ref. 6). Although this could cause atrophy of total hippocampal volume secondary to loss of neuropil volume, it is unlikely to be relevant here, in that the retraction readily reverses with the abatement of stress. A second adverse effect of stress is the inhibition of neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus (reviewed in ref. 7). Finally, in some, but not all, studies sustained stress can cause loss of preexisting hippocampal neurons (i.e., neurotoxicity) (reviewed in ref. 8). Both stress-induced inhibition of neurogenesis and/or neurotoxicity could be relevant to the hippocampal atrophy. A number of heroically obsessive studies have reported the results of postmortem cell counts in frontal cortical regions of the brains of depressives, indicating cell loss (9, 10); similar studies must be done in the hippocampus to determine which cellular mechanism(s) underlies the volume loss. An even more challenging question is what is the proximal cause of the volume loss. A usual suspect is the class of hormones called glucocorticoids (with the human version being cortisol). These steroids are secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress, and decades of work have shown them to have a variety of adverse effects in the brain, centered in the hippocampus (which contains considerable quantities of receptors for glucocorticoids). The effects include retraction of dendritic processes, inhibition of neurogenesis, and neurotoxicity (reviewed in ref. 8). Moreover, hippocampal volume loss occurs in Cushing's syndrome (in which there is hypersecretion of cortisol, secondary to a tumor) (11). In addition, about half of individuals with major depression hypersecrete cortisol. Finally, the individuals in these studies demonstrating hippocampal atrophy were most likely to have suffered from the subtype of depression with the highest rates of hypercortisolism (2, 3). Thus, considerable correlative evidence implicates glucocorticoids. Nonetheless, no study has yet demonstrated that such atrophy only occurs, or even is more likely to occur, among depressives who are hypercortisolemic. With these various pieces emerging in recent years, another reasonable question is whether anything can be done about the atrophy, and this is where the exciting findings of Czéh et al. (1) come in. A number of studies using rodents indicate that some of the standard treatments for depression, namely administration of antidepressant drugs or the use of electroconvulsive therapy, have effects on the hippocampus that should counter those reported in major depression. For example, one class of antidepressant drugs prevents stress-induced retraction of dendritic processes (12, 13). In addition, both antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy increase adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus (14, 15). The work of Czéh et al. represents an important extension of these findings in two ways. First, they now report similar effects of an antidepressant drug in the primate hippocampus. And critically, this is the first such demonstration with an animal model of depression, rather than in “undepressed” subjects. The study involved tree shrews, a prosimian primate that the authors have long used in a model of depression induced by psychosocial conflict and social subordinance (16). Subjects underwent 5 weeks of such stress, with treatment during the last four with vehicle or the antidepressant tianeptine. Thus, in a way that is obviously artificial, the time course of stress and antidepressant treatment roughly models what a depressed and medicated human might experience. The authors first demonstrated that in animals not treated with tianeptine, psychosocial stress induced some neurobiological and physiological alterations reminiscent of those seen in human depressives. Basal cortisol levels increased ≈50%. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the cerebrum indicated 13–15% decreases in measures of neuronal viability and function (the neuroaxonal marker N-acetyle-aspartate), cerebral metabolism (creatine and phosphocreatine), and membrane turnover (choline-containing compounds). In contrast, there was no change in a glial marker of viability (myo-inositol). Furthermore, psychosocial stress caused a roughly 30% decrease in proliferation of new cells in the hippocampus. Finally, such stress was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward a decrease in total hippocampal volume. Then, to complete the story, the authors showed that tianeptine prevented many of these stress-induced changes. These included the spectroscopic alterations, the inhibition of cell proliferation, and a significant increase in hippocampal volume (as compared with stress + vehicle animals). Of significance (see below), tianeptine did not prevent the stress-induced rise in cortisol levels. Overall, these are impressive and important findings. Czéh et al. have shown that a primate model of stress-induced “depression” induces signs of decreased neuronal metabolism and function, as well as decreased cell proliferation. Moreover, the fact that there was only a trend toward decreased hippocampal volume is readily explained as reflecting the relatively short duration of the stressor; human studies suggest that hippocampal atrophy is demonstrable only after major depression on the scale of years. Finally, the authors show that antidepressant treatment prevents these neurobiological alterations. Naturally, these findings raise some questions, and a number of pieces of this puzzle do not yet fit in place. At first glance, one exciting implication of this study is the suggestion that the hippocampal volume loss in prolonged depression arises from inhibition of hippocampal cell proliferation, and that antidepressant treatment normalizes the former by preventing the latter. However, the careful data of Czéh et al. argue against this idea, at least in their model. Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is restricted to the subgranular zone, and newborn neurons appear to migrate only as far as the nearby dentate granule layer. For hippocampal neuroanatomy neophytes, this means that the revolution in adult neurogenesis occurs entirely in a fairly small subsection of the hippocampus; there has been some debate over just how much adult neurogenesis occurs and how much turnover there is in adult dentate gyrus neurons (17). Thus, if changes in overall hippocampal volume are secondary to changes in cell proliferation, one would predict that (i) psychosocial stress would lead to a marked reduction in the volume of the dentate granule layer, and (ii) this would be prevented by tianeptine. Instead, neither was observed. It is not immediately obvious how much these findings generalize to other antidepressants. The vast majority of antidepressants in clinical use work by increasing the synaptic availability of monoamine neurotransmitters. Although the best known of these are the specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, other efficacious drugs also block the reuptake of norepinephrine and/or dopamine. Nicely commensurate with the involvement of serotonin, there is some evidence that increased serotonin availability can stimulate cell proliferation in the hippocampus (18, 19). However, tianeptine is a distinctly atypical antidepressant (with, reputedly, only limited clinical efficacy), which increases serotonin reuptake. Thus, it decreases synaptic serotonin concentrations, rather than enhancing them. Embedded in the human clinical studies is more evidence that these findings may not automatically extend to other antidepressants. In the broadest statement of what the current study suggests, administration of antidepressants not only can cure the affective symptoms of depression, but also can reverse some disquieting neurobiological correlates of depression as well. However, it should be recalled that the original studies linking depression with hippocampal atrophy did not demonstrate such atrophy in depressed individuals. Instead, they demonstrated the link in individuals years or decades into remission from depression, with such remissions arising, in most cases, from the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressant drugs (2–4). Tianeptine was introduced only recently and currently is used only in Europe. Thus, the human literature (in which all studies were from American-based groups) suggests that hippocampal atrophy can still occur in depression (and persist despite depression remission) in individuals treated with the older, more traditional antidepressants. A final set of questions swirl around the complex issue of causal links among the correlates uncovered. Which factors contribute to and which are consequences of depression? A number of scenarios can be constructed. In the first (Fig. A), an array of interacting factors involving stress and a biological vulnerability give rise to a depression and its associated affective symptoms (arrow 1). Hypercortisolism occurs in approximately half of subjects. An extensive literature demonstrates that such hypercortisolism can be both a response to the stressors preceding depression (arrow 2) and to depression itself (arrow 3), and can, in turn, contribute to the affective symptomology (arrow 4) (20). In this model, these symptoms give rise to the hippocampal abnormalities (arrow 5), which then contribute to the cognitive deficits of sustained depression (arrow 6). In a second, related scenario (Fig. B), the affective symptoms and hypercortisolism arise for the same reasons as in Fig. A. In this model, the hypercortisolism is directly responsible for the structural and functional alterations in the hippocampus (Fig. B, arrow 5). Most in the field, I suspect, would subscribe to some version of Fig. A or B. Some investigators, however, have posited a very different model (cf. ref. 21; Fig. C), one in which there is impaired hippocampal neurogenesis as a starting point (reflecting some sort of developmental abnormality). In this model, such blunted neurogenesis precedes and predisposes toward depression and its affective and cognitive symptoms (Fig. C, arrow 1), and the loss of overall hippocampal volume is a direct consequence of the impaired neurogenesis (Fig. C, arrow 2). In variants on this model, the hypercortisolism may or may not precede the impaired neurogenesis, and may or may not directly contribute to it. Most in the field appear to be skeptical about this model, in part, because there is little biological rationale connecting the rate of neurogenesis in the hippocampus with affective states such as grief, helplessness, and anhedonia. Moreover, there is a problem with specificity: whereas antidepressants (in addition to often curing the affective symptoms of depression) increase rates of neurogenesis, the drug lithium (in addition to often curing the symptoms of mania) increases rates of neurogenesis (22). What do the findings of Czéh et al. suggest about these models? Given the obvious caveat that psychosocial stress in tree shrews cannot be identical to a major human depression, they suggest a number of things. Their data fit well with Fig. A. The specific findings do not allow one to distinguish between tianeptine preventing the hippocampal alterations by blocking the link between stress and affective depression (i.e., Fig. A, arrow 1), or by preventing the link between the affective symptoms and the hippocampus (Fig. A, arrow 5). Although there is next to nothing known about the biology of what might create arrow 5 in Fig. A, arrow 1 is well understood and constitutes the primary point where antidepressants are traditionally thought to exert their action. The data of Czéh et al. also offer some limited support for Fig. B. The “depressed” animals in their study demonstrated elevated cortisol levels. However, as noted, tianeptine treatment did not block such hypercortisolism. Thus, if the cortisol excess does indeed contribute to the hippocampal changes (the premise of Fig. B), tianeptine must be blocking the effects of cortisol (i.e., Fig. B, arrow 5). Of note, a variety of more traditional antidepressants have been shown to decrease cortisol levels (cf. refs. 23 and 24). It is a matter of debate whether they accomplish this by blunting arrow 2 and/or arrow 3 in Fig. B. There also has been the speculation that antidepressants decrease the affective symptoms of depression by blocking arrow 2, and thus arrow 4 in Fig. B (25). Finally, the data of Czéh and colleagues are not compatible with Fig. C. Most obviously, they demonstrate that in a randomly selected population of subjects, psychosocial stress, with depressive-like symptoms as an intermediary factor, can impair hippocampal neurogenesis, a relationship that is opposite to the flow of arrows in Fig. C. Potentially, a limited version of that model might hold in explaining their data. This would be the case if the subset of animals starting off with the lowest basal rate of neurogenesis was most vulnerable to this psychosocial stress model. Current techniques make such a prospective study impossible. Obviously, more research is needed. It would be a boon to biological psychiatry if any antidepressants can prevent some of the neurobiological correlates of depression, in addition to alleviating the affective symptoms. But findings such as these also support the frequent uphill battle for those who study depression, or suffer from it, namely convincing others that this is a real biological disorder, rather than some sort of failure of fortitude or spirit.Sam Vokes put Burnley ahead with his first Premier League goal, in his 28th top-flight match First-half goals from Sam Vokes and Andre Gray gave Burnley a surprise win over Liverpool, who could not recover after some disastrous defending. Nathaniel Clyne gave the ball away for the Clarets' first goal, with Gray finding Vokes to blast home. Steven Defour, on his Burnley debut, was allowed to charge forward and set up Gray to roll home the second. Liverpool had 81% of possession and 26 shots - but only tested Clarets keeper Tom Heaton with efforts from distance. Media playback is not supported on this device Dyche praises'marvellous' Burnley The 19% of possession that the Clarets had is the lowest total by a winning side in the Premier League since Opta began recording the statistic in the 2003-04 season. Burnley only had one other effort at goal, which was off target, but the figures belied how little threat the Reds posed when they came forward. Liverpool were a shadow of the attacking force they were in last week's thrilling 4-3 win at Arsenal and their second away game of the season ended in their first defeat of the new campaign. The game had been switched to Turf Moor because work on the new stand at Anfield is not complete and, after losing to Swansea in their opener, Burnley made home advantage count this time to pick up their first points since their promotion. Liverpool's defensive issues continue Gray, who was playing for Hinckley United in the Conference North as recently as 2012, scored his first Premier League
episode, Stephen Colbert, playing his right-wing-populist commentator character, performed a feature called “The Word.” His first selection: truthiness. “Now, I’m sure some of the ‘word police,’ the ‘wordinistas’ over at Webster’s, are gonna say, ‘Hey, that’s not a word!’ Well, anybody who knows me knows that I’m no fan of dictionaries or reference books. They’re elitist. Constantly telling us what is or isn’t true. Or what did or didn’t happen. Who’s Britannica to tell me the Panama Canal was finished in 1914? If I wanna say it happened in 1941, that’s my right. I don’t trust books—they’re all fact, no heart … Face it, folks, we are a divided nation … divided between those who think with their head and those who know with their heart … Because that’s where the truth comes from, ladies and gentlemen—the gut.” Whoa, yes, I thought: exactly. America had changed since I was young, when truthiness and reality-based community wouldn’t have made any sense as jokes. For all the fun, and all the many salutary effects of the 1960s—the main decade of my childhood—I saw that those years had also been the big-bang moment for truthiness. And if the ’60s amounted to a national nervous breakdown, we are probably mistaken to consider ourselves over it. Each of us is on a spectrum somewhere between the poles of rational and irrational. We all have hunches we can’t prove and superstitions that make no sense. Some of my best friends are very religious, and others believe in dubious conspiracy theories. What’s problematic is going overboard—letting the subjective entirely override the objective; thinking and acting as if opinions and feelings are just as true as facts. The American experiment, the original embodiment of the great Enlightenment idea of intellectual freedom, whereby every individual is welcome to believe anything she wishes, has metastasized out of control. From the start, our ultra-individualism was attached to epic dreams, sometimes epic fantasies—every American one of God’s chosen people building a custom-made utopia, all of us free to reinvent ourselves by imagination and will. In America nowadays, those more exciting parts of the Enlightenment idea have swamped the sober, rational, empirical parts. Little by little for centuries, then more and more and faster and faster during the past half century, we Americans have given ourselves over to all kinds of magical thinking, anything-goes relativism, and belief in fanciful explanation—small and large fantasies that console or thrill or terrify us. And most of us haven’t realized how far-reaching our strange new normal has become. Make your inbox more interesting. Each weekday evening, get an overview of the day’s biggest news, along with fascinating ideas, images, and people. Email Address (required) Sign Up Thanks for signing up! {{#user.created}}Please check your email to confirm your subscription.{{/user.created}} {{^user.created}}Your newsletter subscription preferences have been updated.{{/user.created}} An unknown error occurred. Much more than the other billion or so people in the developed world, we Americans believe—really believe—in the supernatural and the miraculous, in Satan on Earth, in reports of recent trips to and from heaven, and in a story of life’s instantaneous creation several thousand years ago. If the 1960s amounted to a national nervous breakdown, we are probably mistaken to consider ourselves over it. We believe that the government and its co-conspirators are hiding all sorts of monstrous and shocking truths from us, concerning assassinations, extraterrestrials, the genesis of aids, the 9/11 attacks, the dangers of vaccines, and so much more. And this was all true before we became familiar with the terms post-factual and post-truth, before we elected a president with an astoundingly open mind about conspiracy theories, what’s true and what’s false, the nature of reality. We have passed through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. America has mutated into Fantasyland. How widespread is this promiscuous devotion to the untrue? How many Americans now inhabit alternate realities? Any given survey of beliefs is only a sketch of what people in general really think. But reams of survey research from the past 20 years reveal a rough, useful census of American credulity and delusion. By my reckoning, the solidly reality-based are a minority, maybe a third of us but almost certainly fewer than half. Only a third of us, for instance, don’t believe that the tale of creation in Genesis is the word of God. Only a third strongly disbelieve in telepathy and ghosts. Two-thirds of Americans believe that “angels and demons are active in the world.” More than half say they’re absolutely certain heaven exists, and just as many are sure of the existence of a personal God—not a vague force or universal spirit or higher power, but some guy. A third of us believe not only that global warming is no big deal but that it’s a hoax perpetrated by scientists, the government, and journalists. A third believe that our earliest ancestors were humans just like us; that the government has, in league with the pharmaceutical industry, hidden evidence of natural cancer cures; that extraterrestrials have visited or are visiting Earth. Almost a quarter believe that vaccines cause autism, and that Donald Trump won the popular vote in 2016. A quarter believe that our previous president maybe or definitely was (or is?) the anti-Christ. According to a survey by Public Policy Polling, 15 percent believe that the “media or the government adds secret mind-controlling technology to television broadcast signals,” and another 15 percent think that’s possible. A quarter of Americans believe in witches. Remarkably, the same fraction, or maybe less, believes that the Bible consists mainly of legends and fables—the same proportion that believes U.S. officials were complicit in the 9/11 attacks. When I say that a third believe X and a quarter believe Y, it’s important to understand that those are different thirds and quarters of the population. Of course, various fantasy constituencies overlap and feed one another—for instance, belief in extraterrestrial visitation and abduction can lead to belief in vast government cover-ups, which can lead to belief in still more wide-ranging plots and cabals, which can jibe with a belief in an impending Armageddon. Why are we like this? The short answer is because we’re Americans—because being American means we can believe anything we want; that our beliefs are equal or superior to anyone else’s, experts be damned. Once people commit to that approach, the world turns inside out, and no cause-and-effect connection is fixed. The credible becomes incredible and the incredible credible. Video: America's Departure From Reality The word mainstream has recently become a pejorative, shorthand for bias, lies, oppression by the elites. Yet the institutions and forces that once kept us from indulging the flagrantly untrue or absurd—media, academia, government, corporate America, professional associations, respectable opinion in the aggregate—have enabled and encouraged every species of fantasy over the past few decades. A senior physician at one of America’s most prestigious university hospitals promotes “miracle cures” on his daily TV show. Cable channels air documentaries treating mermaids, monsters, ghosts, and angels as real. When a political-science professor attacks the idea “that there is some ‘public’ that shares a notion of reality, a concept of reason, and a set of criteria by which claims to reason and rationality are judged,” colleagues just nod and grant tenure. The old fringes have been folded into the new center. The irrational has become respectable and often unstoppable. Our whole social environment and each of its overlapping parts—cultural, religious, political, intellectual, psychological—have become conducive to spectacular fallacy and truthiness and make-believe. There are many slippery slopes, leading in various directions to other exciting nonsense. During the past several decades, those naturally slippery slopes have been turned into a colossal and permanent complex of interconnected, crisscrossing bobsled tracks, which Donald Trump slid down right into the White House. American moxie has always come in two types. We have our wilder, faster, looser side: We’re overexcited gamblers with a weakness for stories too good to be true. But we also have the virtues embodied by the Puritans and their secular descendants: steadiness, hard work, frugality, sobriety, and common sense. A propensity to dream impossible dreams is like other powerful tendencies—okay when kept in check. For most of our history, the impulses existed in a rough balance, a dynamic equilibrium between fantasy and reality, mania and moderation, credulity and skepticism. The great unbalancing and descent into full Fantasyland was the product of two momentous changes. The first was a profound shift in thinking that swelled up in the ’60s; since then, Americans have had a new rule written into their mental operating systems: Do your own thing, find your own reality, it’s all relative. The second change was the onset of the new era of information. Digital technology empowers real-seeming fictions of the ideological and religious and scientific kinds. Among the web’s 1 billion sites, believers in anything and everything can find thousands of fellow fantasists, with collages of facts and “facts” to support them. Before the internet, crackpots were mostly isolated, and surely had a harder time remaining convinced of their alternate realities. Now their devoutly believed opinions are all over the airwaves and the web, just like actual news. Now all of the fantasies look real. Our shocking Trump moment is just the ultimate expression of mind-sets that have made America exceptional for its entire history. Today, each of us is freer than ever to custom-make reality, to believe whatever and pretend to be whoever we wish. Which makes all the lines between actual and fictional blur and disappear more easily. Truth in general becomes flexible, personal, subjective. And we like this new ultra-freedom, insist on it, even as we fear and loathe the ways so many of our wrongheaded fellow Americans use it. Treating real life as fantasy and vice versa, and taking preposterous ideas seriously, is not unique to Americans. But we are the global crucible and epicenter. We invented the fantasy-industrial complex; almost nowhere outside poor or otherwise miserable countries are flamboyant supernatural beliefs so central to the identities of so many people. This is American exceptionalism in the 21st century. The country has always been a one-of-a-kind place. But our singularity is different now. We’re still rich and free, still more influential and powerful than any other nation, practically a synonym for developed country. But our drift toward credulity, toward doing our own thing, toward denying facts and having an altogether uncertain grip on reality, has overwhelmed our other exceptional national traits and turned us into a less developed country. People see our shocking Trump moment—this post-truth, “alternative facts” moment—as some inexplicable and crazy new American phenomenon. But what’s happening is just the ultimate extrapolation and expression of mind-sets that have made America exceptional for its entire history. America was created by true believers and passionate dreamers, and by hucksters and their suckers, which made America successful—but also by a people uniquely susceptible to fantasy, as epitomized by everything from Salem’s hunting witches to Joseph Smith’s creating Mormonism, from P. T. Barnum to speaking in tongues, from Hollywood to Scientology to conspiracy theories, from Walt Disney to Billy Graham to Ronald Reagan to Oprah Winfrey to Trump. In other words: Mix epic individualism with extreme religion; mix show business with everything else; let all that ferment for a few centuries; then run it through the anything-goes ’60s and the internet age. The result is the America we inhabit today, with reality and fantasy weirdly and dangerously blurred and commingled. The 1960s and the Beginning of the End of Reason I don’t regret or disapprove of many of the ways the ’60s permanently reordered American society and culture. It’s just that along with the familiar benefits, there have been unreckoned costs. In 1962, people started referring to “hippies,” the Beatles had their first hit, Ken Kesey published One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and the Harvard psychology lecturer Timothy Leary was handing out psilocybin and LSD to grad students. And three hours south of San Francisco, on the heavenly stretch of coastal cliffs known as Big Sur, a pair of young Stanford psychology graduates founded a school and think tank they named after a small American Indian tribe that had lived on the grounds long before. “In 1968,” one of its founding figures recalled four decades later, Esalen was the center of the cyclone of the youth rebellion. It was one of the central places, like Mecca for the Islamic culture. Esalen was a pilgrimage center for hundreds and thousands of youth interested in some sense of transcendence, breakthrough consciousness, LSD, the sexual revolution, encounter, being sensitive, finding your body, yoga—all of these things were at first filtered into the culture through Esalen. By 1966, ’67, and ’68, Esalen was making a world impact. This is not overstatement. Essentially everything that became known as New Age was invented, developed, or popularized at the Esalen Institute. Esalen is a mother church of a new American religion for people who think they don’t like churches or religions but who still want to believe in the supernatural. The institute wholly reinvented psychology, medicine, and philosophy, driven by a suspicion of science and reason and an embrace of magical thinking (also: massage, hot baths, sex, and sex in hot baths). It was a headquarters for a new religion of no religion, and for “science” containing next to no science. The idea was to be radically tolerant of therapeutic approaches and understandings of reality, especially if they came from Asian traditions or from American Indian or other shamanistic traditions. Invisible energies, past lives, astral projection, whatever—the more exotic and wondrous and unfalsifiable, the better. Not long before Esalen was founded, one of its co-founders, Dick Price, had suffered a mental breakdown and been involuntarily committed to a private psychiatric hospital for a year. His new institute embraced the radical notion that psychosis and other mental illnesses were labels imposed by the straight world on eccentrics and visionaries, that they were primarily tools of coercion and control. This was the big idea behind One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, of course. And within the psychiatric profession itself this idea had two influential proponents, who each published unorthodox manifestos at the beginning of the decade—R. D. Laing (The Divided Self) and Thomas Szasz (The Myth of Mental Illness). “Madness,” Laing wrote when Esalen was new, “is potentially liberation and renewal.” Esalen’s founders were big Laing fans, and the institute became a hotbed for the idea that insanity was just an alternative way of perceiving reality. These influential critiques helped make popular and respectable the idea that much of science is a sinister scheme concocted by a despotic conspiracy to oppress people. Mental illness, both Szasz and Laing said, is “a theory not a fact.” This is now the universal bottom-line argument for anyone—from creationists to climate-change deniers to anti-vaccine hysterics—who prefers to disregard science in favor of his own beliefs. You know how young people always think the universe revolves around them, as if they’re the only ones who really get it? And how before their frontal lobes, the neural seat of reason and rationality, are fully wired, they can be especially prone to fantasy? In the ’60s, the universe cooperated: It did seem to revolve around young people, affirming their adolescent self-regard, making their fantasies of importance feel real and their fantasies of instant transformation and revolution feel plausible. Practically overnight, America turned its full attention to the young and everything they believed and imagined and wished. If 1962 was when the decade really got going, 1969 was the year the new doctrines and their gravity were definitively cataloged by the grown-ups. Reason and rationality were over. The countercultural effusions were freaking out the old guard, including religious people who couldn’t quite see that yet another Great Awakening was under way in America, heaving up a new religion of believers who “have no option but to follow the road until they reach the Holy City … that lies beyond the technocracy … the New Jerusalem.” That line is from The Making of a Counter Culture: Reflections on the Technocratic Society and Its Youthful Opposition, published three weeks after Woodstock, in the summer of 1969. Its author was Theodore Roszak, age 35, a Bay Area professor who thereby coined the word counterculture. Roszak spends 270 pages glorying in the younger generation’s “brave” rejection of expertise and “all that our culture values as ‘reason’ and ‘reality.’ ” (Note the scare quotes.) So-called experts, after all, are “on the payroll of the state and/or corporate structure.” A chapter called “The Myth of Objective Consciousness” argues that science is really just a state religion. To create “a new culture in which the non-intellective capacities … become the arbiters of the good [and] the true,” he writes, “nothing less is required than the subversion of the scientific world view, with its entrenched commitment to an egocentric and cerebral mode of consciousness.” He welcomes the “radical rejection of science and technological values.” Earlier that summer, a University of Chicago sociologist (and Catholic priest) named Andrew Greeley had alerted readers of The New York Times Magazine that beyond the familiar signifiers of youthful rebellion (long hair, sex, drugs, music, protests), the truly shocking change on campuses was the rise of anti-rationalism and a return of the sacred—“mysticism and magic,” the occult, séances, cults based on the book of Revelation. When he’d chalked a statistical table on a classroom blackboard, one of his students had reacted with horror: “Mr. Greeley, I think you’re an empiricist.” As 1969 turned to 1970, a 41-year-old Yale Law School professor was finishing his book about the new youth counterculture. Charles Reich was a former Supreme Court clerk now tenured at one of ultra-rationalism’s American headquarters. But hanging with the young people had led him to a midlife epiphany and apostasy. In 1966, he had started teaching an undergraduate seminar called “The Individual in America,” for which he assigned fiction by Kesey and Norman Mailer. He decided to spend the next summer, the Summer of Love, in Berkeley. On the road back to New Haven, he had his Pauline conversion to the kids’ values. His class at Yale became hugely popular; at its peak, 600 students were enrolled. In 1970, The Greening of America became The New York Times’ best-selling book (as well as a much-read 70-page New Yorker excerpt), and remained on the list for most of a year. At 16, I bought and read one of the 2 million copies sold. Rereading it today and recalling how much I loved it was a stark reminder of the follies of youth. Reich was shamelessly, uncritically swooning for kids like me. The Greening of America may have been the mainstream’s single greatest act of pandering to the vanity and self-righteousness of the new youth. Its underlying theoretical scheme was simple and perfectly pitched to flatter young readers: There are three types of American “consciousness,” each of which “makes up an individual’s perception of reality … his ‘head,’ his way of life.” Consciousness I people were old-fashioned, self-reliant individualists rendered obsolete by the new “Corporate State”—essentially, your grandparents. Consciousness IIs were the fearful and conformist organization men and women whose rationalism was a tyrannizing trap laid by the Corporate State—your parents. And then there was Consciousness III, which had “made its first appearance among the youth of America,” “spreading rapidly among wider and wider segments of youth, and by degrees to older people.” If you opposed the Vietnam War and dressed down and smoked pot, you were almost certainly a III. Simply by being young and casual and undisciplined, you were ushering in a new utopia. Reich praises the “gaiety and humor” of the new Consciousness III wardrobe, but his book is absolutely humorless—because it’s a response to “this moment of utmost sterility, darkest night and most extreme peril.” Conspiracism was flourishing, and Reich bought in. Now that “the Corporate State has added depersonalization and repression” to its other injustices, “it has threatened to destroy all meaning and suck all joy from life.” Reich’s magical thinking mainly concerned how the revolution would turn out. “The American Corporate State,” having produced this new generation of longhaired hyperindividualists who insist on trusting their gut and finding their own truth, “is now accomplishing what no revolutionaries could accomplish by themselves. The machine has begun to destroy itself.” Once everyone wears Levi’s and gets high, the old ways “will simply be swept away in the flood.” The inevitable/imminent happy-cataclysm part of the dream didn’t happen, of course. The machine did not destroy itself. But Reich was half-right. An epochal change in American thinking was under way and “not, as far as anybody knows, reversible … There is no returning to an earlier consciousness.” His wishful error was believing that once the tidal surge of new sensibility brought down the flood walls, the waters would flow in only one direction, carving out a peaceful, cooperative, groovy new continental utopia, hearts and minds changed like his, all of America Berkeleyized and Vermontified. Instead, Consciousness III was just one early iteration of the anything-goes, post-reason, post-factual America enabled by the tsunami. Reich’s faith was the converse of the Enlightenment rationalists’ hopeful fallacy 200 years earlier. Granted complete freedom of thought, Thomas Jefferson and company assumed, most people would follow the path of reason. Wasn’t it pretty to think so. R. Kikuo Johnson I remember when fantastical beliefs went fully mainstream, in the 1970s. My irreligious mother bought and read The Secret Life of Plants, a big best seller arguing that plants were sentient and would “be the bridesmaids at a marriage of physics and metaphysics.” The amazing truth about plants, the book claimed, had been suppressed by the FDA and agribusiness. My mom didn’t believe in the conspiracy, but she did start talking to her ficuses as if they were pets. In a review, The New York Times registered the book as another data point in how “the incredible is losing its pariah status.” Indeed, mainstream publishers and media organizations were falling over themselves to promote and sell fantasies as nonfiction. In 1975 came a sensational autobiography by the young spoon bender and mind reader Uri Geller as well as Life After Life, by Raymond Moody, a philosophy Ph.D. who presented the anecdotes of several dozen people who’d nearly died as evidence of an afterlife. The book sold many millions of copies; before long the International Association for Near Death Studies formed and held its first conference, at Yale. During the ’60s, large swaths of academia made a turn away from reason and rationalism as they’d been understood. Many of the pioneers were thoughtful, their work fine antidotes to postwar complacency. The problem was the nature and extent of their influence at that particular time, when all premises and paradigms seemed up for grabs. That is, they inspired half-baked and perverse followers in the academy, whose arguments filtered out into the world at large: All approximations of truth, science as much as any fable or religion, are mere stories devised to serve people’s needs or interests. Reality itself is a purely social construction, a tableau of useful or wishful myths that members of a society or tribe have been persuaded to believe. The borders between fiction and nonfiction are permeable, maybe nonexistent. The delusions of the insane, superstitions, and magical thinking? Any of those may be as legitimate as the supposed truths contrived by Western reason and science. The takeaway: Believe whatever you want, because pretty much everything is equally true and false. These ideas percolated across multiple academic fields. In 1965, the French philosopher Michel Foucault published Madness and Civilization in America, echoing Laing’s skepticism of the concept of mental illness; by the 1970s, he was arguing that rationality itself is a coercive “regime of truth”—oppression by other means. Foucault’s suspicion of reason became deeply and widely embedded in American academia. The American experiment has metastasized out of control. Being American now means we can believe anything we want. Meanwhile, over in sociology, in 1966 a pair of professors published The Social Construction of Reality, one of the most influential works in their field. Not only were sanity and insanity and scientific truth somewhat dubious concoctions by elites, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann explained—so was everything else. The rulers of any tribe or society do not just dictate customs and laws; they are the masters of everyone’s perceptions, defining reality itself. To create the all-encompassing stage sets that everyone inhabits, rulers first use crude mythology, then more elaborate religion, and finally the “extreme step” of modern science. “Reality”? “Knowledge”? “If we were going to be meticulous,” Berger and Luckmann wrote, “we would put quotation marks around the two aforementioned terms every time we used them.” “What is ‘real’ to a Tibetan monk may not be ‘real’ to an American businessman.” When I first read that, at age 18, I loved the quotation marks. If reality is simply the result of rules written by the powers that be, then isn’t everyone able—no, isn’t everyone obliged—to construct their own reality? The book was timed perfectly to become a foundational text in academia and beyond. A more extreme academic evangelist for the idea of all truths being equal was a UC Berkeley philosophy professor named Paul Feyerabend. His best-known book, published in 1975, was Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge. “Rationalism,” it declared, “is a secularized form of the belief in the power of the word of God,” and science a “particular superstition.” In a later edition of the book, published when creationists were passing laws to teach Genesis in public-school biology classes, Feyerabend came out in favor of the practice, comparing creationists to Galileo. Science, he insisted, is just another form of belief. “Only one principle,” he wrote, “can be defended under all circumstances and in all stages of human development. It is the principle: anything goes.” Over in anthropology, where the exotic magical beliefs of traditional cultures were a main subject, the new paradigm took over completely—don’t judge, don’t disbelieve, don’t point your professorial finger. This was understandable, given the times: colonialism ending, genocide of American Indians confessed, U.S. wars in the developing world. Who were we to roll our eyes or deny what these people believed? In the ’60s, anthropology decided that oracles, diviners, incantations, and magical objects should be not just respected, but considered equivalent to reason and science. If all understandings of reality are socially constructed, those of Kalabari tribesmen in Nigeria are no more arbitrary or faith-based than those of college professors. In 1968, a UC Davis psychologist named Charles Tart conducted an experiment in which, he wrote, “a young woman who frequently had spontaneous out-of-body experiences”—didn’t “claim to have” them but “had” them—spent four nights sleeping in a lab, hooked up to an EEG machine. Her assigned task was to send her mind or soul out of her body while she was asleep and read a five-digit number Tart had written on a piece of paper placed on a shelf above the bed. He reported that she succeeded. Other scientists considered the experiments and the results bogus, but Tart proceeded to devote his academic career to proving that attempts at objectivity are a sham and magic is real. In an extraordinary paper published in 1972 in Science, he complained about the scientific establishment’s “almost total rejection of the knowledge gained” while high or tripping. He didn’t just want science to take seriously “experiences of ecstasy, mystical union, other ‘dimensions,’ rapture, beauty, space-and-time transcendence.” He was explicitly dedicated to going there. A “perfectly scientific theory may be based on data that have no physical existence,” he insisted. The rules of the scientific method had to be revised. To work as a psychologist in the new era, Tart argued, a researcher should be in the altered state of consciousness he’s studying, high or delusional “at the time of data collection” or during “data reduction and theorizing.” Tart’s new mode of research, he admitted, posed problems of “consensual validation,” given that “only observers in the same [altered state] are able to communicate adequately with one another.” Tart popularized the term consensus reality for what you or I would simply call reality, and around 1970 that became a permanent interdisciplinary term of art in academia. Later he abandoned the pretense of neutrality and started calling it the consensus trance—people committed to reason and rationality were the deluded dupes, not he and his tribe. Even the social critic Paul Goodman, beloved by young leftists in the ’60s, was flabbergasted by his own students by 1969. “There was no knowledge,” he wrote, “only the sociology of knowledge. They had so well learned that … research is subsidized and conducted for the benefit of the ruling class that they did not believe there was such a thing as simple truth.” Ever since, the American right has insistently decried the spread of relativism, the idea that nothing is any more correct or true than anything else. Conservatives hated how relativism undercut various venerable and comfortable ruling ideas—certain notions of entitlement (according to race and gender) and aesthetic beauty and metaphysical and moral certainty. Yet once the intellectual mainstream thoroughly accepted that there are many equally valid realities and truths, once the idea of gates and gatekeeping was discredited not just on campuses but throughout the culture, all American barbarians could have their claims taken seriously. Conservatives are correct that the anything-goes relativism of college campuses wasn’t sequestered there, but when it flowed out across America it helped enable extreme Christianities and lunacies on the right—gun-rights hysteria, black-helicopter conspiracism, climate-change denial, and more. The term useful idiot was originally deployed to accuse liberals of serving the interests of true believers further on the left. In this instance, however, postmodern intellectuals—post-positivists, poststructuralists, social constructivists, post-empiricists, epistemic relativists, cognitive relativists, descriptive relativists—turned out to be useful idiots most consequentially for the American right. “Reality has a well-known liberal bias,” Stephen Colbert once said, in character, mocking the beliefs-trump-facts impulse of today’s right. Neither side has noticed, but large factions of the elite left and the populist right have been on the same team. Conspiracy and Paranoia in the 1970s As the Vietnam War escalated and careened, antirationalism flowered. In his book about the remarkable protests in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 1967, The Armies of the Night, Norman Mailer describes chants (“Out demons, out—back to darkness, ye servants of Satan!”) and a circle of hundreds of protesters intending “to form a ring of exorcism sufficiently powerful to raise the Pentagon three hundred feet.” They were hoping the building would “turn orange and vibrate until all evil emissions had fled this levitation. At that point the war in Vietnam would end.” By the end of the ’60s, plenty of zealots on the left were engaged in extreme magical thinking. They hadn’t started the decade that way. In 1962, Students for a Democratic Society adopted its founding document, drafted by 22-year-old Tom Hayden. The manifesto is sweet and reasonable: decrying inequality and poverty and “the pervasiveness of racism in American life,” seeing the potential benefits as well as the downsides of industrial automation, declaring the group “in basic opposition to the communist system.” Then, kaboom, the big bang. Anything and everything became believable. Reason was chucked. Dystopian and utopian fantasies seemed plausible. In 1969, the SDS’s most apocalyptic and charismatic faction, calling itself Weatherman, split off and got all the attention. Its members believed that they and other young white Americans, aligned with black insurgents, would be the vanguard in a new civil war. They issued statements about “the need for armed struggle as the only road to revolution” and how “dope is one of our weapons … Guns and grass are united in the youth underground.” And then factions of the new left went to work making and setting off thousands of bombs in the early 1970s. Left-wingers weren’t the only ones who became unhinged. Officials at the FBI, the CIA, and military intelligence agencies, as well as in urban police departments, convinced themselves that peaceful antiwar protesters and campus lefties in general were dangerous militants, and expanded secret programs to spy on, infiltrate, and besmirch their organizations. Which thereby validated the preexisting paranoia on the new left and encouraged its wing nuts’ revolutionary delusions. In the ’70s, the CIA and Army intelligence set up their infamous Project Star Gate to see whether they could conduct espionage by means of ESP. The far right had its own glorious ’60s moment, in the form of the new John Birch Society, whose founders believed that both Republican and Democratic presidential Cabinets included “conscious, deliberate, dedicated agent[s] of the Soviet conspiracy” determined to create “a world-wide police state, absolutely and brutally governed from the Kremlin,” as the society’s founder, Robert Welch, put it in a letter to friends. This furiously, elaborately suspicious way of understanding the world started spreading across the political spectrum after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. Dallas couldn’t have been the work of just one nutty loser with a mail-order rifle, could it have? Surely the Communists or the CIA or the Birchers or the Mafia or some conspiratorial combination must have arranged it all, right? The shift in thinking didn’t register immediately. In his influential book The Paranoid Style in American Politics, published two years after the president’s murder, Richard Hofstadter devoted only two sentences and a footnote to it, observing that “conspiratorial explanations of Kennedy’s assassination” don’t have much “currency … in the United States.” Elaborate paranoia was an established tic of the Bircherite far right, but the left needed a little time to catch up. In 1964, a left-wing American writer published the first book about a JFK conspiracy, claiming that a Texas oilman had been the mastermind, and soon many books were arguing that the official government inquiry had ignored the hidden conspiracies. One of them, Rush to Judgment, by Mark Lane, a lawyer on the left, was a New York Times best seller for six months. Then, in 1967, New Orleans’s district attorney, Jim Garrison, indicted a local businessman for being part of a conspiracy of gay right-wingers to assassinate Kennedy—“a Nazi operation, whose sponsors include some of the oil-rich millionaires in Texas,” according to Garrison, with the CIA, FBI, and Robert F. Kennedy complicit in the cover-up. After NBC News broadcast an investigation discrediting the theory, Garrison said the TV segment was a piece of “thought control,” obviously commissioned by NBC’s parent company RCA, “one of the top 10 defense contractors” and thus “desperate because we are in the process of uncovering their hoax.” The notion of an immense and awful JFK-assassination conspiracy became conventional wisdom in America. As a result, more Americans than ever became reflexive conspiracy theorists. Thomas Pynchon’s novel Gravity’s Rainbow, a complicated global fantasy about the interconnections among militarists and Illuminati and stoners, and the validity of paranoid thinking, won the 1974 National Book Award. Conspiracy became the high-end Hollywood dramatic premise—Chinatown, The Conversation, The Parallax View, and Three Days of the Condor came out in the same two-year period. Of course, real life made such stories plausible. The infiltration by the FBI and intelligence agencies of left-wing groups was then being revealed, and the Watergate break-in and its cover-up were an actual criminal conspiracy. Within a few decades, the belief that a web of villainous elites was covertly seeking to impose a malevolent global regime made its way from the lunatic right to the mainstream. Delusional conspiracism wouldn’t spread quite as widely or as deeply on the left, but more and more people on both sides would come to believe that an extraordinarily powerful cabal—international organizations and think tanks and big businesses and politicians—secretly ran America. Each camp, conspiracists on the right and on the left, was ostensibly the enemy of the other, but they began operating as de facto allies. Relativist professors enabled science-denying Christians, and the antipsychiatry craze in the ’60s appealed simultaneously to left-wingers and libertarians (as well as to Scientologists). Conspiracy theories were more of a modern right-wing habit before people on the left signed on. However, the belief that the federal government had secret plans to open detention camps for dissidents sprouted in the ’70s on the paranoid left before it became a fixture on the right. R. Kikuo Johnson Americans felt newly entitled to believe absolutely anything. I’m pretty certain that the unprecedented surge of UFO reports in the ’70s was not evidence of extraterrestrials’ increasing presence but a symptom of Americans’ credulity and magical thinking suddenly unloosed. We wanted to believe in extraterrestrials, so we did. What made the UFO mania historically significant rather than just amusing, however, was the web of elaborate stories that were now being spun: not just of sightings but of landings and abductions—and of government cover-ups and secret alliances with interplanetary beings. Those earnest beliefs planted more seeds for the extravagant American conspiracy thinking that by the turn of the century would be rampant and seriously toxic. A single idée fixe like this often appears in both frightened and hopeful versions. That was true of the suddenly booming belief in alien visitors, which tended toward the sanguine as the ’60s turned into the ’70s, even
. Devil's Sight You gain darkvision out to a distance of 60 feet. Your darkvision can pierce magical darkness. Lesser. Your darkvision extends to 120 feet. Your darkvision extends to 120 feet. Greater. Within the range of your darkvision, you treat darkness as bright light. Ether-Borne Serf You can cast limited unseen servant at will. Lesser. You can cast limited tenser's floating disk at will. You can cast limited tenser's floating disk at will. Ascendant. You can cast unseen servant at will. Eye of the Beholder Prerequisite: 18th level You can cast eyebite at will. Fell Destiny Prerequisite: 18th level Choose a single ability. Any roll lower than 10 is treated as a 10, when making checks for that ability. Fiendish Vigor You can cast false life on yourself at will. Lesser. You can do so as a bonus action. You can do so as a bonus action. Greater. You can cast false life at will. Flayerbrain You can cast detect thoughts at will. You cannot passively detect thinking creatures around you. Greater. You can cast detect thoughts at will. Hag Eyes You can cast detect magic at will. Greater. Your detect magic also ignores invisibility. Your detect magic also ignores invisibility. Ascendant. Your detect magic also grants you truesight. Hands of the Mind Prerequisite: 18th level You are always under the effects of a telekinesis spell. You can only target objects which are not being worn or carried. Lost Eye of the Nothic Prerequisite: 12th level You can cast arcane eye at will. Ascendant. You can move your arcane eye as a bonus action. Mageslayer Hound Prerequisite: 15th level You can cast dispel magic at will, with a range of touch. Master of Many Faces You can cast disguise self at will. Greater. You can cast alter self at will. Nightmare Palate You are immune to disease. Lesser. You can cast detect poison and disease at will. You can cast detect poison and disease at will. Greater. You have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws to avoid being poisoned. You have resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws to avoid being poisoned. Ascendant. You are immune to being poisoned. Noises from Beyond Prerequisite: 12th level You can cast clairvoyance at will, but can only listen. Outsider Step Prerequisite: 12th level You can cast misty step at will when you use your action to Disengage. You cannot move after doing so. Planewalker Prerequisite: 18th level You can cast plane shift at will. You cannot banish a creature in this way. Primordial Pelt You can cast mage armor on yourself at will. Greater. You can cast barkskin on yourself at will. You can cast barkskin on yourself at will. Ascendant. You can cast these spells as a reaction. Redcap Hunger Prerequisite: 12th level You can cast vampiric touch at will. Rune Reader Wit You can cast comprehend languages at will. Lesser. You can cast illusory script at will. You can cast illusory script at will. Greater. You can cast tongues at will. You can cast tongues at will. Ascendant. You can cast limited magic mouth at will. Serpent's Gaze You can cast a limited charm person at will. Ascendant. You can cast a limited suggestion at will. Shadow Skin Prerequisite: 5th level When you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible until you move or take an action or a reaction. Ascendant. You remain invisible even if you move. Twilight Crawler You can cast jump on yourself at will. Lesser. You are always under the effects of spider climb. You are always under the effects of spider climb. Greater. You can cast feather fall on yourself at will. Vile Affinity You can cast grease at will with a range of 10 feet. Lesser. You can cast fog cloud at will. You can cast fog cloud at will. Greater. You can cast stinking cloud at will. Witch Thumbs You can cast detect evil and good at will. Ascendant. You can cast protection from evil and good on yourself at will. Wyld Feet Prerequisite: 5th level Your movement ignores non-magical difficult terrain. Greater. You are always under the effects of longstrider. You are always under the effects of longstrider. Ascendant. You can cast freedom of movement on yourself at will. Unseen Wings Prerequisite: 5th level You can cast levitate on yourself at will. Greater. You can cast fly on yourself at will. Warlock Spell List Cantrips Blade Ward Dancing Lights Friends Mage Hand Mending Message Minor Illusion Thaumaturgy True Strike Level 1 Armor of Agathys Arms of Hadar Bane Charm Person Comprehend Languages Detect Magic Disguise Self Expeditious Retreat False Life Hellish Rebuke Hex Illusory Script Jump Mage Armor Protection from Evil and Good Silent Image Speak With Animals Unseen Servant Witch Bolt Level 2 Alter Self Cloud of Daggers Crown of Madness Darkness Darkvision Enthrall Hold Person Invisibility Levitate Mirror Image Misty Step Ray of Enfeeblement Shatter Spider Climb Suggestion Level 3 Bestow Curse Counterspell Dispel Magic Fear Fly Gaseous Form Hunger of Hadar Hypnotic Pattern Magic Circle Major Image Remove Curse Slow Speak With Dead Tongues Vampiric Touch Level 4 Arcane Eye Banishment Blight Compulsion Confusion Conjure Minor Elementals Conjure Woodland Beings Dimension Door Hallucinatory Terrain Polymorph Level 5 Conjure Elemental Contact Other Plane Dream Hold Monster Scrying Level 6 Arcane Gate Circle of Death Eyebite Mass Suggestion True Seeing Planar Ally Level 7 Etherealness Force Cage Plane Shift Level 8 Demiplane Dominate Monster Feeblemind Glibness Power Word Stun Level 9 Astral Projection Foresight Imprisonment Power Word Kill True Polymorph(Promoted from the diaries by kos) I'm sorry. I simply can't take some of what I'm hearing on cable news as they cover the Clinton win in Puerto Rico and continue to repeat Clinton campaign talking points in her "rationale" to secure the Democratic Presidential nomination. In the past three or four hours I have heard Harold Ickes, Terry McAuliffe, and Bill Schneider (CNN political analyst) repeatedly assert that Clinton is winning the popular vote. I have further heard each refer to the 1972 Democratic nominating process, where Humphrey won the popular vote yet McGovern won the delegates, and McGovern was resoundingly shellacked by Nixon (what that has to do with anything, I don't know, but they're saying it). Yet there was only one caution, from Anderson Cooper, that Clinton's popular vote "lead" over Obama comes with substantial caveats on the part of the Clinton campaign. So I've done my own math. Up-Front Disclosures First, it's important that I clearly spell out what I am and am NOT counting in the math I've done. I've based my calculations on two basic arguments the Clinton campaign is making: That she is more electable in November; That the popular vote she claims to lead is indicative of electability. So here is what I have excluded from MY math: Democrats Abroad Guam Puerto Rico American Samoa Virgin Islands None of these groups/Commonwealths/territories are afforded electors in a general Presidential election. So going with Clinton argument #1 above, they are excluded as electors are not assigned. The Clinton Math Here's what the Clinton camp is basing their assertion on. With the exception of PR, all vote totals were taken from CNN's Election Center. Use the drop-down box to scroll through each state's primary to confirm totals. NOTE: The Puerto Rico estimate is precisely that right now - an estimate. I heard on both CNN and MSNBC that the highest estimated level of turnout was 435,000. I've been VERY generous in this assessment and have given Clinton a 70%-30% victory. This is what the vote totals in PR are based on. CNN reported as well that Clinton is waiting, after the PR vote totals are finalized, to release two new ads touting having gone over 17,000,000 total votes. Her surrogates will continue to push the "Clinton Math", which is now clearly outlined above. Just for giggles, here's what is excluded from the Clinton Math: Alaska Colorado Hawaii Idaho Iowa Kansas Maine Minnesota Nebraska Nevada North Dakota Texas (Caucus only) Washington Wyoming ANY popular votes for Obama in Michigan MY Math Again - my math is based on the two core assertions of the Clinton campaign (electability and popular vote lead). First the primary states: You'll note that I gave "Uncommitted's" popular vote back to Obama because it's ludicrous to assume that NO ONE showed up to vote for Obama (eye roll). Yesterday's ruling regarding Michigan in the Democratic Rules and Bylaws Committee backs me up on this. Under MY primary math, Obama is still slightly behind Clinton in popular votes. But remember - there are FOURTEEN states that held caucuses which are NOT included in any of the math so far. So I went out and did some estimating. Democratic caucus turnout estimates for Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming were found here. I had to stretch on estimates for the remaining three caucus states. I used this mention for Hawaii's turnout estimate, this mention for Texas' caucus turnout, and this mention for Washington's turnout estimate. I recognize that this is imperfect on my part - but at least I'm WAY ahead of Clinton's campaign in that at least I'm trying to base my estimate on some objective, fair fact. So here's my chart: The key thing to look at on this chart is the percentage won by each of Clinton and Obama (pulled from CNN's Election Center) and the estimate of turnout. The "popular votes" (e.g., people who showed up) assigned to each candidate is simply the total turnout estimate multiplied by the percentage won in each caucus state. So you can see, in MY math, the totals for the primary contests and then the totals for the caucus contests. So pulling it ALL together (drumroll please): When you use Clinton's own criteria and apply that criteria fairly, Obama clearly wins the so-called "popular vote". A Closing Note Of course, there's only ONE math that matters: But as long as her campaign wants to distribute misleading (and frankly dishonest), cherry-picked "popular vote" figures, I wanted to set the record straight. Enjoy your Sunday!As speculated, the Marvel NOW! relaunch of X-Men will feature an all-female lineup under the purview of writer Brian Wood and artist Olivier Coipel, as announced Monday morning on USAToday.com. The teaser released a week earlier simply said "XX" and had a double helix, implying the XX chromosome lineup of female (versus XY for male), leading to speculation of which of Marvel's mutants would lead the way into a new age with an all-woman lineup. While the other half of speculation, that the title would shift to "X-Women" was wrong, the lineup for this cast is largely as guessed. Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Rachel Summers, Psylocke, and slight surprise Jubilee adorn the first cover image for the NOW!launching April 2013. In fact, Jubilee is the "main star" of the book, according to USAToday's interview with Wood. "I feel like as far as the X-Men go, the women are the X-Men," Wood explains to USAToday. "Cyclops and Wolverine are big names, but taken as a whole, the women kind of rule the franchise." And Wood is going to be putting these X-Women into a lot of trouble very quickly. Sublime, from Grant Morrison's now-classic run on the series is back, and as a reluctant ally. There are aliens, Sentinels, and ancient sibling rivalries that creep into the present day, as well as love, relationships and sex - everything classic X-stories are made of. While Jubilee is the star, Wood says it won't be a "'Jubilee and friends book.' They're all A-list characters — I've got to make them all shine." Wood also says he's pulling inspiration from two major runs with the mutants of Marvel, he hopes to pull a sense of personal feel from Chris Claremont's classic decades-spanning run, saying he loved " how they related to each other and the stuff they went through personally" in the run. He'll also look to Morrison's New X-Men for more than just the villainous Sublime, saying "It had everything: It had that classic cast doing the classic stuff — very recognizable and big action." While Wood doesn't claim to be the biggest X-fan in the world, he does say it's the only corner of the Marvel Universe he really wants to work in. "That's all I'm interested in writing at Marvel," Wood told USAToday. "Every so often I get asked, 'Is there anything else you want to do?' And I'm like, 'I don't know.' The X-Men are right up my alley — what I'm most comfortable with." More from Newsarama:Got a comment? There's lots of conversation on Newsarama's FACEBOOK and TWITTERFrom Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games Firefly was a science fiction series that aired for one season on the FOX network. Created by Joss Whedon, the series starred Nathan Fillion as Malcolm Reynolds, the captain of a "Firefly"-class spaceship named "Serenity". Throughout the series, Reynolds and his crew travel through a distant solar system, making a rough living on frontier planets as smugglers while fighting various adversaries. The series mixed the "space opera" genre with certain elements of the Western, thus the mix of American Western weaponry with the more modern firepower. The series only aired 11 of its 14 episodes in 2002 before being canceled (the remaining episodes aired in 2003), but would subsequently gain cult status, leading to Whedon continuing the series' plot in the 2005 feature film Serenity. NOTE: The episode numbering is based on the order reflected in the subsequent video releases (the series actually aired out of sequence, see sortable table below.) Episode title Intended order Aired order Channel/Network "Serenity" 1 11 Fox "The Train Job" 2 1 Fox "Bushwhacked" 3 2 Fox "Shindig" 4 6 Fox "Safe" 5 7 Fox "Our Mrs. Reynolds" 6 3 Fox "Jaynestown" 7 4 Fox "Out of Gas" 8 5 Fox "Ariel" 9 8 Fox "War Stories" 10 9 Fox "Trash" 11 13 Sci-Fi "The Message" 12 14 Sci-Fi "Heart of Gold" 13 12 Sci-Fi "Objects in Space" 14 10 Fox The following weapons were used in the television series Firefly: Revolvers Mal's Sidearm (Modified Taurus 85) The signature pistol of Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) in the series is a Taurus Model 85 revolver completely covered by a brass casting to make it resemble a semi-auto handgun. The look of the weapon was based on the Volcanic repeaters used in the Civil War as explained by Firefly creator Joss Whedon in the visual companion book of the series. In the Firefly universe, the gun is a "Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model B". The same prop gun was used for the feature Serenity, but given to a new prop house who made the magazine straight on the bottom, and bulked up the right side plate and added a spring loaded rear sight. This pistol was then held by Fillion in his series Castle. Taurus Model 85 (classic Model) in Blued Finish -.38 Spl One of the two screen-used pistols prior to shooting the pilot A fan painted casting made from a production used stunt gun A closeup of Malcolm's custom revolver in "Serenity" (S1E01). Malcolm pulls his custom revolver in "Serenity" (S1E01). Malcolm threatens Patience (Bonnie Bartlett) in "Serenity" (S1E01). Malcolm with his revolver in "Safe" (S1E05). Malcolm with his revolver in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S1E06). Saffron ( Christina Hendricks ) threatens Mal with his own weapon in "Trash" (S1E11). "Bwah." In "Heart of Gold" (S1E13), Mal takes aim with his handgun. LeMat Revolver Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) also carries a custom sidearm, which is a visually modified single-action LeMat Revolver. LeMat 1861 current reproduction (Cavalry version) -.36 or.44 caliber. Original Hero prop Closeup of Jane's revolver in "Serenity" (S1E01). Jayne with his LeMat and a light in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). Jayne with his revolver in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (S1E06). "Ain't as deceivin' as a low down, dirty... deceiver." Jayne holds the LeMat on Mal and Zoë in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Jayne's disassembled LeMat in "Ariel" (S1E09). Jayne with his LeMat in "The Message" (S1E12). Jayne with his LeMat and Helen (Heather Black) in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Colt Shopkeeper A Colt Shopkeeper is used by one of Patience's henchmen in "Serenity" (S1E01). A shopkeeper Colt is seen in "Serenity" (S1E01). Custom Colt 1860 Army Zoë (Gina Torres) uses a custom Colt 1860 Army in "Serenity" (S01E01). Marcus Grange (Andy Rolfes) kept one as a backup gun in "Safe" (S1E05). Denix based replica of backup revolver carried by Zoe in the series. From Yourprops.com Colt 1860 Army -.44 caliber Marcus Grange ( Andy Rolfes ) with a Colt Model 1861 Navy he kept in his boot in "Safe" (S1E05). Smith & Wesson Model 629 Performance Center Smith & Wesson Model 629 Performance Center revolvers are seen throughout the series. Smith & Wesson Model 629 "Performance Center" with custom weighted barrel and scope rails -.44 Magnum A cop with his S&W 629PC in "Safe" (S1E05). A cop with his S&W 629PC in "Safe" (S1E05). A member of Marco's gang (uncredited) with a S&W 629PC in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Dan Wesson Supermag Jayne loads a Dan Wesson Supermag with a red dot sight before boarding the derelict vessel in "Bushwhacked" (S01E03). He's later seen armed with his LeMat on the derelict though. Dan Wesson Supermag -.455 Super Magnum Jayne loads the revolver. Note the swing-open cylinder, which means this can't be his LeMat. Jayne closes up his revolver. Ruger Redhawk The Head Cop (Joel Steingold) is armed with a stainless Ruger Redhawk in "Safe" (S01E05). Ruger Redhawk, Stainless steel -.44 Magnum The head cop levels his Redhawk at the Grange brothers in "Safe" (S1E05). Note the Ruger-style cylinder latch in this shot. The head cop with his Redhawk in "Safe" (S1E05). Colt New Service Nathaniel Grange (Matthew Ferreira) briefly uses a Colt New Service in "Safe" (S1E05). Colt New Service -.45 caliber Nathaniel Granger with his Colt New Service in "Safe" (S1E05). Colt Official Police One of the cops is armed with a Colt Official Police in "Safe" (S1E05). Colt Official Police - 5" Barrel -.38 Special One of the cops with his Official Police in "Safe" (S1E05). Smith & Wesson Model 10 Nathaniel Grange also briefly uses a nickel-plated Smith & Wesson Model 10 in "Safe" (S1E05). Nickel plated Smith & Wesson M&P with S&W "combat" grips -.38 Special Nathaniel Granger with a Smith & Wesson Model 10 in "Safe" (S1E05). Webley Mk. VI One of the captain's men (uncredited) in "Out of Gas" (S01E08) is armed with a Webley Mk VI. Mal cleans one in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). One of Ranse Burgess' henchmen is also armed with one in "Heart of Gold." Webley Mk. VI -.455 Webley The henchman holsters his Webley in "Out of Gas". The Webley in front of Mal in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Mal lays down the open Webley in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). A henchman with a Webley in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Colt Single Action Army A Single Action Army is also seen notably in "Trash" (S1E11) and "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Colt Single Action Army w/ 7.5" barrel known as the "Cavalry" model. Jayne with an SAA picked off the bodies of Bolles ( Rolando Molina ) and his men in "War Stories" (S01E10). Saffron holds the SAA while in a standoff with Malcolm in "Trash" (S1E11). Saffron's SAA on the ground in "Trash" (S1E11). The Single Action Army on the table while Inara puts the Colt down in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). A reproduction with this brass trigger guard is produced by Uberti. A henchman with an SAA in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Colt Python Wash's personal sidearm is the Colt Python. Alan Tudyk said he thought it was a Colt Cobra in the commentary to "War Stories" (S1E10). However, Tudyk shows considerable taste in weapons by stating he "loved" the revolver. Colt Python -.357 Magnum Zoë checks out the Python before handing it to Wash in "War Stories" (S01E10). Wash (right) fires his Python in "War Stories" (S1E10). Wash with his Python under fire in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Kaylee runs while Wash provides covering fire in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Smith & Wesson Model 15 A Smith & Wesson Model 15 is seen in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13), this ornate, gold-plated revolver with ivory grips was Nandi's (Melinda Clarke) favorite gun, who said it had a history of "violence and crime." At the end of the episode, Petaline (Tracy Ryan) uses it to kill Rance Burgess, the father of her child and Nandi's killer. Smith & Wesson Model 15 -.38 Special Nandi shows off her ornate guns, including the S&W 15, in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13) Nandi picks up the S&W 15 in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). "Say goodbye to your daddy, Jonah." "Heart of Gold" (S1E13) Petaline with the S&W 15 in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Pistols Colt M1911A1 (Stainless) In the series pilot episode "Serenity" (S1E01), Badger's writer (who apparently was typing the conversation in the room) pulls a stainless M1911A1 during the standoff. Nickel Plated M1911A1 Pistol with brown grips -.45 ACP Badger's writer with the M1911A1 in "Serenity" (S1E01). Astra 400 Lawrence Dobson (Carlos Jacott), an Alliance agent that comes onto Serenity, carries an Astra 400 in "Serenity" (S1E01). Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) manages to take it away from him before handing it over to Zoë. Astra 400 - 9 x 23mm Bergmann / Largo Lawrence Dobson, an Alliance Spy that comes onto Serenity, pulls an Astra 400 in "Serenity" (S1E01). Closeup of the Astra in "Serenity" (S1E01). Wildey Magnum A Wildey Magnum is seen in the hands of one of Badger's men in the pilot and also in the hands of Lund (Tom Towles) at a bar Mal decided to start a fight in "The Train Job" (S1E02). .475 Wildey Magnum On the left, a.475 Wildey Magnum is seen in the hands of one of Badger's men in "Serenity" (S1E01). Lund ( Tom Towles ) with his Wildey Magnum in "The Train Job" (S1E02). SIG-Sauer P220 Sport Lawrence Dobson gets a SIG-Sauer P220 Sport out from his bag after he knocks out Book, which is used to threaten both Kaylee and River in "Serenity" (S1E01). When Alliance troops search his cabin in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03), Jayne (Adam Baldwin) either has an identical pistol or kept Dobson's after "Serenity". SIG-Sauer P220 Sport -.45 ACP Lawrence Dobson threatens River in "Serenity" (S1E01). The SIG is used to threaten River in "Serenity" (S1E01). Dobson's P220 Sport on the floor in "Serenity" (S1E01). The SIG is seen in Jayne's cabin in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). Vektor CP1 In "Serenity" (S1E01), Laurence Dobson also gets a two-tone Vektor CP1 from his bag. Dr. Simon Tam (Sean Maher) later gets his hands on it. Vektor CP1 - 9x19mm In "Serenity" (S1E01), Laurence Dobson uses a two-tone Vektor CP1 while threatening River. Dr. Simon Tam with the CP1 in "Serenity" (S1E01). Note the red safety on the trigger, which means this is a regular CP1 rather than the blank-firing variant. Beretta 92FS Commander Harken (Doug Savant) is armed with a reverse two-tone Beretta 92FS in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). In a continuity error, it later turns into another pistol. Reverse Two Tone Beretta 92FS-9x19mm Harken and his squad in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). Harken with his Beretta in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). Beretta 21 Bobcat In "Shindig" (S1E04), a weapons scanner detects a pistol the party guest William Cortland (uncredited) had concealed. He then is seen giving up what appears to be a Beretta 21 Bobcat. Beretta 21 Bobcat in.25 ACP In "Shindig" (S1E04), the party guest William Cortland gives up what appears to be a Beretta 21 Bobcat In "Shindig" (S1E04), Cortland hands off the pistol. Browning Hi-Power The Browning Hi-Power is also used by the Captain (Steven Flynn) in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Browning Hi-Power - 9x19mm The Captain ( Steven Flynn ) holds the Browning HP in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Walther P38 Lacey #1 (Roderick McCarthy) is armed with a Walther P38 in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Walther P38 pistol (manufactured at the Mauser Factory) - World War II dated - 9x19mm Lacey #1 with his P38 in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Colt Model 1908 Pocket Hammerless A nickel-plated Colt Model 1903/1908 Pocket Hammerless is also seen in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless Pistol Blued -.32 ACP Mal spies the holstered Pocket Hammerless on the ATV in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Mal threatens the Captain and his crew in "Out of Gas" (S1E08). "Out of Gas" (S1E08). Colt Government Model 380 In "War Stories" (S1E10), Hoban "Wash" Washburne (Alan Tudyk) takes up what appears to be a Colt Government Model 380. In "Heart of Gold" (S1E13), a Colt Government Model 380 is seen on the table while Malcolm cleans his revolver on the Serenity. Colt Government Model 380 -.380 ACP‎ In "War Stories" (S1E10), Hoban "Wash" Washburne ( Alan Tudyk ) takes up a Colt 380. Shepherd Book with a holstered Colt 380 in "War Stories" (S1E10). "Any well-bred petty crook knows that the small concealable weapons go to the far left of the place setting" Inara holds the Mustang while she talks to Mal in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Star Firestar M-45 with Custom Longslide In "War Stories" (S1E10), the Star Firestar M-45 with a custom longslide is the handgun River took from a frightened Kaylee (Jewel Staite) to shoot the three Skyplex guards before stating, "No power in the'verse can stop me". Star Firestar M-45 with standard slide for comparison -.45 ACP Shepherd Book hands Kaylee the Firestar in "War Stories" (S01E10). Kaylee with the Firestar in "War Stories" (S01E10). In "War Stories" (S1E10), River holds the shiny Star Firestar M-45 handgun. River with the Firestar in "War Stories" (S1E10). Note the compensator. Jericho 941R In a continuity error, Commander Harken's reverse two-tone Beretta 92FS in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03) turns into a two-tone Jericho 941. Dual stainless-steel Jericho 941 pistols are carried by Zoë, notably in "War Stories" (S1E10). Jericho 941 R (two tone early model) - 9x19mm Stainless IMI Jericho 941 R - 9x19mm Harken's Beretta now a Jericho in "Bushwhacked" (S1E03). Zoë loads her Jericho in "War Stories" (S1E10). Zoë with her two Jerichos in "War Stories" (S1E10). Zoë (middle) fires her Jericho in "War Stories" (S1E10). Glock 17 A Glock 17 is seen in the hands of an angry drinker and a corrupt cop. Simon carries the Glock 17L variant with a optics rail and an under-barrel laser-sight attached to it during the assault on the Skyplex. Glock 17 (2nd Generation) - 9x19mm "The Train Job" (S1E02). Womack threatens Shepherd Book with his Glock in "The Message" (S01E12). Glock 17L (Gen 2 Pistol) - 9x19mm Shepherd Book preps the Glock 17L before handing it to Simon in "War Stories" (S1E10). Simon with his Glock 17L in "War Stories" (S1E10). Note the laser module in front of the trigger guard. Dr. Simon Tam on the left holds the Glock that's fitted with a top rail. SIG-Sauer P229 Jayne (Adam Baldwin) carries a SIG-Sauer P229 with stainless-steel slide during the assault on the Skyplex in "War Stories" (S1E10). An interesting note: SIG-Sauer P229 similarly customized was also the weapon of choice for John Casey, Adam Baldwin's character in the series Chuck. Two tone SIG-Sauer P229 Stainless (note lack of rail) - 9x19mm Jayne with his P229 in "War Stories" (S1E10). Although he carried his beloved Vera throughout the assault, he never did fire it, using the P229 the entire time. Jayne fires his P229 in "War Stories" (S1E10) Jayne (left) fires his P229 in "War Stories" (S1E10). Goncz GA A Goncz GA-9 is seen in the hands of one of Niskas Skyplex guards in "War Stories" (S1E10). Jayne also has one on his gun rack in his room. Goncz GA-9 Long Barrel pistol - 9x19mm Ruger Mk II Pistol A Ruger Mk II Pistol is used by Inara in "Trash" (S1E11), only when Saffron (Christina Hendricks) is rifling through the trash for the Lasiter. Malcolm was also seen preparing one in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Ruger Mk II pistol stainless with tapered 6 7/8" barrel -.22LR Inara's pistol includes flash suppressor and targeting 'greeblies' in "Trash" (S1E11). In the original teleplay, Inara's gun was originally called a "Lugar". A shot of the rear of Inara's pistol in "Trash" (S1E11). Malcolm was also seen preparing one in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Sphinx AT380 Saffron (Christina Hendricks) holds a visually modified Sphinx AT380 in "Trash" (S1E11). This was the same gun used by Jason Statham in The One. Sphinx AT380 -.380 ACP Saffron with the modified AT380 in "Trash" (S1E11). Saffron with the AT380 in "Trash" (S01E11). Heckler & Koch VP70 In "The Message" (S1E12), Mal and Zoë's old war buddy Tracey (Jonathan M. Woodward) grabs a Heckler & Koch VP70 on the bridge and uses it to hold off the crew. Heckler & Koch VP70A - 9x19mm Serenity. In "The Message" (S1E12), the VP70 is seen on the left, along with a customized duo-tone M1911A1 and Mossberg 500 Cruiser shotgun on the bridge of not on the trigger. In "The Message" (S1E12), Tracey points the VP70 at Wash when Book, Mal and Jayne agree to turn Tracey over to the Feds. Note the actor's fingeron the trigger. Tracey holds Kaylee hostage with the VP70 in "The Message" (S1E12). Custom M1911 Fendris (Tod Nakamura), one of Womack's men, is armed with what appears to be a custom M1911 in "The Message" (S01E12). The M1911 circled. Walther PPK Two ornate Walther PPK pistols, one gold-plated and the other nickel-plated with pearl grips, are seen in a box owned by Nandi in "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Nandi called the gold one "Chaplain". Stainless Walther PPK with pearl grips -.380 ACP, the one in the show is nickel-plated and heavily engraved. Gold plated Walther PPK with ivory grips, the one in the show has black or brown grips instead. "Heart of Gold" (S1E13). Mal picks up one of the PPKs in "Heart of Gold" (S01E13). Desert Eagle Mark VII In the final episode "Objects in Space" (S1E14), River gets ahold of a nickel-plated Desert Eagle Mark VII, fully loaded and safety off, but no round chambered as Mal had confirmed. It was never fully explained how she obtained it, as it was supposedly locked in Jayne's cabin. Desert Eagle MK VII with nickel finish -.44 Magnum River with the Desert Eagle in "Objects in Space" (S1E14) Mal drops the magazine in "Objects in Space
can ask anyone my name in Gurgaon and they will know."). Unlike his customers, the Gurgaon police seemed to have done their homework well and instead of hauling up the restaurant authorities for overcharging and misleading customers with incorrect advertisements, they rounded up the customers who dared disturb the owner's prosperous and powerful universe. The group of six youngsters, who refuse to name themselves on the blog, turned up at the Lemp Brewpub after the restaurant owners announced on Zomato that they were organising a 'Hawaiian brunch'. When the six turned up they were told there was no Hawaiian speciality as the chef had left following an emergency. Following that, the customers were served with cold, badly cooked food, and several of their orders didn't even come in through the entire course of the brunch. The restaurant staff, also allegedly, kept leching at their female friend. However, outraged by their behaviour, when the six decided to leave, they were slapped with a bill double the amount they should have received. The management threatened them, and the owner turned up with the police presumably to cut such errant customers to size. The police, also possibly stuck in a time warp, couldn't figure out what Zomato was and decided to trash the screengrab that the customers showed them to argue why the Lemp people were wrong. Instead, they rounded up the youngsters, herded them into a police van and took them to the police station. They, however, changed their stance when the youngsters called their parents - who in turn had to do their share of name dropping to secure a release for their children. In a reply to a customer's comment on Zomato, a handle called'restaurant owner's reply', however, rubbishes all claims made in the blog as false and untrue. The reply, doing the rounds of Twitter, also threatens to sue all detractors alleging that the customers are trying to defame the restaurant with no concrete reason. "We will continue to excel and win many other awards which we have already won by Times of India and Zomato," the reply says. It also claims to have 'video evidence' of the customers' misbehaviour and tells the customers that they should be ashamed that they were arrested by the police. Moral of the story? You can neither fall back on reason nor law in Gurgaon. Don't dial 100 in distress, dial the number of the friend who has a MLA for a distant uncle. Read the complete blog entry here. Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.Imagine a telescope array that exceeds the height of the Empire State Building, the Chicago Sears Tower, and Shanghai's World Financial Center combined. That's what astronomers are piecing together about a mile beneath the ice at the South Pole. But this telescope isn't aimed at the sky -- it points to the center of the Earth. The IceCube telescope, developed at the University of Wisconsin with funding from the National Science Foundation, will search for neutrinos generated by the most violent cataclysms in the universe, such as gamma ray bursts, supernova explosions, and other events involving black holes. The neutrinos could hold the key to understanding the origin and physical processes of the highest energy particles in nature. Neutrinos are neutrally charged subatomic particles that are emitted when neutrons transform into protons in nuclear reactions. They travel at close to the speed of light in straight lines from their source and are so small they can pass through solid matter almost undisturbed. But this same trait makes them extremely difficult to detect. Scientists have been looking at doing astronomy studies using neutrinos since the 1950s, but the challenge has been the technology needed to build a a sufficiently sized observatory -- detectors must be very large to detect a significant number of neutrinos. IceCube is being engineered under the ice by deploying thousands of spherical sensors called Digital Optical Modules (DOMs). Using a hot water drill, the DOMs are inserted into holes melted into the ice on "strings" of 60 modules each at depths of 4,700-8,000 feet. It takes about 11 hours to deploy one string of 60 DOMs, with about 200,000 gallons of ice being melted for each hole drilled. IceCube detects the blue light from the nuclear reaction initiated by the direct strike of a neutrino on an atom of ice, and each DOM will have a computer that relays digital data to the surface. Building the IceCube telescope under the Antarctic ice will protect the detector from cosmic rays and other background radiation. Once the detectors are frozen in the ice, they will remain there for about 25,000 years -- the estimated time it will take for that section of the ice to migrate to the Antarctic coast. Although the research team can tweak operations by sending electronic signals to the sensors, no maintenance is possible once they are deployed in the ice. Scientists believe that most of the neutrinos floating around originated about 15 billion years ago, shortly after the birth of the universe. They also theorize that there are now so many neutrinos that they constitute a cosmic background radiation, believed to be the "afterglow" of the Big Bang. New neutrinos are also being produced from nuclear power stations, particle accelerators, nuclear bombs, general atmospheric phenomena, and supernova explosions. IceCube could be a powerful tool to search for dark matter in the universe -- matter that is presumed to exist based on its gravitational effects on visible matter. Astronomers theorize that dark matter makes up 80 percent of matter in the universe. This week, EE Times interviewed Albrecht Karle, a Wisconsin physics professor who is working on the project. The telescope array is about 95 percent constructed, with completion scheduled for 2011 at a total cost of $271 million.Asian Cup: Australia beats UAE 2-0 to reach final as Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson goals set up South Korea re-match Updated Australia has reached the 2015 Asian Cup final after a controlled 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in Newcastle. Goals came from unlikely sources in Trent Sainsbury and Jason Davidson as the Socceroos did what was required in front of 21,079 fans to set up a showpiece final against South Korea. Australia brought Matthew Spiranovic back into the fold after his suspension from the quarter-final, but it was fellow centre-back Sainsbury who got Australia on the board when he nodded home a Mile Jedinak corner in the third minute of the match. The Socceroos looked well on top when full-back Davidson doubled the hosts' lead with his first-ever international goal, side-footing home after Robbie Kruse and Mathew Leckie caused havoc in the box. "It feels unbelievable, especially to do it on home soil, a great turnout tonight and we are happy we got a clean sheet into the final," goal-scorer Davidson said. "We knew that the UAE were going to be tired and give us a fight at the start and the goal was to score as quickly as possible and get as many goals as we could. Sorry, this video has expired Video: Socceroos into Asian Cup final (ABC News) "I think it was a dream start for us. As the game went on I think fatigue kicked in, but we worked hard, kept a clean sheet, all credit to the boys." The UAE impressed in defeat, showing the fight and tenacity - if not the finishing touch - that saw it shock Japan in a penalty shoot-out win in the quarter-finals. Australia will face South Korea, which won the group stage clash between the two 1-0 in Brisbane, in the January 31 final in Sydney. South Korea won its semi-final against Iraq 2-0. Quick Australian goals the difference as UAE shows fight Mark Milligan was the other new face in the team in place of playmaker Mark Bresciano, giving the Socceroos greater stability in the middle. Between the two Australian goals, UAE hit the post through Ahmed Khalil, although the Emiratis struggled to contain the hosts in the early stages. We knew that the UAE were going to be tired and give us a fight at the start and the goal was to score as quickly as possible and get as many goals as we could. Jason Davidson UAE's creative midfielder Omar Abdulrahman was man-marked throughout, but found enough space on the edge of the box to cause trouble, with Ivan Franjic desperately intercepting to prevent a pass to the roaming forward. The Gulf side gradually fought its way back into the match, enjoying greater possession towards the end of the first stanza. Khalil was inches away from a stunning UAE opener in the 51st minute when he let rip from 30 yards out, watching his screamer shot fly narrowly past Mat Ryan's far post. Mabkout then broke down the right to send in a teasing cross which beat Australian and Emirati players alike just a minute later. Kruse countered for Australia, breaking down the left flank to carry the ball 25 metres, but the attack lost momentum as the forward fizzed a shot wide from distance. Australia captain Mile Jedinak received a caution for a nasty tackle on the back UAE playmaker Omar Abdulrahman's calf. More questions were asked of the Australian defence as Davidson tried to hack the ball away from Abdelaziz Sanqour, getting some of the ball as the forward fell to ground in the box. The Socceroos broke forward as Massimo Luongo looked to curl home a finish from the right hand side, but UAE keeper Majed Nasser made a fingertip save to deny the midfielder. A corner was erroneously not awarded in Australia's favour, and more ire towards the referee as Leckie saw a cross in the box palmed behind by the keeper, only for another goal kick to be awarded. Substitute Matt McKay watched a late effort from distance drift wide while Tomi Juric's jinking run and shot at goal failed to find the target as Australia saw out the match to reach the final. Topics: socceroos, soccer, sport, newcastle-2300, nsw, australia, united-arab-emirates First postedA great wrap of the hectic 2015 Ashes series Outgoing Australia captain Michael Clarke has implored curators around the globe to "have the courage" to produce Test match pitches that produce results on the fifth day. No Test in the Ashes went into the fifth day, while the Edgbaston and Trent Bridge matches threatened to finish inside two days, and Clarke says the pitches have a lot to do with the rapid results. "I'd like to see groundsmen around the world – not just here – have the courage to go with what they think is a good cricket wicket," Clarke said. "I think we've seen in the first two Test matches a lot of talk from the media and the commentators … how flat the wickets were, yet those two Test matches were over in four days. "One team won and one team lost. The next three are over in two and a half and three days." Clarke's final press conference covers plenty of ground Clarke says the criticism of the first two pitches, at Cardiff and Lord's, which were slow and low, led to overcompensation from the curators of the remaining Test venues. "I think Test cricket is a five-day battle," Clarke added. "I want to see good and fair cricket for both batters and bowlers. "I think that's the way the game should be played – and, most importantly, I want to see a winner and a loser. "But if the groundsman feels he knows how to produce a good wicket that will be a great battle of Test match cricket then I'd like to see them back themselves and go with that and not be persuaded by what's said in the media or what the commentators say." Quick Single: McGrath slams Aussie pitch preparation Following the Lord's Test where Australia scored 566 in the first innings and won by 405 runs, England captain Alastair Cook said his side wanted to play "on English wickets", and was thereafter greeted with green seaming wickets. But Clarke says it is the fans who are suffering the most with seven days of possible cricket lost this series after the five fast finishes. Clarke addresses The Oval crowd "Cardiff and Lord's, we did see some really good cricket. I'm not saying the wickets were fantastic – don't get me wrong – but we've seen a winner and a loser over four days. "I think the past three Test matches have not been that case. "People have tickets for today to watch a whole day's play and tomorrow, and the same [occurred] for Edgbaston and Nottingham. "The fans of the game deserve to see a really good contest for five days."With my indifference toward publishing in dead trees, my academic career is in serious jeopardy. So I tend to blindly obey suggestions from friends who are making it big time in the academic world. One of these superstars suggested submitting my "Shame and War" paper to WebNet '96. I showed her the final draft. "It looks pretty good, but you should reference this guy in Austria," she said. I couldn't find anything relevant on his site so I didn't add any references. The paper was rejected. I checked the Austrian guy's site more carefully. He was the conference committee chairman. A few days after dissing my paper, the conference folks asked me to teach a tutorial on building relational database-backed Web sites. I said that I had enough people at MIT laughing at me without going to conferences where my paper had been rejected. "We've reconsidered your entry and have decided to accept it." Thus did I fly out to San Francisco to give one 15-minute paper and one 3.5-hour monologue. "Relational databases and the World Wide Web: Automatic generation of hypertext based on reverse-engineered meta information." That sounded like it would be the best talk in the conference. I settled into my plastic chair in the plastic Holiday Inn conference room with high hopes. A young Austrian began to page through some Viewgraphs. "Ve are dumping ze database catalog tables out of ze Oracle system into Microsoft Access. Un dan, ve are using an AWK script to generate ze static files. Ze big challenge is making ze 6 character file names for some operating systems as can't have ze long file names." A man raised his hand. I figured he was going to say "Why didn't you install Oracle WebServer and then get a 10-year-old to write three PL/SQL functions to extract the data from the RDBMS on the fly?" but instead he asked "Why did you use AWK instead of perl?" The Austrian responded "AWK is the only language that I know." The questioning titans of academic computer science in the audience were not to be pushed aside easily. Another man stood up. "But AWK only allows 30-character fields." "Ve are using ze GNU AWK." Come discuss how GNU software is making leading edge CS research possible around the world at this week's G I R L S C O U T B E N E F I T 7th floor playroom December 6, 1996 5:30 pmJake Friend expected to return for Sydney Roosters' semi-final against North Queensland Cowboys Updated The Sydney Roosters are confident hooker Jake Friend can return from bleeding on the lung for Friday's do-or-die NRL semi-final against North Queensland. The tough dummy half suffered a haemothorax in the premiers' round-25 win over Melbourne and missed their final-round victory over South Sydney and Saturday's qualifying-final loss to Penrith. Friend resumed training last week and is set to return to full practice with the team this week, in readiness for the Cowboys clash. Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall said the elimination nature of the contest would spur Friend on. "It is do-or-die football and he has been training this week and fingers are crossed and our hopes are high he will make a full return to training this week," Kenny-Dowall said on Monday. "It was terrible what happened, it is a big injury to come back from. "But Friendy is a tough bloke, he is a key part of the team so the boys get a lot of confidence to see him running around again." Utility Mitchell Aubusson and young gun Jackson Hastings filled in for the Roosters in their win over Souths, but struggled at times against the Panthers. Friend's return would be a huge boost for the Roosters, who will also welcome back Queensland back-rower Aidan Guerra from suspension. "Jake is coming along really well," back rower Boyd Cordner said. "It is obviously well documented that he has started to run and train last week. "I don't know where he is at the moment but he is pretty positive and wants to play. "He hasn't had a team session yet and we'll just have to wait and see with Friendy." AAP Topics: nrl, rugby-league, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First postedTwo Russians prank called Energy Secretary Rick Perry and made him believe he was talking to Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. This isn't Perry's first 'oops' moment. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post) It was a winding, wonkish and occasionally obscure conversation about foreign coal exploration, natural-gas pipelines and pig manure as a power source. But only one of the men on the line — Energy Secretary Rick Perry — held sway over his nation’s energy policy. On the other end of the conversation were Vladimir “Vovan” Kuznetsov and Alexei “Lexus” Stolyarov, who had just added Perry to their list of high-profile hoax victims. “Secretary Perry is the latest target of two Russian pranksters,” Energy Department spokeswoman Shaylyn Hynes said in an email to The Washington Post. “These individuals are known for pranking high-level officials and celebrities, particularly those who are supportive of an agenda that is not in line with their governments. In this case, the energy security of Ukraine.” The man the pranksters hoodwinked is in charge of the government agency that maintains the nation’s stockpile of nuclear warheads and cleans up nuclear waste. During the conversation, which was posted in its entirety on Vesti, a Russian news site, Perry was convinced he was talking to Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, who appears to speak through an interpreter. Perry talked about a potential pipeline across the Baltic Sea for Russian gas, cyberattacks on the U.S. power grid, natural-gas exploration in Ukraine and the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. “I hope that stepping away from the Paris accord will not have any negative impact with our relationship with the Ukraine,” Perry said. “We tried to divorce the politics from this and really just let our record stand, one that I’m very proud of.” Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on June 27 that President Trump "wakes up every day thinking about how to get a better deal," with other countries, whether with the Paris climate agreement or NAFTA. (Reuters) He also talked about a meeting scheduled for August where they would let American business executives talk about extracting oil and natural gas in Ukraine. “What we have seen in Texas is the great increase of productivity, particularly in shale gas because of hydraulic fracturing and the directional drilling,” Perry said. Perhaps the only giveaway about the true nature of the call was a statement the “Ukrainian prime minister” made about a new biofuel invented by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, according to the Pravda Report newspaper. The fuel was made from a mix of home-brewed alcohol and pig manure. Perry said he’d like to get more information about the “scientific development.” The pranksters seemed to get past Perry’s defenses with opportunistic timing. On June 20, Perry hosted Groysman and his delegation at the Department of Energy, a meeting that was widely reported in the Ukrainian press, according to the DOE. Three weeks later, the department received a request for a phone follow-up with the Ukrainian prime minster. That phone call was bogus. So was the lengthier call with Perry that followed on July 19. [In new Princess Diana documentary, her sons recall a rushed final call they’ll never forget] The pranksters say they have a victims’ list that includes several high-profile names: singer Elton John, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Croatian prime minister, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). The rumor-debunking website Snopes has said some of those prank claims are unproven, and points out that if the pranksters can impersonate one person on the phone, they can easily impersonate two. The pranksters called singer Elton John in 2015 claiming to be Russian President Vladimir Putin. The call happened shortly after the singer had criticized the president’s stance on LGBT rights. “We thought it wasn’t likely that Putin would want to meet with him and call, at least not so quickly,” Kuznetsov said, according to the Guardian. “But it turned out that Elton John was really waiting for this call, and so he immediately believed it really was a conversation with the people who we said we were,” he told newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. Elton John was elated about the call with the Russian leader. He posted “an effusive Instagram post in which he thanks the Russian leader for having reached out to him.” He took it down shortly afterward. This post has been updated. Read more: Trump set up a hotline for information about criminal aliens. Twitter trolls took him literally. The perfect meme for the ‘alternative facts’ era: #seanspicersays A comic book nerd won a city council seat — and was sworn in holding his Captain America shield This beauty queen was the face of a fake news website. She says she had no idea.As clearly described in the game's "Additional Info:" details. This game activates on, and requires, Steam. However it also has the additional requirement of needing a US IP to activate on Steam. Keep this in mind if you're buying it as a gift for a non-US friend. Update: I've spent around 6 hours now on the single player campaign. Haven't tried multiplayer yet. The big "thing" with this game is gravity control. It was used well in a few early levels where the entire level is turned 90 degrees one way or the other. Later there is a free-floating zero G section which I found a little confusing as to which way I was meant to proceed. I doubled back on myself a few times after getting disorientated during fire-fights. The game doesn't have a map feature. The AI partner is useful from time to time dealing with the cannon fodder, although in the boss fights tends to get shot to bits and has to be saved from death. Generally this leads to the player's death as you have to leave cover to revive your partner. Only 6 hours in and they repeated the same mini-boss battle several times. I think they could have come up with a different type of unit to fight instead of repeating the same one over and over. The controls are a little jarring (E to zoom?). But you can alter them to your liking so it isn't a big deal. Graphics show the game's console roots but are overall serviceable. No crashes or bugs reared their heads during my time so far with the game. Overall it's an average 3rd person shooter that you've seen a few times before. Gravity manipulation is a fun addition, but most times you're better off shooting your enemy in the head than making them float around in the air. I got it on sale for $10 during the labour day sale and am happy with that price. At the list price of $40, I'm giving it 3 stars. If you can get it under $20, I'd say it's a solid deal and would bump my rating up to 4 stars.2005 studio album by Steven Seagal Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1] Songs from the Crystal Cave is the debut album from actor, musician, and martial artist Steven Seagal, released in 2005 on Nonsolo Blues and Warner Strategic Marketing. Seagal is credited with "Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitar" and appears on the cover and throughout the liner notes emotively playing and posing with a guitar. The style can be described as "outsider country-meets-world music-meets-Aikido." Many of the songs reflect Seagal's esoteric Buddhist and spiritualist stance while also incorporating standard song tropes about relationships and other things. The album features a mix of musical genres, including rock, reggae, and country music.[2] Musicians collaborating on this album include Stevie Wonder and Lady Saw. Seagal has sometimes provided soundtrack music for some of his movies. The track "Don't You Cry", among others was featured in the film Into the Sun. Reviews and responses [ edit ] Sputnikmusic ran a scathing review that labeled the release "worse than Sid Sings" and condemned Seagal's "laughably badly" done guitar playing.[2] Allmusic published a mixed but supportive review, the album's mixture of styles and emotional tones from song to song getting highlighted for criticism as being slipshod and haphazard. However, the review also credited the album for being "endearing in its own way" and presenting the listener with a "good-vibes experience".[2] Track listing [ edit ] "Girl It's Alright" - 3:52 (Steven Seagal, Greg Barnhill) * "Don't You Cry" - 4:59 (Seagal, Barnhill) "Music" - 4:15 (Seagal, Patrick George Barrett) "Better Man" - 4:29 (Seagal, Barnhill) "Route 23" - 4:32 (Seagal) "My God" - 3:59 (Seagal) "Lollipop" - 4:36 (Cover of "My Boy Lollipop." Writing credited to Seagal & Shaun Fisher) "Not for Sale" - 4:58 (Seagal, Fisher) "Dance" - 3:34 (Seagal, Fisher) "Jealousy" - 4:22 (Seagal, Marion Hall) "War" - 3:47 (Seagal, Cleve Laing) "Strut" - 3:06 (Seagal, Hall, Saw) *Best Song "Goree" - 6:00 (Seagal) "The Light" - 4:55 (Seagal) Personnel [ edit ]ON JANUARY 3rd 2001 Mr Greenspan had a new-year gift for America's gloomy financial markets. Outside the normal schedule of its meetings, the Federal Reserve cut the fed funds rate by half a percentage point, to 6%. But the markets' joy did not last long: the dotcom bubble had burst and the economy was already sliding into recession. Get our daily newsletter Upgrade your inbox and get our Daily Dispatch and Editor's Picks. Two and a half years and another dozen cuts later, the fed funds rate was fully five percentage points lower. The Fed had seen one reason after another to ease policy. After the tumble into recession in 2001 came that September's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, DC. By 2003 Mr Greenspan was worrying that America might be on the way to deflation, with prices falling. In June, he says in his book, “deflation was Topic A”. The Fed cut rates to 1%, the lowest since 1958, where they remained for a year. Gradually, the Fed took up the slack, but far more slowly than it had let it out. In quarter-point steps, the fed funds rate was raised to 5.25% by June 2006. It stayed there until September's cut. Now, as America surveys the aftermath of a housing boom and the distress of those unable to make their mortgage payments, it is worth asking what part the Fed played in creating the mess it is trying to clear up. Was monetary policy too loose? Probably the commonest way economists measure the stance of monetary policy is the Taylor rule, named after John Taylor, the Stanford University economist who invented it. The rule is a guide to what interest rates should be, depending on the amount of slack in the economy and the inflation rate. It says that if there is no output gap (ie, if GDP is in line with the economy's capacity) and inflation is equal to the central bank's target, then interest rates should be at a neutral level, causing the economy neither to accelerate nor to slow down. If an output gap opens up, so that GDP outstrips long-run capacity, or inflation rises above target, rates should be above neutral. If there is slack in the economy or inflation dips, policy should be eased. Of course the Taylor rule is only a rough guide. The neutral rate and the output gap, in particular, cannot be measured precisely. But the rule can tell you whether policy is roughly right or a long way out. The Fed missed by a mile. At this year's annual central bankers' symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Mr Taylor ran his own rule over the Fed (see chart 6). Had the central bank followed it, rates in 2002 would have been going up not down. By the time rates started to rise, the gap between the actual rate and that indicated by the Taylor rule was three percentage points. The gap was finally closed only last year—long after fears of deflation had been banished. The Fed has departed from the rule at other times in the past couple of decades, said Mr Taylor, notably in the autumn of 1998, “but this was the biggest deviation, comparable to the turbulent 1970s.” The Taylor rule is not the only gauge of monetary policy. For many central banks, the rapid rate of monetary growth has been a related source of worry. Their discomfort has been amplified by their lack of understanding of how the myriad innovations in finance affect the economy. In Britain and the euro zone, the growth in money and credit has been in double digits. One measure at a global level is American base money plus global foreign-exchange reserves, which picks up the contribution of China's build-up of reserves. This has recently been growing by more than 10% a year, at times breaching 20%. Economists can argue each other to a standstill over how precisely money indicates inflation. The ECB still formally rests part of its policy on the long-run correlation between broad-money growth and inflation. Many American economists are sniffy about the whole idea because money gives such a noisy signal. Long before it tells you anything, they believe, other indicators will have shown that inflation is gathering pace. Yet others, such as Mr King of the Bank of England, take a more nuanced position. In some circumstances, he believes, money and credit will give an earlier sign of inflation than other indicators do. You would be foolish to ignore it entirely. Charles Goodhart, of the London School of Economics, and a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, thinks the debate would shift if inflation were properly measured. Monetary growth is more likely to go with rapid rises in asset prices than with inflation in goods and services. “If inflation is (incorrectly) measured to exclude all asset-price inflation,” Mr Goodhart concludes, “then the links between money growth and (true) inflation may be understated.” In any event, when the Fed started cutting rates America's housing market was already vibrant, despite the weakening of the economy as a whole. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of national home prices, the broadest measure of the American market, was rising at a rate of nearly 10% a year. Though the pace slowed in 2001, a poor year for the economy, the market was soon bounding ahead again (see chart 7). In most markets, when prices go up, demand goes down. Housing can be different. People bought not just for the comforts that a house could offer or for the rent that it might yield, but in the expectation that prices would keep on rising. As the belief that you could not lose took hold, buying property for investment rather than for somewhere to live accounted for a rising share of the market. People even started “flipping”, buying homes still on the drawing board with borrowed money in the hope of selling again quickly at a profit. Housebuilders responded to the surge in demand. The number of housing starts jumped from 1.5m, at an annual rate, in August 2000 to a peak of 2.3m in January 2006. In 2005 housing construction accounted for 6.2% of GDP, the highest share since 1950. The wrong price sensitivity Although the Fed's easing of policy helped to make housing finance cheaper, it was not the only factor. Curiously, mortgage rates stayed low even after the central bank had started to increase official rates. The immediate reason was that the price of mortgages does not depend directly on official short-term rates but on the longer-term rates at which lenders can secure funding. Longer-term rates did not rise in step with the fed funds rate: ten-year Treasury bond yields even declined at times, posing what Mr Greenspan called a “conundrum”. But that just raises another question: why did long-term rates not go up when the fed funds rate did? One possible explanation is that markets had faith in the Fed's ability to rein in inflation in the long term, even though policy was on the loose side. However, financial globalisation may have counted for more. America borrows from abroad on a grand scale: last year its current-account deficit soared to over 6% of GDP. And the rest of the world—especially emerging Asian economies and oil exporters—was more than happy to save and lend. In 2005, when he was a Fed governor during Mr Greenspan's chairmanship, Mr Bernanke dubbed this a “saving glut”. Desired saving in emerging economies had gone up, he suggested, for three reasons. After the Asian crisis of 1997-98 emerging economies had become determined to accumulate foreign reserves and resist exchange-rate appreciation. Rising crude oil prices had filled oil exporters' coffers and Chinese saving rates rose even faster than investment. This extra desired saving in emerging economies had to be accommodated somehow, because in the world as a whole saving and investment must balance. That implied lower saving relative to investment in developed countries, and lower real interest rates. In effect, oil exporters and Asian savers were pushing down American mortgage rates. These credit-cheapening forces helped subprime borrowers to join the housing party, as did the speed with which house prices climbed. The poor by and large find it much harder to borrow than the rich because lenders are less sure about their ability to repay. But lenders look more kindly on borrowers who offer collateral, such as a house. The more valuable the collateral, the more willing they are to lend. Developments in the financial industry also made lenders more willing to extend risky credit. As prices soared and interest rates stayed low, delinquency rates remained low too. Subprime debt looked an excellent investment. A bad time to buy With everyone sure of a winner, standards slipped—a common failing in a craze. Some lenders did not look closely enough at their borrowers. Many borrowers had no idea of how much they might be asked to pay once interest rates picked up and their introductory teaser rates ran out. The unravelling of all this is proving painful. Housing construction once helped drive the American economy along. Now it has been a big drag for more than a year and is likely to remain so for a while yet. Had the Fed acted differently, would the boom and bust have been less marked? At Jackson Hole Mr Taylor said it would. He reckons that the Fed's policy explains housing starts fairly well until mid-2004, when interest rates started to rise; by then, the boom had its own momentum. Under the Taylor rule, starts would have peaked sooner—around two years earlier than happened in real life—and at a much lower level. Mr Taylor's argument, in essence, is that the Fed fuelled the housing boom by taking its eye off inflation. Some economists, however, believe that even when inflation is low, there is a danger that asset prices will get out of hand. Low inflation could even help to set them off. In a paper last year Claudio Borio, an economist at the Bank for International Settlements, mused on a puzzle. Despite the remarkably strong growth in monetary and credit aggregates, inflation around the world has been subdued. That could be taken as confirmation that central banks have mastered the secrets of the world economy. But Mr Borio and his colleagues at the BIS (not to mention a few central bankers) are not so sure. He suggests that financial liberalisation, credible anti-inflationary monetary policies and globalisation have changed the way the world economy works in ways that no one quite understands. They are all good things, separately or together, but may require central bankers to refine their policies—and specifically to pay more attention to financial imbalances and the risk of asset-price bubbles. Financial liberalisation has meant that more people have easier access to credit. This has allowed resources to be better allocated. But there are also fewer constraints on the forces that can cause booms to feed on themselves. For example, rising asset prices can generate more demand, not less. Investors see little risk when markets are near their peak. And yet, in hindsight, that is precisely when the risks of something going awry are at their greatest. It is well known, says Mr Borio, that high inflation can disrupt economies and cause financial instability. But financial imbalances can also build up when inflation is low—as it was in America in the late 1920s or Japan in the 1980s. A technological advance, say, can set off investment booms. Awkwardly for central banks, if they have done a good job of anchoring inflation expectations at a low level, wages and prices might not rise to hold down demand. Mr Borio and Philip Lowe, now at the Reserve Bank of Australia, have called this behaviour a “paradox of credibility”. If inflation stays low, then central banks will have no need to tighten rates and hence may allow financial imbalances to build up. Leaning machines Meanwhile, globalisation can set off a boom, in much the same way that a technological innovation can. By pushing down inflation for a while, it may reinforce the credibility of monetary policy. If it causes inflation to dip below a central bank's target, it may even prompt a cut in interest rates, making a credit and asset-price boom more likely. All this implies that it is not enough for central banks to focus on controlling inflation in the near term; it would also be desirable for them to lean against credit and asset-price booms that appear unsustainable, as a form of insurance against a bust further down the road. The idea has a pedigree: BIS economists, in particular, have been arguing along
been Mezonos. The Mishna Brurah 208:3 writes that when the grains are reduced and broken down in the process of cooking – they are a Mezonos – even if they were once whole in the beginning. Today, however, most of the granola bars are made out of whole oats, baked until softened and then are mixed with other sweeteners and ingredients. If water is added, it is only sprayed on and they are not mixed together like the original ones were. THE GREAT DEBATE So what is the halacha? Both Rabbi Belsky zt”l and lbc”l Rav Hershel Schachter are quoted by the OU as saying the blessing on Nature Valley Granola Bars is HaAdama. Rav Heineman is quoted by the Star K Kashrus Kurrents (Winter of 2012 edition Vol. 32:1 note 14) as saying that it is Mezonos. Uh, oh. We now have a Machlokes. BACKGROUND Let’s now get a background in the halacha. The Gemorah in Brachos (37a) states that the bracha for raw grain would be HaAdama. What is encompassed within the notion of raw grain? Tosfos (DH HaKoses) writes that a kernel of grain is still considered raw – even if it is cooked or roasted whole. The Bracha is HaAdama. The Rosh (6:9), the Rambam (3:2) and Rabbeinu Yonah (Brachos 25b DH Chavitz), Rosh (Brachos 6:9) all agree with this Tosfos (See also SA OC 208:4). When would grains be considered a Mezonos? Tosfos writes that if it the grain was thoroughly crushed in the cooking process of cooking it would be a Mezonos. Rabbeinu Yonah writes that it is only a mezonos if the kernels of the grain are both crushed and stick together as a result. The Rambam writes that it is only a Mezonos if it was crushed and then cooked. The Rambam’s view is the subject of a debate between the Mogain Avrohom and other Acharonim. The Mogain Avrohom (208:2) understands the Rambam that it is only a mezonos if it was dehusked and then cooked. The Pri Magadim seems to disagree. The Mishna Brurah (208:3) rules that even if the grain started out whole but was crushed in the cooking process it is still a Mezonos. In his Shaar Hatziyun (208:9), the Mishna Brurah writes that if the shell was removed and the grain stuck together the Bracha would be a mezonos. However, if the shell was removed and the grains weren’t crushed and didn’t stick together, the Mishna Brurah (208:15) writes that the Bracha is a machlokes – it is a debate between the Rambam and Talmidei Rabbenu Yonah. THE INSIDE INFO Plugging all of this back into our oat bars – someone familiar with the process explained that the oats are semi crushed but not completely crushed. They are somewhat sticky but not completely sticky and do not really stick together on their own without the other ingredients being added. And so, we have no resolution between the OU position and the Star K position. Boruch Hashem, however, Rav Moshe Feinstein ruled (IM IV $45) that either blessing could be recited. PROBLEM OF THE BRACHA ACHARONA Another issue is the after-blessing. Do we make an al hamichya or a borei nefashos? This, of course, would depend upon what the first blessing was. In order to make an al hamichya, however, it is necessary to eat a full kezayis in the time called bichdei achilas pras. This is generally assumed to be 4 minutes. The Nature Valley Granola bars come two bars to a package. One package alone is actually less than a kezayis of oats. So, in order to ensure that one not have to recite an al hamichya – one should wait a period of four minutes in between the two bars. This author is of the opinion that the correct blessing is haAdama and Borei Nefashos – but each reader should check with his own Rav or Posaik. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.comA councillor has stepped down after sexual harassment allegations involving the Scottish Youth Parliament were reported to the police. Jordan Linden, who represents the SNP on North Lanarkshire Council, has stepped aside from his role after police were called in by the Scottish Youth Parliament - comprised of around 150 young people, aged between 14 and 25. Mr Linden, 22, has stepped down from the SNP opposition in North Lanarkshire and has denied any wrong-doing. He said: “I’ve been cleared of wrong-doing already; the allegations are false. “I hope the police will act against those who are spreading lies against me. “I have stepped aside from the SNP until the matter is resolved.” A spokesperson for the SNP said: “We have contacted Police Scotland and they tell us there is no named individual currently under investigation.” Police Scotland have been contacted by the Scottish Youth Parliament over “possible inappropriate conduct by some of its members and former members”.Meet a Roadrunner: Grad student Reuben Aleman helps UTSA student veterans succeed Reuben Aleman (March 15, 2017) -- Meet Reuben Aleman ’12. After bravely serving our country in Iraq, this Roadrunner is now studying and working at UTSA to help service members and veterans across the university. Aleman works as a registrar officer in the UTSA Veterans Certification Office on the Main Campus. The office helps service members and veterans receive their federal educational benefits by sending certification of enrollment to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Aleman and his team also act as a liaison for the UTSA Student Veterans Association on campus. “We help student veterans get the assistance they need to achieve their personal, professional and educational goals,” said Aleman. The responsibility is personal for Aleman, who served two tours in Iraq. His first deployment was in 2003. He went back in 2009. He currently serves in a local reserve unit. A husband and father, Aleman decided to enroll in UTSA’s top-tier history program in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts after returning from his second tour in Iraq. He graduated from UTSA with a bachelor’s degree in 2012 and is currently working on completing his graduate degree in history. “All the professors in the UTSA Department of History are great and very helpful,” said Aleman. “I have received a lot of support from the faculty here as I navigated through the history coursework.” Aleman said he is working with Jerry Gonzalez, assistant professor of history, to study race and immigration in the Southwest borderlands. Aleman is also researching eugenics within San Antonio for his senior seminar project. He said he was drawn to this project because he feels our city’s past is more than the battle of the Alamo and military history. Aleman said his experiences as an employee and student at UTSA have been rewarding. “I would tell a current or future Roadrunner to take advantage of all the resources available to them,” said Aleman. “All the tools for success are here at UTSA.” - Kara Mireles ------------------------------- Do you know a Roadrunner who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu so that we may consider your suggestion for our next installment of Meet a Roadrunner. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4131749724001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFAsZ1c~,8MkVRvW0DmZwI4LJ2h0unIIPQc7pwokO&bctid=4412035139001 FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons who are set to open the exhibition season against the Tennessee Titans at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Georgia Dome, released their first official depth charter under first-year head coach Dan Quinn. There are a few surprises. Chris Chester is listed ahead of Jon Asamoah as the starting right guard. 073115 FLOWERY BRANCH: Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins (left) and safety Kemal Ishmael take the field for the first day of training camp on Friday, July 31, 2015, in Flowery Branch. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com Also, tight end Levine Toilolo, who was the starter last season, is listed as the No. 3 tight end behind Jacob Tamme and Tony Moeaki. Rookie defensive end/linebacker Vic Beasley is listed as the starter at defensive end. http://bcove.me/esz9gt75 OFFENSE WR 11 Julio Jones, 85 Leonard Hankerson, 87 Marquez Clark, 19 Carlton Mitchell LT 70 Jake Matthews, 79 Tyler Polumbus, 77 Matt Huffer, 74 Eric Lefeld, 76 Lamar Holmes LG 68 Mike Person, 66 Peter Konz, 67 Adam Replogle C 61 Joe Hawley, 62 James Stone, 63 Valerian Ume-Ezeoke RG 65 Chris Chester, 75 Jon Asamoah, 64 Jared Smith RT 73 Ryan Schraeder, 72 Jake Rodgers, 76 DeMarcus Love, 69 Pierce Burton TE 83 Jacob Tamme, 81 Tony Moeaki, 80 Levine Toilolo, 82 Mickey Shuler, 86 DJ Tialavea WR 84 Roddy White, 17 Devin Hester, 16 Justin Hardy, 14 Eric Weems, 15 Nick Williams, 89 Bernard Reedy QB 2 Matt Ryan, 13 TJ Yates, 12 Sean Renfree RB 24 Devonta Freeman, 26 Tevin Coleman, 35 Antone Smith, 33 Terron Ward,34 Jerome Smith, 38 Michael Ford FB 42 Patrick DiMarco, 39 Collin Mooney http://bcove.me/mam1udtm DEFENSE DE 44 Vic Beasley Jr., 71 Kroy Biermann, 93 Malliciah Goodman, 90 Stansly Maponga DT 77 Ra’Shede Hageman, 95 Jonathan Babineaux, 97 Grady Jarrettm 65 Warren Herring NT 96 Paul Soliai, 74 Joey Mbum 92 Ricky Heimuli, 91 Derrick Hopkins DE 94 Tyson Jackson, 99 Adrian Clayborn, 98 Cliff Matthews, 79 Sam Meredith LB 52 Justin Durant, 59 Joplo Bartu, 51 Marquis Spruill, 49 Derek Akunne LB 55 Paul Worrilow, 54 Nate Stupar, 53 Allen Bradford LB 56 Brooks Reed, 50 O’Brien Schofield, 41 Tyler Starr, 46 Boris Anyama CB 23 Robert Alford, 32 Jalen Collins, 27 Kevin White, 40 Jonathon Mincy CB 21 Desmond Trufant, 20 Phillip Adams, 22 Dezmen Southward, 28 Akeem King S 37 Ricardo Allen, 29 Sean Baker, 48 Robenson Therezie, 43 Terell Floyd S 25 Wiliam Moore, 36 Kemal Ishmael, 30 Charles Godfrey, 45 Damian Parms SPECIALISTS K 3 Matt Bryant KO 5 Matt Bosher P 5 Matt Bosher KR 17 Devin Hester, 14 Eric Weems PR 17 Devin Hester, 14 Eric Weems LS 47 Josh Harris H 5 Matt Bosher TRAINING CAMP 2015 -- CAMP QUINN Julio Jones adds another gear to his speed Brooks Reed slowed by hip strain Julio Jones has no update on his contract status Matt Ryan: Falcons have to get ball to Devin Hester Jacob Tamme believes Falcons can have a dynamic offense Matt Ryan sees new offensive attack coming together Devonta Freeman-Tevin Coleman competition heats up on second day of camp MARK BRADLEY COLUMN: Dan Quinn's plan for the Falcons: 'Outhit people' Veterans determined to rebound in 2015 POSITION BY POSITION LOOK AT THE TEAM Monday – Wide receivers Tuesday – Quarterbacks Wednesday – Running backs Thursday – Fullbacks/Tight ends Friday – Offensive line (Addition of DeMarcus Love on Wednesday) Saturday – Defensive line Sunday – Linebackers Monday – Cornerbacks Tuesday – Safeties Wednesday – Special teamsThis week is shaping up to be one of the most consequential of President-elect Donald Trump’s transition, as senators prepare to consider as many as eight Cabinet nominees in committee. Republicans are under fire from Democrats and ethics officials for scheduling confirmation hearings before investigators complete a background examination for each nominee, a precedent that goes back decades. But Sunday, Republican leaders vowed to press ahead, saying there are no plans to change the schedule. Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus on Jan. 8 said confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet ought to proceed as scheduled. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that Democrats should “grow up and get past” the election result. “We confirmed seven Cabinet appointments the day President Obama was sworn in,” he said, noting Republicans were in a comparable position in 2009. “We didn’t like most of them, either. But he won the election,” McConnell said. “So all of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration at having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks to Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on January 4 in Washington. (Zach Gibson/AFP via Getty Images) YOUR GUIDE TO THE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS Prepare yourself — things are about to get confusing on Capitol Hill. Here’s which committee is considering which nominee: Tuesday Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), for attorney general. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Gen. John Kelly (Ret.), for homeland security secretary Wednesday Sessions hearing continues Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rex Tillerson, for secretary of state Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Mike Pompeo, for CIA director Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Betsy DeVos, for education secretary Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Elaine Chao, for transportation secretary Thursday Tillerson hearing expected to continue Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Wilbur Ross, commerce secretary Senate Banking, House and Urban Affairs, Ben Carson, housing and urban development secretary Tentatively Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Andrew Puzder, labor secretary The packed schedule prompted this critical tweetstorm from Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz (D): 1) Simultaneous hearings on cabinet nominees make it physically impossible for most of us, on multiple committees, to advise and consent. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 8, 2017 2) Add to that the lack of a full disclosure of the standard ethics information, and we are being asked to rubber stamp a cabinet. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 8, 2017 3) The current plan is for these hearings to be more brief than usual, without multiple rounds of questions. — Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 8, 2017 For an up-to-date guide to details of the confirmation hearings, bookmark this page. ON THE CALENDAR: TRUMP NEWS CONFERENCE, BUDGET VOTE-A-RAMA It’s been six months since Trump held a news conference, and now, he’s finally expected to submit to open questioning from the press on Wednesday. As our colleague Dan Balz wrote this weekend, the timing means Trump will receive pointed questions about Russian interference in the election — a topic Trump’s team is trying strenuously to avoid. Complicating matters Wednesday, the Senate will consider its first budget resolution of the new Congress. This means one thing: a vote-a-rama expected to go late into the night, involving dozens of amendment votes, since any senator can offer an amendment on any issue.Naughty Elves is a Christmas themed 2D pixelart puzzle game. Your goal is to help Santa Claus to get back the presents from the naughty elves who want them all for themselves. You better watch out, you better not cry You better not pout, I'm telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town ... but wait, what's this: His minions have stolen all the gorgeous presents because they want them all for themselves! It is time for a hero to help Santa get back the presents from these Naughty Elves. Hit the elves with a snowball to knock them out! Make use of the environment to reach them in their tiny huts! Get back the presents so the children of the world can celebrate a merry Christmas! Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry Better not pout, I'm telling you why Santa Claus is actually coming to town!Supposedly, the EPA follows the scientific consensus. But, of course, once the EPA has adopted an agenda, the chances they will change or reverse their policies because of mere scientists are pretty low. Like the CDC, the EPA effectively claims to be The Voice Of Science. They don’t just dictate to us what science demands, they also dictate policy and conclusions to scientists. Right now, the EPA is moving to unilaterally mandate lower carbon emissions, despite the fact that the technology for following their orders is expensive and unproven. The EPA released a proposal in September that would set emissions caps for new coal-fired power plants and would likely require the industry to use carbon-capture technology, which involves burying the carbon underground. Critics of the proposed rule say the technology, which is still under development, is too expensive, not commercially available and poses safety risks. The EPA’s mandate is based on a theory of global warming that is contrary to the facts, cannot be argued for on any evidence, and constantly making false predictions. To deal with this situation, The EPA seems for be following the Reddit.com model for handling debate. In other words, they are stifling and censoring divergent points of view. Republican leaders on the House Science Committee are accusing the Environmental Protection Agency of disregarding science in its push to impose carbon dioxide limits on power plants. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and 20 other Republican lawmakers sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy on Thursday, claiming the agency has “muzzled” members of its independent science advisory board. […] The lawmakers claim the agency is ignoring dissenting voices on its science advisory board, which recommended a review of the science underpinning the newest power plant rule. […] “We are concerned about the agency’s apparent disregard for the concerns of its science advisors,” the lawmakers wrote. “Science is a valuable tool to help policymakers navigate complex issues. However, when inconvenient facts are disregarded or when dissenting voices are muzzled, a frank discussion becomes impossible.” The idea that the EPA is some kind of honest appraiser of current scientific consensus is simply a myth. They are captured by politics and they are a means for politicians to capture scientists—to decide which opinions matter and to reward the compliant while they muzzle the independent voices. They don’t base their policy on scientific consensus. The EPA manufactures consensus to fit their preferred policies. It is not about truth. It is about power and wealth.Williamsburg, Va. IN voting last month to eliminate financing for the United States Institute of Peace, members of the House of Representatives did not do their research. You will find the institute’s competent work behind practically every American success in Iraq and Afghanistan. It has undertaken missions from the Balkans and Sudan to the Philippines and Somalia, where I supported the institute’s efforts to mediate conflicts, promote the rule of law and encourage democracy. This week, as the Senate considers alternatives to the House budget bill, we should remember that the stakes for national security and peace-building are high. The institute was created in 1984, when the cold war was still at its height. Congressional leaders guided by Senator Spark M. Matsunaga, a Hawaii Democrat, saw the need for an institution that would strengthen the nation’s ability to limit international violence and manage global conflict. President Ronald Reagan signed the act creating the institute. A bipartisan majority of Congress has supported it since — until now. The Institute of Peace is like the Marine Corps or special forces for foreign affairs and peace-building. When others are fleeing conflict around the world, you’ll usually find institute staff members going in. They were working in Afghanistan before 9/11 and were among the first nonmilitary personnel on the ground after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The institute’s headquarters in Baghdad has twice been damaged by rocket and mortar attacks. At the height of the Iraq insurgency, when virtually every other American and international group pulled out their personnel, the State and Defense Departments requested that the institute stay. Under fire regularly, it was the only United States organization outside of those departments that did not flee Baghdad. But the institute’s value goes beyond the bravery and commitment of its staff. In 2007, when the Army’s 10th Mountain Division arrived in Mahmudiya, a city of half a million in the “triangle of death” dominated by Al Qaeda south of Baghdad, officers asked the institute to mediate between Shiite civil authorities and the Sunni sheiks who controlled the area. Institute-trained negotiators convened warring Iraqis to consolidate security, restore services, develop the local economy, enhance local governance and improve the rule of law. Gen. David H. Petraeus called it a turning point in the war. Advertisement Continue reading the main story In the six months before the institute’s intervention, there had been 93 attacks on American forces in the area with homemade bombs; in the six months after, just one. Mahmudiya became a cornerstone of peace in the district, allowing the Army to reduce its strength from a brigade combat team of 3,500 soldiers to a battalion of 650, with corresponding savings and reductions in casualties. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. In Afghanistan, the institute conducts mediations on issues from refugees to property and water disputes. In the last year, these operations have resolved 18 tribal disputes throughout the country, mostly involving the abuse of women, and included 30 training programs for government officials, lawyers, mullahs, tribal councils and community leaders. The network is even supporting dialogue along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the earth’s most dangerous frontier — home to Taliban and Qaeda attacks and a wellspring of religious and political extremism. Congress would be hard-pressed to find an agency that does more with less. The institute’s entire budget would not pay for the Afghan war for three hours, is less than the cost of a fighter plane, and wouldn’t sustain even 40 American troops in Afghanistan for a year. Within the budget, peace-building is financed as part of national security programs, and is recognized as an important adjunct to conventional defense spending and diplomacy. The institute’s share of the proposed international affairs budget, $43 million, is minuscule: less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the State Department’s budget, and one-hundredth of 1 percent of the Pentagon’s.Daily server-side tweaks to continue to improve time to get into games A Content Update tomorrow that addresses some campaign fixes and scoring issues Content Updates and server side tweaks over the next week focused on matchmaking I’d like to take a moment to address the state of matchmaking in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and tell you what we’re doing about it.Players have expressed frustration at poor matchmaking times, or bad experiences in general. This is something we are working 24/7 to isolate and fix. Since launch, we have done a number of daily server-side tweaks to improve this experience and our data indicates these adjustments have helped considerably, but the state is still far from where it needs to be.Over the past 48 hours, we believe we have identified the primary matchmaking issue, and are working on a solution right now. In the meantime, we’ll be rolling out additional tweaks over the next days to further improve the experience while we ready this solution. We are monitoring the data and working on tweaks that should continue to improve your matchmaking experience while we prep. In addition, we’ll be releasing a game Content Update tomorrow that will address non-matchmaking related issues. For more details, please visit our support FAQ on our forums that is being updated in real-time: http://www.aka.ms/TMCC An additional measure you will see take effect today, is that we’ve decided to trim the hopper list to allow us to drive population to those that are functioning the best – this will serve to further increase the speed with which you find games. We will bring the other hoppers back online as things improve, but our primary focus right now is getting you into matches. For details on which matchmaking playlists are being temporarily taken offline, please visit our support FAQ here: http://www.aka.ms/TMCC We are doing everything we can on an hourly basis to improve the experience, while we work on our solution. In the meantime, we’ve found a few things looking at the data that can help you a little as well. We’re seeing successful match times from anywhere from 15 seconds to 4 minutes. 4 minutes is a long time to wait for a match, but don’t quit out too quickly as it will come. If you haven’t found a match within about 4 minutes, please exit the search and restart, as this will reset the parameters and increase the likelihood of entering a match. I realize this isn’t ideal, but it’s temporary while we sort things out.I’d like to personally apologize to you all for the current situation. I can assure you we’re attacking this from all directions from 343 Industries to the Xbox platform, and we won’t rest until it’s what it should be. People are reporting improvements across the board, which is great, but we’re not backing down until we finish this fight.Here’s a bit more information on what to expect next week in terms of MCC updates:Dan AyoubExecutive ProducerAaron David Miller is vice president for new initiatives and a distinguished scholar at the Wilson Center, and the author of The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have (and Doesn’t Want) Another Great President. Richard Sokolsky is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a former member of the Secretary of State's Office of Policy Planning. In our combined 50-plus years at the State Department, neither of us ever witnessed as profound a humiliation as a sitting president handed his secretary of state Sunday morning. “I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” the president tweeted. “Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!” Story Continued Below Even if they’re playing good cop-bad cop, this is a shocker: Donald Trump is basically announcing that any negotiations with North Korea are worthless. This not only undercut Tillerson personally, but also undermines U.S. interests and the secretary of state’s sensible decision to talk to the North Korean regime. To make matters worse, all of this is occurring while Tillerson is in Beijing to prepare for the president’s trip to China next month—so the president kneecapped his own top diplomat in front of America’s chief rival in Asia. Is this the final straw for Tillerson? The secretary of state clearly has not helped himself. Through his budget cuts, his focus on departmental reorganization at the expense of appointing assistant secretaries, his reliance on a tiny inner circle of outsiders and his maladroit use of the press, Tillerson has isolated himself within his own department. The Beltway foreign policy blob has already written him off as the worst secretary of state in history, and clearly others are hovering (U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley says she doesn’t want the job, but if you believe that, or if John Bolton make similar protestations, we have an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal to sell you). But in all fairness, the former ExxonMobil chief has never been empowered by his president. He’s been undercut repeatedly by this White House—see Kushner, Jared—and by Trump personally, even (especially) when he’s making the right diplomatic moves. And there’s no sign that any one of the vultures circling around Tillerson would be able to change or transcend this dynamic. So for those of you calling for Tillerson to resign after Trump’s latest humiliation, we suggest you lie down and wait quietly until the feeling passes. Sunday’s tweets—and the past nine months, frankly—are exhibits A-Z that in Trump land, it might not matter whether Tillerson resigns or who replaces him. Here’s why: * Who speaks for America? There are many peculiarities about how foreign policy is made (or not) in the Trump administration. Trump is the first president in our memory who has not at least gone through the motions of making it clear that his secretary of state is the sole repository of authority and the administration’s public voice on foreign policy. Not every secretary of state carries the same influence with the president. But never have the world and Washington faced a situation where there was no single go-to address (below the president, of course) to understand what U.S. foreign policy is, who’s articulating it and who to turn to for guidance or direction in trying to interpret it. In Trump land, either by design or default, a cacophony of multiple voices are not just competing for the president’s time, attention and favor in private (which is very normal)—they’re actually carrying out the policy and shaping it publicly (which is not so normal). Kushner, for instance, grabbed or was given the primary lead on the Arab-Israeli issue and has played a major role in shaping U.S. interactions with China and Saudi Arabia. Gary Cohn seems to have the lead on Trump’s climate policy, such as it is. Wilbur Ross is playing an unusually substantive diplomatic role for a commerce secretary. Foreign capitals listen closely to Pentagon chief James Mattis, whose pronouncements are often interpreted as brushbacks of the president. And over at the U.N., the hawkish Haley has emerged as the nation’s loudest voice on foreign policy, largely by speaking unscripted about everything from Syria to Iran to North Korea. And then of course there’s Trump, the ultimate blooming flower who in tweets, phone calls and speeches makes his own foreign policy on the fly, frustrating and confounding his top advisers. On issues from Qatar to North Korea to Iran, Trump contradicts his own secretary of state or ignores what is almost always his sound advice—for example: urging the United States to stay in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate accord, taking a hard line on Russia, advocating negotiations and dialogue to defuse the mounting crisis with North Korea, advocating for continued U.S. adherence to the Iran nuclear deal, taking a neutral position in the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and reassuring jittery allies, from South Korea and Japan to our NATO partners, that America still has their back. The painful reality is that should Tillerson depart, his successor would likely confront the same series of problems, and a president who is unwilling to send a clear signal on where his secretary of state stands in the foreign policy pecking order. There are three keys to success for a secretary of state: opportunities abroad to exploit; the negotiating and political skills to do it; and, most important, the backing of the president. Sure, Tillerson has made some rookie mistakes and unforced errors in running the State Department. But his credibility and effectiveness have largely been undermined by his treatment by Trump. A world in chaos No matter how capable a secretary of state may be, success also turns on a cooperative world. Without the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, there would have been no opportunity for Henry Kissinger to demonstrate his formidable mediation skills and to produce three disengagement agreements within 18 months. Had Iraq not invaded Kuwait, James Baker would have been deprived of the opportunity to pull off the Madrid peace conference. Sure, secretaries of state can make some of their own luck. But the truly big diplomatic breakthroughs really do require consequential changes in the neighborhood first; then, a talented negotiator backed by a willful president can exploit them. In a number of instances, President Donald Trump has contradicted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (right). \| Evan Vucci/AP Photo Sadly, the world in which America operates today has many serious problems, but almost none that offer opportunities for transformative or heroic outcomes. Even successful transactional outcomes, such as managing the Iranian nuclear issue, seem improbable. The cruel reality is that Tillerson has inherited a set of extraordinarily difficult problems that can only be managed and not solved. Just as Tillerson has reportedly come to hate his job, his successor would come to see going to the office—or the White House—the same way most people feel about a trip to the dentist. Take a look around: From North Korea, where only somebody completely unhinged from reality would be talking about military options and denuclearization of Kim Jong Un’s regime; to managing an aggressive and crafty Vladimir Putin with a president who either has a blind spot for or is beholden to Russia; to an Israeli-Palestinian conflict trapped between a two-state solution too important to abandon but too hard to implement and a clueless president who likens a deal to buying and selling real estate in New York City; to a divided Europe that finds Trump mercurial, erratic and incomprehensible (and that’s on a good day); to an Iran that is expanding its influence in the Middle East and sitting atop a potential nuclear program one screwdriver’s turn away from a weapon while the president seems bent on making this problem infinitely worse. These are forbidding challenges. Even if you had a secretary of state in a class of a Kissinger or a Baker, we’re far from certain the outcomes of any of these problems could be shaped in a way that were determinative, let alone favorable to the United States. We don’t have a secretary of state of this caliber, and we’re not going to get one if Tillerson leaves. What we do have is a president who has compounded the degree of difficulty of even managing these issues and created longer odds for whoever sits on the seventh floor at Foggy Bottom. A hollowed-out Foggy Bottom Those who are calling for Tillerson’s scalp miss another important point: The State Department, institutionally, is only a shell of its former self, and it’s not just because a few good men and women have bolted over the secretary’s reform and reorganization plans. The problems run much deeper than what the department’s org chart looks like. Over the past couple of decades, dozens of missions and authorities have steadily migrated from State to other agencies of the federal government, or disbanded altogether. More recently, the Defense Department has been given increased authorities—to go along with its massive resources, which State cannot match—to run its own security assistance programs, seriously encroaching on State’s statutory authorities for controlling the allocation of resources to help other countries train and equip their forces. Adding to the loss of the department’s clout has been the Balkanization of U.S. foreign assistance, as more and more domestic agencies run their own boutique foreign aid programs. Whether Tillerson stays or goes, these missions, authorities and programs are long gone—and they ain’t coming back. Even more importantly, the State Department is no longer primus inter pares in the foreign policy and national security cosmos, and it has been this way for some time. No matter who is in the Oval Office, the National Security Council staff and the president’s national security adviser now run all the most sensitive foreign policy issues out of the White House. Foreign economic and foreign trade policy, though larded with foreign policy implications, are also managed either out of the White House, in the Treasury Department or elsewhere. Mattis and the Pentagon are the big dog on the block, running three major wars and a host of lesser military operations with a budget that makes State’s puny appropriations look like chump change. The war on terror, the preoccupation with homeland security and keeping out what the White House considers undesirables, and the need for actionable intelligence to prosecute all these enterprises has moved DHS and the intelligence community toward the top of the national security food chain. And above all this sits a president who has shown nothing but contempt and lack of understanding for the State Department, its mission and the dedicated men and women who work there. * So, belittle poor Secretary Tillerson if you must; close your eyes and make a wish that after T. Rex we’ll get another secretary who has the vision of Dean Acheson, the toughness of George Shultz, the diplomatic panache of Kissinger or the political and tactical instincts of Baker. But it’s magical thinking to believe that Tillerson’s successor could fundamentally alter the downward trajectory of the State Department or do much more to fix the world’s problems. As long as Donald Trump is president, more likely than not, the Department of State is going to remain closed for the season.The Ultimate Nexus Challenge is a test of an Annihilation player's skill, endurance, and cunning hosted by Lineage . In its inaugural year, the 2017 event will start Sunday March 5th, and will end on Monday March 5th 2018, or when three challengers have completed the requirements of the event. THE CHALLENGE Complete seven feats in two matches. There are 7 feats of strength one must accomplish to complete this challenge, and all must be completed in at most two matches, legitimately and totally (determined by the host), and recorded. Any hacking, cheating, game-throwing or faking will result in the challenger's disqualification. There must be at least 15 players actively participating on every team at the start of the game, and at least 8 players actively participating on every team by the end of the game (for alive nexuses). Each game cannot be longer than 1.5 hours. Possible exceptions may be allowed. Each feat must be totally completed in a single match, but you have two matches to do all seven. For example, I may complete feats
in a battle with Huffington for staff and traffic. And it's personal. "They simply cannot stand each other," said one media executive familiar with both women. "Arianna's rise is deeply wounding to Tina, and the raison d'etre of the Daily Beast is to try to catch Arianna." The feeling is apparently mutual: "Tina, in her heyday, didn't give Arianna the time of day. There's a certain amount of schadenfreude here." This week, Brown hired the veteran Washington Post media writer Howard Kurtz – "I don't think you're going to be seeing Daily Beast hiring 20 reporters of that calibre," said one senior executive – while Huffington hired Newsweek's chief political reporter Howard Fineman. Huffington Post executives tend to dismiss the Daily Beast's challenge and describe their rival's traffic as "negligible". They note their site's internal count of traffic, in terms of unique visitors, is almost as high as the New York Times at 45 million. The Huffington Post is projecting profitability this year on revenues of $30m, with revenue rising to $60m in 2011-2012. "We're growing for three reasons," said the company's chairman, Kenneth Lerer: "Content, technology and community." One measure of "community" – user comments – is up to 3m a month. For Brown, who has a reputation for showing scant regard for her employers' money, the prospect of a Beast-Newsweek deal comes with an implicit threat – that Diller will not stand for years of losses. "The most interesting thing about [a Newsweek-Beast deal] is that it suggests Diller is not endlessly patient," British online mogul Nick Denton, founder of Gawker, told Rovzar this week. "I thought he would give Tina more time and money." Arianna Huffington née Stassinopoulos, 60 Who is she? Greek-American former conservative commentator, turned proprietor and editor of the Huffington Post, the liberal-leaning internet newspaper launched as a blog in 2005. Power relationship In 1986, she married Republican congressman Michael Huffington (they divorced in 1997). The old days Moved to England from Athens in 1966. Graduated from Girton College, Cambridge, and later took up with journalist and broadcaster Bernard Levin. Both became disciples of the Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. Began writing for the National Review. In 1981 published a biography of the soprano Maria Callas, followed, in 1989, by one of Pablo Picasso. Now Owner of the renowned Huffington Post — unique viewing figures are 45 million a month. Influence Last year she came in at number 12 in the first Forbes list of the most influential women in media. Ambition Her latest book, published last month, is titled "Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream". Tina Brown, Lady Evans, née Christina Hambley Brown, 57 Who is she? Journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author. Power relationship Married Sir Harold Evans, former editor of the Sunday Times, in 1981. The old days Graduated St Anne's College, Oxford. Started journalism as freelance with Punch. At 25, was named editor of Tatler. In 1983, brought to New York by Condé Nast's SI Newhouse to resurrect Vanity Fair. In 1992 moved to the New Yorker where she earned her nickname of "Stalin in high heels". Now Thwarted after magazine success with Talk when it folded in 2002, Went on to publish The Diana Chronicles in 2007, and launched the Daily Beast in 2008. Influence 25th on the list of Forbes most influential women in the media last year Ambition This year, Brown hosted the first annual Women in the World Summit which was attended by Hillary Clinton, Meryl Streep and Cherie Blair. • This article was amended on 11 October 2010. In the original, quotes from David Kuhn and Nick Denton failed to carry attributions. This has been corrected. The Guardian's editorial guidelines say: "The source of published material obtained from another organisation should be acknowledged including quotes taken from other newspaper articles."The Angels Might Finally Stop Wasting the Best Baseball Player of His Generation A lineup of eight average players and Mike Trout would likely be enough to get Los Angeles into the playoffs every year. Yet, despite a top-10 payroll in baseball, the Angels have failed to surround their GOAT with a competent roster. That is, until now. Of everything that’s been written about baseball since 2010, the single item I think about most isn’t a column about economics or a groundbreaking statistical find or a wide-ranging, exhaustively reported feature. No, it’s a blog post by Sam Miller, then of Baseball Prospectus, about the 2009 draft. This thought exercise, using a little back-of-the-napkin math, comes to a conclusion that gets cited on this site pretty much whenever we write about Mike Trout: “It’s probably fair to say that the Angels have wasted Mike Trout to a degree that has almost no precedent in any major sport.” In the six years since Trout first became a full-time player, the Angels have three winning seasons, three losing seasons, and a.519 winning percentage, or about an 84-78 pace, which is a record that hasn’t gotten a team to the postseason since the 2008 Dodgers. They’ve made the playoffs once, in 2014, and as heavy favorites over a Royals team that had won nine fewer games that year, went 0-3 in the ALDS. In the two years since Miller wrote that fateful sentence, the Angels have gone 74-88 and 80-82. It’s gotten worse. In those six years, Trout’s been worth 41.4 wins above average, according to Baseball Reference, or 6.9 wins per year. If a totally unspectacular, league-average team goes 81-81 and replaces its league-average center fielder with Trout, that team now has the true talent of an 88-74 outfit. Since 2012—Trout’s rookie season and the first year of the two-wild-card era—57 teams have won at least 88 games, and 54 of them have made the playoffs. The three exceptions are the 2012 Rays, who won 90 games and finished third in a loaded AL East; the 2013 Rangers, who went 91-71, tied for the second wild-card spot, and lost a one-game playoff to Tampa Bay; and the 2012 Angels, who went 89-73 with Trout, but finished four games out of a wild-card spot. The best baseball player since Barry Bonds—possibly the best of all time once he’s done—emerged from a New Jersey bog six years ago, fully formed and wearing an Angels uniform. And the Angels have consistently failed to surround him with a league-average team, which isn’t really that hard when you’re running a top-10 payroll, as the Angels have done every year since 2004. This year, however, something’s changed: The Angels are finally building a league-average team around Trout. Last year, by wins above average, the Angels were below average at every position except center field, relief pitcher, and shortstop, where Andrelton Simmons had the best year of his career. The year before that, they were below average everywhere except center field, shortstop, and right field, where Kole Calhoun posted a 116 OPS+. In 2015, the year before they traded for Simmons, the Angels were below average everywhere except center, right, and shortstop, where Erick Aybar was almost exactly league-average. Trout’s the best player of his generation, Simmons is very-good-to-fringe-MVP-level, and Calhoun is average-to-above-average, depending on the year. As of five months ago, that’s all the Angels had. Otherwise, their lineup was a gurgling tar-filled maw of outs. Five American League players posted a WAR of minus-1 or worse last year and the Angels had two of them: Albert Pujols and Danny Espinosa, who posted an OPS+ of 40 (FORTY!) in 254 plate appearances before his release in July. From a performance standpoint, that’s obviously bad. But from a team-building standpoint, it’s great news, because one of the dirty secrets of building a baseball team is that while upgrading from an average player to a good or great player is incredibly difficult, and takes some measure of luck and savoir faire, climbing from the gurgling tar-filled maw of outs back up to average isn’t that hard if you’ve got a little money. Next winter, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are going to make enough money between them that they could probably buy a controlling interest in a team of their own. The reason for that is not just because their production is worth $35 million a year—though it is, and then some. It’s that there’s only one Harper, and only one Machado, and they don’t hit free agency that often. There is no player of that caliber on the free-agent market this year, and acquiring one would therefore necessitate a prospect trade haul that the Angels simply don’t have. Though it’s improved in the past 12 months, the Angels’ farm system landed 29th on BP’s organizational rankings before the 2017 season. In 2016, it was dead last, described as “lack[ing] anything with even remote projection to impact talent and much in the way of useful organizational depth in the high minors.” But if all you need is an average corner outfielder, or an average third baseman? You can get that whenever you want. The Angels traded for Justin Upton in August and Ian Kinsler last week. Both are (or were, in Upton’s case) free agents to be, so the Angels picked them up for four prospects we’ll probably never hear from again, just because the Tigers are in teardown mode and don’t need to spend market rate for league-average production. Neither of those trades are particularly ingenious or clever, nor is the five-year, $106 million extension the Angels signed the 30-year-old Upton to after the season, but their impact is enormous. Last year, Angels left fielders, even with Upton out there for a month, posted minus-0.3 WAA. Over the course of the whole year, Upton was a 3.5 WAA player. Last year, Kinsler was a 0.1 WAA player, while Angels second basemen were a combined three wins below average, the worst in baseball at that position. Now, the add-up-the-WAR model of analysis is misleading, because Kinsler had his worst season in a decade in 2017, and could bounce back, or could continue to decline at age 36. Similarly, Upton was better than he’d been in years in 2017 and could also decline. But for simplicity’s sake, let’s call this a six-win upgrade at the cost of four fringy prospects and $27 million in salary. While the Angels were trading for Kinsler, the Yankees made the biggest move of the offseason, acquiring The Mighty Giancarlo Stanton, along with his contract, for Starlin Castro and two prospects. Last year, Yankee left fielders were 1.7 wins above average, while TMGS, who’ll make $25 million in 2018, posted 5.5 WAA in the best season of his career. That’s why it’s so important to understand where the Angels are starting from: These two unremarkable moves, paying the going rate for competent big leaguers, could very well improve the Angels as much as trading for Stanton improved the Yankees. That’s not all. The Angels also spent $38 million over three years to ink Zack Cozart, who had the best season of his life at age 31. Cozart, a superb defensive shortstop, will move over to third base alongside Simmons, who is one of only a handful of shortstops good enough to push the former Red off his position. Nobody thinks Cozart will post a 141 OPS+ again, so the biggest headlines to come out of this signing had to do with Cozart finding a place in Orange County for his donkey to live. But if Cozart is even a league-average player—as he has been in six of his seven big league seasons—he’ll be worth another two wins or so over the Yunel Escobar–led coalition he’s replacing. There’s no reason the Angels couldn’t upgrade other positions in a similar fashion. Last year, Angels catchers hit.216/.263/.348, while first baseman C.J. Cron was a league-average hitter, which is to say, quite a bad hitter for his position—he got the bulk of the at-bats at first base, where the Angels were almost two wins below average last year. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, the 23-year-old two-way Japanese superstar who signed with the Angels two weekends ago. Ohtani should shore up the Angels’ rotation, which wasn’t very good last year, and possibly steal at-bats from Pujols at DH. Ohtani doesn’t solve the Angels’ pitching shortfall on his own, but he helps as much as anyone on the free-agent market could have, and at a fraction of what he’s really worth. If Ohtani, a left-handed hitter, is even a replacement-level DH on the long side of a platoon with Pujols, he could add a win or two with his bat as well. All of a sudden, the Angels have a bunch of competent big-league ballplayers surrounding the core of Trout and Simmons, and apart from Ohtani, they built that supporting cast by taking the easiest, most obvious route possible. After hitting the lottery twice in a decade, with Trout and Ohtani, the Angels don’t need to get cute; they just need to not screw up, and for the first time in years, they’re not doing so. Maybe none of second base, third base, and left field turn into strengths, but the Angels don’t need to increase their strengths—they need to reduce their weaknesses.NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday defended his decision to withdraw high denomination bank notes from circulation, as a deadline to end severe cash shortages passed with Indians still queuing at banks to deposit savings and withdraw money. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks on before launching a digital payment app linked with a nationwide biometric database during the "DigiDhan" fair, in New Delhi, India, December 30, 2016. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi Modi abolished 500 and 1,000 rupee bills on Nov. 8, taking out 86 percent of cash in circulation, in a bid to fight corruption, end terror financing and turn India into a cashless society. The move, however, caused a major cash crunch as the government struggled to replace old notes with new 500 and 2,000 rupee bills. Modi had asked for 50 days, until the end of this month, to ease the crisis. Speaking in New Delhi at the launch of a digital payment app linked with a nationwide biometric database, Modi exhorted Indians to reduce their dependence on cash. “The world is surprised to see the way we’ve overcome the challenge after 86 percent of cash was withdrawn,” Modi said. He is expected to address the nation on New Year’s Eve to further talk about so-called “demonetization”. While cash shortages have eased somewhat, bankers and analysts said the situation is far from normal and could last at least another six months. They said the move could hit economic growth and lead to job losses and a drop in demand for goods. Only 35-40 percent of ATM machines were dispensing cash, according to Ramaswamy Venkatachalam, managing director, India and South Asia, Fidelity Information Services, a banking technology provider. The government has put a weekly cap on how much an individual can withdraw from an account at 24,000 rupees, but many banks were only handing out 10-15,000 rupees to clients because they did not have enough cash to go around, said Harvinder Singh, general secretary of All India Bank Officers’ Association, which represents nearly 300,000 bankers. Singh said ATM operations were unlikely to be normal before the end of February. “I’m here to deposit a few old notes before the deadline expires,” said Rakesh Kumar, lining up outside a bank in New Delhi. “But I expect the government and RBI (central bank) to quickly replenish banks and ATMs with new notes so that we can withdraw without any trouble.” Modi’s radical decision is turning into a test of his popularity, and is already a central issue in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, where the outcome of state elections early next year will be key for Modi’s expected bid for a second term in 2019. The cash shortages have started to make some allies and members of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party anxious, with some distancing themselves from the move. The opposition, led by the Congress party, has joined forces, mocking the government for being ill-prepared and blaming it for hardships faced by the poor as a result. It has called for Modi’s resignation. “In the last 50 days, the people have been put (through) enormous hardship and suffering,” said P. Chidambaram, a senior leader from opposition Congress party and former finance minister. Slideshow (2 Images) “Altogether, the whole exercise has been a case of total mismanagement, administrative collapse and widespread corruption,” Chidambaram added, accusing the government of taking the decision in haste. Chidambaram said Modi should make “a categorical announcement” that all curbs on cash withdrawals would end.New study suggests that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes could help prevent weight gain, a major concern amongst those hoping to quit smoking E-cigarettes might help smokers who are quitting keep the pounds off, say researchers, suggesting that vaping could be harnessed in the fight against obesity. Weight gain is a major concern among smokers looking to quit. On average individuals put on 5kg in the first year they go without cigarettes. Nicotine is known to suppress appetite and increase metabolic rate, among other effects. While nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) can help to control weight gain and help smokers to quit, researchers have suggested that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes might be a better option. Why can't scientists agree on e-cigarettes? Read more “People can change their nicotine content, so to quit smoking they might start off on a higher strength e-liquid and then they can taper down really quite gradually in a much more sophisticated way than they can with NRT, which is probably good for weight maintenance and for weight loss,” said co-author Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the University of Stirling and deputy director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies. The huge range of e-liquids available, she adds, could also help prevent snacking, particularly given the number of sweet and fruit flavours on offer. The authors note that a drop in the prevalence of smoking is among the factors that have been linked to increasing rates of obesity, meaning new approaches to manage weight gain could prove valuable. Published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research by scientists from New Zealand and Stirling, the paper looked at a range of studies exploring the influence of nicotine on the body, as well as the relationships between aroma, taste and flavour and the feeling of fullness, to moot the potential for e-cigarettes in managing weight gain among smokers trying to kick the habit. The authors suggest that e-cigarettes, with their myriad flavours, could potentially help to tackle cravings for certain foods. What’s more, the study suggests that the physical processes involved in filling an e-cigarette could reduce the urge to eat. “You are re-filling the e-liquids, you might be mixing your own liquids, you are trying different flavours, you are doing things with your hands that take up time which means maybe you are not reaching for the bowl of M&Ms,” said Bauld. Despite noting concerns raised by some around the safety of long-term e-cigarette use, Bauld says the research points to the benefits of using nicotine-containing products for smokers planning to quit. No, there's still no evidence e-cigarettes are as harmful as smoking Read more “One of the things this paper says is [that] probably we shouldn’t be so worried about longer-term nicotine use, particularly if it can help people not put on weight - which we know is a bit risk factor for diabetes and a lot of other things,” she said. But, the authors note, much more research is need. They highlight a number of avenues that should be explored, from trials into the effects of vaping on weight gain among smokers attempting to quit, to the impact of different e-liquids on feelings of fullness. “We are not suggesting that we should promote e-cigarettes to people who haven’t smoked,” said Bauld. “But for people who are thinking about the best way to stop smoking and are concerned about weight gain, I think what we are suggesting is that e-cigarettes should certainly be considered.” Paul Aveyard, professor of behavioural medicine at the University of Oxford, said it was “almost certain” that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes would reduce weight gain among smokers attempting to quit. But, he cautioned, the possible benefits of e-cigarettes in managing weight gain among ex-smokers did not mean that they could benefit non smokers’ attempts to lose weight. What’s more, he added, with some evidence that nicotine could play a role in the development of diabetes, there may be down sides to the use of such devices, even if they do help smokers keep the weight off. “That balance between the two effects is not known,” he said. Amanda Sandford, from Action on Smoking and Health said: “The risk of putting on weight when quitting smoking is a common concern and can discourage smokers from trying to stop. E-cigarettes are a safer alternative to tobacco and if they can also help people avoid piling on the pounds as well as helping them to stop smoking that is a real bonus.”I was having lunch with Bob Horn and Dave Pensado earlier today, and a musician walked into the cafe. Dave and the musician recognized each other, and after introductions, the musician disclosed that he was off to an important meeting with some A&Rs. He was going in to pitch songs and asked for some advice. The rest of this article is going to paraphrase some of the advice we gave him — most of which came from Dave. And, actually, before getting into that, I have to mention most of this advice is really coming from Dave — so if you aren’t aware of Pensado’s Place, you’re missing out on a fantastic resource. Anyway, here are six tips for pitching and placing songs, brought to you courtesy of Davey P, Bob Horn and yours truly. 1. Dress For Confidence One of the questions that came up was dress code. I decided to field this one. A meeting with an A&R is not a job interview. It’s not a “you qualify” or “you don’t” kind of thing — the real question is if your music aligns with what the A&R can work with. The question of qualification was answered just by getting the meeting. The A&R is looking for music that is different than their current catalogue, but still within a framework that the particular A&R can market. I say all that to say this: no one cares about what you’re wearing, they are primarily interested in the music. Your clothes should just be a reflection of who you are, and something you feel comfortable and confident wearing. 2. Play the Best Song Second Most of the time at one of these meetings, the exec/A&R/manager is going to ask you to audition songs. Dave likened this experience to playing a show. Don’t open with your most popular smash hit. Start with a compelling warm up first. Get your customer interested, and build some expectation for things to come. The big seller should come second or third. After that, you’re just showing range and catalogue. 3. Keep it Short and Move on. Control Playback. Dave, Bob and I could not be more in agreement on this one. Pick up the vibe the A&R is giving off — if they’s digging it maximally, maybe let it ride, if they aren’t engaging: move on. If you aren’t sure, don’t play more than one minute of a song. I’ve seen people disregard this advice and it’s extremely awkward and embarrassing. Do not under any circumstances play more than the intro, first verse and first chorus. If your customer doesn’t like what you’re selling by then … just. move. on. You also need to be the person working the laptop while this is happening. Don’t leave it to the assistant. 4. Play to Their Interests If you’re applying to work as the head chef of an Italian restaurant, don’t show the owner all of your amazing Vietnamese dishes. Even if they’re truly amazing, they don’t sell Vietnamese. Focus on what got this company interested in you to begin with. ADVERTISEMENT If you want to show range — do it after the primary material, within genres the company touches, and ask if they’re even interested. ClubDrop Records is not going to sign you to a publishing deal off your smash Country tune “Whiskey and Diesel Fuel.” 5. Songs with Topline I’ve been in a lot of sessions with artists of all sorts. Some artists are interested in complete songs with complete toplines for verse, bridge, hook, etc. Some artists are really only interested in songs with hooks, mainly in the Hip-Hop world. No one is interested in songs without lyrics. If an instrumental is really hot, and the artist totally digs it, they’ll usually ask “Does this have a hook?” And when the answer is “no,” they’ll move on. The only reason to bring an instrumental at all is so that if the A&R/artist/manager suggests cutting the record on the spot or sending it out immediately. A song is music + lyrics. Music without lyrics does not a song make! 6. Make Friends with the Secretary Dave is someone known for his very quotable advice, and this conversation was no exception: “the secretaries control the music business.” This advice is very true. The assistant or secretary is going to determine whether or not you get through when you follow up. These folks work very hard and deal with a lot of BS, so be polite and make a great impression. Followed up by a Bob Horn classic: don’t forget to buy your rep in Accounts Payable a nice gift basket, cause that’s the person who’s going to determine how readily your check shows up! Normally this is the part where I drop a line about adding your own advice in the comments. I’d like to mention that this isn’t really the article to drop conjecture. Firsthand experience is absolutely invited, but please no “internet expertise” on this one (and yes, I do see the irony there). Missing our best stuff? Sign up to be the first to learn about the latest articles, videos, courses, freebies, giveaways, exclusive discounts and more. Awesome! Talk to you soon.James Macdonald's farm in the community of Minesing, a tiny settlement near the shores of the Nottawasaga River, sold for a handsome price in 1885. The proceeds, an unspecified "large sum of money," was more cash than the 24-year-old had ever seen in his life, and he planned to guard it closely during his stay at what was then referred to as the Richardson House Hotel at King and Spadina. On arrival, Samuel Richardson, the owner of the wooden three-storey building with its neat shaded windows and ground floor bar, warned Macdonald about the gas lights in the room. The young man wasn't accustomed to the technology of the big city. He had "never tasted liquor in his life," according to a newspaper report, and the room on Toronto's busy Spadina Avenue must have seemed a world away from his rural farmhouse near Barrie. It's not clear what he planned to do with the windfall: perhaps buy a house, stash it in the bank, or split from Union Station for a new life away from the harsh winters of Canada. Richardson explained how to extinguish the dim lights by closing the little metal tap but Macdonald didn't follow. He was too busy worrying about the cash. Before climbing in to bed, the young man bolted the shutters, securely fastened the window, and fell asleep with gas gently hissing from the darkened lamp. The next morning Macdonald was found "insensible" from the fumes. "For several hours his life was in danger, but at midnight, though still insensible, he was able to raise his hand to his ear, and the two physicians have good hopes of his recovery," wrote The Globe. The story of James Macdonald's brush with death is one of the first printed mentions of the Richardson House hotel, now the BrainStation Toronto Campus. For a long time, the historic building was home to Global Village Backpackers. Built in 1875, the original block of the hotel was operated for several decades by Samuel Richardson, a decorated military veteran from the 13th Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British Army that fought skirmishes in The Peninsular War, Battle of Waterloo, and the Crimean War. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout movement, served in the regiment in India. His property "when necessary, could room nearly 100 guests," an early advertisement declared. Richardson added two brick extensions to the building, more than doubling its capacity and dwarfing the original corner structure, before hotelier Robert Falconer took over and renamed the hotel for himself in 1906. The Falconer Hotel didn't last long, and it was renamed the Ziegler Hotel with another new owner seven years later. As the Toronto Sun's Mike Filey notes, the Ziegler name quickly vanished with the start of the first world war, possibly because of its Germanic-sounding name. The budget Hotel Spadina emerged from the shadow of the Richardson, Falconer, and Ziegler, keeping its name in a slightly tweaked format - Spadina Hotel - until 1997. The Spadina Hotel with its "good food," "five T.V. screens," and nightly music in the beach themed Cabana Room accommodated the Tragically Hip, Leonard Cohen, and the Rolling Stones and served (briefly) as a backdrop to the 1973 Jack Nicholson movie The Last Detail. For bands like the Skydiggers in the 70s and 80s, the close quarters of the Cabana Room provided a much-needed springboard to wider success. The grimy interior was part of the same gig circuit that included Lee's Palace and The Cameron House. The Spadina Hotel became one of Toronto's heritage assets in 1985. In 1997, a $250,000 renovation stripped out the many of the timeworn fixtures and faded bar furniture for bunk beds, communal bathrooms, and shared kitchens and returned the building's focus on cheap accommodation. When it opened, Global Village Backpackers was the largest hostel in downtown Toronto—a title it passed on for good only a few years ago. Now, the iconic and historic spot is open as an innovation hub operated by the Konrad Group. As the space enters the futuristic age of tech innovation, its incredible to look back and see just how old this building is.Commissioner Quaedvlieg tells staff ABF ‘would never randomly check people’s visa status – we cannot do so under law and it is not who we are or what we do’ The Australian Border Force has announced an internal review of its “media management and clearance processes” after a “badly worded” press release that appeared to threaten random visa checks forced the cancellation of a Victorian police operation at the weekend. The announcement – in a message to staff from commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg – came as immigration minister Peter Dutton dismissed Friday’s protest sparked by the press release as “a confected demonstration” populated by the construction union and the national socialist alliance rather than “mums and dads”. Quaedvlieg’s internal message to staff said the organisation “would never randomly check people’s visa status – we cannot do so under law and it is not who we are or what we do.” He said the force’s role had been “mis-characterised” by the media, but the organisation’s “media management and clearance processes” had contributed and would now be reviewed by two deputy commissioners. Tony Abbott says border force announcement was 'over the top' Read more The government has suggested Victorian border force officials are to blame for the press release, which incorrectly suggested ABF would be “speaking with any individual we cross paths with” during a multi-agency crackdown on crime and antisocial behaviour. But the media adviser for immigration minister Peter Dutton replied “thanks for letting me know” the second time his office was sent the controversial press release on Thursday morning. Guardian Australia revealed at the weekend the release had actually been sent to the immigration minister Peter Dutton’s office twice – as an attachment to a briefing note about the operation. A spokesman for Dutton confirmed the first email had been received on Wednesday afternoon, but said the press release had not been read because it “looked like a routine operation”. The second email, sent from Victorian border force last Thursday morning to both Dutton’s office and the office of assistant immigration minister Michaelia Cash, appeared to be seeking an assurance from the minister’s office that someone had read the material. It read: “Hi, apologies. I should have sent this for noting originally,” and confirmed ABF was intending to publicly post the media release on Friday morning. A staff member for Dutton replied, “Thanks for letting me know.” Australia's treatment of asylum seekers was bound to lead to something like Border Force \| Richard Flanagan Read more Asked about the press release over the weekend, the prime minister, Tony Abbott, said it was “over the top and wrong” but added that “all sorts of press releases go out all the time – but they go out under the authority of the relevant officials, they go out under the authority of the relevant agencies and that all happens at arm’s length from ministers. It all happens at arm’s length from the executive government”. Abbott said it was “very, very badly worded”. Quaedvlieg said on Friday the press release had been “cleared at a low level in the organisation”, later clarifying that included ABF’s commander for Victoria and Tasmania, Don Smith, who was quoted in the release. Dutton, who has been accused of “going into hiding” since the furore occurred, called in to Ray Hadley’s 2UE radio show on Monday to explain that the ABF had been included in the Victorian operation as part of a crackdown on taxi drivers, that this was similar to how operations had been conducted under former Labor governments, and to attack Labor for “questioning the professionalism” of ABF staff. He also spoke to Sky News, saying the “confected demonstration... wasn’t mums and dads who were outraged... it was conducted by the CFMEU... they were there conducting another demonstration and they moved up the road to join the national socialist alliance, another level-headed outfit.” Dutton said the wording of the press release had been “regrettable”. “What upsets me the most is seeing Bill Shorten and [Labor’s immigration spokesman] Richard Marles out there attacking the Australian Border Force officers who are in uniform, and I just won’t stand for that,” Dutton said. “I’ve been crook over the weekend, I didn’t get out of bed, so I didn’t get to the media, but this morning I saw an interview by Mr Marles attacking the training and putting all these questions out about the professionalism of the ABF and I just won’t stand for that,” he said. “What happened was the Victorian police approached [Australian] Border Force, they wanted to conduct an operation... as part of that they wanted to check taxi licences and the roadworthiness of some of the taxis there. “The border force officers are there basically to get referred people who might have questions about their visas, so they might be working in a taxi, but it may be they are a student on a visa that doesn’t have work rights, so the police interview those people, establish those facts and then refer them to the Australian Border Force officers. “That is exactly how it has operated for years under Liberal and Labor governments. For Marles and Shorten to be attacking the men and women of [Australian] Border Force is an absolute disgrace.” It is understood six ABF officers were to be involved in Operation Fortitude, at two separate locations.Reading Time: 7 minutes A gem is a package for Ruby to distribute code in a maintained unit. But that’s not all there is to it. A Ruby gem can also contain full documentation and testing. And gems can be further configured for external services for quality, test suite, and documentation verification. When you’re publishing code for other people to use, you’re also presenting something that needs to meet quality standards before many will consider using your code. What you publish as a gem will also reflect on you. If you write code without testing, people will find your code less trustworthy. If you don’t write documentation, then the intent of your code may not come across clearly. When publishing a gem, you should strive for a level of excellence above what you would expect from others. The more quality you provide with all of your published gems, the more likely people will trust you and your code. Here are some considerations to think about when building your Ruby gem. Preparing a Gem The only file needed to prepare a gem to publish is a gemspec file. In this file, you detail what files are included, author details, description, test and executable details, and dependencies. This information is what will be seen when your gem is looked up on rubygems.org. If you host the source code on GitHub, you should put that link in your gemspec as the homepage, providing you don’t have a site for it already. This makes the README.md file in your gem project the most important first impression you will leave on people who check out your gem. This is the place potential users will look to first for information about what the gem is and how to use it. To make your README visually appealing, become familiar with Markdown and include some graphics and badges if you can (which we’ll cover soon). This will help greatly with presentation. Now, even though you just need a gemspec to build and publish your gem, it will be far more convenient to use Bundler to generate a project template bundle gem thing. It creates a Rakefile for completing your common gem tasks quickly and conveniently. In this template directory, your can run rake -T to see what tasks are available to you. Documenting a Gem Within the Ruby community, some argue that you
the US, they’ll branch out in other ways: To developing countries, where fertility issues get even less attention, and then on to other medical problems that could benefit from data collection. “The ultimate goal,” Levchin said, “Is to go after the overall state of health-care costs in this country.” But for now he says he’ll be satisfied with a spike in boys named Max and Mike.The votes are in, and the Chargers could be on their way out of San Diego after voters soundly rejected a referendum to fund a new downtown stadium. The Chargers' options after the vote: Pay for the stadium themselves, search for an alternative site in San Diego or move to Los Angeles. The Chargers, who still have several years left on their lease at Qualcomm Stadium, have the option to move into the new stadium being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke in Inglewood. The Chargers have until the second week of January to exercise that last option. Chargers owner Dean Spanos released a statement following Tuesday's vote: "In terms of what comes next for the Chargers, it's just too early to give you an answer. We are going to diligently explore and weigh our options, and do what is needed to maintain our options, but no decision will be announced until after the football season concludes and no decision will be made in haste." If the Chargers opt not to move to Los Angeles, the Oakland Raiders -- already seeking a stadium in Las Vegas backed by $750 million of public funds -- get the option to join hands with Kroenke. San Diego voters rejected funding for a proposed downtown stadium. Chargers.com According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the two ballot measures didn't come close to getting the needed 66 percent of the vote to pass.Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report - Day 6 (8/2/17) 1. Full Squad Ready to Go: After a day off, the Browns were in shells on a day with no tackling permitted. There were no managed days off, which means everyone was ready-to-practice and that the first-team offensive line was together for the first time perhaps all camp. Notably, the player who was at right tackle was second-year man Shon Coleman. 2. Bruce Smith Arrives: This offseason, we heard that Hall of Fame DE Bruce Smith was going to visit Browns training camp at some point, largely because of him being a mentor of sorts to first overall pick Myles Garrett. But he was also observing the other defensive linemen: Hall of Famer Bruce Smith keep an eye on Myles Garrett here in Berea @wkyc #3Browns pic.twitter.com/sucREU9LqU — Pat Chiesa (@PatChiesa) August 2, 2017 3. Garrett Graduates to the First-Team Defense: This is no surprise, considering how much he’s been dominating so quickly, but DE Myles Garrett is now with the first-team defense. And with LT Joe Thomas playing, that means we also got our showdown between the immortals. We are going to do a separate post later [update: see that post here] on to go more in detail about the faceoff, but here is one clip from Browns Chalk Talk in which Garrett gets around Thomas and knocks QB Cody Kessler down. #Browns rookie DE Myles Garrett blowing by future Hall-of-fame LT Joe Thomas for a sack on QB Cody Kessler pic.twitter.com/NsTGa1gZc9 — Browns Chalk Talk (@BrownsChalkTalk) August 2, 2017 This was a screen play, so one might say that an offensive lineman baits the defensive end to get around the edge so they don’t interfere with the screen that way. However, I don’t think Thomas wanted to let Garrett get around him as quickly as he did. 4. Punch the Ball Out: Sometimes, it’s fun to watch the props used in the individual drills. Here, you can see an assistant coach trying to punch the ball out of running backs’ hands as they are high-stepping. (I get the feeling that maybe the tight ends could use this drill too). Protect the ball drill for RBs #Browns pic.twitter.com/QZLXUMhVQ0 — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 2, 2017 5. A Note on Peppers: We haven’t talked about SS Jabrill Peppers much this camp, but here’s a note on him. Emory Hunt of Football Gameplan was in town for practice today, and he liked what he saw about Peppers’ recognition against the run: Team period just ended and one quick observation is that rookie Jabrill Peppers gets great run fits & shut down lanes quickly. #BrownsCamp — Emory Hunt (@FBallGameplan) August 2, 2017 6. Coming Up Short at Crunch Time: There was a variation on the two-minute drill today. For QB Cody Kessler and QB Brock Osweiler, the situation was that the offense was down by four points at the end of the game with no timeouts. Therefore, they needed a touchdown to win, and risk-taking was more appropriate. Both drives ended up in interceptions, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer: #Browns Joe Haden picks off Cody Kessler in back EZ in 2 min and Boddy-Calhoun picks off Brock on pass tipped by Leslie in 2 min — Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) August 2, 2017 That’s good news for CB Joe Haden and CB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, though. When it was QB DeShone Kizer’s turn, his situation was that the Browns were down by only one point, needing a field goal. He got the team in range for that attempt. 7. Positive Press for Njoku: Even though it was lighter end zone drills (no front sevens), TE David Njoku made one touchdown grab over two defenders, and then this snag. That pass came from QB Kevin Hogan. After practice, head coach Hue Jackson said that we know already that he can make these types of plays, but that he needs to make them consistently now. 8. Kicker Competition Draws Even: Today was a good day for K Zane Gonzalez, who was perfect on five attempts. Both kickers hit from long range, but K Cody Parkey reportedly missed from 39 yards out: Cody Parkey 4-5 FGs (miss 39), Zane Gonzalez 5-5 including 55 — Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 2, 2017 9. Brownies: CB Marcus Burley was shaken up and had to leave after colliding with a teammate in this clip.... TE Seth DeValve dropped a big pass over the middle in team drills.... Also moving up to the first-team defense on Wednesday was veteran DE Desmond Bryant.... Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network is in town covering the Browns this week.... Completion-wise, it was an ugly day for the quarterbacks, perhaps predicated by the fast pace of the two-minute drills. Here are your Day 6 #Browns QB unofficial numbers: Kessler 6/13 INT, Osweiler 3/7 INT, Kizer 6/11, Hogan 1/2. — Jason Gibbs (@BGSUGibbs) August 2, 2017 Through 6 days your #Browns QB unofficial training camp numbers: Kessler 36/56 64%, Osweiler 34/61 56%, Kizer 29/54 54%, Hogan 11/17 65%. — Jason Gibbs (@BGSUGibbs) August 2, 2017 10. Next Up: The Brown’ next practice is Thursday in Berea, from 3:25 PM to 5:55 PM. Friday will then be the Orange & Brown Scrimmage at FirstEnergy Stadium.By Alex Orlov for Life by DailyBurn You know working out can give you strong muscles, greater endurance and a toned physique. But did you know that even moderate exercise can improve the way your brain functions, too? And we’re not just talking about results found in older people, either. Even though twentysomethings are thought to have brains that are in their prime developmentally, new research published in Psychophysiology reveals that their cognitive function can actually improve — with just 30 minutes of exercise. While previous studies have established that physical activity is essential for protecting memory and cognitive processes in older folks, this new study is the first to suggest that regular exercise can also improve brain function in young adults. After noticing that the university students around her appeared to be less fit these days than in her early years as a professor, study author Liana Machado, Ph.D., Department of Psychology Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago in New Zealand, decided to investigate whether their fitness levels might negatively influence cognitive abilities. Not anticipating she would see much of an effect, her findings were unexpected. “Given that the development of the brain peaks in young adulthood, it is quite surprising that there would be room for improvement in brain function in healthy young adults,” says Machado. Your Brain on Exercise It turns out your sweat sessions are giving you more than just a feel-good endorphin boost — they’re giving you an oxygen high, too. Researchers at the University of Otago analyzed the self-reported activity levels of 52 young women (ages 18 to 30), the oxygen availability in participants’ brains and their performance on a series of reaction-time tasks on a computer. Theses reaction-time tasks were designed to test cognitive inhibitory control, which is the ability to exert self-control when faced with a changing environment. This is cognitive ability is crucial during daily activities like driving a car or when resisting cravings, says Machado. Related: How Exhaustion Might Change the Way You Think “Brain cells depend very heavily on oxygen,” she says. Breathing air with a smaller concentration of oxygen, such as at high altitudes, is associated with worse cognitive performance, and the inverse is also true: Increased oxygen is associated with optimal brain functioning. Based on the study results, you may want to get active for a more oxygen-happy brain. Among study participants, those who worked out more often had more oxygen availability in their brains — and hence, better cognitive functioning. In fact, you’re doing your brain a long-term favor by exercising. Machado notes that effects observed in the study weren’t temporary. In other words, exercise could provide a lasting brain boost unlike the quick mental edge you’d get from downing a cup of coffee. Related: The 10 Best Apps to Train Your Brain Best of all: This research suggests you won’t have to spend hours at the gym to experience clearer thinking. “Moderate physical activity, including brisk walking, at least five days a week for at least 30 minutes may suffice to gain benefits with respect to brain function,” says Machado. Brisk walking counted as exercise in the study, though Machado says achieving an elevated heart rate is likely important. (So, strolling leisurely around the block just to hit your fitness tracker step goal doesn’t count!) Bulletproof Coffee and the Case for Butter as a Health FoodLib morning show host Tim Benz from station 105.9 The X walked off his show on Friday after arguing with pro-Second Amendment listeners. He couldn’t take it anymore. Trib Live reported: Tim Benz, co-host of the Morning Show on alternative rock radio station 105.9 The X, left the air Friday after arguing with listeners about his support of stricter gun laws. “There was a flare-up about gun control on the show, which included a good deal of flashback against the station,” Benz said. “I wasn’t able to walk away from the fight … (so) I decided to step away from the Morning Show.” The argument stemmed from a Pittsburgh gun shop’s recent giveaway of hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines and an AR-15 military-style rifle on its Facebook page. Erik Lowry, owner of Pittsburgh Tactical Firearms, which bills itself as “America’s Largest Online Firearms Mall,” gave away the gun and ammo. He said he did not hear the show but heard about Benz’s decision. Benz’s comments on guns drew predictable reaction for this part of the country, Lowry said. Benz concedes he is passionate about the issue of gun control. He said his polarizing opinions seem to be misunderstood. “When you’re a morning show host in a town of blue-collar workers who love their guns and the Second Amendment, you’re going to (anger) a lot of people,” he said… …Benz is the husband of Kate Benz, a social columnist for the Tribune-Review.Harvey is expected to cause flooding in places Houston has never experienced before. Meyerland, in Southeast Houston sits in the floodplain. And that’s where Kristin Massey lives. She’s been flooded twice in the past year, and doesn’t want to take anymore chances. “You start thinking not just from the ground up, but from the ceiling down. What can you do,” she says. Her solution? Buying 18,000 pounds of sandbags brought in on two commercial trucks. The bags stack 11 inches high with a sheet of water proofing 5 feet high. This surrounds her entire one-story home. “I would have bought more had more because I would have liked to have gone higher than 11 inches, but I have about half or a third of what I need,” she says. Massey says she will try anything to save her house. “The reason we moved is to get in a good school district for my son,” she says. “That’s what I care about. I’d rather be over prepared than under prepared, and this may not even work. It’s just an effort to hope that it will.” In two days, she has spent close to $5,000 reinforcing her home.If the WikiLeaks revelation about CIA hacking capabilities is any indication, the bugging of Trump Tower could have been done without wiretaps or formal court warrants. That’s because it is now confirmed that the U.S. government has the ability to use everyday items to listen in on private conversations. WikiLeaks unloaded what it called the largest-ever release of CIA secrets, exposing the agency’s “global covert hacking program” that is capable of invading your computer, your smartphone, your automobile. Even your TV can be turned into a remote microphone. You may turn the TV off, but the CIA is able to compromise the set so the microphone continues to record your every word. Same with your smartphone. You’re not technically being bugged, but the CIA hack turns your TV or phone into a defacto bug. More than 8,700 CIA documents were published as part of “Year Zero,” the first in a series of leaks WikiLeaks has dubbed “Vault 7.” These “weaponized exploits” are used against “Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows and Samsung TVs.” Even the newer smart cars sporting Internet connectivity can be hacked and taken over by the government. The same goes for cameras, smart appliances or anything else hooked to the Internet. Taking UMBRAGE Another clever hacking technique exposed by WikiLeaks is that of the CIA’s “UMBRAGE” group. These hackers use malware to steal and replicate the digital “fingerprints” of a foreign hacker, allowing the U.S. to then blame the hack on a foreign enemy such as Russia. Here’s how UMBRAGE works, according to WikiLeaks: “The CIA’s hand-crafted hacking techniques pose a problem for the agency. Each technique it has created forms a ‘fingerprint’ that can be used by forensic investigators to attribute multiple different attacks to the same entity. “This is analogous to finding the same distinctive knife wound on multiple separate murder victims. The unique wounding style creates suspicion that a single murderer is responsible. As soon one murder in the set is solved then the other murders also find likely attribution. “The CIA’s Remote Devices Branch’s UMBRAGE group collects and maintains a substantial library of attack techniques ‘stolen’ from malware produced in other states including the Russian Federation. “With UMBRAGE and related projects the CIA cannot only increase its total number of attack types but also misdirect attribution by leaving behind the ‘fingerprints’ of the groups that the attack techniques were stolen from.” After the U.S. presidential election in November, mainstream media widely circulated reports quoting U.S. intelligence officials that Russia’s “digital fingerprints” were all over the hack into the Democratic National Convention emails that supposedly influenced the election of Donald Trump. Rush Limbaugh surmised on his radio show Tuesday that UMBRAGE may have been used to replicate the fingerprints of Russian hackers into the DNC. “They have found a way to essentially emulate Russian hacks either from the KGB, the RBG, the Russian government, various other Russian hackers,” Limbaugh said. “It’s a wide variety of people. The CIA has found a way to make it look like it’s the Russians doing the hacking. “Isn’t that interesting, given everything we’ve been told about the election? ‘The Russians hacked the election, that the Russians did this, the Russians did that.’ So far we don’t have any evidence the Russians did anything! But we have all kinds of supposition that the American deep state is deeply involved in whatever sabotage is being conducted on the Trump administration.” Bypassing encryption Among the other more notable disclosures, the CIA had managed to bypass encryption on popular phone and messaging services such as Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. According to the statement from WikiLeaks, government hackers can penetrate Android phones and collect “audio and message traffic before encryption is applied.” Patrick Wood, an expert on technocracy and its impact on privacy, called the WikiLeaks information “huge” because it suggests these types of surveillance techniques are being used against Americans without judicial oversight. It makes the FISA court, in many ways, an irrelevant Neanderthal institution that was designed for 1980s technology, he said. Placing this level of technology in the hands of an agency with a history as checkered as the CIA’s is “striking” and “scary,” Wood told WND. “First we had the NSA Snowden revelations and now the CIA,” said Wood, author of “Technocracy Rising: The Trojan Horse of Global Transformation.” “We’ve had enough history on the CIA to know that there are some, not all who belong to it, but some who have operated outside the law, for decades. We’ve seen traces of them here and there around the world, we’ve seen them in South America, in the Mideast, in Russia, even China, doing things that were outside the law of anybody’s country let alone our own. So why would anyone be shocked that this reveals illegal activity?” Orwellian televisions? The hacking of Samsung TVs lends itself to an Orwellian scenario where every American could one day have his home monitored by the government, but we’re not there yet, Wood said. Vizio Smart TVs, which are linked to the Internet, are equally vulnerable. “They can’t and won’t tap into every one of these TVs in the country and set up a 1984-style monitoring system, because that’s too big and wouldn’t achieve a practical purpose,” Wood said. Same goes for everyone with an iPhone. But that shouldn’t be too comforting. The CIA or NSA can and will pick and choose who it wants to monitor. “At this point, there are not enough people to sit there and listen to what you have to say. But what this says to me is there are actors within the CIA and NSA and other agencies with the same mentality, where they believe anywhere they want to look they will look,” Wood said. “And they’re looking somewhere all the time. And this is the technocratic mind – these people believe they’re entitled to look at whatever they want to look at and are entitled to look all the way to the bottom.” Wood said this is beyond government overreach. “It’s anti-American, and it’s illegal that they do these things. But there is no doubt there has been a trail of spying on American citizens without any FISA court involvement. It’s simply because they can and, therefore, they do,” he said. Trump Tower bugged? Wood said it is “plausible” that at least some of these techniques were used against the Trump campaign by the Obama administration. Anyone who doubts Obama’s intelligence apparatus was capable of this should remember the past scandals, including allegations the White House had bugged the U.S. House cloakroom in 2013 and also certain reporters for the Associated Press and Fox News. “We’ve had allegations of spying over last four five years that was clearly illegal, no right or basis to do any of that. But we know they did it in the past. So to even hint that they would never do it in the future is just ignorant,” Wood said. Timing of Trump tweet ‘brilliant’ Wood said the timing of Trump’s tweet blowing the whistle on the Obama administration’s use of wiretaps was “brilliant.” “It seems to me that Trump had some idea this was going to be released by WikiLeaks and some idea about the content. Because his tweet storm played right into this whole thing,” Wood said. “He threw that thought out, got everybody in a big hubbub. And then, all of a sudden, this big explosion of WikiLeaks. And now everybody that got angry with him over those tweets has absolutely been shut down. They’ve been made to look like fools. They’ve been played.” Wood said officials who defended Obama as above the fray and not involved in wiretapping decisions, men like former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, now look like fools. Everything is hackable Wood said the message taken from the latest WikiLeaks dump for the average American should be clear: Everything is hackable. “The internet of things is now being combined with the Internet of people, and the new phrase is called the IOE, the Internet of Everything,” he said. In his best-selling book, “Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization,” author and arch-globalist Parag Khanna made the case that the world needs to be more fully connected. “Everything needs to be connected, everything, including things and people, and every one of these things – computers, TVs, phones, appliances, smart refrigerators, smart light bulbs, smart cameras, anything conceivably connected to the Internet – can be hacked,” Wood said. “That’s what this tells me. There is nothing that’s connected to the Internet that these people haven’t figured out a way hack.” And it’s not just the government you need to worry about. One of the most disturbing revelations of the WikiLeaks documents is that the CIA has “lost control” of its secret archive of codes used to hack into various systems. The codes have now fallen into the hands of former government hackers and, presumably, to rogue hackers. “This was, in my estimation, the height of irresponsibility within the technocrat world,” Wood said. “This is the mindset of the technocrats: They create some great hacking tool and, while they are all patting each other on the back about the new tool they created, no discussion was given to how to protect that tool from being hacked.” Wood said the smart cameras people have in their homes like NEST Home Security, which are available at Best Buy or Home Depot, have become popular because they allow a homeowner to look at their smartphone and see their house remotely from thousands of miles away. “That’s cool technology, but it was never locked down,” Wood said. “The technocrats who developed it left it wide open. It never occurred to them that there would be hackers who would love to enter this system illegally to invade your household. Wouldn’t you think it would be wise to spend as much time locking it down as you would developing it? “With cars, we’re talking about hacking into your car’s software to run you off the road by taking over your steering.” He said Microsoft is notorious for not securing its Windows operating systems. “I used to be in the IT industry, and there were discussions ever since Windows 3 on the idea could Microsoft secure their software, is it possible, or was it just an oversight and they chose not to?” Wood said. “That debate has raged for three decades now. I can’t imagine that Microsoft could not have secured their software from Day 1 if they had wanted to.”CLOSE It’s time for America to get up to speed again on the Electoral College, that oddball way the nation selects its president every four years. (Dec. 15) AP President-elect Donald Trump (Photo11: Charles Rex Arbogast, AP) There may be more than a few dissenters when the Electoral College meets Monday — though not enough to deny Donald Trump the presidency. That’s according to R.J. Lyman, the lawyer quietly advising a couple dozen Republican electors — all deliberating individually — about their right to break with their states’ majority vote to oppose Trump. It’s the last gasp of the never-Trump movement, and it faces long odds. The 538 members of the Electoral College meet in their state capitals on Dec. 19 to cast their votes for president. Trump dismisses the effort as sour grapes and insists he won according to the rules. Yet a central purpose of Electoral College is to serve as a check on an electorate that could be duped by an unqualified or ethically compromised candidate, says Lyman. If the Founding Fathers wanted a simple points system, they wouldn’t have given the final say to a jury of “qualified” human beings, Lyman said in his first newspaper interview since beginning the consultations shortly after the Nov. 8 election. “Spoiler alert: in 1789 they anticipated 2016,” said Lyman, a longtime friend and supporter of former GOP Massachusetts governor Bill Weld, who was the vice presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party. “They (electors) have to decide whether, in Hamilton’s words, the candidate to whom you are pledged is fit for office,” he said. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig is also providing legal assistance to potential “faithless electors." He estimates up to 20 electors could flip. It’s the final hours of a broad effort to appeal to GOP electors that includes a separate web of Democrat-leaning activist groups pressuring electors. Lyman is seeking to inform electors about their constitutional role at a critical moment in the nation’s history: the blessing of the nation’s first president-elect with no government or military experience who may face significant conflicts of interest in the White House due to his business empire. Adding to the swirl of considerations are reports about Russian interference in the U.S. election. “I’m not trying to undermine the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s ascendancy to the presidency. I am trying to make sure our institutions function the way they are supposed to,” Lyman said. The framers of the Constitution created a pause of more than a month between the election and the Dec. 19 meeting of electors to give the “men most capable of analyzing the qualities” of the incoming president time to deliberate outside the hyper partisan rancor of a campaign, he said. “They hold a constitutionally important obligation and every single one I’ve spoken with has understood that issue and that there’s reason for them not simply to follow the majority vote,” said Lyman. The effort seems unlikely to succeed. Trump won with 306 electoral votes, with 270 needed, so 37 Republican electors would need to flip their votes. Just one GOP elector, Chris Suprun of Texas, has publicly said he’d vote against Trump. The one alternative to Trump, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has told electors not to vote for him. Even if there were a mass defection, the matter would kick to the Republican-led House of Representatives, which is unlikely to override their own party’s president. Further, the Republican National Committee has been conducting a parallel whip effort to make sure electors stick to the plan to vote for Trump — as opposed to Lyman, who describes his effort as educational and says it does not include regular contact with and pressure on the electors. In his private conversations, many have expressed a major concern, said Lyman: fear of legal retribution. Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig, who is advising anti-Trump electors. (Photo11: Scott Eisen, Getty Images) According to the Constitution, states are free to allocate electoral votes as they see fit. It was only during the 19th century that states acted — on their own — to grant their votes on a winner-take-all system. Of the 29 states with “faithless electors’ laws,” only four of them has a specified penalty, said Lyman. “A number of them are concerned about lawsuits, suing them personally, whether it’s the state party or the presumptive president elect or his team. These aren’t rich people,” said Lyman, who is coordinating a legal defense fund. “It’s a material amount of money” in the fund to cover legal expenses, he assured. Trump will have lost the national popular vote by a larger margin of votes than any presidential winner in U.S. history. Further, the real estate billionaire is facing questions about potential conflicts of interest relating to his global business holdings that could violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause if he fails to divest. Trump rescheduled until January a news conference originally scheduled for Thursday to clarify his plans for separating himself from his company. A separate effort to pressure electors will include thousands of protesters who plan to descend on all 50 state capitals. Eighteen celebrities, including Martin Sheen and Debra Messing, a prominent Hillary Clinton supporter, also cut a video trying to rally the Electoral College. More than 4.8 million people have signed a change.org petition calling on “Conscientious Electors” to vote Clinton into office. Websites have compiled electors’ email addresses, and more than 193,750 people have used the site asktheelectors.org to contact delegates. If a couple dozen electors defect, that would be a “historic” revolt, said Ryan Clayton of Americans Take Action, among the progressive groups organizing the effort. It’s “why the RNC is doing a whip count of Electors and it’s why Donald Trump is threatening electors for using their Constitutional right to vote their conscience.” In “The Federalist Papers,” Alexander Hamilton wrote the Constitution is designed to ensure “that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.” Since the founding of the nation, there have been 23,449 votes for a future president of the U.S. In that time, just one of them — a protest vote for a philosophy professor in 1972 — has been for someone with no prior government or military experience, says Lyman. Still, in a few random calls by USA TODAY to Ohio electors who might be most disposed to voting against Trump, there was no indication of dissent. Mary Anne Christie, an elector from Cincinnati who supported Kasich, said she believes Russia was trying to help Trump. “I’ve been in this political arena for years,” she said. “You had to have known just watching the things coming out” since “all the emails were only about Hillary,” she said. That said, Christie said Trump hurt himself a lot, including his prior comments about women, and the voters chose him anyway. “He was creating his own problems, but yet he won,” said Christie, who plans to cast her vote for Trump. Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2hIZg3LMeet Game Creators, Developers, and Artists in the community, then form a team to build a game in 48 hours. --------------------- Global Game Jam is a 48-hour hackathon held from Friday, January 29, to Sunday, January 31. The Honolulu site is one of hundreds of sites that participate in the world's largest international hackathon. After a brief orientation on Friday, the weekend's Secret Theme will be announced and participants will have several minutes to brainstorm and pitch game ideas, then form teams to build games. --------------------- Updated Schedule Friday, January 29 5pm Sign in & Meet the Jammers 5:30pm Welcome, Secret Theme is Announced 6pm Brainstorm, Pitch Ideas 7pm Form Teams & Start Jamming 9pm Livestreaming / Talking to Teams, featured on Twitch. Facilities will be open late. Saturday, January 30 9am Rooms will Open. Create a GGJ Official Account by 12pm. No Set Schedule. Facilities will be open late. Sunday, January 31 9am Rooms will Open. 3pm Games must be submitted to the official globalgamejam.org website. 3:15pm Demo / Play Games 5pm Event Ends --------------------- RSVP Please RSVP either on our EventBrite Page, or at the GameDev Meetup page. Registration is FREE, and will be used to gauge the number of attendees and space needed. --------------------- FAQ How do we communicate? Official Communications will be on ggjhnl.slack.com. Email [email protected] if you need an invitation to the slack room. I don't know how to make a game. :( This is a game jam, not a video game jam, so board and card games count! If you think you can make something fun, you're welcome to come. Great storytellers are welcome, too! How much does it cost? The event is FREE. However, be prepared to purchase food/drinks for meals if you plan to stay late or overnight. Will Food be provided? Attendees are responsible for their own meals over the weekend. Manoa Marketplace is located next door to the facility and contains several venues for food and snacks. Safeway is open 24/7 in case of any late-night snack emergencies. Where do I park? Any Green Parking stall is available (and Free) for participants. Ample street parking is also available. If any student attendees require transportation to & from University of Hawaii over the course of the weekend, carpools can be arranged. Please contact [email protected] for further information. Is the facility open 24/7? Several rooms will be available 24/7 should participants wish to stay overnight. Who can I contact if I have any more questions? Please contact [email protected] for further information. --------------------- Jammer Resources Official FAQ: http://globalgamejam.org/faq Optional Constraints/Diversifiers: http://globalgamejam.org/news/ggj16-diversifiers-are Board Games / Non-Digital Games: http://archive.globalgamejam.org/wiki/board-games Software: http://archive.globalgamejam.org/wiki/venue-software Twitch Channel: http://www.twitch.tv/globalgamejam --------------------- Submit Games by 3pm Sunday. Sign up for an account on this site by 12pm Saturday!You’ve heard it around forever. Elvis Presley stole rock music. Or Eminem couldn’t be considered a truly “authentic” rapper because he’s white. And there was sense in all of that. But what began as a legitimate complaint has morphed into a handy way of being offended by something that should be taken as a compliment. A much-discussed recent editorial in Time, where a black woman tells white gay men to stop imitating them by taking on their gestures and expressions, neatly illustrated the nut of the issue. To her, these men are “stealing” black womanhood. But what does it mean to “steal” someone’s culture when we’re not talking about money? With gay white men and black women, for example, it’s not as if the black women are being left without their culture after the “theft,” or as if gay white men are somehow out there “out-blacking” the women they “stole” from. The debate over what we call cultural appropriation has roots in the justifiable resentment of white pop musicians imitating black genres for monetary gain. Presley was the classic example. However, this legitimate objection was about bucks: Presley and artists like him were reaping financial rewards that the originators of their music never saw. But over time, the concept of cultural appropriation has morphed into a parody of the original idea. We are now to get angry simply when whites happily imitate something that minorities do. We now use the word steal in an abstract sense, separated from any kind of material value. It used to be that we said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But now there is new way to see the matter: Imitation is a kind of dismissal. But does this idea hold up? I doubt it. If one is seen, and seen in an approving light, one will be imitated. This is what human beings do. The very faculty of language is, to a large extent, a matter of imitation. The idea that when we imitate something we are seeking to replace it rather than join it is weak. Think about it: Does that even make sense? It’s certainly up for debate. Yet some will insist that we squeeze ourselves into the mental straitjacket and allow this as a “progressive” new take on what it is to be a human in a diverse society. But it won’t work. What’s the evidence? All of human history. The grand old empires (including the ones in Africa) were all about rampant interethnic appropriation. Every language in the world is shot through with words and grammatical patterns from other languages—that is, signs of people in the past doing what we would call “appropriating.” In the melting pot that was Harlem in the 1920s, whites were picking up new ways of singing and making music from black people and creating today’s American musical landscape. Were George Gershwin and all of those country singers picking up the blues “appropriating” musical styles they should have given back? A great deal of black culture was “appropriated” by young America as recently as the ’90s. It became normal for young American women of all extractions to, in underscoring a point, do a certain swivel of the neck which before then was known only to black (and perhaps many Latina) women. Even many extremely white young men today have “appropriated” from black men certain vocal cadences, expressions like “Yo” and “Bro” and greeting styles. Has anyone thought anything was wrong with any of this? So we don’t even need to explore whether cultural cross-fertilization is a good thing in itself (although Robert Wright is one person especially useful on that). All we need to know is that we will never arrest it, and that a stipulation that brown people in America must be shielded from it will serve no purpose except to provide people with something to be upset about. It will keep happening. Sure, appropriation can be done clumsily. Last year, Miley Cyrus’ heart was in the right place but she could have used some sensitivity coaching. That’s an old story. In the ’20s, white Carl Van Vechten started feeling so comfortable around black people as a chronicler of the Harlem scene that he misstepped in titling a book “Nigger Heaven.” But beware any idea that stories like that mean that whites imitating brown people is, fundamentally, wrong and
r. The dream is to use the Planck constant for mass in the same way that light is used to measure distance. In the SI, the speed of light is already used to define the meter, the unit of length. “You use light to measure the distance to the Moon or the distance between silicon atoms,” he said. The move to a revised SI is intended to be seamless for just about everyone in the world. “The whole thing is geared to not have any impact on the average person,” Mohr said. But an SI based fully on the constants is expected to change the world of metrology. Le Grand K in France will no longer exactly define one kilogram. Instead, it will likely have a mass of slightly less or slightly greater than one kilogram, to within 10 parts per billion in uncertainty. The volt will change as well, since the Planck constant will also help to define it in the revised SI. A volt based purely on the fundamental constants will be very slightly smaller, about 100 parts per billion, than the current scientific realization of the volt, established in 1990. So, the top-level metrology labs will have to recalibrate their high-precision voltage measurements. “People doing such high-precision measurements will notice the shift,” Mohr said. That’s why the official rollout of the revised SI is slated for May 20, 2019, on World Metrology Day, to give metrologists time to adjust to the new values. “It’s a broader philosophical paradigm shift,” Mohr said. “When the speed of light became a fixed number, researchers stopped measuring the speed of light. They focused on realizing the meter. It’s the same with the Planck constant. You’re not going to be measuring the Planck constant anymore. You’re going to be realizing mass and electrical standards more precisely.” Paper: D.B. Newell, F. Cabiati, J. Fischer, K. Fujii, S.G. Karshenboim, H. S Margolis, E. de Mirandes, P.J. Mohr, F. Nez, K. Pachucki,T.J. Quinn, B.N. Taylor, M. Wang, B. Wood and Z. Zhang. The CODATA 2017 Values of h, e, k, and N A for the Revision of the SI. Metrologia. Accepted for publication 20 October 2017. DOI: 10.1088/1681-7575/aa950a Source: NISTSky sources: Aston Villa have had no bids for Benteke. Christian Benteke celebrates scoring his team's second goal Sky sources understand that Aston Villa have had no offers for striker Christian Benteke. The FA Cup finalists are keen for the Belgium international to sign a new deal but Benteke, who has two years on his current contract to run, is not keen to sign as he wants to play Champions League football. Benteke, who has a £32.5m buy-out clause, has been heavily linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer with a number of top club's monitoring the situation. The 24-year-old, who was signed by former boss Paul Lambert in a £7m deal from Genk, has scored 49 goals in 101 appearances since making his debut against Swansea in September 2012.In the past few months each of the Big Four US carriers has introduced some kind of new service plan. So to help you figure out which plan gets you the most bang for your buck, I’m breaking down each carrier’s pricing for an iPhone 7 with a 3GB per month data plan — the average amount used by most smartphone owners, according to the NPD Group. (Update: A previous version of this article indicated that Verizon charged $5 per month for its Safety Mode. The company, however, now offers the feature for free across its plans.) I’m also including the cost of a 4-line plan with 3GB of data each for all of you family types, as well as the number of cities in which each carrier offers 4G LTE data speeds. After digging through each carrier’s website and the various purchasing processes, I found that Sprint (S) came out with the least expensive monthly plans for single people followed by AT&T (T), Verizon (VZ) and T-Mobile (TMUS). If you’ve got a family of four, T-Mobile offers the cheapest plan, while prices increase with Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. But a carrier’s worth isn’t just about its price. You’re also going to want to take into account its coverage. Sprint might be the least expensive carrier, but it only covers close to 300 million people. T-Mobile, meanwhile, covers 312 million and Verizon covers 314 million. AT&T, according to its own numbers, covers the most people at 325 million. AT&T Monthly cost when buying phone: $650 for phone, $60 per month for data Monthly cost with phone installments: $127 for the first month, $87 each subsequent month Family monthly cost when buying phone: $2,600 for phones, $170 per month for data Family cost with phone installments: $358 for first month, $278 each subsequent month AT&T’s Mobile Share Advantage plan gives you the option to either purchase your phone outright, or sign up for a 24-month plan. There’s a 30-month plan, as well, but we’re going with the 24-month for this exercise. A single person If you decide to pay full-price for your 32GB iPhone 7, you’ll fork over $650 for the device and $60 a month for 3GB of data. That includes a $20 per month device access charge. You’ll also be charged a one-time $20 activation fee, because carriers love money. All told, you’ll pay $1,460 over the course of two years including the $20 activation fee. Throw in the price of the iPhone 7, and you’re looking at a total of $2,130. The benefit of paying for your phone outright is that you can then leave your carrier at any time. Opt for AT&T’s Next Every Year plan, and you’ll enter into a 24-month agreement with the carrier that ensures you’ll be able to upgrade to a new handset when you pay off 50% of your iPhone 7’s price, which takes about 12 months. Under that plan, the price of the iPhone 7 breaks down into monthly payments of $27.09. So you’re looking at $60 per month for 3GB of data and $27.09 per month for your handset and a $20 one-time activation fee. That means you’ll end up forking over $87.09 a month ($127.09 the first month). Over two years, that’ll cost you $2,130.16. And while that’s about the same amount you’d pay if you bought your phone outright, you don’t actually own the handset until you pay it off. That means you can’t leave for another carrier until then. A family of four If you’ve got a family of four and are looking to purchase your handsets outright, you’ll pay $2,600 for the phones plus a one-time $80 activation fee and $170 per month for a 16GB plan ($70 for the plan and a $20 access charge for each line), which is the closest to 3GB per person per month that AT&T offers. That’s $6,760 over a two-year period. If you’re going to pay for your phones in installments, AT&T’s 24-month Next Every Year plan will set you back $170 per month. Add to that $108.36 per month for your phones and $80 in activation fees and you’re looking at $358.36 for the first month and $278.36 for every following month. Together that works out to $6,760.64. So essentially, you’re going to pay the same price over two years whether you buy your phone in one lump sum or pay for it in installments. The reason you’d want to buy the phone outright, though, is that you wouldn’t be tied to your carrier for two years and could take the handset to another carrier whenever you want. Verizon Monthly cost when buying phone: $650 for phone, $70 per month for data Monthly cost with phone installments: $97 per month Family monthly cost when buying phone: $2,600 for phones, $160 per month for data Family cost with phone installments: $268 per month Verizon recently revamped its data offerings across the board. It now sells packages ranging from Small (2GB for $35 per month) to XXL (24GB for $110 per month). The company also now allows you to carry over your unused data to the next month and provides a Safety Mode, which automatically slows your data speeds to 2G when you hit your limit to prevent you from having to pay overages. Story continuesAbout Hipster Barista is an image macro series featuring a tattoo covered man wearing a black v-neck t-shirt, glasses and scarf with a scowling expression. Influenced by the common "hipster" stereotypes of being judgmental yet hypocritical, Hipster Barista acknowledges the snobby side of American coffee culture. See also: Hipster Kitty and Hipster Ariel. Origin The first noted instance of Hipster Barista was uploaded on August 24, 2011 as a Quickmeme submission with the caption “I got this tattoo for my love of coffee / I got this one because it’s ironic.” On August 25th, 2011, a link to another Quickmeme submission was posted in Reddit's /r/AdviceAnimals subreddit, which featured the caption "Che Guevara changed my life / Manager at Starbucks" and received 2,872 up votes (as of September 6th). Spread The restaurant & bar review blog Eater.com posted an article titled "The Hipster Barista Meme Is a Thing Now" on August, 26, 2011. They identified the man in the original photograph as Dustin Mattson, a "coffee boss" at Octane Coffee in Atlanta, GA who placed 5th at the Southeast Regional Barista Competition 2010 and 27th place at the US Barista Championship 2010. On August 26, 2011, Dustin tweeted about the notoriety stating "yeah it's real representative of what I do to feed my family." On August 29, 2011, Eater.com posted an interview with Dustin in which he talks about how seriously he takes his job. "I do find it discouraging and disappointing that there was so much exposure brought to an attempt at making a joke of a culinary industry and the professional barista. To me, it's very telling on how we laud farm-to-table food, craft beer, cocktail mixology, but it's ok to have no respect for the specialty coffee world and the people who are committed to it." On August 30th, several instances of the image macro popped up on both the Sherdog Forums and Bodybuilding.com Forums. On September 4th, 2011, a Facebook fan page was created that has 7 likes as of September 6th, 2011. Additional derivatives can be found on Tumblr, and the Advice Animals subreddit. Notable Derivatives Template External ReferencesMedia playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Daniel Sandford hears from a man who says he witnessed the attack Ukraine says it will launch an investigation into a fatal shooting in the east of the country which has raised tension with Russia further. At least three people died in the raid on a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists near the town of Sloviansk. Russia expressed "outrage" at the shooting and said Ukraine's Right Sector nationalists were to blame. The incident came as pro-Russian groups continued to occupy government buildings defying a deal to leave. The deputy secretary of Ukraine's national security council, Viktoriya Siumar told the BBC that it was too early to tell who was responsible for the attack. Criminal groups could have been behind the incident, she said, adding that "the level of criminality in eastern Ukraine has increased substantially recently". Ms Siumar said that Kiev was "concerned" about the fact that Russia had already reached its own conclusions. 'Provocation' Russian television showed an interview with a man, allegedly captured after the attack, who said he was a Right Sector member. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Pro-Russian activists have shown little sign of wanting to leave their positions in Donetsk However, a spokesman for the group denied that the man was a member. "Right Sector was not there, and whatever happened there was an obvious provocation from the Russian secret services," Artyom Skoropadskiy said. The Right Sector mocked the discovery of a business card found in a burned out car at the site and said to belong to its leader Dmytro Yarosh. Mr Skoropadskiy said this was "propaganda worse than that of Nazi Germany", adding: "As if the militants of Pravy Sektor carry Yarosh's business cards with them!" The Russian foreign ministry accused the Kiev government of not doing enough to protect Russian speakers. "Russia is indignant about this provocation by gunmen, which testifies to the lack of will on the part of the Kiev authorities to rein in and disarm nationalists and extremists," it said in a statement. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk: "President Putin has a dream to restore the Soviet Union" Russia, Ukraine, the EU and US agreed during talks in Geneva last Thursday that illegal military groups in Ukraine must be dissolved, and that those occupying government premises must be disarmed and leave. But the separatists' spokesman in the city of Donetsk said that the Kiev government was "illegal", and vowed they would not go until it stepped down. The shooting is the first fatal incident in the region since Thursday's agreement. Sloviansk rebel leader and self-proclaimed mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to send peacekeepers to the region. He also asked for food and weapons. Mr Ponomarev added that a "people's army of Donbass" was being set up. Donbass (Don river basin) is the industrial area of eastern Ukraine made up of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The BBC's James Reynolds in Donetsk says that the Geneva deal is already in trouble and events in Sloviansk will do little to change that. Ships returned Meanwhile, Ukraine's navy said that seven of its ships that were stationed in Crimea - now annexed by Russia - had returned to the port of Odessa. However, the captain of the Kirovograd said that his crew had decided to join the Russian armed forces. Image copyright AFP Image caption Seven Ukrainian navy ships arrived in the city of Odessa on Sunday "The ship has been operating for 11 years, unfortunately its crew decided to stay in Russia, but they have saved this ship and I am grateful for this," said Dmitry Kovalenko. US Vice-President Joe Biden is set to meet Ukraine's acting president and prime minister on Tuesday on a two-day visit to Kiev. Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk criticised Russia's Vladimir Putin in a US TV interview ahead of the visit. He told NBC's Meet the Press programme that Mr Putin had a "dream to restore the Soviet Union". "It's crystal clear that for today, Russia is the threat to the globe, and the threat to the European Union, and a real threat to Ukraine," Mr Yatsenyuk said. 'Pivotal' period Ukraine has been in crisis since last November, when Kiev was gripped by protests against President Viktor Yanukovych over his rejection of an economic pact with the EU. He was toppled in February and fled to Russia. Russia then annexed Crimea following a regional referendum that approved joining the Russian federation. The annexation provoked international outrage. Pro-Russian activists then occupied buildings in several eastern Ukrainian cities. Ukraine has said that operations against the pro-Russian militants have been suspended over Easter. Ukraine's interim authorities have appealed for national unity and promised to meet some of the demands of pro-Russian protesters. These include the decentralisation of power and guarantees for the status of the Russian language. But the US has warned the next few days will be pivotal and has threatened more sanctions against Russia if it fails to abide by the agreement. Are you in Ukraine? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with the subject title 'Ukraine'.How Many Times A Day Do You Violate Copyright Laws Without Even Realizing It from the many-more-than-you-think dept "By the end of the day, John has infringed the copyrights of twenty emails, three legal articles, an architectural rendering, a poem, five photographs, an animated character, a musical composition, a painting, and fifty notes and drawings. All told, he has committed at least eighty-three acts of infringement and faces liability in the amount of $12.45 million (to say nothing of potential criminal charges). There is nothing particularly extraordinary about John's activities. Yet if copyright holders were inclined to enforce their rights to the maximum extent allowed by law, he would be indisputably liable for a mind-boggling $4.544 billion in potential damages each year. And, surprisingly, he has not even committed a single act of infringement through P2P file sharing. Such an outcome flies in the face of our basic sense of justice. Indeed, one must either irrationally conclude that John is a criminal infringer -- a veritable grand larcenist -- or blithely surmise that copyright law must not mean what it appears to say. Something is clearly amiss. Moreover, the troublesome gap between copyright law and norms has grown only wider in recent years." Nearly seven years ago, we wrote about a paper from law professor John Tehranian, in which he detailed just how much he likely accidentally infringed on copyright law each and every day, just doing normal things. He later turned it into an entire book, called Infringement Nation: Copyright 2.0 and You (which, insanely, is priced at $39.99-- who thoughtwas a good idea?). Here was a snippet from his paper:Just about the same time that Tehranian's paper came out back in 2007, we also pointed to a different research paper, by professor Tom Bell, in which he argued that the term "intellectual property" was misleading, and that it should really be called "intellectual privilege" as that was much more accurate. Years later, Bell has now published his own book on Intellectual Privilege, arguing why copyright law needs to be massively scaled back.To help promote the book, Bell has recorded an amusing video not all that different from Tehranian's premise, highlighting just how much accidental infringement you do on a daily basis -- and, yes, it includes the singing of Happy Birthday, so I'm surprised Warner hasn't killed the video yet.Now, some will argue that this is silly because no one is actually going after these kinds of "incidental" infringements, but Bell's point is pretty clear: "the fact that no one thinks copyright law should be fully enforced, demonstrates the need for reform." In fact, he notes that pretty much everyone agrees that full enforcement is "undesirable and counterproductive." And, really that should be a clear sign of just how flawed the law itself is. Filed Under: copyright, copyright terms, intellectual privilege, tom bellAll it takes is one peek inside my 6-year-old's bedroom to know what gender kid I'm parenting. And the way society tells it these days, that makes me a bad, bad mamajama. How dare my female child have a dollhouse-shaped bookshelf with a pink roof! Surely that Tinkerbell bedspread is setting women back a good decade or two! Yes, I'm raising a girl in world where, as writer Clementine Ford recently opined, "society doesn't like girls very much." And after 6 years of trying to defend her, I'm exhausted. It's a particularly hard row to hoe when you're an equal rights-promoting feminist who doesn't see a problem with her daughter's affinity for pink and sparkly. And if I listened too closely to the current conversation about girlhood, I would be crying myself to sleep each night about my daughter's future fate. If she's not playing ninjas and out hunting frogs, she's missing out! She's being denied the right to run with the boys! But as the world rails against the genderization of products and experiences in the name of protecting girls from being shortchanged, my daughter IS being left out in the cold. Take the latest Change.org petition railing against the girlified LEGO Friends line. Signers are expected to agree with the statement that: Marketers, ad execs, Hollywood, and just about everyone else in the media are busy these days insisting that girls are not interested in their products unless they’re pink, cute, or romantic. They’ve come to this conclusion even though they’ve refused to market their products to the girls they are so certain will not like them. Funny. My kid loves LEGOs and has for years. But when I showed her the LEGO Friends line, her eyes lit up. I asked her what she thought as I handed her the box. "I love it already," she said. But why, I wanted to know (wondering to myself if it was the color). "Because it has girls!" she enthused. More From The Stir: I Won't Stop Telling My Daughter She's Beautiful Hear that, folks? She's a girl. She identifies with other girls. She roots for women's soccer and wanted her first grade teacher to be one of the females, not the male. And she wants more girls in her favorite toys and movies. Right now, at 6, she doesn't see "playing like a girl" as being a bad thing. And I wouldn't be a good feminist if I didn't say that I hope she never does. I'd much prefer she saw that life is more about being proud of your choices than about trying to one-up someone else. And so I've gotten tired of "OK with being a girl" being equated with "doesn't want to be as good as the boys." It's one thing to give our girls options. My daughter plays with trucks and dolls alike. But if we are forcing little girls to play with trucks when they want a doll, we don't make them equal to the boys. We tell them that their own personal likes and dislikes don't matter. We tell them that girl stuff isn't "good." WE -- not boys, not marketers, not Hollywood -- are telling them that girls aren't as good as boys. Isn't telling her that she's wrong for being attracted to the My Little Pony aisle instead of the science kits just another way of telling my daughter she's not good enough? Corny as it is, I want my daughter to be all that she can be. But I'm also trying to raise a child whose worth is rooted in the self. To get anywhere, she has to like who she is. More From The Stir: Good Dads Don't Need Sons If that means letting her be proud of being her kind of girl who likes pink and sparkles and will jump in a go cart to drive one of her little (male) buddies around while other girls wear jeans and t-shirts and play Star Wars at recess, so be it. Because it isn't the "stuff" or the color that makes a person. Do you know a girl who actually really DOES want all this pink and glitter? Is it holding her back? Image via © iStock.com/ArtisticCapturesUPDATEhttps://axiomamuse.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/701/ HOUSE MEMBER SAYS RESOLUTION ON 10TH AMENDMENT ISN’T ABOUT PARTISANSHIP BY MICHAEL MCNUTT Published: January 4, 2009 An Oklahoma lawmaker wants to put the federal government on notice to stop doing things that he says are abusing its authority over the states. With a Republican-controlled Legislature set to convene next month for the first time in state history, chances are good the measure will pass, said Rep. Charles Key. A similar resolution failed to advance last year. Key, R-Oklahoma City, said he thinks many federal laws violate the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states the powers not delegated to the federal government “are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” The Constitution lists about 20 duties required of the federal government. “We, the people in the states, created the federal government,” Key said. “They act like they created us and we’re under their authority, and that’s really not the case.” What’s proposed? Key’s resolution states the federal government should “cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.” A resolution is a formal expression of opinion, will or intention voted by legislators. “It’s to help try to get us back to following the Constitution and try to preserve our constitutional form of government,” Key said. “The federal government continues to violate it more and more. It’s gotten so bad that they pretty much do whatever they want and get away with just about anything they want to get away with.” The resolution, House Joint Resolution 1003, is similar to a resolution Key filed last year. It sailed through the Republican-controlled state House, passing 92-3, but was not taken up in the evenly split Senate. Republicans picked up two Senate seats in November’s election to have a 26-22 majority. Will is pass this time? Key said there’s a “much better” chance that the resolution will pass the Senate this year, but he said he and others “will have to work hard to get it heard over there.” Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, is optimistic fellow senators will pass the measure. Brogdon sponsored Key’s resolution last year and plans to sponsor this year’s measure. “There’s a solid chance of it passing in the Senate this year,” Brogdon said. “If there’s any group of individuals that should support the 10th Amendment — states’ rights — it should be the state legislators,” Brogdon said. “We have more power and are more powerful than Congress. We just do not exercise our powers. … It’s time we put Congress in its place.” What’s next? If the resolution passes, the secretary of state’s office is required to send copies of it to the president, U.S. Senate and House leaders, members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation and legislative leaders in other states. It cannot repeal any existing federal programs, but Key said the resolution could be the first step in their eventual repeal. Future steps could be suing in with the goal of getting the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the federal government’s constitutional authority, he said. Key criticized two specific federal programs: No Child Left Behind and the Real ID Act. The No Child Left Behind initiative, a 2002 program requires, states to measure performance and offer alternatives in cases where schools are failing. Key opposed the Real ID Act because he said it would enroll Oklahomans in a national or global biometric identification system. Legislators in 2007 opted Oklahoma out of the Real ID Act. “There’s the issue of whether or not they have the right within the Constitution to tell us, for example, how to run our schools in Oklahoma,” Key said, “and do things, such as the Real ID Act, that might violate people’s privacy or put at risk their personal information.” Key said his effort is not a partisan political issue and should not be interpreted as a slap against Democratic President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress. Both the No Child Left Behind legislation and the Real ID Act passed under a Republican administration, and he filed his first resolution last year. Digg it for Key! http://digg.com/politics/Oklahoma_State_Legislator_Charles_Key_Limit_Federal_Power http://newsok.com/effort-focuses-on-states-rights/article/3335138 Facebook group-Support Rep. Key http://tinyurl.com/CharlesKey see Charles Key’s speech from The Citizens Assembly for Oklahoma Sovereignty 01/03/09 https://axiomamuse.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/jan-3-charles-key-speech-at-citizens-assembly-for-oklahoma-sovereignty/ AdvertisementsOriginally Posted by Buick Electra Originally Posted by No we shouldn't bail him out! The UniParty-funded Soros rent-a-mobs are engaged in an attempt to goad Trump supporters into an open confrontation. The goal is to finally piss us off enough that somebody decides to lash out in return; to engage in retaliatory violence. This is exactly what they want, because the minute a few of us lose their cool, the compliant propaganda media will swoop in to record the event for all to see, allowing them to ‘close the loop’ on the notion they’ve been pushing: “Trump Promotes Violence”. It is absolutely imperative that we remain dead-panned and disciplined; that we do NOT take the bait. We must NOT respond ‘in kind’, or the numb-skulled, perpetually disaffected yahoos will have won the skirmish, and whoever takes the bait will have let Mr. Trump–and all of us–down, big league. Let law enforcement do their jobs. Let the numb skulls fatten up their criminal records. For us? “Eyes on the Prize.” Steely determination in the face of sad young idiots who are actually protesting how their own pathetic lives turned out. Let ’em run their yaps–they won’t change anyone’s mind, and that isn’t the goal of this tactic. Going by the number of people who were so furious that the cops weren’t arresting everyone in sight at the blockade in AZ yesterday, and so outraged that Sheriff Joe has more sense than to get out the big guns on a bunch of dweebs who probably would never have had more than a misdemeanor charge stick after costing the county about a million in jail and court expenses, there’s a very good chance of the goading succeeding. The police were staying frosty and way too many couldn’t seem to understand that it would have been much worse in the long run to be coming down hard on these protesters. The protesters would have quickly been the “victims,” all the police people involved would have been the brutal oppressors, and we would soon have Ferguson in Phoenix. Same in Tucson. Trump and Arpaio are not doing anything that could be construed as denying them their speech rights or using excess force. “Eyes on the Prize” folks. “Eyes on the Prize!”In May, the White House released the National Climate Assessment, a report written by a committee of 60 scientists that assessed risks from man-made climate change including rising seas, extreme heat and dropping water supplies. Separately, two science papers released in May reported that the global sea level will rise at least 10 feet, accelerating to a dangerous pace after the next century. The reports sparked some much-publicized comments by politicians and pundits, making climate change a hot issue in elections this fall in some states. Here’s a summary of some of our recent fact-checks on climate change. We also fact-checked many claims before the recent flurry of media coverage sparked by the reports. Sen. Marco Rubio We have fact-checked a few climate change claims by or about Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. The National Climate Assessment named Miami as one of the most vulnerable cities. A day before the release of the scientific papers, Rubio told ABC’s Jonathan Karl on This Week on May 11, "I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it." An overwhelming majority of scientists agree that humans, by burning fossil fuels, contribute directly to global warming. A May 2013 report analyzing all scientific papers that address the causes of climate change showed 97.1 percent of the studies that took a position on global warming said that there’s been a negative human impact on the atmosphere. We rated Rubio’s claim False. In a May 20 interview on Fox News, Rubio said that "surface temperatures in the earth have stabilized." He has a point that over roughly the past decade and a half, global surface temperatures have "paused," particularly compared to their rapid rise in previous decades. But scientists we interviewed agreed that the use of the word "stabilized" represents an unjustified leap from the data, since "stabilized" suggests that we have gotten through the worst of climate change. At the very least, the uncertainty inherent in climate forecasting makes such a claim of "stabilization" premature. More likely, the evidence suggests that the "pause" in global surface temperatures is temporary, with temperatures poised to rise once the oceans start releasing more heat, such as during an El Nino event. It’s not clear when temperatures will rise again, but few scientists doubt that temperatures will rise again at some point. We rate Rubio’s claim Mostly False. Organizing For Action, a group that backs President Barack Obama, had this to say about Rubio in 2013: "It’s time everyone in Florida knows: Sen. Rubio is a climate change denier." In 2010, Rubio told the Tampa Tribune, "I don’t think there’s the scientific evidence to justify it." On four separate occasions in 2013 Rubio expressed opposition to climate change policies while speaking more cautiously about the science that proves climate change is happening. We rated that Mostly True. Polling on climate change We have fact-checked a few claims that relate to how Americans feel about climate change. Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, said Rubio might be on relatively safe ground with the public. "From 2004, 2005, 2006, Americans were bought in to the concept of climate change and that we need to move aggressively on it," Scarborough said. But since then, the public shifted, he said. "Check the polling: Most Americans began wandering away from this issue," Scarborough said. Polls consistently showed dips through 2010; however, support for action on climate change has inched back in recent years. While the recent gains remain below the 2004 levels, the overall drop isn't as dramatic as Scarborough makes it sound. We rated this claim Half True. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has made dozens of speeches on climate change and PolitiFact Rhode Island has fact-checked a handful of them. "Fifty three percent of young Republican voters -- Republican voters under age 35 -- said that they would describe a climate [change] denier as "ignorant,’ ‘out of touch’ or ‘crazy,’" Whitehouse said in a November 2013 speech. He cited the number accurately. But the findings come from just one poll, commissioned by a conservation group. And the question he referenced focused only on the most extreme position of climate change "deniers." We rated this claim Mostly True. California wildfires, a climate change musical and other fact-checks On ABC’s This Week, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, cited scientific research that links the increased number of fires to the state’s changing climate. "It is true that there's virtually no Republican who accepts the science that virtually is unanimous. I mean there is no scientific question. There’s just political denial for various reasons, best known to those people who are in denial," he said May 18. When it comes to on-the-record comments of members of Congress, Brown’s characterization is about right. We found at least eight Republicans in Congress who publicly voiced support for the scientific consensus and many more conservative legislators who deny either a human link to the changing climate, or the fact that the climate is changing altogether. We rated Brown’s claim Mostly True. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, listed six National Science Foundation grants as questionable during a congressional hearing in March including one for a "climate change musical that was prepared for Broadway but I’m not sure ever was actually produced, $700,000." In 2010, the NSF awarded nearly that much to a Brooklyn-based theater company to develop "an innovative, out-of-the-box approach to exposing U.S. citizens to science," according to an NSF spokeswoman. PolitiFact Texas rated that statement True. (The play ran in New York after our fact-check -- here’s a round-up of reviews.) We have fact-checked several other claims related to climate change including about sea level rise in South Florida, f ishing in Wisconsin, the earth’s temperatures, and spending on climate change research. For a more complete list, see all of our fact-checks on the environment.With the clocks going back last Sunday, this week has seen cyclists having to cope with dusk falling an hour earlier and in what’s become an annual ritual, the earlier arrival of the hours of darkness has been accompanied by giveaways of lights and high-visibility gear, as well as police crackdowns on cyclists riding without lights. Police were out on the streets of Oxford for their annual operation targeting those not displaying lights. Some 162 fixed penalty notices – described by police as on a par with previous years – were issued in the space of three hours on Wednesday evening, according to the BBC. Those caught can avoid paying the £30 fine by purchasing a set of lights and taking the receipt to the police station within seven days – although last year there was some controversy over that with reports that some were then going back to the shop where they had bought the lights to claim a refund. A similar tactic is being employed by police in Bournemouth, with riders able to avoid a fine if they can prove they bought a set of lights within seven days. PC Rob Hammond told the Bournemouth Echo: “The clocks go back at the end of October and this makes it darker in the evening. “Many cyclists are unaware of the danger they present by not making themselves visible. Now is the time to make yourself as safe as you can be.” He added: “Cyclists can change how they look to motorists relatively simply and cheaply – after all, how much is your life worth?” Young cyclists in Hindley Green, Wigan, are being treated to some rather snazzy Knog lights in an initiative devised by Wigan Council, the Hindley Green Residents Association and PACT - Partners And Communities Together. Funding has been provided for 100 sets of lights, with PCSOs fitting them for free to the bikes of youngsters seen cycling without them. "Many young cyclists who ride without lights simply don’t realise just how vulnerable they are, especially at this time of year when it goes dark so early," Inspector Anne Scott of Hindley Neighbourhood Policing Unit told the Leigh Journal. Councillor Bob Brierley added: "The Brighter Borough budget enables ward members to fund grass roots initiatives which directly benefit local residents - and how better to invest it than in the safety of our young people." In Edinburgh, local cycling charity the Bike Station teamed up with Lothian Buses to distribute 500 hi
). Françalgérie", crimes et mensonges d’Etats, [Franco-Algeria, Crimes and Lies of the States]. Editions La Découverte. ISBN 2-7071-4747-8. Has a section called "The Organisation of Young Free Algerians, death squadron of the DRS", an excerpt available at [1]. DRS stands for Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité, the Algerian secret service.This weekend, the US whistleblower Edward Snowden, will have spent four weeks in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. Two thousand miles away, in neighbouring Kazakhstan, a young man has already spent four months in the transit area of an airport - and admits it is driving him round the bend. As airports go, Kazakhstan's Almaty International has not much going for it. It's small, and there's not much to keep travellers entertained. For Mohammed Al Bahish being stuck there for 120 days has been an excruciating ordeal. He does not even have access to the duty free or the overpriced cafes. The 26-year-old Palestinian refugee, born in Iraq, is confined to what officials call "the sterile zone" for travellers and airport staff - he's the only one who belongs in neither category. He cannot enter Kazakhstan because he has no visa, but nor does he have a visa to enter any other country. Israel won't allow him to travel to the Palestinian territories, and the UN accepts that with no living relatives in Iraq, it would be unsafe for him to return to the country of his birth. Every day he wakes up to the same monotonous female voice announcing flight details, gate closures and a lengthy monologue - regularly repeated - on Kazakh customs regulations. "I feel like I am going slightly crazy," he says. Already pale and puffy-faced, he is confined to a windowless 2m by 3m room inside the arrivals hall. It reeks of cigarette smoke. There is a bunk bed, a shabby sofa, and a Koran on a table by the wall. Through the door, which is slightly ajar, new arrivals stream past on their way from the landing gates to passport control. Snowden in Moscow Edward Snowden arrived at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on 23 June from Hong Kong. He is unable to leave the transit zone as he currently has no asylum documents or Russian visa, and the US has revoked his passport. He has applied to more than 20 countries for political asylum, including Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela. This week he asked for temporary asylum in Russia. Profile: Edward Snowden Where will Snowden end up? Intensifying Mohammed's sensation of limbo, he is fed on meals prepared for passengers on Kazakhstan's national air carrier, Air Astana. "They bring aeroplane food three times a day - tiny boxes of salad and cakes," he says. "For the entire month of June I ate beef and mushroom stroganoff. I don't think I will ever eat beef again." Airport security controls his every movement outside the room. Occasional coffee runs to a drinks dispenser are permitted, as are visits to the showers used by staff in the luggage department. Wherever he goes, police or security guards accompany him. His only opportunities for fresh air are walks to a porch area overlooking the runway. His only contact with the outside world comes when the airport's irregular free wi-fi signal flickers into life. Then he uses Skype. "I talk to my cousin Yaser, he lives in Norway. I don't have any other close family, my parents died in Iraq when I was 16, and I don't have any brothers or sisters," he says. It was the desire to make his own family that brought him to Kazakhstan to live with his girlfriend, Olesya Grishenko, now pregnant with their first child. I see all these people leaving the building, and I am just stuck here, I can't go anywhere Mohammed Al Bahish The Kazakh national met Mohammed on holiday in Dubai when he was working there as an interior designer. In Kazakhstan, while registering their intention to marry, Mohammed's refugee travel documents went missing, and his Kazakh and UAE visas expired. He later flew to Turkey in the hope of renewing his Kazakh visa, but was turned back at the border. "I was deported from Istanbul for lack of a valid visa, and they sent me back to Almaty. But here I also did not have a valid visa so they sent me straight back to Istanbul. Four times I flew back and forth between the two cities," Mohammed says. Kazakh immigration is keeping Mohammed in the airport's transit area, which legally is not considered Kazakh territory. Last month, the Kazakh authorities turned down his application for asylum. Mohammed says he has been preoccupied with a single thought since becoming trapped - how to escape. "I miss the sunshine, I miss being outside," he says. "I see all these people leaving the building, and I am just stuck here, I can't go anywhere," he says. We walk through the sliding door on to the steps where passengers board and disembark from shuttle buses. But Mohammed can go no further. The sound of plane engines fills the air. Behind Almaty, mountains glisten. "I get too angry when I come out here," he says. "Because I truly feel that I am in jail." You can follow the Magazine on Twitter and on FacebookInstead of cheering a reduction of needless government involvement, some — including a few members of Congress — are arguing that the U.S. needs to insert itself in a clerical role for certain coordination functions for the internet. The companies, organizations and individuals that actually use the functions have agreed that the U.S. government involvement isn’t needed. To be clear, this coordination only works because everyone agrees to it voluntarily — and if the U.S. insists on inserting itself, those using the function could agree to do things another way. In fact, in a reversal from the stereotype of a bureaucracy seeking ever-expanding power, the government agency that would be tasked with this role agrees that the plan to implement the functions without the U.S. government would work just fine. Unfortunately, those advancing arguments for U.S. involvement demonstrate fundamental misunderstandings about how the internet works. Indeed, continued U.S. government involvement in this function makes it more likely, not less, that the outcomes critics seek to avoid — including interference by foreign government in the operation of the internet — would come to pass. Since 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has performed a critical but basically clerical job for the internet: the IANA functions. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (or IANA) is a little like a land registry for the internet: It performs a critical function because keeping the registry up to date and available is important, but it is also basically a clerical job because all the policy decisions are made by someone else. Historically, ICANN has performed the IANA functions under a contract with the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). It was always the intention, from the founding of ICANN, for that contract to fade away as the internet community developed oversight mechanisms that could replace NTIA’s role. The people on the internet who set the policies for the various IANA registries have come up with those oversight mechanisms. Accordingly, NTIA has announced that it intends to let the current contract with ICANN expire at the end of September. If that happens, then starting in October, the stewardship of the IANA functions will be performed just like everything else on the internet: through collaboration of the interested parties (most of whom are from the private sector). This is a clear example of a government program that worked. The conditions for success were laid out, and they were met — and now the government can step out of the way and allow the private sector to keep up the pace of innovation on the internet. It is particularly dangerous to suggest that maintaining the U.S. government’s role in IANA will prevent attempts by foreign governments to interfere with the internet. On the contrary, the best way to encourage interference is for the U.S. to refuse to complete a transition that was first discussed when the founder of Facebook was 14 years old. Over the past two years, people from all over the internet have been working on nailing down the details of this stewardship transition. The system works and is stable today because the various actors can be relied upon to do what they say. If the U.S. government pulls the rug out from under all that work at the last minute, it will encourage foreign governments’ claims that the U.S. really does have control. It will inspire them to renew calls to move IANA stewardship to the United Nations or some other intergovernmental forum. Instead of enacting the current plan, which will be invisible to practically every person on the internet, reasserting U.S. government authority will make the internet an international political football. And the truth is that the U.S. government does not have control anyway. The internet is a voluntary system: In a network of networks, there is no center of control because there is no center. The only thing that works is positive incentives to do the right thing in your enlightened self-interest. People use IANA today because it is convenient to do so. Make it inconvenient, and you set up the conditions by which people turn to some other mechanism. So, any reassertion of U.S. government power depends on a fantasy that the U.S. government actually can assert that power. If the U.S. government does not keep faith with its previous announcements about the IANA transition, the users of IANA are just as likely to give up on it and go find another way to solve their problems. The system works and is stable today because the various actors can be relied upon to do what they say. If one party (such as the U.S. government) changes its mind with no technical justification, everyone else will need to think twice about what that party will do in other cases. Such mistrust would introduce much bigger changes than merely letting the IANA contract expire, as it is set to do. We have a good plan for stewardship of the IANA functions. Once in place, it will work just like everything else on the internet: through bottom-up, private-sector-led, voluntary cooperation. It is the U.S. government role that is the anomaly. The people who actually make the internet work — the technical organizations that make the infrastructure and civil society groups dedicated to freedom of expression on the internet — believe their stewardship plan is the true way to protect and foster the internet. It is time to get the U.S. government out of the way, and let the internet work the way it is designed to, resistant to control by any one government or organization.In the aftermath of the Mexican Grand Prix, the world’s media is rightly lauding Lewis Hamilton’s fantastic achievement, after he clinched his fourth Formula One World Championship. But, as we read the endless reams of reports about his success, it’s worth taking a step back and remembering that Britain has another four-time motorsport champion, only his success wasn’t quite as widely reported. During his career, Scotland’s Dario Franchitti won the Indycar series four times. He also triumphed at the iconic Indianapolis 500 on three occasions, not only adding his image to the imposing Borg Warner trophy, but following in the wheel tracks of his hero Jim Clark. Quite a feat, I think you’ll agree? Yet there was no great fanfare in the British media for Franchitti. Whereas Hamilton can barely walk his now equally famous dogs without being recognised or photographed, for all his achievements, Franchitti could easily pass you in the street unnoticed. So why the vast difference? Well, for starters, Indycar has long been treated as the poor relation, especially by the F1 circus. Indeed, when Fernando Alonso, a double world champion, chose to miss the Monaco Grand Prix to race at the Indy 500 in May, his decision was met with a mixture of bewilderment and derision in the F1 paddock. Hamilton himself suggested, rather unkindly, that the general standard in Indycar must be poor if Alonso could qualify fifth and stand a chance of victory as a complete rookie. Perhaps if we look deeper though, the F1 driver’s reticence towards Indycar can be explained by an underlying fear of it? Alonso aside, how many would be willing to put their reputations, and necks, on the line to run average lap speeds in excess of 230mph just inches from concrete walls? Jenson Button, the 2009 F1 champion, was at least honest enough to admit that Indycar ‘scares the shit’ out of’ him. And that fear is well placed. After all, this series hasn’t just given us a four-time champion, it’s also taken many greats from us too. In the past six years we have tragically lost Dan Wheldon and Justin Wilson, both leaving behind young families. But while a well-placed ‘fear’ can explain some of the drivers’ attitudes towards Indycar, it doesn’t explain the attitude of the UK media. Why the unwillingness to cover British victories across the Atlantic? The sickening fact is that both Wheldon and Wilson received far more press coverage in death than they ever did for their successes. Wheldon’s horrendous crash in 2011 was agonisingly splashed across the back pages and replayed on mainstream news, yet five months earlier his spectacular, and emotional, second Indy 500 win was overlooked. Surely that can’t be right? So, while there is no doubting we should applaud and congratulate Hamilton on becoming our most successful British F1 driver, isn’t it about time we truly celebrated our successful British Indycar drivers in the media too? And perhaps try giving this series, that terrifies and enthrals in equal measure, the respect it actually deserves.Walking around the Usha Stud Farm in Gurgaon, near Delhi, one can’t help but notice a tomb-like structure covered in lush green vine. Within, there is a memorial to Ameeta Mehra’s parents and younger sister, who were killed in an air crash in 2001. But perhaps more striking is the grave right next to it, where Razeen is buried. This thoroughbred stallion who sired 56 individual classic winners (more on this later) with more than 100 classic wins—the highest number in the history of Indian racing—died in 2011 at age 24. “Razeen is a Legend...a horse with greatness who lived and died with dignity...he will be remembered as the Greatest Stallion in the history of Indian Racing," reads his epitaph. Born in 1987, Razeen was sired by Northern Dancer (a Canadian-bred thoroughbred racehorse, widely regarded as one of the most successful sires of the 20th century) and Graustark mare Secret Asset. One among Northern Dancer’s second-last brood, Razeen had a gleaming bay coat and stood 16 hands and 2 inches tall (one hand is equal to 4 inches). Thoroughbreds, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, are a breed of horse developed in 17th and 18th century England for racing and jumping. They have delicate heads, slim bodies, broad chests and short backs. Their short leg bones allow a long, easy stride. They are sensitive and high-spirited. Razeen, owned by a member of Dubai’s ruling family, was brought to India in 1992 by Ameeta’s father, Major Pradeep Kumar Mehra, who set up the Usha Stud Farm. “When he was younger, Razeen would be ridden everyday around the farm with Steinbeck (another thoroughbred). He would enjoy that very much... However, if Steinbeck was in front of him, it would drive him crazy, for Razeen had to lead. He was quite content to have Steinbeck follow him... Razeen is the kind of horse that observes every movement or sound around him. If you move, his eyes move with you." Ameeta’s account gives an insight into her knowledge, on her ability to pick and breed champion horses, and her relationship with horses. The Usha Stud Farm, established in 1973, has produced 13 Indian Derby winner horses, the highest in India by a single stud farm; seven of them were bred by Ameeta herself. It is followed on this prestigious list by the Poonawalla Stud Farms, which has won nine titles since it was established in 1946 by the late Soli A. Poonawalla. The Usha Stud Farm has also won over 300 classic races in over 40 years of its existence. The last win at the Indian Derby was in 2014. Ameeta is also one of the few women in the otherwise male-dominated industry. *** “For a stud farm, winning an Indian Derby is like winning an Oscar is for a film-maker. It doesn’t come easy," says Ameeta. “Once a horse from a particular farm wins a derby, the farm’s value shoots up on the charts. It starts garnering more interest from buyers and the prices of its horses go up too," says Ameeta, who is dressed in a blue denim top, blue jeans and brown boots. But what is it that makes a horse a derby winner? “There are three basic qualities," says Ameeta. “I call them the three Ps—presence, pedigree and performance. Presence is intangible. You see a horse and your gut says it is a winner. It has beautiful balance, a lovely head, and it is light on its legs, with correct fore and hind limbs... These are things only those who have worked long with horses will understand," she explains. “Second is the pedigree of a horse, or past genetic influences (good or bad) of its parents and grandparents that are available for everyone to study, as it is compiled internationally and is available for each thoroughbred horse. This is also called the horse’s lineage. Horses from certain families have consistently produced derby winners. So the horses from the same lineage have greater chances of winning a derby compared with others. “Third is performance. If the mother and sisters of the horse you are looking to buy were excellent racehorses, the chances of the horse you are about to purchase turning out to be top class will be high." The Usha Stud Farm was India’s leading stud farm in 2013-14 in terms of the prize money won by the horses bred there, or stakes earned. It earned stakes worth ₹ 20.14 crore through 199 race wins between 1 November 2013 and 31 October 2014, according to the Stud Book Authority of India, the country’s nodal agency for all matters concerning the registration of breeding establishments, thoroughbred stallions, thoroughbred mares and thoroughbred foals. The other farms in the top 5 were the Tamil Nadu-based Chettinad/Sholavaram Stud Farm ( ₹ 16.39 crore from 309 wins), the Poonawalla Stud Farms ( ₹ 14.39 crore through 318 wins), the Ambala-based Hazara Group ( ₹ 14.21 crore through 162 wins), and the Karnataka-based Kunigal Stud Farm ( ₹ 13.48 crore through 192 wins). * Ameeta has driven a jet green Porsche Cayenne to the farm. Behind her, horses are grazing, looking for patches of shade, their tails swishing and triceps flexing. Their bay coats are shining in the sun and their shadows are becoming shorter with each passing minute, indicating that the sun is slowly getting into position overhead—it’s becoming hotter. The constant chirping of birds is interspersed with the neighing of horses. A closer look reveals marks, stamps if you will, on both sides of the horses’ backs: “U5" is stamped on one side, an indicator that they were born at the Usha Stud Farm in 2015. The other side bears a unique number; 21, for example, means that it is the 21st foal of 2015. The horses at the Gurgaon farm are a year-old—yearlings. Some of them will be sold in a few months. Three of the 62 yearlings across three farms, which will be sold by the time they turn 2. The horses here come in for pampering—there is a special oil for the coat and coconut oil for the legs. The horses-to-groom-ratio is 2:1. Each of the three farms has a residential vet and a manager. By the time the horses turn 2, they are sold, some through invitation and the rest at auctions, says Ameeta. * Ameeta was “born into horses", she says. When she was 3, she had a Shetland pony as a pet. “I have been riding since I was 3. Whenever I would fall off my pony, my father would insist, ‘Get back on the horse.’ And I would get back on," she recalls. “That way the fear of the horse would not remain in my head. In fact, my father taught us (my sister and me) how to fall off a horse so that we would not get hurt. That, in my opinion, is as important as learning how to ride a horse well." “However, I stopped riding when I was 16, and by the time I was 20, I had rejected my father’s way of life. He had by then left the army and was involved completely with the stud farm. He started tasting success, and I decided to go the other way. After graduation from LSR (Lady Shri Ram College) in 1986, I went to the Delhi branch of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram as a teacher and worked there for several years." It was at the ashram, especially in Puducherry, that she studied Essays On The Gita, The Synthesis Of Yoga and Savitri by Sri Aurobindo—the trilogy that Ameeta says moulded her. She joined the stud farm in 1990 on her father’s persuasion. “My father honed and developed in me the eye for a horse," says Ameeta. “He had no patience to teach anyone. But he made an exception for me and taught me what he knew. He systematically gave his knowledge to me." Her first task was to look after the horses in the paddock and groom them like any other worker would, she recalls. “After a couple of months, my father said I needed to go and get exposure at an international stud farm. So I went to the Irish National Stud Farm and did my equine management in 1992. It was a gruelling experience. There was no staff there. The students had to do all the work at the farm, from picking up horse poop to cleaning the paddocks. I had to groom about 8-10 horses every day. I developed blisters all over my palms. But I also got a gold medal in a project on how to select a stallion," she recalls. Horse breeding is a science that can be quite daunting for the uninitiated. “It is also very boring," says Ameeta. Over the decades, the Usha Stud Farm has chosen to develop good Indian breeding families that produce champion horses generation after generation. These days, breeding is done at the farm in Jhund Sarai. “It is all about genetics and the three Ps," says Ameeta. “There is an awful lot of study that goes into determining the families and pedigree of horses and finding suitable partners." The breeding season is from February-May, followed by an 11-month gestation period. The foaling season is from January-May. “The difference between many breeders and us is that we create lineages and families that go on from one generation to the next," she says. “Breeders who solely want to make money don’t care about families, legacies or genetic influence on the breed. My aim is to bring a sense of pride in our Indian thoroughbred horse-breeding operations." Her father didn’t stop at just ensuring that Ameeta got exposure abroad. “He thought I should understand how the business works, and so needed to do a course in business management. I also did a 10-month professional course (management education programme) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), which gave me a good foundation, even though I hated the idea then," says Ameeta, who is also a Sangeet Visharad from the Bhatkhande Music Institute, plays tennis regularly and is a coffee connoisseur. The IIM-A stint helped her create a business model. “It helped us a lot over the years," she says. “Most of the stud farm businesses in India have other businesses to support them. So whether the farm makes money or not, it doesn’t matter much to them. But for us to succeed, it was imperative that the stud farm business was not only sustainable but also profitable in the longer run." Ameeta and her father Major Pradeep Kumar Mehra (second from right) with Indictment after winning the Indian Derby in 1997. Photo: Usha Stud Farm * The turn of the century saw a major upheaval. “In 2001, I lost my parents and sister in an air crash. My life turned upside down," she says. The following five years were the most difficult. “I had to take over the stud farm with nobody to back me. I remember people coming up to me, shaking my hand in condolence and saying, ‘We are very sorry to hear about your loss. Of course, you won’t be able to look after the farm and will have to shut it down.’ Or do you have a cousin or uncle who will run it?" The comments upset her so much that she decided to go for the auctions, that were once her father’s domain, on her own. Her first horse auction was in Pune, less than a month after the death of her parents. “I could see that people were surprised. They thought I would panic and sell cheap, but I had my father’s price list with me. I sold all the horses in that auction and at prices that my father would have approved of. It helped me to establish myself." The hurdles, however, were not over. Even though her horses began winning races and breaking records, “I found that I had to be twice as successful as my male counterparts to prove that I was really on top," says Ameeta. In 2004-05, Ameeta says, buyers suddenly stopped showing interest. “I came to know about a cartel from an old client who decided to break it. I was shocked but determined to wait it out and hold my ground. Once people realized that I am a no-nonsense person and I had results to back me, buyers’ attitude towards me changed." Dealing with hard-nosed buyers is, in fact, the biggest challenge, she says. “The farm part, the day-to-day operations are there, and then we have to deal with deaths and diseases. But those challenges are few and far between. The bigger problem is to go each year to the auctions and make sure you’re not getting fleeced by the businessmen who have come to buy horses." Payments tend to be delayed and are sometimes not cleared in full, says Ameeta, though she has been lucky on this front. A major reason is the quality of horses. “When you’re at the top of the game, and Usha has been lucky to be there thanks to the horses’ performance on the tracks, you have choices and you can decide who you want to do business with. I refuse to do business with people who are sloppy. And over time, people in the industry have understood that," she says. It has perhaps helped that she is a woman. “I remember when I had to take over the business, I saw my father kept the accounts running for years. There were no closures. The first thing that I did was clean up the accounts. It is like housekeeping, really, and the difference is the way men and women look at it," she says. Ameeta doesn’t socialize much, or “waste time networking". She devotes most of her time to the stud farm. She also spends a lot of time at The Gnostic Centre, a charitable centre that she co-founded in 1996 to promote Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. In the little spare time she has left, she meditates, plays tennis, composes music on the piano and goes for walks. Her house is called The Presence—she lives there with some of her staff and a pug named Monk. “Monk is my son and heir," Ameeta says, smiling. *** “Nothing fattens a horse more than the master’s eye," Ameeta says as we get ready for “horse darshan", a daily routine at the three farms that sees the horses being paraded one by one before Ameeta. “It is not how much you feed a horse that makes it thrive and excel, but the amount of time, attention and care you provide that really helps it develop to its fullest potential," she elaborates. As their names are called, and statistics such as date of birth, overall weight and gain/loss over the last fortnight are tallied, Ameeta inspects the horses for injuries and illnesses. Any unusual movement in weight is noticed and measures are taken. In her absence, the residential vets and managers take charge. “Normal weight gain for a horse is about 8-12kg in a fortnight," Ameeta tells me, her eyes not shifting from the horses for even a second. She pats the neck of one horse, rubs her palm against the head of another. Their eyes lock and they seem to be deep in conversation for the briefest of moments. The horses snort, neigh and nuzzle close to Ameeta’s face, as if sniffing her. “These are very gentle creatures, the horses," she says. “They are one of the most peaceful ones. When I think of horses, I think of gentleness and nobleness." Horses being paraded for inspection. If the weather is good, the horses stay out on the farm day and night, Ameeta says, patting one of the animals. Walking past Razeen’s grave, she recalls the time the horse came to the farm. “When Razeen looked at you, you felt as if a laser beam is going through you. What a look it was! Sharp, intelligent eyes that spoke…. “I still remember the first foal (newborn) sired by Razeen. They were bigger than the usual foals, had bigger heads and looked ugly. My father and I started doubting our decision of buying Razeen. But the foals grew up to be beautiful animals," says Ameeta. And then Indictment, which was sired by Razeen, won the Indian Derby in 1997. “My aim is to send my horses abroad to race," she says. Indian horses have run abroad but not in the top derbies, not on a consistent basis or in numbers that matter. “We have won all the major derbies in India and have set records. The target in the next couple of years is to send them to the UK, Dubai and other places overseas." HORSE RACING IN INDIA Horse racing in India is more than 200 years old. Today, there are nine main racing centres in the country—Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Delhi, Mysuru and Ooty—and five turf authorities: in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. But there is no single governing body for horse racing. Each centre holds its own racing events, which include the five “classic" races—the Derby, the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks and St Leger. Each race is different from the other in terms of the length of the course, weightage and prize money. The most prestigious race is the Mumbai Derby, also known as the Indian Derby, which is held on the first Sunday of February at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse. The first Indian Derby was run in 1943. The 2016 Derby winner Desert God, bred at the Kunigal Stud Farm, earned its owner ₹ 2.19 crore.Fossilised skeleton of a toothless animal that lived 247 million years ago opens a window to a time of remarkable diversity on Earth after the ‘Great Dying’ event The discovery of a toothless animal with a short snout and a long tail that roamed the seas around 247 million years ago, suggests early marine reptiles evolved more rapidly than previously thought after the the most devastating mass extinction event the planet has ever experienced, scientists have revealed. Dubbed Sclerocormus parviceps, a name that nods to its rigid body and small skull, the ichthyosauriform was unearthed by fossil hunters in China. But its appearance has surprised researchers. Sclerocormus is lacking a host of features seen in closely related marine reptiles: many ichthyosaurs had a long snout, teeth and a tail with big fins – none of which are present in the new find. “What it is telling us is that very soon after this massive extinction event [at the end of the Permian geologic period] there was a radiation and filling of all these vacant niches, and biodiversity of forms, that took place much, much quicker than we had previously imagined,” said Nick Fraser of the National Museums Scotland, an author of the study. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Ichthyosaurs were marine carnivorous reptiles that lived in the oceans 250 million years ago. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo Published in the journal Scientific Reports by scientists from the UK, US and China, the new research presents the discovery of a fossilised skeleton unearthed from the Majiashan quarry in China’s Anhui province. The fossils reveal that the creature measured around 1.6 metres (5.2ft) in length, more than half of which was down to a long, fin-less tail, and had a small skull with a short snout and no teeth. That, the scientists say, suggests that the animal fed by slurping up invertebrates in the water. “It it has a very narrow pointed end to the snout so it is sort of a syringe-like suction feeder,” said Fraser. The creature appears to be closely related to an amphibious suction-feeding ichthyosauriform reported by members of the team in 2014, called Cartorhynchus lenticarpus, that had a similar-shaped skull to Sclerocormus but also a number of differences including a smaller size, and a shorter tail. Ben Moon, a palaeobiologist at the University of Bristol who was not involved in the study said the new research highlights the range of creatures alive and kicking a few million years after the end-Permian mass extinction, also known as the ‘Great Dying’ event, that occurred around 252 million years ago in which around 96% of species were wiped out. “It is showing us that there was a higher diversity than previously thought right at the beginning of the triassic.” Fossil from Skye is new species of marine predator, scientists say \| Ian Sample Read more Together with other finds, he adds, the new fossils suggest sea-dwelling creatures at this time had a range of body forms and roles in the ecosystem. “It seems to be that you suddenly get this group of marine reptiles that find a niche which they can fill, which has been emptied after the extinction, and they suddenly diversify into many different species and spread all across the world,” he said.The new leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has appeared in an “excruciating” video refusing to answer questions from the media for three minutes. Sky News reporter Darren McCaffrey walks alongside Corbyn, asking him repeatedly why there are so few women in his top team. McCaffrey asks the leader of Britain’s main opposition party: “How do you face the criticism that there simply are not enough women in senior positions in the shadow cabinet?” to which he responds by telling his aide: “These people are bothering me”. He asks Corbyn why he refuses to talk to the media, to which the Labour leader remains silent. Corbyn had never previously held any senior political role before he was elected to lead Britain’s Labour Party this week. The election saw fears of hard-left infiltration as thousands signed up to vote for the hard line candidate. The new leader is now in the process of selecting his Shadow Cabinet, with John McDonnell’s appointment as Shadow Chancellor being one of the most controversial choices. McDonnell has been condemned for praising the “bombs and bullets” of terrorist group the IRA, which he claims brought about peace in Northern Ireland. Other appointments include defeated leadership rival Andy Burnham as Shadow Home Secretary, Hilary Benn as Shadow Foreign Secretary, Lord Falconer and Shadow Justice Secretary, and Diane Abbott as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) let the mask slip on Democratic opposition to the GOP tax plan in a tweet on Sunday. Instead of repeating the left’s baseless talking points that the plan would hurt the poor, Feinstein complained that the plan would impose higher tax burdens on her wealthiest constituents. The California senator cited the capping of the mortgage interest deduction as evidence that the GOP plan would not help the rich: The Republican tax bill caps the mortgage interest deduction at $750,000 for new mortgages. In California, seven counties have average home prices that are more than $750,000: Alameda, Marin, Orange, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. #GOPTaxScam — Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) December 17, 2017 She listed the home prices of seven of California’s wealthiest counties as evidence before calling the plan the “GOPTaxScam.” Democrats have attempted to push a message that the GOP tax plan is stealing from the poor and giving to the rich, but they should make sure the senior senator from California is on board with the baseless attacks.Aruba.it Racing - Ducati and Marco Melandri have announced today the winning combination will continue into 2018, as the Italian re-signs with the team ready to contest for another season in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Joining Chaz Davies for the 2017 season, the duo have proved to be a strong force to be reckoned with, collectively securing five victories over the season so far. Melandri famously secured Italy's 100th victory in WorldSBK this season at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, his first since returning to the paddock since 2014. Melandri, 35, is understandably thrilled to extend his contract and is prepared for the challenge ahead: “I’m really happy for the opportunity to prolong this professional collaboration, which represented a new beginning in my career as a rider. Together with Ducati and
trying to combat the image of a White House in chaos, and while the scandals have not gotten positive cable news coverage, more staff resignations or firings could be even worse.The French edition of the official PlayStation Magazine has provided a wealth of new information regarding Bethesda's upcoming RPG "Skyrim." Here's a rundown of the newly announced features, with some descriptions to explain what they all mean. * Unlike the previous games where melee combat were free-for-alls prone to friendly fire, "Skyrim" will feature a context-sensitive melee system described as "Magnetism" in the French PSN, where your melee attacks will automatically target foes instead of slashing everything in your path. This is somewhat similar to the autotargeting system in "Assassin's Creed Brotherhood." * Unique weapons will possess hidden effects that you will only discover upon using the weapon. * Players will be unable to block attacks if they are wielding a weapon in one hand and a spell in the other. Only players who wield two handed weapons or a sword and shield can perform blocks. * The "Spell Shield" ability will see a return in "Skyrim." * Taverns will serve as important locations in the game. Players will be able to overhear conversations, collect rumors, begin quests, acquire information and much more. * Players can stalk non-player characters and chart their routines, and break and enter into their homes when they aren't around. * The information quest givers provide you will depend upon their disposition towards you. Friendly NPCs will provide you with more information while hostile or distrusting characters will provide you with a lot less. * A dungeon described as "Bleak Falls Barrow" is inhabited by Draugr–undead Nord warriors. Players can expect to encounter a ghostly dragon priest and fight a giant Frostbite Spider. The dungeon has been described by Bethesda as "terrifying." * The quest to Bleak Falls Barrow is provided to you by a shopkeeper named Lucan who wants you to retrieve his priceless Draconic family heirloom–a golden claw. * "Skyrim" will see the inclusion of new area-of-effect spells such as "Ice Trap," which is triggered when an enemy walks over it; "Circle of Protection," an area-of-effect spell which pushes enemies in your vicinity away; and "Fury" which causes enemies to fight amongst themselves. * With a strong emphasis on melee combat, "Skyrim" will feature the addition of finishing moves, one of which has been described as "plunging your sword into the enemy's chest." * As a game that's more or less an open sandbox, players will be able to perform free-form activities like cooking, woodcutting, mining, and blacksmithing. * One of the new "Dragon Shout" abilities slows down time, and is similar to Bullet Time. * One of the first cities the player visits is called Riverwood, and is decried as "a smattering of timber buildings, including a sawmill." * The new "Radiant Story" feature of Skyrim–which generates side-quests based on player actions–is inspired by the random encounters in the Fallout series. * "Skyrim" contains exhaustive environmental effects, such as the effects of wind on water and the creation of waves. The game will also contain meteorological effects, with clouds clustering around mountaintops and so forth. * It will be possible to raise all skills to the maximum 100 points but it isn't possible to get every perk in a single playthrough. * With regards to the story, the death of the King of Skyrim has caused a civil war to break out in the country. * Dragon encounters will not be scripted events. These Dragons may attack towns and cities during its travels, which may cause it to be set ablaze. * Every large settlement in the land of Skyrim will be unique. The city of Marketh Side is set into a cliffside, with buildings teetering on the edge. Haarfingar is said to be home to the largest trading port in Skyrim. One of the cities in Skyrim is even said to be heavily inspired by the Dunmer architecture of Morrowind. * Bethesda intends to bring back a sense of eccentricity into the world of Vvardenfell, as each Nord faction will have its own customs and styles instead of being carbon copies. * The economy of "Skyrim" will be better developed than the one in previous games. If you destroy a city's means of income (for instance, by razing their crops), its inhabitants will have to purchase crops from a nearby city, thereby raising prices. * Archers will be able to hold their breath–an action which consumes stamina–while aiming in order to increase their accuracy. This ability is similar to the sniping abilities in games like Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and the Call of Duty series. * Wounded dragons have a chance of crashing into the ground. * It is possible to cut dialogue short by simply walking away from a speaking NPC. * Dragon Shouts are assigned to the R3 button on the PS3 gamepad. * Most NPCs will not have a complete set of dialogue, with only "important" characters having substantial dialogue.Last year, for the first time, you could buy HBO on the Web without paying for any other cable TV. That was a really big deal, and something that didn’t seem possible just a few years earlier. So now lots of people assume that the rest of the TV grid is going to go “a la carte,” too. Don’t hold your breath. While HBO went off on its own much sooner than most people thought, it will be very hard for the rest of TV to follow suit. That’s because the TV model is based on the bundle — the idea that when you pay for TV, you get the channels you want, and lots of other channels you don’t want. What’s that? You don’t care about what the TV guys want? You just want the TV you want? Alright. Let’s play along. Short answer: You’ll pay a lot more for the TV you want. Here’s a chart, via MoffettNathanson analyst Michael Nathanson, that tells you how much you’d have to pay to get some of the top TV networks on their own — if the networks wanted to replace the money they make selling their stuff wholesale to pay TV providers like Time Warner Cable. Two important things to factor in here: Note that the chart doesn’t include broadcast networks like CBS and Fox, which are technically available for free over the airwaves, but in practice now get hefty per-subscriber fees from the cable guys as well — now approaching a couple bucks per person. That price gets marked up and passed along to you, the pay TV subscriber. Factor in those networks and you can see why Apple has spent years struggling to get a $30-per-month Web TV package together. It’s not a coincidence that the two most expensive networks — ESPN and TNT — are the ones that have spent the most on sports programming (you should throw in TNT’s sister network TBS to get a fuller picture, while you’re at it). In fact, you might argue that the chart above should be titled “Look How Expensive Sports Are.” Which we always knew but is always worth pointing out again. Or here’s yet another alternate title: “Is There Any Practical Way to Imagine ESPN Going the HBO Route?” Which, not coincidentally, is one of the things I plan to ask ESPN boss John Skipper about next month at our Code/Media conference. If you haven’t bought a ticket, you can do that here.When I plan hikes in the White Mountains, especially off-trail hikes, I try to research the history of the area that I’ll be hiking in before my trip. One of the richest, but rarest forms of information is in the form of old maps of the region, which often show abandoned trails, logging, or ski trails that are no longer mantained in the White Mountain National Forest trail system OR they’re not included in hiker-specific recreational maps. That’s why I recommend that off-tral hikers use several maps when planning a route, including snowmobile route maps and historical maps, to find the best or most “interesting” route to their intended destination. Click here for a link to the archive of historic New Hampshire maps maintained by UNH For example, I’m planning a bushwhack to a New Hampshire 3,000 footer called Bear Mountain, located in the Crawford Notch, NH USGS quadrangle. Here’s what the trail system looks like today in 2014 in Caltopo (above). I’ve drawn a red line over the only trail still remaining in the area. I presume all of the others have been officially abandoned due to lack of funding or to help return them to their wild state. Click on an interacttive version map of this on Caltopo.com As part of my planning process, I’ve drawn all of the trails in BLUE on the 1950 map on my 2014 Caltopo map so I can refer to them during my bushwhack. My Bear Mountain hike is part of a longer overnight off-trail adventure I have planned in the area which includes trying to find and hike along some of these old trails. You on-trail hikers are probably wondering why anyone would go to such lengths to do this much planning before a hike, but one of the reasons I like off-trail hiking so much is because I like planning. It’s even more fun when you add in a historic element and set out to hike into the past.HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (CBSNewYork)– Like most of her friends in Hastings-on-Hudson, 16-year-old Janie Litvin was married to her smartphone. She grew weary of the constant “ding” notification as the backdrop to her life, WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reports. When her smartphone shattered, she decided to give it up. “I decided to get a flip phone instead,” she said. It’s a dinosaur of the cellular age and she loves it. “If you’re a teenage girl, having an iPhone can be very stressful. You’ll turn away from your phone and you’ll come back five minutes later and you’ll have 200 messages and 10 Snapchats, and like 15 notifications on Facebook. And just– it’s a lot. I just thought it was too much,” she said. At first, it was a bit of an adjustment. “I was so used to doing my pre-bed Instagram check and responding to Snapchats,” she said But she started to see the irony of so-called social media. “You’ll be in a room and people will be Snapchatting each other, they’ll be texting each other– from within the room,” she said. The teen said she now observes more and is present in the moment. “I’m not so much more tempted to look at my phone, I just look around me and you see a lot, you learn a lot,” she said. Her mom Lisa Litvin, has come to understand why her daughter made the switch. “I didn’t get it at first ’cause I wasn’t sure why she didn’t want a phone, or an iPhone, and I didn’t appreciate all the other stuff that came with an iPhone for a teenager that drove her nuts,” she said. “I really get it now.” Janie Litvin’s friends were upset at first, but they’re adapting. She may be the last one to know what’s going on, but she said that’s okay. “It’s great not to have to respond to everything immediately, and to not have to be constantly present with your phone worrying that you’re going to miss something,” she said.Follow John Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn with GM's Larry Nitz at 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV debut [photo: Gary Lieber] Carlos Ghosn has never really been known as a man with frequent warm and ready smiles for all comers. Under most circumstances, the man who runs not only global automaker Nissan but the Franco-Japanese Renault-Nissan Alliance displays a serious, thoughtful countenance. But as he inspected the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV during last week's Detroit Auto Show, more than one observer suggests that he did not look particularly happy. DON'T MISS: First Drive: Chevy Bolt EV 200-Mile Electric Car Development Vehicle As photos posted on Facebook by Gary Lieber of the San Francisco Bay Area Nissan Leaf Owners indicates, Ghosn displayed a visible frown while chatting with Larry Nitz, GM's executive director of global electrification. Ghosn's "Power 88" business plan for Nissan, announced in June 2011 and lasting through this year, requires the company to achieve 8 percent of global market share and an operating profit of 8 percent (hence the "88"). As the company's first battery-electric vehicle, the Leaf program would likely break even--at best--over what now appears to be a seven-year lifespan, starting in 2011 and ending with a 2017 model year. 2016 Nissan Leaf According to industry insiders, every Leaf model sold in the U.S. (starting at $28,060) takes the company further away from that 8-percent operating profit. General Motors, on the other hand, has bragged that it will pay only $145 per kilowatt-hour for the Bolt EV's cells when production starts late this year. And at a starting price of $37,500, the company could easily afford to subsidize the car until volume increases and economies of scale come into play to cut losses on the program over its life. ALSO SEE: Nissan Leaf With 250-Mile Range: Ghosn Shows R&D Car, Video At Annual Meeting (Jun 2015) All of that was likely running through Ghosn's mind as he congratulated a smiling Nitz on the launch. Electric-car advocate and BMW i3 driver Tom Moloughney happened to be on the Chevy stand as Ghosn came to look at the Bolt EV. "Carlos Ghosn and his entourage were escorted onto the platform behind us to have a private look at the Bolt on display," he wrote on InsideEVs. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn inspects 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, 2016 Detroit Auto Show [photo: Gary Lieber] "I couldn’t hear exactly what they were talking about," Moloughney said, "but he wasn’t smiling." In April 2014, Nissan's then-product chief Andy Palmer told Green Car Reports that the next generation of Nissan Leaf would have multiple battery pack options, with ranges that could go as high as 150 miles. In September of that year, Palmer left Nissan to become CEO of British sports-car maker Aston Martin. But if a maximum range of 150 miles is still the plan, the 2018 Leaf would launch with a lower range than the Bolt EV, which will undoubtedly have an EPA-rated range of at least 200 miles. More likely is that the next Leaf will offer at least one battery option to equal or surpass the Bolt EV--as will BMW in at least one battery-electric model, Volkswagen, and others. Nissan Leaf 'Advanced R&D Electric Vehicle' shown at company annual meeting, Yokohama, Jun 2015 Last summer, Ghosn showed an "Advanced R&D Electric Vehicle" using a current Nissan Leaf as a test mule. Its announced range of 544 km (338 miles) on the Japanese test cycle would likely exceed 200 miles in EPA testing, and perhaps run as high as 250 miles. Still, we're betting Carlos Ghosn was doing the sums in his head as he gazed at the car that will obsolete his prized Nissan Leaf within a year or so. Since the second generation of the Leaf is expected to earn its keep by turning a profit (just as the second-generation Toyota Prius hybrid ultimately did), that process can't have made him happy. [hat tip: Brian Henderson] _______________________________________ Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.A senior WA police officer is on trial in the Perth Magistrates Court accused of assaulting a "drunk and abusive" teenager by slapping him on the face in the Pilbara town of Newman. Sergeant Mark McKenzie is alleged to have struck the 16-year-old with his open palm, as he sat handcuffed on the kerb outside a house in October 2014. The court has been told the teenager was arrested after police were called to the house after a Halloween party got out of control. Prosecutors said the teenager was verbally abusing the police officers and physically resisting being arrested, but that after he was handcuffed Sergeant McKenzie slapped him, causing a red mark and swelling to his face. In his evidence the teenager, who is now 18, admitted he was "mouthing off" and "scuffling" with the officers, but said he had not known what he was being arrested for. He testified that while he could not remember exactly when he was slapped, he was hit on the left side of the face by the officer. Sergeant McKenzie's colleague on the night, Constable Duncan Cooke, later told the court he saw Sergeant McKenzie slap the teenager "twice to the face with an open palm". "Very short sharp slaps and it looked like there was quite a lot of force behind it," he said. "I was quite shocked by the actions." Constable Cooke said after the alleged assault the teenager calmed down. "His demeanour changed. I noticed tears in his eyes... he became very submissive and childlike in a way," he said. Sergeant McKenzie, who has been a police officer for around 25 years, denies any wrongdoing. The trial is expected to end tomorrow.Last week I wrote about recent call-ups and their fantasy value for the rest of the season. This week, I’ll provide you with players that have been hot the past two weeks or so, yet are still under-owned in many leagues. Baseball players are often streaky and it can pay off for fantasy managers to ride these streaks. Some of these players offer more value than others over the course of the season, so I’ll also recommend which players are capable of sustaining these hot streaks, and which I suggest dumping at the first sign of them cooling off. Josh Willingham: Willingham only played in six games this season before being forced to the DL with a wrist injury after being hit by a pitch. He returned to the lineup for the Twins on May 26th and has played in 15 games since. On the season he is hitting.303/.455/.545 with four home runs and 15 runs batted in. His Isolated Power (ISO) is.242 and if he had enough at-bats to qualify, that would be good for 17th best in baseball. If you prefer a more traditional “power” stat, his OPS is currently 1.000. Basically, right now Willingham is crushing the ball and could provide your team with some needed power. He also has almost a 1:1 walk to strikeout ratio (16 walks to 19 strikeouts), showing he’s capable of being patient. Looking at Willingham’s numbers from 2012 – his most recent full season as he was injured last season – his splits per month are as follows: March/April:.347/.447/.681, May:.220/.366/.473, June:.255/.347/.480, July:.283/.396/.663, August:.223/.299/.457, September/October:.250/.354/.397. While his OBP stayed relatively consistent, his batting average and slugging percentage fluctuated greatly. Willingham is tricky to predict because he has tremendous power when healthy (35 HR and 30 doubles in 2012 to go along with 110 RBI), but he’s also known for being a streaky hitter. My advice is to ride Willingham while his hot streak continues, but to also have a backup plan in case (or when) he goes cold. Basically, don’t sell low or drop Willingham during a potential cold streak and rather try and have someone to take his place until the (hopefully) next inevitable hot streak returns. Khris Davis: Davis is currently sporting a line of.262/.304/.491 with 10 home runs and 27 runs batted in. These are decent, but not great numbers. Over the last two weeks however, Davis is hitting.353/.410/.618 and his.795 OPS for the season is 1.028 over the last 14 days. Those are great numbers. He is also hitting much better on the road than at home this season, and with 10 of the Brewers next 13 games on the road (including a series in hitter friendly Coors Field), that’s something you can take advantage of as owner by placing Davis in your lineup. I don’t expect Davis to hit.350 for the rest of the season, but I do think he can improve on his current numbers. He has a line drive percentage (LD%) of 25.2%, which is good for 17th best in baseball. Of the 16 hitters ahead of him, only one has a worse batting average on balls in play (BABIP), meaning he is getting a bit unlucky right now. The Brewers have a top-10 offense (in terms of runs scored) and Davis should come up to bat with plenty of RBI opportunities, especially with his power (28 extra-base hits this season). Add Davis and hold onto him, as this hot streak might be more than just as streak. Danny Santana: Santana started the year in the minors but the Twins called him up on May 3rd and he’s been mashing ever since. Through 23 games, he’s hitting.364/.395/.506 with an OPS of.902. He has just two home runs and 11 runs batted in, but he does have four stolen bases to help make up for the current lack of power. He’s also become the team’s leadoff hitter and with the likes of Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, the aforementioned Josh Willingham, and the new addition of Kendrys Morales hitting behind him, the opportunity to score runs will certainly be there, especially if his OBP stays close to where it is. The two red flags with Santana are that he has an awful walk to strikeout ratio (4 walks to 20 strikeouts) and that his BABIP is a staggeringly high.473. He is getting very lucky with the balls that he puts in play turning into hits, meaning that his numbers are likely to regress. However, he has a LD% of 32.1%, which would be good for 2nd in baseball if he had enough at-bats to qualify. So while his BABIP is alarming, Santana is creating this “luck” by making good contact on a large percentage of balls he puts in play. I recommend not only adding Santana, by holding onto him for awhile. Denard Span: Bryan Robinson wrote a blurb about Span last week, but here’s my take. Span is currently hitting.282/.323/.408 on the season with 24 extra-base hits and 39 runs scored. Looking at those numbers alone, one would come to the conclusion that he is having a solid year for the Nationals. However, as a Nats fan and having paid attention to most of their games this season, I can tell you that much of that production has come over the past two weeks. In the last 14 days, Span is hitting.365/.389/.538 with eight extra-base hits and 12 runs scored. In fact, over the last 18 games Span has raised his batting average from a paltry.239 to a solid.282. He’s been on a roll, and not surprisingly, so have the Nats. So is this just a hot streak for Span or can he sustain it? Looking at his month -to-moth splits for his career, Span has been remarkably consistent. Much of that data is from his days with the Twins, but looking at just his time with the Nats (the 2013 season), his splits are relatively the same. Similarly to Khris Davis, I don’t expect Span to hit.365 the rest of the way, but I do expect his numbers for the season to be generally what they are now. The offense for the Nats was terrible for much of the season due to injuries, but with an almost healthy lineup and Bryce Harper set to return sometime next month, Span should have plenty of opportunities to score runs, so use him while this hot streak lasts, because that’s all this is. He had a poor start to the year and now his numbers have come back to what we expect from Span because he’s been hot at the plate. If you need help with runs or even stolen bases (Span has nine), consider keeping him, otherwise, bail as soon as the first sign of him cooling off appears, especially since Span doesn’t offer much else fantasy-wise. Bonus Players: Oswaldo Arcia: I wrote about him a few weeks ago and he’s hitting.313 over the past two weeks with four home runs. (I also just realized he’s the third Twins’ player I mentioned in this post. Do I like their offense???) Brock Holt: He’s hitting.356 with eight runs, seven RBI, and a stolen base over his last two weeks and has taken over as the leadoff hitter for the Red Sox. Follow me on Twitter @BenBBruno and check out my most recent post on the Washington Nationals here. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Major League Fantasy Football Radio starts on Sunday July 13th at 11:30am – 12:30pm EST Major League Fantasy Baseball Radio every Monday from 1pm – 2pm EST Join us this Monday the 16th of June for a MLB draft rundown with our featured guest Bryan Luhrs of Real Deal Dynasty Sports as well as some player analysis with Corey Roberts, EJ The Rainmaker, and Joe Iannone. We are a proud partner of Sports Palooza Radio NetworkPhoto courtesy Philip G. Zimbardo In 1963 1971, a study about prisons was funded by the U.S. Navy to try to better understand problems in the Marine Corps.’ prisons. The study was run by a group of researchers at Stanford, led by psychologist Philip G. Zimbardo. The idea was to create a controlled environment in the Stanford halls to simulate a prison. There would be participants recruited to play both the prisoners and the guards, and the experiment would last for two weeks. No one thought the experiment would have any big problems – the participants were just playing a short game of prison. Yet in less than a week the prisoners were becoming psychologically disturbed, and the guards disturbingly sadistic. There were riots, hunger strikes, and abusive treatment – all in the mock-up jail cells created in the halls of the Stanford psychology department. The study had to be canceled early, leaving one critical question – how could a fake prison situation become real so quickly? The problem couldn’t have been the characteristics of the participants. The original twenty-four volunteers were picked for their stability of mind, out of a group of seventy. Also, the pick between the prisoners and prison guards was made at random via coin tosses. Thus, there was no bias when it came to the players. Zimbardo did attempt to make the prison more real with some degrading tactics to simulate a real prison. Each prisoner was given a number that was their identification for duration of the experiment. As for clothing, a prisoner only got one ill-fitted Muslin smock, an uncomfortable pair of rubber thong sandals, and a nylon pantyhose cap (which was put over the head, as though they had a shaved their hair off). If that wasn’t bad enough, each had a chain on their foot, its constant clinking specifically to remind them that they were not free. Photo courtesy Philip G. Zimbardo The guards were made to be quite intimidating – they went to a military surplus to get their khaki outfits and wooden batons. Also, they each wore large, reflective glasses. This was not in order to look cool, but to prevent eye contact with the prisoners. On the chosen start date, the prisoners were arrested for armed robbery and taken from their homes by the actual Palo Alto police, who cooperated with the project. Their arrival at the pseudo-jail was as nasty as in any prison – they were stripped naked and deloused, then given their uniforms and numbers. And so the simulation began. The first day of the experiment was relatively peaceful. Then, on the second day, the prisoners got feisty and attempted a rebellion. They took off their stocking caps and numbers, as well as barricading their cells with their beds. The guards took this threat seriously, calling in reinforcements to solve the problem. In the end, they used fire extinguishers to blast the prisoners away from the doors, then rushed in, stripped them naked, and sent the ringleaders into solitary confinement. To further break the rebellion they used some mind games on the remaining prisoners; some were put in “good” cells where they were treated nicely, where the rest were put into “bad” cells where they were mistreated. After half a day, some of the prisoners were switched, thoroughly confusing the prisoners. Had someone ratted on another? Were there informers in their midst? Further rebellions were crushed. Photo courtesy Philip G. Zimbardo This was only the beginning of the problems, though. The guards became abusive in response to the prisoners’ rebellion. Regular head counts were made into hour-long ordeals with torment and forced physical exercise. Bathroom usage became a right, and was often denied at night. Instead, prisoners had to do their thing into buckets in their cells, which the guards sometimes refused to throw out. The allowance of food became a tool for the guards. Prisoners were forced into humiliating and degrading circumstances, through nudity and forced acts. Guards would become more abusive during the night as well, when they thought the cameras were turned off. This environment got to be too much for some of the participants. Within two days, one prisoner began to have an emotional breakdown. However, at this point the guards started taking their roles very seriously – they thought he was trying to get out of his time by acting crazy. The participant soon became convinced that there was no escape from the study and went into a rage, an action that was finally enough to prompt his release from the study. He was not the only one who was released from the study early, and many others who stayed suffered from uncontrollable crying and disorganized thought. Tauntingly, there were offers made to the prisoners to go on early parole. When asked if they’d sacrifice their payment in the study to get out early, most said yes. However, all paroles were rejected. Even though they had no incentive to continue in the study, they went with it anyways – as though they were really stuck in prison. Not that the guards would have let them free– as time went on the guards became more involved with their end of the study as well. Photo courtesy Philip G. Zimbardo There were a few more rebellions from individual prisoners, but nothing so organized as the initial riot. One participant that entered the study later, as a stand-by prisoner, quickly started a hunger strike upon hearing the terrible conditions in the prison. He was thrown in solitary confinement for hours. At the same time, the other prisoners were offered an opportunity to get him out – if they sacrificed their own blankets. A rather crude tactic, but it caused the others to turn against this lone rebel (and stay warm at night). The prisoner was eventually taken out of solitary confinement by Zimbardo himself, since the rule was that no prisoner spend more than one hour in solitary. There were many more abuses, as each day the guards became more controlling and the prisoners more disturbed. Despite all of this, visitors to the study did not seem to see any serious problems with the experiment. One day the friends and family of the prisoners were invited to visit them. Though a few made small protests to the participants’ treatment, no one insisted upon the end of the study. Later, a chaplain came to visit with each of the prisoners, and he also voiced no objections. However, in the end the experiment was canceled when a woman named Christina Maslach came to visit the Stanford prison. After seeing the crazy state that the prison had fallen into, she was outraged at the terrible conditions of the whole situation. Photo courtesy Philip G. Zimbardo Of the fifty people who had visited the “prison,” she was the first to object to its morality. This argument was enough for Zimbardo to end the study early, after only six days of the prison. Of course, her concerns might have carried more weight due to the fact that she and Zimbardo were dating at the time. The researchers’ overall conclusion in the study was that people fit their roles to institutions surprisingly well, despite their individual differences. That is, their situation dictated how they acted, rather than their own dispositions. However, this study has been highly criticized due to its unethical nature as well as its generally unscientific nature (can you imagine tracking all the variables?). Still, it’s undeniable that there’s something more to the human mind than we think if such normal, stable people can become so degraded or monstrous in only a week’s time. The prisoners, normal before the study, were quickly trapped in their own real prison. The guards were vigilant and kept the prisoners from escaping, despite their disturbed states. And thus a controlled scientific simulation quickly deteriorated into reality.Dear Compatriots: I address you in a moment of collective stress, with another mass shooting, this one in San Bernardino, California, dominating the news. Guessing the identity of shooters—black or white, Christian or Muslim, man or woman (though masculinity is almost guaranteed)—has become a vicious social media ritual. Too many people seem to believe we can discern motivation by ethnicity, or that ethnicity alone determines what type of terror can rightly be deemed terrorism. Advertisement: It was with much sadness that I witnessed your gleeful reaction when police named Syed Farooq, a devout Muslim, as one of the suspects. You seem to be under the impression that a Muslim shooter absolves the United States of brutality, forgetting that Farooq is also an American. This worldview allows you to embrace mythologies that exonerate you of political violence. But we must acknowledge Farooq’s nationality, because his terrible deed does not arise from an unknowable foreign culture, but from one endemic to the United States. You can exempt yourself from Farooq’s actions only if you are willing to exclude minorities from your national identity. Many of you are happy to do that, but it’s an intellectually lazy choice. It is why I greet you as a compatriot. The greeting might make you uncomfortable because I am Arab, but I am also American. Being American requires no special ethnic, religious, or ideological character, even though our nationality contains implicit demands. One of those demands is to not be Arab or Muslim. Enough about technicalities, though. I don’t approach you to be pedantic or to beg for your acceptance, nor do I have any interest in situating mass murder into hierarchies of tolerability. I merely ask you to consider why those hierarchies exist and why it’s so easy to name state violence as necessary or desirable. There’s a connection between the supposed deviance of Farooq’s shooting and your endless, adamant justification of U.S. bloodletting throughout the world. To put it plainly: thinking about violent behavior as something innately foreign is a terrific rationale for delivering violence to foreign places. It forces you to hate people and demands your loyalty to institutions designed to contravene your interests. I think you’ve been hoodwinked by politicians and luminaries into hating Arabs and Muslims. This hatred is bad for Arabs and Muslims, of course, but it also does you little good. It might make you feel better about your place in the American racial hierarchy. It might alleviate your majoritarian anxieties. It might reaffirm the superiority of your faith. It might make patriotism easier to accept. Advertisement: It doesn’t, however, help you better understand this world and it certainly won’t keep food on your table. In fact, it deprives everybody of intellectual and economic sustenance. The attitudes you possess—that Arabs are beholden to violent culture, that Islam singularly produces religious evil, that Syrian refugees threaten American safety, that the Middle East and South Asia are places of mystical barbarity—have existed since before 9/11, but they seem to have a particular resonance in the current presidential election. It’s become remarkably disturbing, to be honest. It reminds me a bit too much of the rhetoric preceding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. I don’t select the analogy at random: more than one eminent conservative has suggested interning Muslims. Liberal beacon Wesley Clark did, too, when he spoke approvingly of interment and proposed it as a remedy for the “disloyal.” Every day I hear another demagogue inflaming your outrage, urging you to maintain an acutely resentful psychology. Ben Carson, often described as judicious and presidential, recently proclaimed that he “would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” a flagrant constitutional violation and a vulgar bit of pointless scapegoating. Advertisement: Last week, Donald Trump repeated the canard that Arabs in New Jersey celebrated as the Twin Towers collapsed, claiming that he witnessed “a heavy Arab population that were cheering as the buildings came down.” Trump implies that all Arabs supported 9/11. None, therefore, is trustworthy. There is no reason to make this sort of comment other than to manipulate our desire for safety and thereby create a pretext for unthinkable possibilities. Is it too difficult to recognize the many problems of a discourse that relies so heavily on demonization to generate support? The demagogue can enact violence only when his audience refuses to recognize the violent nature of demagoguery. Politicians love nothing more than a frightened, uninformed citizenry. It’s how they convince us to cosign our dispossession. People who discern gray areas and have the ability to reason through propaganda are their most undesirable clients. The United States cannot be a functional democracy if we make ourselves so compliant. Advertisement: Believe it or not, Arabs and Muslims (and other minorities) are not the source of your problems. Turn to the politicians who promise you an uncomplicated world for a better target of your anger. I know you’re ready to counter with “terrorism,” but the term is largely a bromide in the American political vocabulary. It’s useless to debate which groups commit more violence. No week passes that we don’t hear of another white supremacist plot to murder South Asians, Jews, Muslims, Hispanics or African Americans. The U.S. and its allies generate extraordinary destruction in the regions of the world said to be uniquely barbaric. Police kill with impunity. Our president orders death by remote control. Everybody suffers but the people who oversee this horror. Displays of spectacular cruelty pervade the United States, but you embrace any opportunity to disavow them as an exotic problem. And still more people will be killed today—many by those for whom you voted and to whom you pay taxes. Advertisement: We should work to better understand how the elite apportion discourses of violence into categories of good and evil, civilized and savage, rational and unreasonable. Who creates these binaries? Who suffers their
water (it will now be directed across World Drive to a new 38-acre pond.) Parking expansion will also include some reworking of existing conservation areas Construction access roads and staging areas must be added. A new fireworks staging area will be built west of World Drive. Eventually, the main entrance will be relocated to give additional room backstage for Star Wars land. As for timeline, Toy Story Land is expected to be completed first (sometime around November 2018) with Star Wars Land coming in late 2019 or early 2020. They want to build faster, but the prepwork is so involved that it may not be possible to rush it. Do you think Disney will be able to rush either or both of these projects or will this be another long waiting game for fans?Okay, I know I might rustle some jimmies with this one, but I was quite impressed to see the amount of people asking Movie Slate to talk about the Oscars. So I took a break from the usual movie reviewing to talk about them. I wanted to give the drawing kind of a glazed in gold feel, and in some occasions the drawing ended up looking like someone smeared a piss filter all over it. Not that it would've been a bad thing, after all this is Movie being all pissed off about these awards, why not giving it a pissed on color scheme? But I decided that would've been too much, so I toned it down and desaturated it a bit. I think it looks alright now. I kind of like how angry Movie Slate looks in this picture without her being downright furious. She looks more frustrated than she looks mad, kind of like me.. Now, you might think I am of the same opinion as Movie Slate, and that I too hate the Oscars. That's a bit of a harsh word, I do not hate the Oscars, nor do I love them. I do, however, see them as a very useful tool. It's easier to measure a movie's worth in the amount of shiny statues it has won. Now, number of awards doesn't often mean quality, but it's enough to tickle your curiosity and make you want to check it out. If there is a movie that's won an Oscar and defeated other big blockbuster movies, there's a chance you'd give it a watch and find out why, right? I often talk about the movie I'm reviewing in this section but, since I'm throwing in a bunch of movies under the bus with this drawing, I thought it fitting to quickly talk about them one by one. None of these movies are badly done in a technical aspect, nor do I consider them bad movies. They are competently made, and have good production value, but they've all been so amazingly overblown by the critics and the awards circuit that I can't find enjoyment in them anymore.- I'm shocked that the highest grossing movie of all timehas left next to no impact other than. Or as a foot note at the end of movie news articles when Cameron threatens the whole world with four sequels. Still, three Oscars, two Golden Globes, two BAFTAs, a shitload of money in box office, and even though it's really entertaining I still fail to see what all the fuss was about.- This is one movie with which I drank the Kool-Aid. I had t-shirts, I watched it almost daily after I got the DVD, and I was outraged when I saw it didn't win anything big. I watched it recently, only to find out it has aged really poorly, and after Neill Blomkamp kept doing pretentious fest after pretentious fest, looking back to his first movie I suddenly understand why this guy got such a big head about his magnum opus. At least we got Sharlto Copley out of it.- Kind of a shame that the one movie Kathryn Bigelow got her Oscar for was the weakest of her career. Not only is this movie completely devoid of tension, but the critics and the awards ruined it for me. They spend the entire movie making it as if Jeremy Renner is going to die, but since they nominated him everywhere for Best Actor in a Leading role, I knew he wasn't going to! Plus the characters are impossible to relate to, and the stench of pretentiousness turned me off something fierce.- This one's another case of bad aging turned wine into vinegar. I'm sure back in 1998 nobody had seen war portrayed like this, but after seeing other movies making a better job at it, looking back at this movie feels like it tries to be an anti-war film without actually reaching that goal, since it's too busy blowing soldiers into pieces and giving cameos to character actors. I also find it hilarious how any time a war movie comes out it always has theblurb written on the poster.did a much better job, but Hollywood doesn't like subtlety, they like to be bashed on the head with a two-ton sledgehammer.- Now this one is really sad, but for all the wrong reasons. All that work into portraying the society of the time, the costumes, and even building the goddamn ship from the ground up, all that effort, and for what? So we can follow the story of two self-insert OCs in one of the biggest tragedies in human history. That's like if a 9/11 movie was about two lovers in different towers of the World Trade Center. And people threw almost two billion dollars, and eleven Oscars to what amounts to a fanfic. Good grief.But, and as always, this is all my opinion. The concept of an overrated movie is entirely subjective. If you enjoy any of these movies, go for it! Enjoy them! I won't take that away from you. The same way you can totally despise other movies that I myself would find quite enjoyable. After all, they are all just fucking movies, there's no point in getting mad at each other over a movie.I hope you guys enjoy the picture!Thank you!You can check the update on Movie Slate's blog right hereShipping Out For decades, aircraft carriers have been the tool-of-choice for crisis response. Policymakers in Washington and four-star commanders in the field invariably have turned to carriers when they needed to signal U.S. intentions, quickly reinforce military power, or provide decision-makers with options during a predicament. The Navy has responded to the enduring demands of these customers by making the aircraft carrier strike group the prime organizing feature of the Navy’s surface and aviation forces, thereby drawing the biggest share of the service’s manpower, budget, support, and training resources. And until recently, the Air Force seemed happy to cede this crisis-response role, because then it could focus on its own priorities. However, new and disruptive weapons and technologies will soon upset long-standing assumptions and cozy inter-service arrangements. In particular, the spread of long-range anti-ship missiles threatens the ability of aircraft carriers to perform their traditional missions. What’s more, these disruptions are occurring at the moment when U.S. policymakers are under pressure to find cheaper ways of performing essential military missions. And the Air Force could develop the technology and the long-range platforms to carry out many of the carrier’s missions at less cost. All these factors could force planners to rethink air power from first principles, leading to stormy times for aircraft carriers and inter-service harmony. The aircraft carrier’s combat debut in the Pacific theater in 1941 instantly made the battleship obsolete. Aircraft carriers delivered more firepower, over longer ranges, with more speed and flexibility, over a wider variety of targets at sea and ashore. After World War II, the power of U.S. aircraft carriers forced adversaries to focus their naval spending on submarines rather than major surface ships, a trend still visible today. Without enemy surface ships to sink, the Navy’s carrier pilots focused on projecting air power ashore, which they did against North Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (twice), and Afghanistan. Over the past half-century, the Navy’s carriers also became well-suited to crisis response. Carrier strike groups could typically arrive at trouble spots within days and without the need for tedious negotiations with host countries over permissions and basing rights. The Air Force was fine with this arrangement because, although its tactical fighter wings could theoretically perform a similar role, the service’s doctrine called for large, well-established, and well-supplied bases from which it could reliably generate a high sortie rate. Such ponderous guidance could not deal well with fleeting contingencies, many of which occurred in austere locations. But the proliferation of cheap but deadly long-range anti-ship missiles promises to upset these assumptions and arrangements. For example, China is putting anti-ship missiles on submarines, patrol boats, surface ships, aircraft, and trucks, giving it the ability to dominate its nearby seas. For the price of a single major warship, China can buy hundreds or even thousands of anti-ship missiles. And as it perfects its own reconnaissance drones, China will be able to thoroughly patrol neighborhood waters, identifying targets for these missiles. The Navy’s aircraft carriers will come under pressure to retreat from this missile zone. However, there is a limit to how far they can retreat while still remaining in the game. As large as U.S. aircraft carriers are, they can only launch relatively small short-range fighter-bomber aircraft. For example, the F-35C, the carrier version of the Joint Strike Fighter, has a combat radius of just 615 miles. Mid-air refueling can extend this range. But refueling is not possible in hostile air space, and even with it, small fighters are constrained by the physiological limits of their single pilot. The Air Force’s long-range bombers, by contrast, with two pilots and room inside to stretch, have routinely flown intercontinental missions lasting over 30 hours. Recently, an Air Force B-1 bomber wing continuously maintained at least one of its big bombers over Afghanistan during a six-month deployment to a base in southwest Asia. While on station over Afghanistan, the B-1s responded to over 500 requests for close air support from troops in fire fights. Ironically, just as the value and utility of its long-range bomber forces was increasing, the Air Force has spent the past decade focused on its F-22 and F-35 fighters, which, like the Navy’s carrier aircraft, have to operate from vulnerable close-in bases and whose combat ranges are too short for the Asia-Pacific theater’s vast expanses. But, after much bureaucratic resistance and delay, the Air Force is finally moving ahead with a new stealthy long-range bomber to supplement and eventually replace the legacy fleet that has withered over the past decade. The arrival of the new bomber, when combined with the anti-ship missile threat and budget austerity, could force Pentagon planners to reassess the nature of air support, especially during crisis response in missile-contested war zones. That would be unhappy news to Navy and Air Force officials who have become comfortable with long-existing arrangements. If the missile threat in the western Pacific or the around the Persian Gulf becomes too great, policymakers and planners may conclude that too much prestige may be at risk with the deployment of a carrier strike group in response to a crisis. Diplomatic or tactical objections may similarly rule out an Air Force fighter deployment. That would leave long-range bombers as the only usable crisis-response tool and raise questions about the investments in more aircraft carriers and short-range fighters. But beyond crisis response, Air Force bombers could redefine close air support as well. Until recently, supporting infantrymen in battle was assumed to be the job of small fighters. With precision-guided bombs, that is no longer true — during their deployment in southwest Asia, the B-1s dropped bombs just 300 meters from friendly forces. By providing a continuous presence, troops on patrol always had air power overhead — and very likely at a cheaper price than the cost of building, stocking, operating, and protecting air bases for fighters inside the combat zone. There is another alternative. In a recent article in Proceedings, defense analyst Daniel Goure articulated a vision of aircraft carriers equipped with unmanned reconnaissance-strike drones, which, with mid-air refueling, could fly far longer and farther than jets with a human crew. Assuming the Navy could work out the considerable threats to their communications links (a problem the Air Force must also solve), drones could keep aircraft carriers in the fight even if they had been pushed back by anti-ship missiles. The Navy’s carrier drone program is very active and well ahead of the Air Force’s new bomber program. But even that success could backfire for carriers. If the Navy can perfect long-range drone missions, why not intercontinental drone missions? And if that’s the case, a land base would work just fine. All of which could set up a new round of inter-service brawling inside the Pentagon.by Erik Altieri, NORML Executive Director Today, Pennsylvania State Senator Daylin Leach will formally introduce a bill to tax and regulate marijuana in Pennsylvania. “This past November, the people of Washington State and Colorado voted to fully legalize marijuana,” said Leach. “It is time for Pennsylvania to be a leader in jettisoning this modern-day prohibition, and ending a policy that has been destructive, costly and anti-scientific.” “NORML applauds Senator Leach for taking this important step forward to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition in his state. Pennsylvania has long been considered a bellwether state that sets the precedent for politics across the country, as such it is both exciting and encouraging to see the Keystone State take up this crucial dialogue,” said Erik Altieri, Communications Director for NORML, “Marijuana prohibition costs the state of Pennsylvania over 300 million dollars a year in enforcement costs and tens of millions a year in lost potential tax revenue, while doing little to keep the substance out of the hands of children or lower use rates. It is time for a new policy that works for the state and its people. We encourage all of Senator Leach’s colleagues in Harrisburg to join him in this call for rational marijuana laws.” Speaking at Monday’s press conference will be Neill Franklin, Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, and Dr. David Nathan, a clinical associate professor from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The press conference will be aired live online here at 2pm EST on February 11th. If you live in Pennsylvania, you can easily contact your state representatives and tell them to support this legislation by visiting NORML’s Take Action Center here. Senator Daylin Leach will be the keynote speaker at the NORML Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, you can purchase your tickets to that event by clicking here. NORML will keep you updated as this important reform effort moves forward in Pennsylvania. For further information, please visit PhillyNORML or Pittsburgh NORML’s websites here and here.Monday night, we had another example of a hockey player being super tough during the Capitals-Blue Jackets game. Columbus forward Boone Jenner got hit in the face by a teammate’s shot while skating through the crease looking for a rebound. Jenner bled all over his jersey and lost two or three teeth. He went to the locker room for repairs. It’s nasty. But that would not be the end of the night for Jenner. No, sir, it would not. According to Fox Sports’ Dave Maetzold, the 22-year-old Canadian got about 20 stitches and “couldn’t wait to get back into the game.” I would have been fine with sipping a Slurpee through a straw and calling it a night. Boone Jenner might've lost a few teeth, but he's still smiling says @BlueJacketsNHL coach Brad Larsen.https://t.co/7goaWf86pR — FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) March 29, 2016 Jenner indeed returned mid-way through the second period sporting a full cage. COMIN' IN HOT pic.twitter.com/63ygMpTnmn — Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) March 29, 2016 Then in the third he came out in a full shield. A new look for Boone Jenner for the 3rd in DC. #CBJ and Caps tied at 1. Watch now @FOXSportsOH pic.twitter.com/j7aJaU900z — Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 29, 2016 But here’s where it gets kind of funny. Dentist at Verizon Ctr thinking Boone's tooth has now been frozen to ice by Zamboni. Ice crew searched Zam snow after 1st with no luck. #CBJ — Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) March 29, 2016 Yes, Jenner’s tooth will be forever immortalized in the Verizon Center ice because no one found it before the zamboni came out. Only in hockey! Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Blue Jackets Advertisements Share this story: Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr PinterestThe first Broadwell processors from Intel may well have been rather heavily delayed, but we've tested the new 14nm Core M CPUs and they some of the most impressive mobile silicon we've ever seen. The 6W TDP Broadwell tablet we've got sat in front of us is more than capable of consistently besting a Surface Pro 3 in the performance benchmark stakes - as well as in power, thermals and volume tests too. Microsoft must be cursing the delays that stopped it from being able to use these powerful processors in its latest top end tablet device. We met up with Intel's performance benchmarking team at this year's Intel Developer Forum and were whisked up to a suite over-looking sun-bleached San Francisco for some playtime with its Llama Mountain reference tablet. Inside is one of the first top-end 14nm Broadwell mobile chips, the teeny-tiny Core M 5Y70. It's a dual-core, quad-thread, processor rocking the latest Core architecture, but able to squeeze into a thermal design envelope of generally just 4.5W. We say generally because the Core M CPUs are all capable of three different design points - either the standard 4.5W, a 'down-config' of 3W or an 'up-config' of 6W. The actual device manufacturers are the ones to decide what their products run at. 'Right now the OEM has control over that,' explained Intel's ingénieur extraordinaire, Francois Piednoel. 'But there is nothing to stop them from making the software to change that.' The 3W 'down-config' mode is all about extending battery life and the 6W 'up-config' is all about max performance if the manufacturer's thermal design can cope with it. But that's not the full story. The TDP is an average thermal design over a given time, not the maximum Wattage a given Core M system will hit. Intel contends that it's more efficient to hit peak performance as fast as possible with higher power and steam through a processing task, than ramp up slowly and take your time. 'One of the strengths of Core M,' we were told, 'is we have found ways to ramp very quickly from 500MHz to 2.6GHz, and that gives us awesome responsiveness.' The way Intel does this is to briefly spike the CPU up to 15W for a couple of microseconds in order for it to hit its top Turbo speed as quickly as possible. 'If I want to raise my voltage very fast and I want to go from 500MHz to 2.6GHz,' explained Piednoel. 'I better crank up the wattage just for a few micro-seconds just to get my voltage up. If you measure very closely you will see a peak, but that's not the TDP.' Intel showed us three different thermal designs based on its Llama Mountain reference tablet: each replacing the backplate with either a full aluminium design, an aluminium with gold plating and a final one with an incredibly heavy copper backplate ('because we wanted to kill a fly with a hammer,' explained Piednoel). Each design effectively turned the rear of the tablet into a huge heatsink. All the extra engineering work went into trying to make a design to get the most out of the new Core M, without having to throw a fan into the mix. 'We went gold, we went copper,' said Piednoel. 'And without coming out of the spec of Core M we got the same result on all of them. So you don't need to go crazy cooling to get the best performance on Core M. You just need the usual tablet design and you're good to go.'Pin collectors, rejoice! A new limited edition pin set just debuted straight from the mystical land of Pandora. This time the collection features the travel posters for the new land that is soon to open in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Pandora — The World of Avatar. The pins are the first bit of merchandise to be released as part of the “countdown collection”–a collection put together to help build anticipation for the land’s opening and help guests connect with the experience. Erin Herbst, merchandiser for Disney Pins, explains: With the addition of this new land to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we wanted a way to continue the excitement leading up to the grand opening. This countdown pin collection features the beautiful travel posters created by Alpha Centauri Expeditions, the exclusive provider of tours to Pandora. We thought guests would love collecting these posters as they prepare to journey to another world. A new pin is scheduled for release every month from now until May when Pandora debuts. The first pin–one that portrays a family walking through a bioluminescent forest–has been released today. The second pin, which pictures floating mountains over the heads of visitors, releases on April 6. And the final pin, portraying a family walking through the wonder of Pandora, will release on May 4. All of the pins have an edition size of 1,250 and will be available for purchase at Discovery Trading Company. There are two other pins that complete the set; however, those pins will only be available in the boxed set that releases on Pandora’s opening day, May 27. The “completer pins” will be a bit more challenging to get ahold of since the edition size is limited to 250 and they will only be available in the park. In case you didn’t pick up on it, the travel posters that inspired the collection have been up for some time on the construction walls that block passageway to Pandora in Animal Kingdom. Works of beauty that they are, we are still very excited that those walls coming down soon! C’mon May 27! Source: DisneyNews 20 Jan 2017 Hello everyone and welcome to the blog post for January 20th, 2017! We have had no releases this week, except to remove the holiday themes in BTD5 and Battles. Our development teams are working on more updates, including changes to clans and tournaments (including player accessible customization!) and a whole heap of balance changes for BTD Battles soon after that. New BSM2 and BTD5 mobile content is also being prepared and the Tower Keepers team are squishing those last bugs for the global launch... we hope to have a release candidate late next week ready for mid February launch with global domination following, naturally. We're also nearly ready to announce one or two other games that we've been working on that are sure to get some of you talking. We're having many important discussions about how to show these and what sort of info works best. Ninja Kiwi SAS4 Weapon Competition: This week's competition is to draw a unique weapon of your own design. Draw it by hand or on your computer and upload the image to an image hosting site, link the picture in a comment below with a short description as well as what prize you want. That prize? Albert Einstein Your choice of premium weapon in SAS4! One entry per person Entries close midday, Friday 27th January (NZ time) SAS4 is a bit awkward with gifting premium weapons, so your patience is appreciated if it's not added right away, I'll make sure it happens! :) If you want a title change for the forums, include that in your entry post. Questions from the Comments: Will there be a Battle Panic 2? It's not something I see happening unfortunately. There aren't any plans for it and we have a slew of other ideas about new and returning IP that we're more likely to explore. In Bloons Monkey City web, Does the attacker have any extra penalties or lose more honor if their attack is successfully defended in Hardcore Mode? Nope! However it did apply to the attacker when the update first went out. This has been changed now. Could you ask the SAS4 dev team what kept them from releasing the Sadeye? It wasn't finished :(Popular finance guru Kevin O’Leary says he’ll invest $1 million in Canadian oil industries — if NDP Premier Rachel Notley resigns. The former Dragon’s Den host was speaking on Newstalk 1010’s Live Drive radio program about the downturn in the Canadian dollar and economy, largely caused by sinking oil prices. “Please step down, please, do it for Canadians,” begged Kevin O'Leary to Rachel Notley, speaking on Newstalk 1010’s Live Drive radio program. ( Mark Davis / GETTY IMAGES ) “I mean no disrespect when I say this but here’s my offer: I’ll invest $1 million in Canadian energy companies if out of grace and for the absolute good of Canada the premier of Alberta resigns,” O’Leary said. “I wouldn’t touch them now because she doesn’t know what she’s doing.” “Please step down, please, do it for Canadians,” he begged. Article Continued Below O’Leary attributed layoffs and the plummeting dollar on the inexperience of Notley’s government and poor policy choices, specifically, hikes in corporate tax rate and uncertainty about royalties. “The Alberta government is in free fall, there’s total chaos there,” he said. “It’s like a horror movie, it’s an unbelievable series of events.” The results of a review of Alberta’s oil royalty policies have been delayed a few more weeks, stirring up angst amongst energy industry insiders who fear a hike in fees while oil continues to deflate. Notley's government also approved a corporate tax hike that would see the rate increase by two percentage points, up 12 per cent from 10 cent, last summer. The industry is also dealing with higher fees for larger carbon emitters and is awaiting the implementation of a broad-based $3-billion a year carbon tax. Oil has plummeted to about $30 (U.S.) a barrel from a high of $100 for West Texas Intermediate in 2014. In the process it has sucked $6 billion out of the Alberta budget this year alone and contributed to job losses in the tens of thousands. Article Continued Below Outside of Alberta, the unemployment rate has remained relatively stable but the Canadian loonie has fallen to 70 cents on the U.S. dollar. Although O’Leary’s promise of $1 million isn’t exactly chump change, it should be noted that in 2014, natural resource companies invested $126 billion, about half of the total non-residential capital investments in Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada. With files from The Canadian Press Correction: Jan 12, 2016: This article was edited from a previous version to make clear the tax hike of the Notley government. Read more about:You’ve seen the pictures. Dust exploding as thousands of wildebeest thunder across the plains. Crocodiles lurking in the rivers. Lions along the banks stalking a moveable feast. The great migration – the annual 2,800km circuit of millions of wildebeest and zebra traversing Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Masai Mara – is one of the world’s more spectacular shows, especially in autumn, when the herds make their dramatic crossing of the Mara River in the Serengeti’s north. But like all hot tickets, the autumn migration can come with its share of hassles, including sky-high prices and traffic jams as safari vehicles jostle for space near the best sightings. But from January through March – the Serengeti’s green season – approximately 1.5 million wildebeest graze along the vast plains of Tanzania’s southern Serengeti, feeding on the grasses that spring from late autumn’s rains and giving birth to their young. This allows travellers a chance to get a sneak peek of the migration down south before indulging in the crowd-free wildlife show of the north. So I set off in early February to check out the Serengeti’s lesser known green season. Our tiny plane touched down in the dirt of the Ndutu airstrip in the Serengeti’s south, a staging zone for the mobile safari outfitters that follow the great migration. These moveable camps spend the winter months in this area before following the herds up to the western Serengeti by spring and then onto the north during the late summer and early autumn (the most popular time to see the migration as it thunders across the dramatic river crossings. As our Land Cruiser sped off down toward the nine-tent Olakira Camp, the sheer scale of the landscape unfolded, the spiny flat-tops of the acacia trees dotting undulating fields of grass and gentle hills rolling out to wide open vistas of scruffy brush. In the Maasai language, Serengeti means “extended place” or “endless plains”. You almost need a backdrop of such excess to wrap your head around the incredible amount of wildlife here. A pride of ostriches sped past a herd of wildebeest tending to their newborns. An aptly named dazzle of zebra massed its graphic stripes into a psychedelic backdrop for mongooses moving as one organism, scurrying and popping up, scurrying and popping up again. As the sun set, Maasai guards lit a path from our tent to a campfire surrounded by flickering lanterns. Wisps of pink clouds obscured a pearlescent moon as guests lingered over dinner, swapping stories of the day’s adventures – a lion took down a pregnant wildebeest, a baby leopard was spotted in the fork of a tree. Then we were escorted back to the tents, hot water bottles already warming the soft, king-sized sheets (with hot showers, flush toilets and colonial-inspired furniture, you are far from roughing it here). From my cosy cocoon, I heard the call and response of birds zipping electrically through the night air, the staccato rhythm of galloping hooves, the whoop of hyenas stalking fresh meat. A light rain pattered on the canvas roof, crescendoing to a dramatic downpour that eventually lulled me to sleep. It also left a present for the morning: a perfect rainbow arched over a saturated sunrise of peach and crimson. Staying so close to nature (as opposed to being tucked away in a traditional lodge) lulls you into the rhythms of the bush, awakening with the sun, greeting the animals’ morning activity on a game drive, napping when the sun burns too bright. It also means expecting the unexpected, like, perhaps, a terrifying guttural roar directly outside your tent, a lion so close you can hear his soft feet padding the dust just beyond the canvas. Though we didn’t see as many wildebeest herds as we would have liked (the migration is unpredictable and we missed much of the main movement), there was no lack of game. Cresting a hill, we saw six giraffe lope across an emerald basin. We stalked a cheetah hunting to feed its young. As the sun hung heavy in the sky, we descended into a valley to find four napping lionesses guarded by two fierce males, their wild manes glowing orange, then amber as the sun set. After three days of game drives, we were ready to make our own migration north, boarding a prop plane to Lamai in the northern Serengeti. Since the migration will not make its way up here until autumn, it was blissfully empty of other travellers. There are just 54 permanent beds here compared with more than 9,000 in a similarly sized area of Kenya’s Maasai Mara. And though most of the wildebeest have yet to arrive, other animals crowd the plains. Not five minutes after landing we were on the banks of the Mara River, flanked by 6m-long crocodiles and hundreds of hippos wallowing in the shallows. Then we crested a hill, plunging into a sea of oat grass as high as our 4x4. In the distance, a straggling herd of wildebeest arced up and back into the grass like dolphins leaping from the water. Another corner, another 10 minutes and it was zebra among buffalo among ostriches among giraffes, with lilac breasted rollers soaring overhead. The 12-room Nomad Tanzania's Lamai Serengeti has a front-row seat to the show. Set atop Kogakuria Kopje, a boulder-strewn hill, the plains unfold dramatically below. From the whitewashed villas you can survey elephants crossing the plain. Swahili day beds piled with hand-woven pillows and draped with romantic netting front wooden balconies, all with similarly cinematic views. In the south (and in most of Tanzania’s game reserves), water is scarce so predators lurk at the watering holes, ready to pick off thirsty antelope, zebra and wildebeest. The prevalence of water in the north, however, spreads out the game: you will often find big cats perched dramatically atop red rock outcrops, the better to spot prey. After days tracking herds of elephants across rivers, seeing two leopards hunt in the tall grasses and spotting two endangered white rhino – I felt sated, lucky, spoiled by this natural bounty. As the sky darkened and storm clouds gathered on the horizon, our jeep turned towards home. Suddenly a flash of fur, a low growl, and a leopard sprung across our path, leaping atop a hulking solitary boulder. It crouched there, a tightly wound spring scanning the horizon for prey, all lean muscle, tense sinews against the roiling clouds. I could barely breathe as its head jutted forward, teeth bared, eyes trained on some far off movement. Then as fast as it started, it was over; the antelope got away and the cat flopped down to rest. It was time to head home.Charles Manson was rushed out of prison to a California hospital, where he’s clinging to life, according to reports Wednesday night. The 83-year-old Manson normally makes his home inside the walls of Corcoran State Prison but he was taken to a Bakersfield hospital earlier this week, sources told TMZ. He’s surrounded by five uniformed officers as he’s wheeled on a gurney from treatment to treatment, the celebrity website reported. “It’s not going to get any better for him,” a source said. “It’s just a matter of time (until he finally dies).” A rep for the state Department of Corrections declined comment. Witnesses told KGET, an NBC affiliate in Bakersfield, that Manson was spotted at Mercy Hospital in downtown Bakersfield. Manson is serving life without parole for leading his murderous “family” on a two-night killing spree that terrified Los Angeles on Aug. 9-10, 1969. They killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four of her friends before slaughtering grocers Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the next night. Related Video 1:13 Hell gets ready to welcome Charles MansonReady to fight back? Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Fight Back! Sign up for Take Action Now and we’ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and we’ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. Thank you for signing up. For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue Travel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. Sign up for our Wine Club today. Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine? As legislation to fast-track congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership gets ready to finally make its debut in Congress this week, a top Democratic member of the House announced he would oppose the bill. Ad Policy Representative Chris Van Hollen, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, wrote in a letter to Representative Sandy Levin, the ranking member of the House Ways & Means Committee, that he would oppose fast-track authority, also known as Trade Promotion Authority or TPA. The letter was obtained by The Nation and its authenticity was confirmed by an aide to Van Hollen. Van Hollen opposed a previous iteration of fast-track legislation last year, as did most other top Democrats, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. But so far, many of those Democrats (including Van Hollen) had not yet announced a position on the new TPA legislation being hammered out by Senators Ron Wyden, Orrin Hatch, and Representative Paul Ryan. (Levin opted out of those talks, and believes Congress should see at least the outline of a trade deal before taking up legislation to fast-track its approval.) Pelosi still remains publicly undecided. If Van Hollen—a visible member of the Democratic caucus and ranking member of a major committee—ultimately supported the Wyden-Hatch-Ryan bill, it would have been a signal that House Democrats were ready to go along with the Obama administration’s trade agenda. But in his letter, Van Hollen wrote “it is clear that many [of my concerns] will not be included in a revised TPA.” While the legislation remains behind closed doors for now, Van Hollen said continuing public opposition from Republicans made it clear that the TPA legislation wouldn’t include additional currency, labor, and environmental provisions. Moreover, he wrote that since TPA was being unveiled so close to the conclusion of the overall trade talks, “it is clearly too late for TPA to have any meaningful impact on the shape of TPP negotiations.” Like virtually all Democrats, Van Hollen cited concerns that enforceable currency manipulation obligations would not be included in the trade deal. He also said he objects to further entrenching the investor-state dispute settlement process, which according to negotiating documents leaked last month by Wikileaks will be included in the TPP deal. Those provisions set up a process of international tribunals where foreign companies can challenge regulatory actions by sovereign governments, and seek
support the -webkit prefix. That is the solution being considered by the W3C. The idea is likely to fail miserably. Two or more implementations of the same webkit property won’t be compatible so developers won’t be able to use it anywhere. No one wins — including Apple and Google. But I’m more concerned about the irreparable damage it’ll cause if the solution is successful. Once developers discover webkit prefixes working in Firefox, IE and Opera, they’ll expect them to work on all properties. Webkit-only adoption will rise exponentially and the vendors will be forced to implement the prefixes throughout. At that point, webkit properties will become the de facto standard regardless of any W3C specification. Game over: the open web is closed. The implications also go further than CSS: many of the new JavaScript APIs have vendor prefixes. Who’s to Blame? We can point the sticky finger of failure at: The W3C Working Group It takes too long for web standards to reach maturity. That may be unavoidable but browser vendors are bypassing the process. Browser Vendors In their rush to push new technologies, it’s too easy for vendors to add a prefix and forget about it. Web developers require more information: is the property being considered by the W3C and when will the prefix be dropped? In an ideal world, experimental prefixes would disappear once the browser implements the standard property. Vendors won’t do that because it’d break sites, but they could do more to highlight the problem, e.g. provide obsolescence detection tools or output error messages to the developer console. Apple and Google Both are guilty of promoting webkit prefixes as though they’re a standard part of day-to-day HTML5 web development. Apple has been accused of actively working against the W3C. Mozilla, Microsoft and Opera Other vendors are often months behind the webkit browsers — if not years. Adding webkit prefixes is a ludicrous solution: it’s time to up their game. Technology Websites and Evangelists We all love cool demonstrations but evangelists often neglect to mention that properties are experimental and may never have full browser support (and, yes, that includes SitePoint). Ideally, code should work in at least two browsers; at least it would indicate that multiple vendor prefixes are required. Web Developers We’re too lazy. We’re writing browser-specific code and, while we may have good intentions about correcting it later, we rarely do. Do you recall the last time developers targeted a specific browser? It was IE6. We’re still living with the legacy of that decision a decade later. Do you really want history to repeat itself? It’s Time to Act I’m opposed to non-webkit browsers supporting webkit prefixes. At best, it makes prefixes unusable. At worst, it breaks the whole standardization process. You may agree or disagree but make your opinion known to colleagues, in blogs and on social networks. The W3C and browser vendors will listen to your feedback; you just need to provide some. Then test your site in multiple browsers. A little graceful degradation is fine but neglecting one or more modern browsers with equivalent support is not. Fix the code, otherwise your site is contributing to the problem.02-21-2017 (Photo: Michael Flynn, Vladimir Putin, Jill Stein, 2015) http://JohnBatchelorShow.com/contact http://JohnBatchelorShow.com/schedules http://johnbatchelorshow.com/blog Twitter: @BatchelorShow The Russian Enemies of Trump-Putin Détente. Stephen F. Cohen, @NYU @Princeton EastWestAccord.com “…Where Russians saw hope with Trump’s election, they are now apparently yielding to disillusionment and despair. The question arises: If not toward better relations with Russia, where are we going with this bellicosity? Russia is not going to give up Crimea. Not only would Putin not do it, the Russian people would abandon him if he did. What then is the end goal of this bristling Beltway hostility to Putin and Russia, and the U.S.-NATO buildup in the Baltic and Black Sea regions? Is a Cold War II with Russia now an accepted and acceptable reality? Where are the voices among Trump’s advisers who will tell him to hold firm against the Russophobic tide and work out a deal with the Russian president? For a second cold war with Russia, its back up against a wall, may not end quite so happily as the first…” http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-21/trump-putin-detente-dead WASHINGTON— ''Watch what we do, not what we say,'' Attorney General John Mitchell advised reporters at the start of the Nixon Administration. Coming from the law-and-order campaign manager with the visage of a bloodhound, that epigram was interpreted as the epitome of political deceptiveness. But his intent was to reassure blacks that, foot-dragging poses aside, the Nixon Justice Department would accomplish desegregation. John Mitchell knew that the appearance of a tilt toward white Southerners would ease the way for acceptance of steady civil rights progress for blacks, and sure enough, what he did in this area was much better than what he said. Many of the Nixon clan that gathered for the funeral of John Mitchell last weekend understood that abyss between the persona and the man. Dour, stern, taciturn, forbidding on the outside, and warm, loyal, staunch, steadfast on the inside; few public men have so deliberately cultivated the widespread misconceptions of themselves. Yes, this was ''the Big Enchilada,'' the first man tossed off the sled for the culmination at Watergate of the series of previous lawbreakings that he came to call ''the White House horrors.'' Nobody denies his transgression: The spying plan put forward by the Magruder-Liddy toadies and crazies, which John Mitchell reduced but ultimately approved, was plainly criminal, and the former Attorney General should have known it. However, the familiar faces of a short generation ago were gathered to salute the private John Mitchell. Ron Ziegler, Pat Buchanan, Len Garment, Dwight Chapin, Rose Woods were there, and we knew Richard Nixon would attend - he goes to the funerals that matter. Most of John's key Justice Department aides came, notably excepting Chief Justice William Rehnquist, whose record of self-serving abstention in re: Mitchell is now complete. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/14/opinion/essay-watch-what-we-do.htmlTaking the Plunge If you are about to eat, I advise you to save this article for another time. Now anyone who’s seen me attempt the atomic ass-burners challenge from everyone’s favorite dive bar, The Lion’s Head, or sweat it out over Indian cuisine, can attest to the fact spicy foods leave me uncomfortably hot and everyone else unnecessarily bothered. While it’s not quite to the level of Indian or Thai, Yemeni food tends to front load the spices. Over the past 9 months, I have been making a conscious effort to remedy my midwestern palate (no offense, Mom). While the midwest’s 54%* obese population will rightfully tell you that growing up on potatoes, meatloaf, and buttered rolls is delicious, it doesn’t prepare you for the sheer variety of foods and spices out there. Here in Sana’a, I’ve been slowly trying to up my tolerance of spices in part to fit in but also because dinner is just more enjoyable when you aren’t being asked with a worried look, “Why are you sweating so much?” This brings me to another relevant point that must be addressed in this story. I sweat. Well, that’s not exactly true. I mean I fuckin’ sweat. There’s not a weather channel here in Sana’a, but if there was, it would likely be meteorologically significant when I sweat. I think about it and the only reasonable explanation is that somewhere in the Lynch family tree there must be a branch of Ashkenazi Jews or something. Having known a few, those guys can sweat! But anyway, back to the story. Maybe the fact that a month long of fasting is about to descend on Yemen served as the catalyst, but I felt like upping the ante tonight at the local Shaibani restaurant. At the Shaibani I frequent, the fact that I typically order my food with little to no spice is well known and usually comes with a little jab or jest from the staff. Tonight I was having none of that. After asking for some kebda (a liver dish), fasulia (a bean dish), and eggs, the server shook his head a bit, laughing, and asked, “Bisbas?” “Spice?” I leapt out of my chair and lunged across the table, grabbing the scruff of the waiter’s collar. With a crazed eye and gritted teeth, I sneered, “Bisbas Katheeran!” “A lot of spice!” And as I type this, I just hope that sounded more menacing in Arabic than it does in my head in English right now. (The previous scene has been dramatized, which I blame entirely on recently watching an episode of TNT’s The Closer… drama.) In minutes, a young boy in a gray uniform came running out of the kitchen carrying a tray and trailing an ephemeral jet stream from the three piping hot dishes. The boy set the food before me and vanished to deliver another order. I could see the chili poking out of every corner on the plate. While every other customer was absorbed in their own food and conversations, the restaurant staff were waiting in the corner with impish looks as I pinched off a corner of bread to grab at the eggs. Opening wide, I stuffed a handful of eggs into my mouth and waited. I didn’t have to wait long. I collapsed back into my chair as tangible heat waves radiated through my body. My mouth snapped open, head flared up, and I fought the impulse to spit my food back on the plate. I could feel the blood surge through my neck, flood my face, and cloud my eyesight. Through bleary vision, I saw the wait staff enjoying the night’s entertainment, my discomfort. I gulped and gasped. One bite done. With half of my water already gone, I grabbed another piece of bread and pinched off a mouthful of Kebda and plopped it in my mouth. There were two differences this time. I’d seemed to lose all sense of taste after the second bite and a thin film of sweat was now developing on my forehead and nose. Within a couple bites, the process became very systematic. A bite of food, a swig of water, a reach for the tissues, and a wiping of sweat. Repeat. Within minutes, the pile of emptied water bottles on my left and the pile of sweat soaked tissue on my right began to tower over the table. With a sweat ring quickly advancing down my chest and back, the bottoms of the plates were becoming visible. Oh, why did I wear gray! Having reached a state of physical numbness, both in face and tongue, I took a deep breath and dove into the last of my food. The details of my last bites are a bit foggy, but I have a distinct memory of my most carnal instincts bubbling to the surface. It seems that the spices had incinerated decades of civilized table manners for I remember lifting my head from the plate at one point, like an alert dog hovering over its prey, and could feel bits of egg and kebda dangling from my beard. Why I had brought my head down to the food, rather than the other way around, is still an unexamined mystery. With no more food before me to focus on, my surroundings became clear. I wish I would have stayed ignorant. Not only were the eyes of the wait staff still on me, but so were many of the eyes of several families sitting close to me. Some looked on in amazement, others in disgust. OK, I should go. I gathered my things, attempted to consolidate the mess before me, and made my way downstairs to pay the bill. As I hobbled, exhausted, down the stairs, gastroenterological moans and groans escaped from my unsuspecting mouth and nether regions. Gotta get outta here. I handed the young man at the counter my money and while he responded with the common pleasantries of this respectful land, his eyes didn’t lie. Please, Sir. This is a family establishment. With Ramadan starting tomorrow, I can only hope that after the long month of fasting, they will have forgotten this little episode and I can return with my dignity intact. My one consolation after this gut wrenching and physically exhausting ordeal is that I may have singed my insides so severely that not having access to food during the day will be a walk in the park. With that, a much needed shower is in order. Cheers. *entirely made upFox News talk show co-host Greg Gutfeld told a panel on Wednesday’s episode of “The Five” that he believes the Supreme Court’s rulings on same sex marriage are actually “a huge conservative victory” because it will make LGBT people less promiscuous, then suggested that it’s time “gay activists” just give it a rest already and focus on “radical Islam.” “Yeah, I don’t have any legal expertise in this matter whatsoever,” Gutfeld said. “I feel that this is a huge conservative victory, because you can no longer deprive someone of an extremely traditional value that makes you life better by curtailing promiscuity and destructive lifestyles.” “Talking about myself,” he added, “marriage to my wife made me a better man. I want to impose that value on others, because that’s what rightwingers do.” Gutfeld went on to say that he believes LGBT people need to be more sensitive to the needs of religious conservatives, who he said will take a while to “work through” their issues with these rulings. Then, an odd pivot: Gutfeld suddenly declared that “gay activists” now need to surrender the cause and focus on “radical Islam” instead. “It’s fun to mock and make fun of Fred Phelps, who are harmless, pathetic villains, but go to a mosque, talk to radical Islam,” he said. “Think about your compatriots in Iran who are dying because of their sexual orientation. There are people that are boycotting the Boy Scout events, but perform — bands still perform in Dubai. Uh, there’s a lot of hypocrisy going on, on that side, that needs to be solved.” Gutfeld’s words almost echoed Bob Beckel, the show’s left-leaning contributor, who said moments earlier that he felt the rulings struck him as “almost a libertarian position” on marriage — which is technically correct given that the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down as a violation of the Fifth Amendment, a key peg of the Bill of Rights. “The power the Constitution grants it also restrains,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote [PDF] for the court’s 5-4 majority. “And though Congress has great authority to design laws to fit its own conception of sound national policy, it cannot deny the liberty protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.” However, Gutfeld’s words seemed also reminiscent of National Review contributor Mark Krikorian’s tweets on the matter just hours earlier, highlighted by Media Matters on Wednesday evening. “Post-Doma: Problems will arise when polygamy is legalized, as it must be. Then spousal immigration from Muslim world will balloon,” he claimed. The Muslisms-taking-over-the-U.S.-because-of-DOMA meme appears to be the conclusion some conservataives have reached based upon the belief that if two individuals of the same sex can be legally married, there’s nothing stopping three or more people from doing the same. Of course, at no point did the Supreme Court address this issue and plural marriages remain unrecognized by the federal government. Nevertheless, right-wing blogger Ken Klukowski over at Breitbart explained this worry in an angry rebuke of columnist George Will earlier this week, reacting to Will’s prediction that DOMA will be struck down. “Imagine what a person’s tax return would look like if a man had four wives. You get to claim five personal exemptions, and everyone can cross-claim all child tax credits for all children born to all four women,” he fretted. “The IRS would have to completely redesign Form 1040, and the resulting returns would have a significant fiscal impact on the nation.” This video is from Fox News’s “The Five,” aired Wednesday, June 26, 2013, snipped by Mediaite.Pedestrian struck by cyclist dies The 37 bus at Castro and Market The 37 bus at Castro and Market Photo: Jonathan Curiel Photo: Jonathan Curiel Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Pedestrian struck by cyclist dies 1 / 1 Back to Gallery (04-04) 17:06 PDT San Francisco -- A San Bruno man who was hospitalized after being hit by a cyclist last Thursday died Monday, authorities said. Sutchi Hui, 71, was walking across Castro Street eastbound in the crosswalk at Market Street just after 8 a.m. when the cyclist collided with him, authorities said. The cyclist was traveling south on Castro. Hui and the cyclist, whose name was not released, were both taken to San Francisco General Hospital after the collision. Hui died at the hospital, said hospital spokesman Tristan Cook. Neither the medical examiner nor police would say if Hui's death resulted from the injuries he sustained during the crash. The district attorney's office is in talks with San Francisco police about the case, although police have not yet forwarded the case to prosecutors, said Omid Talai, a spokesman for the district attorney. In another case where a bicyclist hit a pedestrian, the district attorney charged Randolph Ang, 23, with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter for running through a red light and hitting a pedestrian, 68-year-old Dionette Cherney, who later died of her injuries. He pleaded guilty to the charge in March and was sentenced to three years' probation and 500 hours of community service and was also ordered to pay Cherney's family $15,375 in restitution.Welcome to Wonkbook, Ezra Klein and Evan Soltas's morning policy news primer. To subscribe by e-mail, click here. Send comments, criticism, or ideas to Wonkbook at Gmail dot com. To read more by Ezra and his team, go to Wonkblog. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Is gay marriage winning? It would seem so. As this graph from Dylan Matthews shows, support in the Senate has risen at a genuinely exponential pace, rocketing from 11 supportive senators in 2011 to 50 in 2013. The flip in the country has been almost as impressive, though not quite as swift. According to the Washington Post/ABC News poll, support for gay marriage has gone from about 40 percent of the population in 2004 to almost 60 percent today. Amidst all this, it's become popular to say that gay marriage has actually "won." At Bloomberg View, Josh Barro brushes this away as glib triumphalism. "It doesn’t feel that way to gay men and lesbians," he writes. "Unless the Supreme Court rules in our favor this summer, we will likely have to spend more than 20 years fighting to repeal provisions in 30 state constitutions before national marriage equality is achieved. Many of us will be dead, or at least old and unmarriageable, before then." Recall that even if the Supreme Court invalidates California's Prop 8, only about 28 percent of the country will live in states that recognize same-sex marriages. If Prop 8 stands, then only 16 percent of the country will live in such states. What is true, Barro says, is that "foes of gay marriage have already lost." That loss, he argues, goes beyond gay marriage. It's a defeat for "a social norm that holds out opposite-sex marriage as the right and best way to form a family." This tracks a reality in which many, many families are beginning outside the boundaries of traditional marriages. According to a new report, 48 percent of all first births are now to unmarried women -- and the trends suggest that will soon be a majority. Until now, our main approach to dealing with this new reality has been to lament it. Our political discourse has mostly treated these families, be they single mothers or cohabitating 30-somethings, as disappointments, or symptoms of cultural decline. But perhaps, as the norms that write off all family arrangements save for traditional marriage break down, space will emerge for a more practical conversation about how to best support America's increasingly nontraditional family units. Wonkbook's Number of the Day: 4. Over the next few months, there'll be significant pressure on the remaining seven Senate Democrats who haven't endorsed gay marriage to do so. But today's number is the count of Republicans in both houses of Congress who support it. The biggest question for gay marriage, perhaps, is how quickly it can find backing from the political right. Wonkblog's Graph of the Day: How the Senate has swung in support of gay marriage, from 1996 to 2013. Wonkbook's Top 5 Stories: 1) the incredible pace of the gay-rights movement; 2) how the World Bank became a 'climate hawk'; 3) states pick up nation's gun-control slack; 4) how the Medicare Advantage cut was cut; and 5) the economic recovery, rising but shaky. 1) Top story: Half of the Senate now supports gay marriage 50 senators now support gay marriage. 15 did in 2011. "Today, Mark Kirk and Tom Carper became the latest senators to endorse same-sex marriage, as members of the chamber seem to be falling over themselves to do in recent weeks...It’s basically an exponential increase." Dylan Matthews in The Washington Post. There are only 7 Democrats left who don't support gay marriage. And that number is likely to keep falling. "Their reasons are some combination of personal beliefs, geography and a large helping of political considerations. As they become a smaller and smaller group, however, the pressures on them from both inside and outside the Senate will grow." Chris Cillizza in The Washington Post. @BuzzFeedAndrew: There are 52 Senators who want to repeal DOMA. Democratic Senators Nelson & Johnson don't support gay marriage but want to repeal DOMA. ...But there are only 4 Republicans in Congress who do support gay marriage. The question is how quickly that figure will grow. "Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk on Tuesday became the second Republican senator and the fourth GOP Member of Congress to support gay marriage. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), and Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) are the other three. Here’s a closer look at each of them — and their reasons for breaking with their party’s long-held position on marriage." Sean Sullivan in The Washington Post. @grossdm: So if just a few more GOP Senators have (a) gay kids; or (b) humanizing strokes, gay marriage legislation will be filibuster-proof in senate BARRO: Gay marriage hasn't yet won, but its opponents have lost. "Opponents of gay marriage don’t just want to deny equal rights to same-sex couples. They want to use that denial of rights to establish a social norm that holds out opposite-sex marriage as the right and best way to form a family. But overwhelming elite and (soon) mass opinion in favor of marriage equality have destroyed the norm-setting power of laws against same-sex marriage, even if those laws themselves prove durable." Josh Barro in Bloomberg. Music recommendations interlude: Sea lion dancing to "Boogie Wonderland," Earth, Wind & Fire, 1979. Top op-eds GLAESER: To rate a teacher's performance, first get an independent judge. "The best way forward is to move the evaluation of teachers outside the schools entirely, with standardized tests administered by an independent agency. This would be supplemented by classroom assessments based on unobtrusive videotaping, also judged by outsiders, including teachers’ representatives...The difference in test-score gains between a teacher who is rated average and one who is better than 85 percent of educators generates the same improvement as dropping class size by 10." Edward Glaeser in Bloomberg. SOLTAS: Tax increases alone won't solve inequality. "Government can redistribute income, but it can't redistribute fathers. Yet government is not helpless. Public policy has a huge influence on multidimensional inequality -- though we see it most clearly when things go wrong...Government could achieve a lot simply by making fewer gross errors. If government can't redistribute fathers, it can reform policies that, in one way or another, drive many away from responsible fatherhood. Criminal-justice reform and education reform may be the most powerful anti-inequality weapons." Evan Soltas in Bloomberg. PORTER: Want education dollars to make a difference? Invest early. "American students from prosperous backgrounds scored on average 110 points higher on reading tests than disadvantaged students, about the same disparity that exists between the average scores in the United States and Tunisia...Studies that have followed children through their adult lives confirm enormous payoffs for these investments, whether measured in improved success in college, higher income or even lower incarceration rates." Eduardo Porter in The New York Times. MILBANK: The NRA disarms the press. "About 20 [NRA security guards] — roughly one for every three reporters — fanned out through the National Press Club, some in uniforms with gun holsters exposed, others with earpieces and bulges under their suit jackets. In a spectacle that officials at the National Press Club said they had never seen before, the NRA gunmen directed some photographers not to take pictures, ordered reporters out of the lobby when NRA officials passed and inspected reporters’ briefcases before granting them access to the news conference." Dana Milbank in The Washington Post. ORSZAG: Smarts, wealth, and life -- the three-fer, and why it happens. "Better-educated Americans increasingly live longer than everyone else, and children from higher-income families in the U.S. are getting more education than other people. These are two of the most disturbing trends in the U.S., and it’s entirely plausible that they are related. Economists have recognized many possible connections between health and education, but so far they have done little to link the trends toward greater inequality in each area." Peter Orszag in Bloomberg. In touch with your inner self interlude: Mapping emotions over a century through literary references. 2) Do our energy policies clash? Why the World Bank has become a 'climate hawk.' "World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on Tuesday said climate change was a “fundamental threat” to global economic development as he called for a major new push to reduce extreme poverty over the next 17 years...[T]he impact of climate change disproportionately threatens the African and Asian nations that would find it hardest to cope." Howard Schneider in The Washington Post. NASA's James Hansen is retiring. Here's how he contributed to climate science. "One the country’s most prominent climate scientists is leaving the government to become a full-time climate activist. James E. Hansen says he will step down as head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies this week after 46 years at the agency...Hansen was one of the first climatologists to speak out about the potential dangers of man-made global warming back in the 1980s. It’s worth taking a look back at some of the more notable moments of his scientific career to see what he’s been saying about climate change over the years" Brad Plumer in The Washington Post. Expensive batteries are holding back electric cars. Can that change? "One of the big reasons why electric cars have been slow to catch on is that batteries are still hugely expensive — usually around $12,000 to $15,000, or one-third the price of the vehicle — and can provide only limited range. So, will these batteries ever get better? That’s the big question. Some analysts are deeply skeptical that improvement will be quick or easy. In the newest issue of theProceedings of the National Academy of Science, Fred Schlacter has an essay on why batteries are fundamentally different from things like mobile phones or computers." Brad Plumer in The Washington Post. ...And how all our climate policies might clash with each other. "At the least, domestically produced gasoline and rapid advances in technology to make the internal combustion engine more efficient are likely to help the conventional automobile survive against competition from vehicles powered by electricity, natural gas and other cleaner alternatives." Matthew L. Wald in The New York Times. The public, on climate change: Zzzzz. "A new Pew poll shows the percentage who say that global warming is a “very serious” problem has slipped six points since October. While Pew reported an identical uptick in the number calling it “somewhat serious”–meaning that more than six in 10 respondents still call climate change somewhat or very serious — the decline in those who describe it in dire terms means that public attitudes are now around where they were in 2010, close to the lowest level of concern in eight years on the issue." Juliet Eilperin in The Washington Post. More polling: Two-thirds back Keystone pipeline, belief in global warming trends upward. Ben German in The Hill. Ernest Moniz is likely to get bipartisan backing as Energy Secretary nominee. "Moniz will be introduced by Brent Scowcroft, who was National Security Advisor to GOP Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, and former Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), who chaired the energy panel for years and did not seek Senate reelection in 2012...Moniz is expected to win Senate confirmation despite misgivings among some environmentalists, who have taken aim at his support for natural gas development and industry ties." Ben German in The Hill. Will the U.S. become an oil exporter? "The U.S. energy industry is suddenly talking about something that was unthinkable a few years ago: exporting crude oil. Congress largely barred such exports after the 1970s Arab oil embargo in a step to protect U.S. oil supplies. But with domestic production booming, energy-company executives are questioning whether the U.S. needs every drop of petroleum it extracts...Opponents of the idea counter that allowing exports could push up prices at the pump for consumers and businesses, and make the U.S. more dependent on foreign oil." Ben Lefebvre and Alison Slider in The Wall Street Journal. Adorable animals interlude: This owl is a people-person. Or people-owl. You get it. 3) Gun control stalls in Congress, moves in states What are the states doing about gun control? "Legislators have introduced more than 1,300 bills to change state gun laws, according to records kept by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a San Francisco-based group tracking gun legislation. Here’s a quick review of some of the more notable proposals under consideration in states where gun laws are moving fast, based on state-level news reports and conversations with experts tracking the debate." Ed O'Keefe in The Washington Post. Background checks remain the key stumbling block for gun control. "Background checks, both advocates and independent researchers say, would have a bigger potential effect on gun violence than any other measure under consideration — including the much-discussed assault-weapons ban, which has little chance of passing in Congress. Proposed federal gun-trafficking laws and changes to mental health databases would have a marginal impact on gun violence, experts say." Michael D. Shear in The New York Times. NRA-commissioned study supports armed guards in schools. "A 225-page study commissioned by the National Rifle Association has endorsed and amplified the gun rights group’s immediate response to the mass killing in Newtown, Conn.: that all schools in the United States should have police or armed staff members trained to confront a shooter...The National School Shield Report focuses on a host of possible safety measures, such as internal door security and perimeter fencing, but its central recommendation is that armed personnel should be posted in all schools...Those staff members should receive 40 to 60 hours of weapons instruction and other training, the report recommends." Peter Finn in The Washington Post. April Fool's interlude: Improving mobile Internet usability for cats. 4) How the Medicare Advantage cut was cut How insurers flipped a Medicare pay cut into a raise. "[T]he Obama administration reversed a proposed 2.3 percent pay cut for private Medicare plans, replacing it with a 3.3 percent raise. For health plans, this was a huge victory...Overall, the cuts are way smaller than what the Obama administration initially proposed. McDonald at Citi estimates that Medicare Advantage plans will see a 2 percent rate reduction, compared to 7 percent to 8 percent that analysts predicted with the initial rates." Sarah Kliff in The Washington Post. Confirmation hearing set for Marilyn Tavenner, Medicare head nominee. "Tavenner has broad bipartisan support in Congress. Even House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has endorsed her nomination, saying he worked well with Tavenner when she led Virginia's Medicaid agency...Tavenner didn't even get a hearing when Obama first nominated her last year; she has been leading the agency since then on an acting basis." Sam Baker in The Hill. Medical stories of America: The case of the $1,207 toenail clipping. Ezra Klein in The Washington Post. Interview: North Dakota has only one abortion clinic, and it isn't going anywhere. Sarah Kliff talks with its director. The Washington Post. The confused debate over Obamacare and insurance premiums. "That gets to the heart of what’s become a terribly confused debate over premiums in Obamacare. Vermont’s insurers didn’t have to change their products because their products were already very good. In other states, some of the insurance products will have to be upgraded, as they’re stingier. But Obamacare will help people pay for the better insurance...Did my premiums just “go up”? Or did I switch to a better insurance plan? For most people, this would be called switching to a better insurance plan." Ezra Klein in The Washington Post. The link you're going to send to everyone right now interlude: A time lapse of a tunnel-boring machine. 5) The recovery, rising but shaky Big rise in quantity of factory orders. "The Commerce Department said on Tuesday that factory orders increased 3 percent in February. That is a turnaround from a 1 percent decline in January and the biggest gain in five months. The increase was mostly a result of a 95.1 percent surge in orders for commercial aircraft. Orders for motor vehicles and parts also increased 1.4 percent." Reuters. ...But uneven factory growth emphasizes the uncertainty of recovery. "Volatile defense and aircraft orders frequently push overall U.S. manufacturing data up or down, but recent reports also show unsteady demand for other types of products. Outside of transportation products, factory orders were up just 0.3%. The fickle factory orders show the challenges the U.S. economy is facing as it slowly rebounds from the financial crisis that began five years ago." Eric Morath and Sarah Portlock in The Wall Street Journal. Wonkblog plays oddsmaker: One of these 9 people will lead the World Trade Organization, and also who will be the next Fed chair? Dylan Matthews and Neil Irwin in The Washington Post. Obama administration pushes banks to make loans to people with weaker credit. "[A]dministration officials say they are working to get banks to lend to a wider range of borrowers by taking advantage of taxpayer-backed programs — including those offered by the Federal Housing Administration — that insure home loans against default...The administration’s efforts come in the midst of a housing market that has been surging for the past year but that has been delivering most of the benefits to established homeowners with high credit scores or to investors who have been behind a significant number of new purchases." Zachary A. Goldfarb in The Washington Post. Fannie Mae reports $7.6B in profit in fourth quarter. "Fannie Mae reported Tuesday that it earned $7.6 billion in the final quarter of 2012, capping its most profitable year in history and raising the prospect that the company will be able to survive without government support before too long...The company is expected to pay taxpayers nearly $60 billion in the next several months as Fannie’s long-term profitability becomes even more assured and the firm is forced to recognize long-standing tax assets that had no value when the company was deep in the red." Zachary A. Goldfarb in The Washington Post. Comparing glass ceilings around the world. "[D]espite all the complaints about the glass ceiling, the United States is actually doing a relatively good job of getting women into high-achieving jobs...A new paper by Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn of Cornell argues that those policy differences may explain why the United States has fallen behind in women’s labor-force participation rates. But the paper also suggests that the same policy gap could explain why, paradoxically, women in the United States seem to have more varied and ambitious career paths open to them if and when they do choose to work." Catherine Rampell in The New York Times. Reading material interlude: The best sentences Wonkblog read today. Wonkblog Roundup Why Amazon bought GoodReads. Ezra Klein. Expensive batteries are holding back electric cars. Can that change? Brad Plumer. In 2011, only 15 senators backed same-sex marriage. Now 50 do. Dylan Matthews. Wonktalk: Ezra vs. Twitter. Ezra Klein and Brad Plumer. NASA’s most famous climate scientist is retiring. Here’s a look back at his work. Brad Plumer. The case of the $1,206 toenail clipping. Ezra Klein. Who will be the next Fed chair? Here are Wonkblog’s odds. Neil Irwin. How insurers flipped a Medicare pay cut into a pay raise. Sarah Kliff. The confused debate over Obamacare and insurance premiums. Ezra Klein. One of these 9 people will lead the World Trade Organization. Dylan Matthews. North Dakota’s only abortion clinic isn’t going anywhere. Sarah Kliff. Et Cetera AP drops 'illegal immigrant' from Stylebook. Rachel Weiner in The Washington Post. House immigration bill will put forward 3 paths. Ashley Parker in The New York Times. Are corporations getting cold feet on tax reform? Rachael Bade and Jonathan Allen in Politico. There are four vacancies on the D.C. Circuit Court, out of 11 seats, and why that matters. Juliet Eilperin in The Washington Post. Obama outlines human brain-mapping initiative. Scott Wilson in The Washington Post. Got tips, additions, or comments? E-mail me. Wonkbook is produced with help from Michelle Williams.Zoe Romano — Eva Taylor works at EKT Workshop and built an animatronic rod puppet Alien as a masterwork research project for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney Australia. It was inspired by the “bambi burster” built for the film Alien 3, although her creature is somewhat different. The animatronics are controlled via a Playstation 3 controller, using
to notice his movements. And so in cultivation, while meditating we shouldn't insist on perfect silence. The noisier it is, the greater your enlightenment, perhaps. So don't let sounds aggravate you. On the other hand, if it happens to be quiet, don't go looking for noise. These are all merely states. If you know how to practice, you can do so right in the bustling city. If you don't, then you won't be able to practice even if you crawl inside a vacuum! There is no such thing as a perfect place for cultivation. You have to overcome the environment. No matter what the situation, don't say: "Ugh, this is a terrible environment." Move somewhere else and it may be worse. Leave that place and go on to another and it may turn out to be worse yet, until there's no place in the universe that suits you. If you can overcome the environment, then everywhere is the same for you. The Buddhas don't choose the place where they realize Buddhahood. It's possible to realize Buddhahood anywhere. You have to learn to be patient. If you can remain unmoved no matter how uncomfortable you feel, then you have a little samadhi power. That little bit of samadhi will produce a little wisdom. You say you want to hold the precepts? Sitting in Chan is holding the precepts--the precepts of enduring pain and suffering! As you sit there single-mindedly investigating "Who is mindful of the Buddha?" without a second's pause, well, you tell me, are you committing offenses? Are you creating a lot of bad karma? While you are sitting in meditation, could you commit murder? Would you have thoughts like, "He's so mean to me, I'm going to kill him"? Would you be investigating the topic of wanting to kill someone? No. Would you think about stealing things? No. And so as you refrain from killing and stealing you are holding the precepts. By investigating Chan, you naturally keep the precepts without even trying, and then based on precepts you develop samadhi power. If you don't investigate Chan, all the discursive thoughts which arise in your mind may lead you to kill, steal, engage in lust, lie, or take intoxicants. One single wrong thought can lead to many offenses. On the other hand, if you sit in Chan meditation, all these problems disappear as you naturally hold the precepts without trying. If you can be patient with the pain, then the effortless upholding of precepts produces samadhi, and from samadhi there arises wisdom. You are then diligently practicing precepts, samadhi, and wisdom and extinguishing greed, anger, and stupidity. With the resolve to cultivate, you cast out greed and feel no anger if someone hits you. And when you sit in Chan, your stupidity disappears and your mad mind and wild nature vanish. Wouldn't you say these are tremendous advantages? That's why Chan meditation is said to encompass all dharmas. When properly done, the investigation of Chan makes us more awakened, intelligent, and wise. We should avoid a form of "stupefying" Chan which makes us muddled and oblivious, as if we were on drugs, so that we can't tell north from south or day from night. So This Is What Our Original Home Is Like! Every breath we take, every move we make, every word, every action, every thought, every reflection affects the time and space in the universe. Conversely, the vibrations of good, bad, pure, and turbid energy in the universe affect us as well. If we really want to return to the purity of our original source and discover our true identity, we must break all attachments to body and mind, and see through everything. We must undergo a period of smelting in the blazing furnace before the pure elements can be separated from the dross. Wisdom will appear once our thinking and our breathing are both purified. As long as defilement remains, and the purity is not total, then we are still full of stupidity. When we sit and walk in the Chan hall, we are letting the silt and mud settle to the bottom, so that the water of our mind becomes clear and sparkling. Then if we can remove the sediment on the bottom, our pure Dharma body becomes eternally manifest. Removing the sediment means we come to understand our mind and see our nature. We return to the source, and take the road home to discover what our original home is like. In cultivation, we should purify ourselves internally and externally. Internal purity refers to not having confused thoughts. External purity means not acting in confused ways. Internally we want to be like sages by cultivating the mind and nature, and externally we want to be like kings by avoiding evil, practicing good deeds, and benefiting all living beings. By means of external merit, we achieve our fruition within. Externally we create merit, and internally we amass virtue. Creating merit means benefiting all beings. When we help others, we should not become attached to the thought that we are helping them. We should do it as if nothing were happening. As soon as there is attachment, then we lend reality to appearances. We create merit and benefit beings because it is what we should be doing anyway; it is our duty to help them. Don't harbor thoughts of having benefited beings so that after you do it all kinds of attachments remain. Externally benefiting others and internally benefiting oneself is what Chan meditation is all about. There is usefulness and advantage gained every minute that you sit. What are the advantages? When you sit to the point of total stillness, the light will penetrate and you will feel as if there is no body, mind, or world. If you can remain in this state even when you are not sitting, so that when you come out of sitting the experience continues, then that is called movement and stillness becoming one and the same. Another way of putting it is that when you are sitting you don't have any discursive thoughts and when you move about you still don't have any discursive thoughts. Movement is stillness and stillness is movement; they are non-dual. When you have this kind of skill, you will constantly be in samadhi. At all times you are in samadhi; There is no time when you are not. Every gesture, every movement comes forth from samadhi; every word, every action--walking, standing, sitting, or lying down--is done in a state of samadhi. The eyes see forms, but inside there is nothing. The ears hear sounds, but the mind does not know. To attain this state of samadhi, you have to investigate Chan and sit in meditation. After you have done so for a sufficient length of time, you can be this way. If you really practice well to the point of gaining some response, then you won't know when you are hungry, thirsty, cold, or hot--you won't know anything at all. If you can reach that level of not knowing anything at all, then you will know everything. When we do something, if we can do it thoroughly--to the ultimate point--then a change will occur. When you move to the ultimate extent, stillness manifests. Stillness to the ultimate extent will bring about movement. For example, daytime is movement and nighttime is stillness. When stillness reaches an extreme, when the sky grows dark and when that darkness reaches its limit, dawn breaks. When the light of day reaches its extreme, night descends. One day and one night are also one movement and one stillness. If you know how to practice, you can develop your skill to the point that movement does not obstruct stillness, and stillness does not hinder movement--so that within movement there is stillness, and within stillness there is movement. If you know how to apply your skill, then you will find that within true emptiness there is wonderful existence, and from within wonderful existence, true emptiness arises. We should resolve to meditate until we figure out what we are all about. We were born in a confused way, and life would be meaningless if we also have to die in confusion. We need to find out how we were born and how we will die. Can we be free and independent when we die? The goal of our practice is to attain freedom over birth and death, which is true freedom--the ability to come and go whenever we want, without afflictions or worries. If we wish to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, we can simply get into full lotus posture, bid farewell to everyone, and go. That's true freedom over birth and death. In order to escape death One must have death-defying skill. To gain freedom from birth and death, you must practice without fear of death. You must not be afraid of pain, difficulty, suffering, or anything else.Since 1950, humans have manufactured more goods than have ever existed in history. Our consumption of those goods – a highly inefficient use of our natural capital – has wrought a long list of environmental consequences. Staggering deforestation, check. Increasing greenhouse gas emissions, check. Rising heat, sea level, and incidence of extreme weather events – check, check and check. To environmental experts, such evidence is the proverbial writing on the wall: we must transition to a low-carbon economy, stat, in order to avoid irrevocable damage. As President Obama affirmed, upon accepting his party's nomination for president, no less: "Climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They're a threat to our children's future." The president's choice of words seemed a pointed response to Republican Senator James Inhofe, author of The Greatest Hoax and, it's worth noting, recipient of $1.3m in campaign contributions from the oil and gas lobby. Political maneuvering aside, why are Americans so disengaged from climate change – arguably, one of the most critical problems of our time? Denial ain't just a river in Egypt; it's also in places like North Carolina and perhaps even embedded into America's cultural DNA. According to the latest study from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, the American public's concern about global warming can be sorted into six categories, ranging from alarmed (13%) and concerned (26%), to cautious, disengaged, doubtful and dismissive (that's the other 61% of us). Among the many explanations offered for the knowledge gap are clashing worldviews, varying education levels, demographics, and the media's handling of the issue. Even as evidence for climate change mounts and the consequences of the phenomenon become more severe, the amount of climate coverage on broadcast networks has plummeted. According to a stunning analysis by Media Matters, the Sunday morning current affairs shows averaged about one hour each on climate change in 2009, compared to averaging 21 minutes apiece in 2010 and only 9 minutes per program in 2011. In 2011, Fox News Sunday covered climate change the most (just under an hour), "but much of the coverage promoted the 'Climategate' controversy and downplayed the threat of climate change," reports Media Matters. At the other end of the spectrum, CBS had the least climate change coverage, devoting four minutes to the topic in three years. Altogether, in 2011, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox spent twice as much time discussing Donald Trump's "will he, won't he" run for president rather than climate change. In fact, NBC's Meet the Press devoted 23 minutes to Trump that year – but not a single minute to climate change. While there is virtually no mention of climate change in the local news, reporters have turned the weather into a national pastime. Perhaps this is because storms, hurricanes and tornadoes ignite a primal reaction, whereas climate change requires an intellectual one. There is also a perception of trust that grows from constant visibility on television – although we poke fun at the weatherman, we still hide in our closets during tornado warnings. On the other hand, we regard PhD-level climate scientists with suspicion, even though their work must hold up to rigorous peer review. The weather versus climate conflict illustrates what behavioral economists have said for years: "We base our decisions on emotion far more than reason." Flawed climate risk perception may also explain why meteorologists have an advantage over climate scientists in making immediate weather more urgent than climate change. Although hard data do influence thinking, the psychology of risk perception is complicated. Often, our fears defy reason and statistics. For instance, blood-curdling events like shark attacks and plane crashes scare the living daylights out of us, when we have more reason to be afraid of climbing into our cars each morning: sharks claim about 12 lives per year, while car crash fatalities average around 93 per day. In the case of climate change, fear over problems that will affect us 50 years from now cannot compare with fear of challenges we face today. What people don't understand is that climate change is, in fact, already affecting our economy. It's understandable that our perception of risk may lead us to focus on surviving an immediate disaster more than preventing a future one. But it defies logic that so many would fall prey to "infotainers" such as Glenn Beck, who uses sustainable development as fodder for jokes. From McKinney, Texas to Trenton, New Jersey, sustainable development projects are being held up due to aggressive pushback and fear-mongering over Agenda 21, a voluntary initiative that some suspect to be diabolical attempt on the part of the UN to force a one-world government. Fortunately, most folks are not held back by reactionary ideology so much as basic lack of exposure to the problem. More than 1 billion people live in low-lying coastal areas, and most live in poverty. Already, at least 25 million climate refugees and counting are facing the consequences. For them, climate change is no longer an abstract concept to get their minds around; they are literally wading through it. Seeing is believing. If weak perception of risk is our blind spot, we needn't let the media keep us in the dark. Instead, we can use media – pictures, videos and websites such as National Geographic – to confront the challenges, and so mobilize citizens and students toward solutions. Weather may fade, but pictures of post-drought west Texas, hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and submerging countries such as Tuvalu are a stark reminder that climate change carries not only an economic or environmental toll, but also a human one. Sure, we can always evacuate, but we cannot get around paying a price for avoiding climate change. And the price – like the sea level – keeps rising.The Steyr M is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG of Austria for police services and the civilian shooting market. Design work on the new pistol began in the early 1990s and the final product known as the M9 (adapted to fire the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge) was officially unveiled in the spring of 1999.[1] The M40 version chambered in.40 S&W was developed before the M9, followed later by the M357 (chambered in.357 SIG) and two smaller variants of the M9 and M40 designated the S9 and S40 respectively. These pistols were developed primarily for concealed carry and have a shortened barrel, slide, smaller frame and a reduced magazine capacity.[1] In 2013 the Steyr M (Medium) and S (Small) form factors were complemented by the L (Large) sized series and the C (Compact) sized series both available in 9×19mm Parabellum and.40 S&W chamberings as the L9-A1, L40-A1, C9-A1 and C40-A1. Design details [ edit ] The original Steyr M9 'Second generation' Steyr M9-A1 The Steyr M series of pistols employs the mechanically locked Browning short recoil method of operation with a linkless, vertically dropping barrel.[1][2] The cold-hammer-forged conventional rifled barrel is locked to the slide by means of a single rectangular lug around the barrel chamber that recesses into the ejection port in the slide. When fired, the recoil impulse from the ignited cartridge drives the barrel and slide back, locked together until the bullet leaves the barrel and pressures drop to a safe level. A locking block integrated into the frame then engages a lug at the base of the chamber and drives the barrel downward, separating it from the slide and terminating any further rearward movement while the slide continues back in a straight line. The Steyr M series uses a very high grip profile which holds the barrel axis close to the shooter's hand and makes the Steyr M more comfortable to shoot by reducing muzzle rise and allowing for faster aim recovery in rapid shooting sequence. Hammerless and striker-fired, the Steyr M features a double action only (DAO) pre-set trigger mechanism[1] marketed as a "Reset Action" trigger. When the trigger is in the forward position, the firing pin spring remains lightly compressed (pre-cocked by the forward motion of the slide as it returns to battery). Pulling the trigger all the way to the back will compress the firing pin spring completely, draw the firing pin fully to the rear and position the trigger bar to release the firing pin and fire a round. The trigger travel is 4 mm (0.16 in) with a pull weight of 25 N (5.6 lb f ).[3] The pistol has a multi-stage safety system consisting of two automatic internal safeties, two external trigger safeties and a manual lock safety.[1] The first external trigger safety acts as the primary fail-safe. A small, spring-loaded inner trigger is housed in a wide, outer trigger and cannot be actuated unless the inset trigger is depressed first.[1] This keeps the trigger from being pulled by an inadvertent off-angle trigger pull. This trigger safety also activates and when released—deactivates the two internal safeties: the firing pin and drop safety. The firing pin safety is contained in the pistol’s slide and blocks the longitudinal movement of the striker.[1] The second trigger safety is an optional, manually operated plastic bar located inside the trigger guard and projecting out from the base of the pistol’s frame when activated, revealing a small white dot. This indicates that the pistol is currently incapable of being fired. It is used as an additional safety that disables the trigger with the firing pin spring cocked (after reloading the pistol). This safety is engaged by simultaneously pushing in two buttons on both sides of the frame and then deactivated by simply lifting the trigger finger and pushing the bar up and into the pistol's frame, thus allowing the trigger to be pulled back and the weapon fired.[3] These safeties enable safe handling of the pistol with a round present in the chamber (the so-called "cocked and locked" condition) and allow for rapid deployment and immediate firing; this arrangement however does not permit the firing mechanism to be re-cocked in case of a misfire after the trigger has been pulled.[4] 'Second generation' Steyr M40-A1 with magazine and limited access lock key, and manual safety Other safety features include a loaded chamber indicator and an integrated limited access lock operated using a key to prevent unauthorized use.[3] The latter key can be either a handcuff key or a special factory-supplied key. If required, the access lock can be omitted. The locking mechanism is located above the trigger area of the pistol and is characterized by a small circular plate with two holes in it (in the police version of the pistols there is a handcuff key hole instead of the two small holes). It has two positions: "F" and "S".[4] When pushed in and rotated to the "S" position with the provided key, the lock disables the trigger and barrel and prevents the pistol from being disassembled. This unique system of limiting access to the weapon was patented (U.S. Patent 6,212,812) by Friedrich Aigner in 1999.[4] The pistols are fed using a detachable steel magazine of the single position feed type with the cartridges arranged in a staggered column pattern. The magazine’s follower and floor plate are fabricated from polymer. The magazine catch-release is located on the left side of the frame, directly behind the trigger guard. After expending the last cartridge from the magazine, the pistol’s slide remains locked open on the metal slide stop, located on the left side of the frame and operated with the thumb. The Steyr M is equipped with fixed, low-profile iron sights. The unique sighting arrangement consists of a triangular front sight and a trapezoid rear notch that lead the eye to the target for quicker target acquisition and allow for instinctive aiming.[2] The front sight contains a non-luminescent white triangle contrast element designed to mate with two white rectangles on the rear sight. Optional adjustable or non-adjustable tritium-illuminated three-dot low light situation sights can also be fitted to the Steyr M; these have a conventional rectangular profile. The original pistol’s frame also has proprietary mounting rails for attaching accessories, such as a tactical light or laser pointer.[4] The pistol’s design takes advantage of modern manufacturing techniques: the slide is precision-milled from steel;[2] the frame is an injection-molded synthetic polymer[2] and parts of the trigger and striker mechanisms are pressed from sheet metal.[4] For the purpose of regular maintenance, the pistol is stripped down into the following components: the barrel, slide, recoil spring, frame and magazine. While the Steyr M is frequently compared to Glock-series pistols (both are polymer-framed striker-fired pistols, with Tenifer finishes), there are several differences in the details of the design. For example, the M-series had a fully supported chamber in all chamberings from the start (Some Glock models also had this feature from the start, other Glock models evolved to having more supported chambers when compared to their original internal layout), unique triangular/trapezoid sights, a loaded chamber indicator in the form of an extractor protrusion, witness hole on the top rear of the barrel and a rod below the rear sights that sits flush in the rear of the slide when the chamber is empty and is raised slightly when the chamber is loaded for a visual and tactile indicator of the firearm’s condition (on third and later generation Glock pistols this feature is present on the extractor on the right slide side) and a different grip angle (111°). Steyr offers conversion kits to swap 'third generation' models between 9×19mm Parabellum and.40S&W. These kits consist of a slide, barrel, recoil spring assembly and magazine. Variants [ edit ] 'Second generation' Steyr S9-A1 In 2004, an improved version of the pistol replaced the original Steyr M in production. The new'second generation' Steyr M-A1 and S-A1 pistols received several improvements. The grip of the pistol has been redesigned with some textured surfaces as was the magazine well (uses the same magazines), ergonomics have been slightly altered to improve grip, the manual safety button is now optional (not in models sold in the United States, all US imports lack the manual safety) and the lower forward portion of the frame now consists of a STANAG 2324 Picatinny rail for mounting accessories.[5] Later'second generation' also have a modified extractor for easier ejecting of casings. In 2010, Steyr Mannlicher US began reimporting Steyr M-A1 and S-A1 pistols.[6] The newly imported 'third generation' Steyr M and S have a revised slide and grip imprinted with the Steyr Arms logo. Post 2009 'third generation' models have a roll pin in the slide just under the rear sight element, feature an improved trigger and 17-round magazines with a +2 baseplate are available for the 9×19mm Parabellum M9-A1, C9-A1 and S9-A1 models.These new 15+2 magazines, designed to compete with the classic Glock 17 rounds magazines, are fully compatible and interchangeable no matter what generation or serie the gun belongs to. In 2010 the C (Compact) sized C-A1 series was introduced in 9×19mm Parabellum and.40 S&W chamberings as the C9-A1 and C40-A1. This C (Compact) form factor mainly pairs the S (Sub-Compact/Small) barrel lengths to the M (Medium) form factor grip. For Italy only the C9-A1 is offered in the 9×21mm chambering. In 2013 the Steyr M (Medium), Steyr C (Compact) and S (Sub-Compact/Small) form factors were complemented by the L (Large) sized L-A1 series available in 9×19mm Parabellum that uses 17-round +2 baseplate magazines as the L9-A and.40 S&W chamberings 1 that uses 12-round magazines as the L40-A1. The L-A1 series feature additional serrations on the front sides of the longer slide and 115 mm (4.5 in) barrel length puts it more in line with full-size service pistols offered by other manufacturers. Series Model Cartridge Length Height Width Barrel Length Weight (unloaded) Magazine Capacity M M9 9×19mm 9×21mm 176 mm (6.9 in) 136 mm (5.4 in) 30 mm (1.2 in) 101 mm (4.0 in) 747 g (26.3 oz) 10, 14, 15, 17 M40.40 S&W 767 g (27.1 oz) 10, 12 M357.357 SIG 778 g (27.4 oz) M-A1 M9-A1 9×19mm 9×21mm 102 mm (4.0 in) 766 g (27.0 oz) 10, 14, 15, 17 M40-A1.40 S&W 10, 12 M357-A1.357 SIG 776 g (27.4 oz) S S9 9×19mm 168 mm (6.6 in) 117 mm (4.6 in) 91 mm (3.6 in) 725 g (25.6 oz) 10, 14, 15, 17 S40.40 S&W 10, 12 S-A1 S9-A1 9×19mm 9×21mm 166.5 mm (6.6 in) 123 mm (4.8 in) 92 mm (3.6 in) 664 g (23.4 oz) 10, 14, 15, 17 S40-A1.40 S&W 170 mm (6.7 in) 96 mm (3.8 in) 678 g (23.9 oz) 10, 12 C-A1 C9-A1 9×19mm 9×21mm 170 mm (6.7 in) 132 mm (5.2 in) 92 mm (3.6 in) 766 g (27.0 oz) 15, 17 C40-A1.40 S&W 175 mm (6.9 in) 96 mm (3.8 in) 780 g (28 oz) 10, 12 L-A1 L9-A1 9×19mm 188.5 mm (7.4 in) 142 mm (5.6 in) 115 mm (4.5 in) 817 g (28.8 oz) 17 L40-A1.40 S&W 136 mm (5.4 in) 838 g (29.6 oz) 12 Distribution [ edit ] Steyr Arms is a wholly owned subsidiary of Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG and is its exclusive importer and distributor in the United States. Steyr Arms, Inc., 2530 Morgan Rd, Bessemer, AL 35022; (205) 417-8644; www.steyrarms.com Users [ edit ] Gallery [ edit ] 'Third generation' Steyr S9-A1. 'Third generation' Steyr C9-A1. 'Third generation' Steyr M9-A1. 'Third generation' Steyr L9-A1. 'Third generation' Steyr conversion kit between 9×19mm Parabellum and.40S&W. Steyr adjustable pistol sights. Steyr rectangular pistol sights. Steyr triangular/trapezoid pistol sights. Steyr M357-A1 with a close up view of the manual safety button. See also [ edit ] Caracal pistol - also designed by Wilhelm Bubits References [ edit ] Bibliography [ edit ]August footy has nothing on March and April. Sure, August has the run home to the finals, with a few frantic teams trying to displace each other in the top eight or top four. But the real crunch time in the hunt for finals spots is now - the early rounds do more than any other point in the season to set teams on a different path through the year. Each AFL club wins an average of 11 games per home-and-away season. But this average is dramatically different for teams that win their early games compared to those that lose at the start of the year. On average, sides that win their first game of the year go on to win 12.3 matches in the home-and-away season, while Round 1 losers average only 9.7 regular-season wins. So, teams that start the season with a victory average 2.6 more regular season wins than those that start the season with a loss. That's a huge difference, far bigger than the disparity at other points in the season. The early rounds play a huge role in clubs' fates for the year. Start the season with two wins and your team is on pace to win 14 for the year and almost certainly make the finals. Kick off with a couple of losses, and all of a sudden you're on pace to win only eight games all year. Win the first four straight, and history suggests you're on pace to win 15.2 regular season games; lose the first four and you can expect to win an average of just 5.4 for the year. Average wins over the home-and-away season for teams with a given record in their first four games: Wins or losses in the first few weeks of the season can put sides on very different paths. Teams almost always go on to make the finals after winning their first four - in fact, 83.8 percent of clubs since 1994 that have started the season 4-0 went on to make the finals. Missing the finals after a perfect start to the year is very uncommon. The 2013 Bombers did it - but they won enough games to play in September before being disqualified by the league. The 2012 Bombers also fell short after winning their first four straight, as did the 2010 Lions. Beyond that, we have to look back into the murky depths of history to the 2000 Magpies, 1999 Cats and 1996 Crows, the only other teams to have had a perfect first month of the season and then miss the eight. By contrast, no team has ever lost their first four games and then made the finals. Since 1994, when the top eight was introduced, 32 teams have started the season with a winless first month - the best that any of them have managed to do was the Kangaroos' 10 wins in 2011, which left them a game and a half short of playing finals footy. The difference between sides that have gone 3-1 in the first month and those that split the month 2-2 is particularly telling. Win three of the first four and, history suggests, you've got a 79.3 percent chance of making the finals. Win two and lose two, and you're not even a 50 percent chance. Of course, there are examples of teams that started the year shakily but went on to play September football. The most successful of these were the 2014 Swans - they won just one game in their first month but went on to finish the regular season on top of the ladder. The 2014 Richmond side also gives some cause for optimism for slow-starting teams. The Tigers went 1-3 in the first month, and won only three from their first 13, before stringing together an improbable run home to snatch eighth place on the ladder. But these examples are the exception, rather than the rule. An overwhelming proportion of teams (74.2 percent) that win only one game in their first four do not make the finals. History tells us the first month matters.KINGSTON—Fahim Ahmad, one of the leaders of the group that became known as the “Toronto 18,” will remain behind bars, both a prisoner for his crimes and a system that is ill-equipped to deal with terrorism offenders. The question Friday morning for two parole board members was not whether Ahmad would be released. It was simply when. Fahim Ahmad, 31, left, at the medium-security prison in Kingston last year and Ahmad, right, in 2006 in a screengrab from a video filmed at the Rockwood training camp. ( Michelle Shephard / Toronto Star ) Member Scott Nettie described his role as this: “It’s an odds game … we’re like an insurance company here.” But the choice was essentially whether 32-year-old Ahmad is released now, under supervision and into the care of the Salvation Army and imams who once worked for Correctional Service Canada (CSC), or wait until his sentence expires on Jan. 24, at which time he walks out of prison a free man. Inmates in Canada are released after serving two-thirds of their sentence. Only rare cases, where someone is considered likely to commit a serious offence, as Ahmad was, is the inmate held past their statutory release date for their full sentence. Article Continued Below When Ahmad was denied release last year, it was because he could not show that he had a “viable release plan” and the board members were unable to measure how he had benefited from programs and counseling during his incarceration. But Ahmad had not participated in specific counseling for inmates convicted of terrorism offences, or had a release plan specifically tailored to his crimes because those types of programs — officially sanctioned by CSC — do not exist. “They use the Catch-22,” said in an interview with the Star from prison last year. “They say there haven’t been any programs to assess where you are, so we can’t let you out.” In the age of Daesh, and terrorist attacks such as the tragic bombing Monday night at a pop concert in Manchester, or the January mass shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, the case of the “Toronto 18” seems like a distant memory. Yet on that June 2 evening in 2006, when SWAT teams fanned out across the city and arrested 17 men and teenagers at gunpoint, the world’s attention focused on Canada (an 18th suspect was later arrested). There was fear: the suspects were accused of plotting to pack two U-Haul trucks with fertilizer bombs and strike downtown Toronto during rush hour, a third bomb simultaneously exploding at a military base north of the city. The suspects called it the “Battle of Toronto,” and their dark fantasies envisioned maximum carnage, killing hundreds of pedestrians and hoping shockwaves from the blast would send vehicles flying, like toy cars tossed in the air by tantrum-prone toddlers. There was doubt: lawyers for the accused argued that Mubin Shaikh, the outspoken and controversial informant for the RCMP who had infiltrated the group, pushed the suspects further than they would have ever gone on their own. Could the group have actually executed this plot? Article Continued Below There was ridicule: details later emerged that the youngest of the accused attended a winter “training camp” led by Ahmad and Shaikh, where the hapless jihadi wannabes had to retreat to the local Tim Hortons to use the indoor plumbing. A lawyer for one of the youths focused on the donut shop during his questioning of Shaikh – to underscore the juvenile nature of the experience. “All right,” lawyer Nadir Sachak finally concluded, “so basically the trips to Tim Hortons were to take a dump and to eat some food?” Shaikh agreed. And, there was disbelief: Comedian Jon Stewart summed up what most of his American audience was thinking when he said, “You hate Canada? That’s like saying, ‘I hate toast.’ “ The trials of the 18 took years, a phalanx of lawyers appearing in a specially-designed Brampton courtroom, and many twists and turns. Seven of the group had their charges stayed or withdrawn, or were acquitted. Eleven, including Ahmad, who made a surprise guilty plea in May 2010, were convicted of terrorism-related offences. Ahmad was given 16 years, with credit for time served, in return for his guilty plea. The sentencing judge said he believed Ahmad had a good chance at rehabilitation. For three hours Friday morning inside Collins Bay Institution, the board members grilled Ahmad on everything from his beliefs and journey as a teenager to radicalism, to opinions on the current state of terrorism, trying to link Ahmad’s group to Daesh today. Nettie also seemed unconvinced that Ahmad could be properly monitored, at one point he questioned how his supervisors would know what mosques Ahmad should avoid. “You want us to put a terrorist back into an incubator?” he said. Yet he also appeared suspicious as to why Ahmad would support a “highly-structured, closely-monitored” release. Why did he feel he required that, Nettie asked? “I’ve been incubated from the reality,” Ahmad replied about his years in detention. “When I go out there, there’s so much more I have to deal with.” Nettie and parole board member Marilyn Kenny took 35 minutes to deliberate and did not give reasons for denying the release, other to say there was not enough new information presented. “Next January,” Nettie said at one point during the hearing, “mazel tov.” Written reasons for the decision are expected within the next two weeks. Read more about:Translated by Hoyt Rogers. IN DAMEN In Damen there’s a bar where the employees loosen their ties and drink beer with girls who steal poetry from the bookstore on the corner. Sitting there, I wrote a poem I like a lot. A week later I went back and tried to write another poem that didn’t work at all. And it’s about how several days ago I saw a sunset over the city and said to myself I’ve got to write a poem. Or there was the Monday I saw a bird hit the office window again and again and promised to dedicate a poem to him. Or the time I was following the girl who paints her body orange on Michigan Avenue and she got wise
jmap command included in the JDK. While creating the file, the Java process stops. Therefore, do not create this file while the system is operating. Search on the Internet the detailed description on heap dump. For Korean readers, see my book I published last year: The story of troubleshooting for Java developers and system operators (Sangmin Lee, Hanbit Media, 2011, 416 pages). 3. Setting GC type/memory size If you have decided on GC tuning, select the GC type and set the memory size. At this time, if you have several servers, it is important to check the difference of each GC option by setting different GC options for each server. 4. Analyzing results Start analyzing the results after collecting data for at least 24 hours after setting GC options. If you are lucky, you will find the most suitable GC options for the system. If you are not, you should analyze the logs and check how the memory has been allocated. Then you need to find the optimum options for the system by changing the GC type/memory size. 5. If the result is satisfactory, apply the option to all servers and terminate GC tuning. If the GC tuning result is satisfactory, apply the option to all the servers and terminate GC tuning. In the following section, you will see the tasks to be done in each stage. Monitoring GC Status and Analyzing Results The best way to check the GC status of the Web Application Server (WAS) in operation is to use the jstat command. I have explained the jstat command in How To Monitor Java Garbage Collection, so I will describe the data to check in this article. The following example shows a JVM for which GC tuning has not been done (however, it is not the operation server). ? 1 2 3 4 $ jstat -gcutil 21719 1s S0 S1 E O P YGC YGCT FGC FGCT GCT 48.66 0.00 48.10 49.70 77.45 3428 172.623 3 59.050 231.673 48.66 0.00 48.10 49.70 77.45 3428 172.623 3 59.050 231.673 Here, check the values of YGC and YGCT. Divide YGCT by YGC. Then you get 0.050 seconds (50 ms). It means that it takes average 50 ms to execute GC in the Young area. With that result, you don't need to care about GC for the Young area. And now, check the values of FGCT and FGC. Divide FGCT by FGC. Then you get 19.68 seconds. It means that it takes average 19.68 seconds to execute GC. It may take 19.68 seconds to execute GC three times. Otherwise, it takes 1 second to execute GC two times and 58 seconds for once. In both cases, GC tuning is required. You can easily check GC status by using the jstat command; however, the best way to analyze GC is by generating logs with the –verbosegc option. For a detailed description on how to generate and tools to analyze logs, I have explained it the previous article. HPJMeter is my favorite among tools that are used to analyze the -verbosegc log. It is easy to use and analyze. With HPJmeter you can easily check the distribution of GC execution times and the frequency of GC occurrence. If the GC execution time meets all of the following conditions, GC tuning is not required. Minor GC is processed quickly (within 50 ms). Minor GC is not frequently executed (about 10 seconds). Full GC is processed quickly (within 1 second). Full GC is not frequently executed (once per 10 minutes). The values in parentheses are not the absolute values; they vary according to the service status. Some services may be satisfied with 0.9 seconds of Full GC processing speed, but some may not. Therefore, check the values and decide whether to execute GC tuning or not by considering each service. There is one thing you should be careful of when you check the GC status; do not check the time of Minor GC and Full GC only. You must check the number of GC executions, as well. If the New area size is too small, Minor GC will be too frequently executed (sometimes once or more per 1 second). In addition, the number of objects passed to the Old area increases, causing increased Full GC executions. Therefore, apply the –gccapacity option in the stat command to check how much the area is occupied. Setting GC Type/Memory Size Setting GC Type There are five GC types for Oracle JVM. However, if not JDK 7, one among Parallel GC, Parallel Compacting GC and CMS GC should be selected. There is no principle or rule to decide which one to select. If so, how can we select one? The most recommended way is to apply all three. However, one thing is clear - CMS GC is faster than other Parallel GCs. At this time, if so, just apply CMS GC. However, CMS GC is not always faster. Generally, Full GC of CMS GC is fast, however, when concurrent mode failure occurs, it is slower than other Parallel GCs. Concurrent mode failure Let's take a deeper look into the concurrent mode failure. The biggest difference between Parallel GC and CMS GC is the compaction task. The compaction task is to remove memory fragmentation by compacting memory in order to remove the empty space between allocated memory areas. In the Parallel GC type, the compaction is executed whenever Full GC is executed, taking too much time. However, after executing Full GC, memory can be allocated in a faster way since the next memory can be allocated sequentially. On the contrary, CMS GC does not accompany compaction. Therefore, the CMS GC is executed faster. However, when compaction is not executed, some empty spaces are generated in the memory as before executing Disk Defragmenter. Therefore, there may be no space for large objects. For example, 300 MB is left in the Old area, but some 10 MB objects cannot be sequentially saved in the area. In this case, "Concurrent mode failure" warning occurs and compaction is executed. However, if CMS GC is used, it takes a longer time to execute compaction than other Parallel GCs. And, it may cause another problem. For a more detailed description on concurrent mode failure, see Understanding CMS GC Logs, written by Oracle engineers. In conclusion, you should find the best GC type for your system. Each system requires its proper GC type, so you need to find the best GC type for your system. If you are running six servers, I recommend you to set the same options for each of two servers, add the -verbosegc option, and then analyze the result. Setting Memory Size The following shows the relationship between the memory size, the number of GC execution, and the GC execution time. Large memory size decreases the number of GC executions. increases the GC execution time. Small memory size decreases the GC execution time. increases the number of GC executions. There is no "right" answer to set the memory size to small or large. 10 GB is OK if the server resource is good and Full GC can be completed within 1 second even when the memory has been set to 10 GB. But most servers are not in the status. When the memory is set to 10 GB, it takes about 10 ~ 30 seconds to execute Full GC. Of course, the time may vary according the object size. If so, how we should set the memory size? Generally, I recommend 500 MB. But note that it does not mean that you should set the WAS memory with the –Xms500m and –Xmx500m options. Based on the current status before GC tuning, check the memory size left after Full GC. If there is about 300 MB left after Full GC, it is good to set the memory to 1 GB (300 MB (for default usage) + 500 MB (minimum for the Old area) + 200 MB (for free memory)). That means you should set the memory space with more than 500 MB for the Old area. Therefore, if you have three operation servers, set one server to 1 GB, one to 1.5 GB, and one to 2 GB, and then check the result. Theoretically, GC will be done fast in the order of 1 GB > 1.5 GB > 2 GB, so 1 GB will be the fastest to execute GC. However, it cannot be guaranteed that it takes 1 second to execute Full GC with 1 GB and 2 seconds with 2 GB. The time depends on the server performance and the object size. Therefore, the best way to create the measurement data is to set as many as possible and monitor them. You should set one more thing for setting the memory size: NewRatio. NewRatio is the ratio of the New area and the Old area. If XX:NewRatio=1, New area:Old area is 1:1. For 1 GB, New area:Old area is 500MB: 500MB. If NewRatio is 2, New area:Old area is 1:2. Therefore, as the value gets larger, the Old area size gets larger and the New area size gets smaller. It may not be an important thing, but NewRatio value significantly affects the entire GC performance. If the New area size is small, much memory is passed to the Old area, causing frequent Full GC and taking a long time to handle it. You may simply think that NewRatio 1 would be the best; however, it may not be so. When NewRatio is set to 2 or 3, the entire GC status may be better. And I have seen such cases. What is the fastest way to complete GC tuning? Comparing the results from performance tests is the fastest way to get the result. To set different options for each server and monitor the status, it is recommended to check the data after at least one or two days. However, you should prepare for giving the same load with the operation situation when you execute GC tuning through performance test. And the request ratio such as the URL that gives the load must be identical to that of the operation situation. However, giving accurate load is not easy for the professional performance tester and takes too long time for preparing. Therefore, it is more convenient and easier to apply the options to operation and wait for the result even though it takes a longer time. Analyzing GC Tuning Results After applying the GC option and setting the -verbosegc option, check whether the logs are accumulated as desired with the tail command. If the option is not exactly set and no log is accumulated, you will waste your time. If logs are accumulated as desired, check the result after collecting data for one or two days. The easiest way is to move logs to the local PC and analyze the data by using HPJMeter. In the analysis, focus on the following. The priority is determined by me. The most important item to decide the GC option is Full GC execution time. Full GC execution time Minor GC execution time Full GC execution interval Minor GC execution interval Entire Full GC execution time Entire Minor GC execution time Entire GC execution time Full GC execution times Minor GC execution timesl It is a very lucky case to find the most appropriate GC option, and in most cases, it's not. Be careful when executing GC tuning because OutOfMemoryError may occur if you try to complete GC tuning all at once. Examples of Tuning So far, we have theoretically discussed GC tuning without any examples. Now we will take a look at the examples of GC tuning. Example 1 The following example is GC tuning for Service S. For the newly developed Service S, it took too much time to execute Full GC. See the result of jstat –gcutil. ? 1 2 S0 S1 E O P YGC YGCT FGC FGCT GCT 12.16 0.00 5.18 63.78 20.32 54 2.047 5 6.946 8.993 Information to the left Perm area is not important for the initial GC tuning. At this time, the values from the right YGC are important. The average value taken to execute Minor GC and Full GC once is calculated as below. Table 3: Average Time Taken to Execute Minor GC and Full GC for Service S. GC Type GC Execution Times GC Execution Time Average Minor GC 54 2.047 37 s Full GC 5 6.946 1,389 ms 37 ms is not bad for Minor GC. However, 1.389 seconds for Full GC means that timeout may frequently occur when GC occurs in the system of which DB Timeout is set to 1 second. In this case, the system requires GC tuning. First, you should check how the memory is used before starting GC tuning. Use the jstat –gccapacity option to check the memory usage. The result checked from this server is as follows. ? 1 2 NGCMN NGCMX NGC S0C S1C EC OGCMN OGCMX OGC OC PGCMN PGCMX PGC PC YGC FGC 212992.0 212992.0 212992.0 21248.0 21248.0 170496.0 1884160.0 1884160.0 1884160.0 1884160.0 262144.0 262144.0 262144.0 262144.0 54 5 The key values are as follows. New area usage size: 212,992 KB Old area usage size: 1,884,160 KB Therefore, the totally allocated memory size is 2 GB, excluding the Perm area, and New area:Old area is 1:9. To check the status in a more detailed way than jstat, the -verbosegc log has been added and three options were set for the three instances as shown below. No other option has been added. NewRatio=2 NewRatio=3 NewRatio=4 After one day, the GC log of the system has been checked. Fortunately, no Full GC has occurred in this system after NewRatio has been set. Why? The reason is that most of the objects created from the system are destroyed soon, so the objects are not passed to the Old area but destroyed in the New area. In this status, it is not necessary to change other options. Just select the best value for NewRatio. So, how can we determine the best value? To get it, analyze the average response time of Minor GC for each NewRatio. The average response time of Minor GC for each option is as follows: NewRatio=2: 45 ms NewRatio=3: 34 ms NewRatio=4: 30 ms We have concluded that NewRatio=4 is the best option since the GC time is the shortest even though the New area size is the smallest. After applying the GC option, the server has no Full GC. For your information, the following is the result of executing jstat –gcutil some days after the JVM of the service had started. ? 1 2 S0 S1 E O P YGC YGCT FGC FGCT GCT 8.61 0.00 30.67 24.62 22.38 2424 30.219 0 0.000 30.219 You many think that GC has not frequently occurred since the server has few requests. However, Full GC has not been executed while Minor GC has been executed 2,424 times. Example 2 This example is for Service A. We found that the JVM had not operated for a long time (8 seconds or more) periodically in the Application Performance Manager (APM) in the company. So we executed GC tuning. We were searching for the reason and found that it took a long time to execute Full GC, so we decided to execute GC tuning. As the starting stage of GC tuning, we added the -verbosegc option and the result is as follows. Figure 1: Duration Graph before GC Tuning. The above graph, which shows the duration, is one of the graphs that the HPJMeter automatically provides after analysis. The X-axis shows the time after the JVM has started and the Y-axis shows the response time of each GC. The green dots, the CMS, indicates the Full GC result, and the blue bots, Parallel Scavenge, indicates the Minor GC result. Previous I said that CMS GC would be the fastest. But the above result show that there were some cases which took up to 15 seconds. What has caused such result? Please remember what I said before: CMS gets slower when compaction is executed. In addition, the memory of the service has been set by using –Xms1g and –Xmx4g and the memory allocated was 4 GB. So I changed the GC type from CMS GC to Parallel GC. I changed the memory size to 2 GB and then set the NewRatio to 3. The result of jstat –gcutil after a few hours is as follows. ? 1 2 S0 S1 E O P YGC YGCT FGC FGCT GCT 0.00 30.48 3.31 26.54 37.01 226 11.131 4 11.758 22.890 The Full GC time was faster, 3 seconds per one time, compared to 15 seconds for 4 GB. However, 3 seconds is still not so fast. So I created six cases as follows. Case 1: -XX:+UseParallelGC -Xms1536m -Xmx1536m -XX:NewRatio=2 Case 2: -XX:+UseParallelGC -Xms1536m -Xmx1536m -XX:NewRatio=3 Case 3: -XX:+UseParallelGC -Xms1g -Xmx1g -XX:NewRatio=3 Case 4: -XX:+UseParallelOldGC -Xms1536m -Xmx1536m -XX:NewRatio=2 Case 5: -XX:+UseParallelOldGC -Xms1536m -Xmx1536m -XX:NewRatio=3 Case 6: -XX:+UseParallelOldGC -Xms1g -Xmx1g -XX:NewRatio=3 Which one would be the fastest? The result showed that the smaller the memory size was, the better the result was. The following figure shows the duration graph of Case 6, which showed the highest GC improvement. The slowest response time was 1.7 seconds and the average had been changed to within 1 second, showing the improved result. Figure 2: Duration Graph after Applying Case 6. With the result, I changed all GC options of the service to Case 6. However, this change causes OutOfMemoryError at night each day. It is difficult to detail the reason here, but in short, batch data processing made a lack of JVM memory. The related problems are being cleared now. It is very dangerous to analyze the GC logs accumulated for a short time and to apply the result to all servers as executing GC tuning. Keep in mind that GC tuning can be executed without failure only when you analyze the service operation as well as the GC logs. We have reviewed two GC tuning examples to see how GC tuning is executed. As I mentioned, the GC option set in the examples can be identically set for the server which has the same CPU, OS version and JDK version with the service that executes the same functions. However, do not apply the option I did to your services in operation, since they may not work for you. Conclusion I execute GC tuning based on my experiences without executing heap dump and analyzing the memory in detail. Precise memory status analysis may draw the better GC tuning results. However, that kind of analysis may be helpful when the memory is used in the constant and routine pattern. But, if the service is heavily used and there are a lot of memory usage patterns, GC tuning based on reliable previous experience may be recommendable. I have executed the performance test by setting the G1 GC option to some servers, but have not applied to any operation server yet. The G1 GC option shows a faster result than any other GC types. However, it requires to upgrade to JDK 7. In addition, stability is still not guaranteed. Nobody knows if there is any critical bug or not. So the time is not yet ripe for applying the option. After JDK 7 is stabilized (this does not mean that it is not stable) and WAS is optimized for JDK 7, enabling stable application of G1 GC may finally work as expected and some day we may not need the GC tuning. For more detail on GC tuning, search on Slideshare.com for related materials. The most recommendable material is Everything I Ever Learned About JVM Performance Tuning @Twitter, written by Attila Szegedi, a Twitter engineer. Please take the time to read it.(Newser) – Apparently when Amy Schumer saying she's going to leave the country if Donald Trump is elected president was a joke, but other people saying the same thing is a serious matter. The comedian went on a rant against such people Wednesday on Instagram, first clarifying that she said she might move "in jest" before moving on to say that "anyone saying pack your bags is just as disgusting as anyone who voted for this racist homophobic openly disrespectful woman abuser." The rant, which went on to decry those who voted for Trump as "weak," was posted next to a popular Trump meme in which Trump supposedly called Republicans "the dumbest group of voters in the country." Trump actually never said those words, a fact Schumer acknowledged to conclude her rant: "Yes this quote is fake but it doesn't matter." As Us Weekly reports, Schumer said in an interview with the BBC in September that she was considering moving to Spain should Trump win, and that "my act will change because I’ll need to learn to speak Spanish." Click for nine more celebrities who made similar vows. (Read more Amy Schumer stories.)Jan Goetgeluk and his company Virtuix are just a few thousand bucks short of having raise $1 million on Continue Reading for their cutting edge virtual reality gaming set-up, the Omni. That's more than eight times their initial goal, and it makes them one of the most successful Houston Kickstarter campaigns of all time. Today I got invited to try out the set-up for myself, and step into my first look at virtual reality since I sadly threw out my Virtual Boy as a teenager wondering why I hated my parents' money so much that I made them buy it for me. Goetgeluk's invention is really just the movement base, but even that is a marvel that you can learn to use easily within minutes. Special shoes allow you to walk up the curved sides of the base in all directions, guiding your onscreen movements with kinect technology and simulating the real feel of walking amazingly. The belt system and the supports on the side keep you stabilized and safe, and believe me you'll need it because once you step into that world you are quickly going to forget that you are just playing a game. It's an ingenious improvement in VR motion, but to get the full experience you'll need to also have an Occolus Rift headset, which is what Goetgeluk had waiting for me. Before he let me start shooting things he insisted I walk for about five minutes to get used to it. It's a little hard at first, but for the most part it really doesn't feel any different from standard walking once you get used to hit. It's a hell of a calorie burner, though. You never noticed it, but technically you are always walking uphill, and it took only ten minutes of gameplay before I was breathing hard. Then on came the Occolus goggles and the Half Life 2 menu screen as well as a very big gun controller with a really satisfying weight to hold. Pumping it launches grenades, and even my hippie ass was quickly drunk with destructive power. The world through the eyes of the goggles isn't perfect. An HD version is still in the works, and you can see the pixels initially. All that goes flying out of the window the second you start running towards you first bullet magnet. How wonderful it is to hear an enemy around you and just flick your head to the side as you turn to pick them off with rifle fire. Once you try out gaming this way you will never see a reason for playing a first-person shooter any other way. It was like being in Video Game High School! There are still some flaws in the system that are being worked out before release. Any sort of movement other than forward is still a work in progress, and for a generation that has used strafing in firefights for decades it's a real hard strategy to unlearn. Goetgeluk explained to me that a combat instructor guided them on real life firefight movements, and trust me, gamers have been doing it wrong out whole life. Until then, though, it was just me a stationary target while I tried to figure out a new way to wage war. There are also some kinks regarding getting the system to acknowledge your head moving one way and your body another. It's a disconnect that doesn't take you out of the game, but instead makes you feel like you got drunk in another world. Such issues are expected to be finished before release. I regretted stopping for dollar burgers on the way. The possibilities offered by the combination of the Omni and the Occulus are mindblowing. What would it be like to wander the floating city of Columbia? I expressed a desire to try out a horror thriller like Amnesia. Goetgeluk told me he had... and lasted just five minutes before turning it off in fear. Gaming is about to change forever as virtual reality of incredible caliber becomes available to the general public. We'll keep you posted on release dates. Jef With One F is a recovering rock star taking it one day at a time. You can read about his adventures in The Bible Spelled Backwards or connect with him on Facebook.Russian Translation I'm pleased to announce that Denis Bulichenko has translated this article into Russian! It has been published in RSDN. The complete article will soon be available on-line. I'm deeply indebted to you, Denis. Introduction Standard C++ does not have true object-oriented function pointers. This is unfortunate, because object-oriented function pointers, also called 'closures' or 'delegates', have proved their value in similar languages. In Delphi (Object Pascal), they are the basis for Borland's Visual Component Library (VCL). More recently, C# has popularized the delegate concept, contributing to the success of that language. For many applications, delegates simplify the use of elegant design patterns (Observer, Strategy, State[GoF]) composed of very loosely coupled objects. There can be no doubt that such a feature would be useful in standard C++. Instead of delegates, C++ only provides member function pointers. Most C++ programmers have never used member function pointers, and with good reason. They have their own bizarre syntax (the ->* and.* operators, for example), it's hard to find accurate information about them, and most of the things you can do with them could be done better in some other way. This is a bit scandalous: it's actually easier for a compiler writer to implement proper delegates than it is to implement member function pointers! In this article, I'll "lift the lid" on member function pointers. After a recap of the syntax and idiosyncrasies of member function pointers, I'll explain how member function pointers are implemented by commonly-used compilers. I'll show how compilers could implement delegates efficiently. Finally, I will show how I used this clandestine knowledge of member function pointers to make an implementation of delegates that is optimally efficient on most C++ compilers. For example, invoking a single-target delegate on Visual C++ (6.0,.NET, and.NET 2003) generates just two lines of assembly code! Function Pointers We begin with a review of function pointers. In C, and consequently in C++, a function pointer called my_func_ptr that points to a function taking an int and a char * and returning a float, is declared like this: float (my_func_ptr)( int, char ); typedef float (MyFuncPtrType)( int, char ); MyFuncPtrType my_func_ptr; Note that there is a different type of function pointer for each combination of arguments. On MSVC, there is also a different type for each of the three different calling conventions: <CODE lang=mc++>__cdecl, <CODE lang=mc++>__stdcall, and <CODE lang=mc++>__fastcall. You make your function pointer point to a function float some_func(int, char ) like this: my_func_ptr = some_func; When you want to invoke the function that you stored, you do this: (my_func_ptr)( 7, " Arbitrary String" ); You are allowed to cast from one type of function pointer to another. But you are not allowed to cast a function pointer to a void * data pointer. The other allowable operations are trivial. A function pointer can be set to 0 to mark it as a null pointer. The full range of comparison operators are available ( ==,!=, <, >, <=, >= ), and you can also test for null pointers using ==0 or via an implicit cast to bool. Interestingly, a function pointer can be used as a non-type template parameter. This is fundamentally different from a type parameter, and is also different from an integral non-type parameter. It is instantiated based on name rather than type or value. Name-based template parameters are not supported by all compilers, not even by all those with support for partial template specialization. In C, the most common uses of function pointers are as parameters to library functions like qsort, and as callbacks for Windows functions, etc. They have many other applications as well. The implementation of function pointers is simple: they are just "code pointers": they hold the starting address of an assembly-language routine. The different types of function pointers exist only to ensure that the correct calling convention is used. Member Function Pointers In C++ programs, most functions are member functions; that is, they are part of a class. You are not allowed to use an ordinary function pointer to point to a member function; instead, you have to use a member function pointer. A member function pointer to a member function of class SomeClass, with the same arguments as before, is declared like this: float (SomeClass::my_memfunc_ptr)( int, char ); float (SomeClass::my_const_memfunc_ptr)( int, char ) const ; Notice that a special operator (<CODE lang=mc++>::) is used, and that SomeClass is part of the declaration. Member function pointers have a horrible restriction: they can only point to member functions of a single class. There is a different type of member function pointer for each combination of arguments, for both types of const-ness, and for each class. On MSVC, there is also a different type for each of the four different calling conventions: <CODE lang=mc++>__cdecl, <CODE lang=mc++>__stdcall, <CODE lang=mc++>__fastcall, and <CODE lang=mc++>__thiscall. (<CODE lang=mc++>__thiscall is the default. Interestingly, there is no documented <CODE lang=mc++>__thiscall keyword, but it sometimes shows up in error messages. If you use it explicitly, you'll get an error message stating that it is reserved for future use.) If you're using member function pointers, you should always use a typedef to avoid confusion. You make your function pointer point to a function float SomeClass::some_member_func(int, char ) like this: my_memfunc_ptr = &SomeClass::some_member_func; my_memfunc_ptr = &SomeClass:: operator!; Some compilers (most notably MSVC 6 and 7) will let you omit the &, even though it is non-standard and confusing. More standard-compliant compilers (e.g., GNU G++ and MSVC 8 (a.k.a. VS 2005)) require it, so you should definitely put it in. To invoke the member function pointer, you need to provide an instance of SomeClass, and you must use the special operator <CODE lang=mc++>->. This operator has a low precedence, so you need to put it in parentheses: SomeClass x = new SomeClass; (x->my_memfunc_ptr)( 6, " Another Arbitrary Parameter" ); SomeClass y; (y.my_memfunc_ptr)( 15, " Different parameters this time" ); Don't blame me for the syntax -- it seems that one of the designers of C++ loved punctuation marks! C++ added three special operators to the C language specifically to support member pointers. <CODE lang=mc++>::* is used in declaring the pointer, and ->* and.* are used in invoking the function that is pointed to. It seems that extraordinary attention was paid to an obscure and seldom-used part of the language. (You're even allowed to overload the ->* operator, though why you want to do such a thing is beyond my comprehension. I only know of one such usage [Meyers].) A member function pointer can be set to 0, and provides the operators == and!=, but only for member function pointers of the same class. Any member function pointer can be compared with 0 to see if it is null. [Update, March 2005: This doesn't work on all compilers. On Metrowerks MWCC, a pointer to the first virtual function of a simple class will be equal to zero!] Unlike simple function pointers, the inequality comparisons ( <, >, <=, >= ) are not available. Like function pointers, they can be used as non-type template parameters, but this seems to work on fewer compilers. Weird Things about Member Function Pointers There are some weird things about member function pointers. Firstly, you can't use a member function to point to a static member function. You have to use a normal function pointer for that. (So the name "member function pointer" is a bit misleading: they're actually "non-static member function pointers".) Secondly, when dealing with derived classes, there are some surprises. For example, the code below will compile on MSVC if you leave the comments intact: class SomeClass { public : virtual void some_member_func( int x, char p) { printf( " In SomeClass" ); }; }; class DerivedClass : public SomeClass { public : }; int main() { typedef void (SomeClass::SomeClassMFP)( int, char ); SomeClassMFP my_memfunc_ptr; my_memfunc_ptr = &DerivedClass::some_member_func; } Curiously enough, &DerivedClass::some_member_func is a member function pointer of class SomeClass. It is not a member of DerivedClass! (Some compilers behave slightly differently: e.g., for Digital Mars C++, &DerivedClass::some_member_func is undefined in this case.) But, if DerivedClass overrides some_member_func, the code won't compile, because &DerivedClass::some_member_func has now become a member function pointer of class DerivedClass! Casting between member function pointers is an extremely murky area. During the standardization of C++, there was a lot of discussion about whether you should be able to cast a member function pointer from one class to a member function pointer of a base or derived class, and whether you could cast between unrelated classes. By the time the standards committee made up their mind, different compiler vendors had already made implementation decisions which had locked them into different answers to these questions. According to the Standard (section 5.2.10/9), you can use reinterpret_cast to store a member function for one class inside a member function pointer for an unrelated class. The result of invoking the casted member function is undefined. The only thing you can do with it is cast it back to the class that it came from. I'll discuss this at length later in the article, because it's an area where the Standard bears little resemblance to real compilers. On some compilers, weird stuff happen even when converting between member function pointers of base and derived classes. When multiple inheritance is involved, using reinterpret_cast to cast from a derived class to a base class may or may not compile, depending on what order the classes are listed in the declaration of the derived class! Here's an example: class Derived: public Base1, public Base2 class Derived2: public Base2, public Base1 typedef void (Derived:: Derived_mfp)(); typedef void (Derived2::* Derived2_mfp)(); typedef void (Base1::* Base1mfp) (); typedef void (Base2::* Base2mfp) (); Derived_mfp x; For case (a), static_cast<Base1mfp>(x) will work, but static_cast<Base2mfp>(x) will fail. Yet for case (b), the opposite is true. You can safely cast a member function pointer from a derived class to its first base class only! If you try, MSVC will issue warning C4407, while Digital Mars C++ will issue an error. Both will protest if you use reinterpret_cast instead of static_cast, but for different reasons. But, some compilers will be perfectly happy no matter what you do. Beware! There's another interesting rule in the standard: you can declare a member function pointer before the class has been defined. You can even invoke a member function of this incomplete type! This will be discussed later in the article. Note that a few compilers can't cope with this (early MSVC, early CodePlay, LVMM). It's worth noting that, as well as member function pointers, the C++ standard also provides member data pointers. They share the same operators, and some of the same implementation issues. They are used in some implementations of stl::stable_sort, but I'm not aware of many other sensible uses. Uses of Member Function Pointers By now, I've probably convinced you that member function pointers are somewhat bizarre. But what are they useful for? I did an extensive search of published code on the web to find out. I found two common ways in which member function pointers are used: contrived examples, for demonstrating the syntax to C++ novices, and implementations of delegates! They also have trivial uses in one-line function adaptors in the STL and Boost libraries, allowing you to use member functions with the standard algorithms. In such cases, they are used at compile-time; usually, no function pointers actually appear in the compiled code. The most interesting application of member function pointers is in defining complex interfaces. Some impressive things can be done in this way, but I didn't find many examples. Most of the time,
at M.I.T. is known by its acronym, TEAL, for Technology Enhanced Active Learning. A $10 million donation from the late Alex d’Arbeloff, an M.I.T. alumnus, co-founder of the high-tech company Teradyne, and former M.I.T. corporation chairman, made the switch to TEAL possible. The two state-of-the-art TEAL classrooms alone cost $2.5 million, Professor Belcher said. Unlike in the lectures, attendance counts toward the final grade, and attendance is up to about 80 percent. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Classes meet three times a week, for a total of five hours. Homework is due three times a week. Monique Squiers, a sophomore who intends to become a surgeon, liked her TEAL classes so much that she has signed on as a teaching assistant. “You can say, ‘Hey, professor, I didn’t really get what you went over at this point, could you explain it to me a little more?’ ” Ms. Squiers said. “If anything, they’re happy when someone doesn’t get it.” Of the core science curriculum required of all freshmen, only introductory physics follows the new method, Professor Belcher said. Math, biology and chemistry are still taught through large lecture classes and small recitations. In the physics department, debate over teaching methods continues. Younger professors tend to be more enthusiastic about TEAL than veterans who have been perfecting their lectures for decades. One of the newer professors, Gabriella Sciolla, who arrived in 2003, was teaching a TEAL class on circuits recently. She gauged the level of understanding in the room by throwing out a series of multiple-choice questions. The students “voted” with their wireless “personal response clickers” — the clickers are essential to TEAL — which transmitted the answers to a computer monitored by the professor and her assistants. “You know where they are,” Professor Sciolla said afterward. She can then adjust, slowing down or engaging students in guided discussions of their answers, as needed. Lecturing in 26-100, she said, she could only look out at the sea of faces and hope the students were getting it. “They might be looking intently at you, understanding everything,” Professor Sciolla said. “Or they might be thinking, ‘What am I going to do when I get out of this bloody class?’ ”Snapchat users on Android have sometimes felt like second-tier citizens when it comes to the app’s features and performance, in comparison to iOS users of the popular social networking app. Today, Snap Inc. announced that it is developing a major revamp of the Snapchat Android app that it says will be created “from the ground up.” Editor's Pick How to use Snapchat on Android Everyone is talking about Snapchat, right? It's one of the hippest messaging services around, but it's as confusing as it is exciting. I know I had a hard time understanding it the first time I used … In an investor note as part of its third quarter 2017 financial results, Snap CEO Evan Speigel admitted that the company needs to get more new Snapchat Android users to increase its overall customer base. In order to achieve this, Speigel stated that the company’s development team will be creating the new Snapchat app for Android, based on what the team has learned about Android app development for the past five years. Indeed, Speigel said the new Android version will be “a huge focus over the coming year” for the Snapchat dev team. Already, the team has improved performance in the current Android app version, so much so that it saw “significantly more Android users added” in September compared to new iOS users. There’s no word on exactly when the revamped Snapchat Android app will launch, but the company said it will be available first in a limited number of markets before it rolls out worldwide. At the same time, Speigel said that the Snapchat team is also working on an overall redesign of the app, in an effort to make it easier to use among a wider audience. Speigel said that the company is willing to take a risk on this redesign, even though it might be “disruptive to our business in the short term.” Again, there’s no word on when the Snapchat redesign will go live. This news comes as Snap reported a lower-than-expected number of 4.5 million new Snapchat users for the third quarter of 2017. It stated that there are currently 178 million daily active users of Snapchat. How do you feel about Snap putting extra effort into creating a new Android version of Snapchat? Let us know your opinion in the comments!Congress Oil Spill Probe Finds Problems Aplenty The congressional investigators probing the Deepwater Horizon disaster are turning up intriguing information that point to a litany of technical and human problems with the well whose failure has led to a spreading environmental crisis caused by the non-stop gushing of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Major-accident investigators often say that there's usually a number of failures that create a big calamity. The picture painted emerging from the congressional investigation seems like another case of that. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said Wednesday that congressional investigators learned that the well failed a critical pressure test hours before the explosion. The test indicated that gas from the oil reservoir was leaking into the drill pipe in a way it shouldn't have. Here's a large chunk of Waxman's statement to give those who want them a lot of the details. Other readers can just skip it. WAXMAN: This is an important test. During a negative pressure test, the fluid pressure inside the well is reduced, and the well is observed to see whether any gas leaked into the well through the cement or casing. According to James Dupree, the BP senior vice president for the Gulf of Mexico, the well did not pass this test. Mr. Dupree told committee staff on Monday that since test results were not satisfactory and inconclusive, significant pressure discrepancies were recorded. As a result, another negative pressure test was conducted. This is described in the fourth bullet. During this test, 1400 PSI was observed on the drill pipe while zero PSI was observed on the kill and the choke lines. According to Mr. Dupree, this is also an unsatisfactory test result. The kill and choke lines run from the drill rig 5,000 feet to the blow-out preventer at the sea floor. The drill pipe runs from the drill rig through the blow-out preventer deep into the well. In the test, the pressures measured at any point from the drill rig to the blow-out preventer should be the same in all three lines. But what the test showed was that the pressures in the drill pipe were significantly higher. Mr. Dupree explained that the results could signal an influx of gas was causing pressure to mount inside the well bore. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce subcommittee holding the hearing, Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), said the investigation has uncovered a number of problems with the blowout preventer that should have cut the flow of gas and oil up the pipe which in turn led to the explosion. I'll sum up much of his statement for readers who don't want all the details. Those who do can read the lengthy passage of his statement after this. Stupak focused on all the problems with the blowout preventer whose job it was to shut off the pipe in the event something went wrong. Suffice it to say, there appears to have been many. The problems ranged from a dead battery, to equipment that was improperly wired, to other equipment that was too underpowered to seal off the pipe. Many words will likely come to the minds of those who hear the details of all the things that went wrong. "Competence" probably won't be one of them. Here's a lengthy section from Stupak's opening statement: STUPAK: Our investigation is at its early stages, but already we have uncovered at least four significant problems with the blowout preventer used on the Deepwater Horizon drill rig. First, the blowout preventer had a significant leak in the key hydraulic system. This leak was found in the hydraulic system that provides emergency power to the shear arm -- to the shear rams, which are the devices that are supposed to cut the drill pipe and seal the well. I'd like to put on the screen a document that the committee received from BP. This document states, "Leaks have been discovered in the BOP hydraulic system." The blowout preventer was manufactured by Cameron. We asked a senior official at Cameron what he knew about these leaks. He told us when the remote operating vehicles tried to operate the shear rams, they noticed a loss of pressure. They investigated this by injecting dye into the hydraulic fuel, which showed a large leak coming from a loose fitting, which was backed off several turns. The Cameron official told us that he did not believe the leak was caused by a blowout, because every other fitting on the system was tight. We also asked about the significance of the leak. The Cameron official said it was one of several possible failure modes. If the leak deprived the shear rams of sufficient power, they might not succeed in cutting through the drill pipe and sealing the well. Second, we learned that the blowout preventer had been modified in unexpected ways. One of these modifications was potentially significant. The blowout preventer has an underwater control panel. BP spent the day trying to use this control panel to activate a variable-bore ram on the blowout preventer that is designed to seal tight around any pipe in the well; in other words, pinch off the flow of oil. When they investigated why their attempts failed to activate the bore ram, they learned that the device had been modified. A useless test ram, not the variable-bore ram, had been connected to the socket that was supposed to activate the variable-bore ram. An entire day's worth of precious time had been spent engaging rams that closed the wrong way because it was wired wrong. BP told us the modifications on the BOP were extensive. After the accident, they asked Transocean for drawings of the blowout preventer, because the modifications -- the drawings that they received did not match the structure on the sea floor. BP said they wasted many hours trying to figure this out. Third, we learned that the blowout preventer is not powerful enough to cut through the joints in a drill pipe. We found a Transocean document that I'd like to put on the screen, and it says, "Most blind shear rams are designed to shear effectively only on the body of the drill pipe. Procedures for use of BSRs must therefore ensure that there is no tool joint opposite the ram prior to shearing." This seemed astounding to us, because the threaded joints betweenthe sections of drill pipe make up about 10 percent of the length of pipe. If the shear rams cannot cut through the joints, that would mean the so-called fail-safe device would succeed in cutting the drillpipe only 90 percent of the time. We asked the Cameron official about the cutting capacity of the blowout preventer on the Deepwater Horizon. He confirmed that it is not powerful enough to cut through the joints in the drill pipe. He told us that this was another possible explanation for the failure of the blowout preventer to seal the well. And fourth, we learned that the emergency controls on the blowout preventer may have failed. A blowout preventer has two emergency controls. One is called the emergency disconnect system, or EDS. BP told us that the EDS was activated on the drill rig before the rig was evacuated. But the Cameron official said they doubted the signals ever reached the blowout preventer on the seabed. Cameron officials believe the explosion on the rig destroyed the communications link to the blowout preventer before the emergency sequence could be completed. In other words, the emergency controls may have failed because the explosion that caused the emergency also disabled communications to the blowout preventer. Still, the blowout preventer has a dead man's switch, which is supposed to activate the blowout preventer when all else fails. But according to Cameron, there were multiple scenarios that could have caused the dead man's switch not to active. One is human oversight. The dead man's switch may not have been enabled prior to installing the BOP on the ocean floor. One is a lack of maintenance. The dead man's switch won't work if the batteries are dead. The dead man's switch is connected to two separate control pods on the blowout preventer. Both rely on battery power to operate. When one of the control pods was removed and inspected after the spill began, the battery was found to be dead. The battery in the other pod has still not yet been inspected. There also appears to be a design problem. The dead man's switch activates only when three separate lines that connect the rig to the blowout preventer are all severed -- the communication, power and hydraulic lines. Cameron believes the power and communication lines were severed in the explosion, but it is possible the hydraulic lines remained intact, which would have stopped the dead man's switch from activating. These are not the only failure scenarios that could impair the function of the blowout preventer. The Cameron official we met with described many other potential problems that could have prevented the blowout preventer from functioning properly. Steel casing or a casing hanger could have been ejected from the well and blocked the operations of the rams. The drill pipe could have been severed successfully but then dropped from the rig, breaking the seal. Or operators on the rig could have tried to activate the shear rams by pushing the shear-ram control button. This would have initiated an attempt to close the rams, but it would not have been successful. The shear rams do not have enough power to cut drill pipes unless they are activated through an emergency switch or the dead man's switch.Story highlights Landon Riddle has acute lymphocytic leukemia His mom stopped chemo after seeing improvement from medical marijuana Hospital officials, she says, threatened to report her to authorities Landon is in remission and doing well, Sierra Riddle says He's only 3 years old, but Landon Riddle is already the focus of a medical marijuana fight in Colorado. Landon has acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It's the most common cancer in children. His mother says his condition has improved so much following treatment with medical marijuana that chemotherapy isn't needed. But the Children's Hospital of Colorado, she says, disagreed. It all started back in September 2012. Landon, then 2, was living with his mother, Sierra Riddle, in St. George, Utah, when he developed a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. The emergency room doctor said it was a virus and sent him home. Two days later he went back. His armpits were swollen. JUST WATCHED School stops giving boy medical pot Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH School stops giving boy medical pot 01:31 JUST WATCHED Is medical marijuana right for a 3-year-old? Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Is medical marijuana right for a 3-year-old? 02:38 JUST WATCHED "Please don't let my daughter die" Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH "Please don't let my daughter die" 05:16 "They thought it was either a virus or infection in the lymph nodes, so they gave him some antibiotics," Sierra Riddle says. But on the fifth day, his mother says she was changing his diaper and noticed his groin was also swollen, as well as his abdomen and throat. He was having trouble breathing. That time, she got a frightening diagnosis: cancer. Landon was flown to a children's hospital in Salt Lake City. "His whole chest was full of leukemia tumors, which is why he couldn't breathe," his mother says. "They started him on chemo, but told us that he probably wasn't going to make it." Landon's cancer had quickly progressed, leading doctors to give him an 8% chance of survival, she says. In general, ALL is one of the most curable cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 90% of children diagnosed with the disease survive. Chemotherapy is the standard treatment, and Riddle says doctors put Landon on a four-year treatment plan. The first two months of chemo went fairly well, but then Landon became extremely ill. "Most days he couldn't get off the couch," Riddle remembers. "He would just lay there and throw up and throw up." Riddle says he also developed neuropathy -- a symptom of nerve damage that can cause weakness, numbness and pain -- in his legs that left him barely able to walk. Around that time, a friend set up a Facebook page called Offer Hope for Landon, and recommendations started streaming in, including several endorsing cannabis -- medical marijuana -- as a treatment. Medical marijuana, however, isn't legal in Utah. Still, desperate for answers, Sierra Riddle and her mother, Wendy Riddle, started looking into it. They considered going to California or Oregon. Then their research led them to the Stanley brothers in Colorado. The six brothers are one of that state's biggest cannabis growers and dispensary owners. The Stanleys produce about 500 pounds of medical marijuana a year. At the time, much of it was high in THC -- tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in pot that gets users high but also helps patients with an array of conditions including pain and nausea. But the Stanleys were also growing something quite revolutionary: a plant cross-bred to reduce the THC and increase another compound found in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD. Many researchers believe CBD is one of the compounds in marijuana that has medicinal benefits. According to the National Cancer Institute, it's thought to have significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity without the psychoactive effect. The Stanleys expect to produce over 1,000 pounds this year, most of it the cross-bred variety, according to Joel Stanley. Riddle, herself a recovering heroin addict, struggled with the idea of giving Landon marijuana. "I was telling my mom, you know, 'We really need to think about this.'" But, says Riddle, her son was already prescribed medications like OxyContin and morphine -- medications with significant side effects. Landon suffered from stomach failure, and "the OxyContin made him so miserable, when he had hair, he would literally try to pull his hair out." In the end, she decided she had nothing else to lose and moved to Colorado. She rented a room, got Landon's medical marijuana card and began giving him marijuana -- THC for the pain and nausea, but also CBD. The dose was based on Landon's weight. He first took it in oil form, but now takes a pill. Once the doses started, "Landon's (red and white blood cell) counts increased dramatically," she says. Six months later, encouraged by Landon's progress, she stopped his chemotherapy treatments completely. "Once I took the chemo out, I see these amazing results. And no more need for blood transfusion and platelet transfusions," Riddle says. "I think that the chemo in combination with the cannabis did put him into remission and now the cannabis will keep him there." But Landon's doctor at the Children's Hospital of Colorado was shocked. "She told me with no uncertainty that if I refused chemo, she would have no choice but to report me to the proper authorities," Riddle says. So Riddle found a lawyer willing to take her case. "Nobody wants to hurt Landon here," says attorney Warren Edson. "This is about making him better. We have no problem making sure he's monitored throughout this process. And again, if there's any indication this is doing him harm, I can't imagine Sierra doing anything other than the right thing." Children's Hospital Colorado, in a statement, says it is "committed to protecting the well-being of our patients." The hospital says it cannot discuss specific cases, but provided information from Dr. Stephen Hunger, director of the hospital's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Hunger noted that childhood cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease among American children; that about 25% of childhood cancers are ALL; and that the survival rate for children with ALL treated by Children's Oncology Group research trials is over 90%, attained with two to three years of chemotherapy. Children's Hospital Colorado is "one of the largest centers in the country that treats children with ALL," the statement says. "The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's Hospital Colorado has always done its best to work closely with families to provide the most appropriate treatment for cancer, while also seeking to minimize side effects and maximize quality of life. "Today, chemotherapy is a required part of therapy for children with leukemia. Many supportive care medications are used in children and adults with cancer, including those considered to be complementary and alternative medicine (also referred to as integrative health). "Marijuana or a product derived from marijuana is often used to decrease side effects in adults with cancer," the hospital says. "There are several FDA-approved and commercially available anti-nausea medicines derived from marijuana (cannabinoids) that are frequently used by adults and children with cancer, and we often prescribe these medications." In an effort to stave off a legal wrangle, Riddle, her mother and Edson met with the doctors in charge of Landon's care in October. "They said they were willing to work with us. They said they were willing to alter the chemo plan, and they did not," Riddle says. Child protective services -- which Riddle says had already been notified and visited the family's home -- was also at the meeting, along with Dr. Margaret Gedde, who wrote Landon's original prescription for marijuana and is monitoring his care. "I could see a large gulf between the doctors who were making the point this is a fatal disease -- 'You know, he needs this treatment to survive,' and pretty much that was their stance," says Gedde. "The family wanted to discuss more alternative modes of treatment and really things that wouldn't make him so sick, but again, the doctors being convinced that really it had to be done the way that they were used to it (being done) -- that just made it very much really a confrontation there of two different mindsets. I felt sympathetic to both." Child protection officials declined comment on the case. The American Cancer Society, meanwhile, cautions that cannabinoids have not been tested in humans to determine if they can lower cancer risk. "There are many challenges with marijuana research as it relates to cancer," the organization says in a statement. "While it shows promise for controlling cancer pain among some patients, there is still concern that marijuana may cause toxic side effects in some people and that the benefits of THC must be carefully weighed against its potential risks. There is no available scientific evidence from controlled studies in humans that cannabinoids can cure or treat cancer." For now, Landon is still in remission with no sign of recurrence. Still, Gedde is cautious and says she can't recommend cannabis over chemo. "When you look at children who go through that same course of treatment and compare Landon to them, it seems like he's doing better than what would be expected," she says. "I'm very hopeful and very encouraged that the CBD is probably having a beneficial effect for him, but I think we're still looking to have the disease course play out and find out. I think in cancer, you don't really know until later." Meanwhile, Edson says child protection officials have not yet filed a case. "We will continue to monitor Landon's health, make sure he's getting the proper blood tests and other checks to see what's going on with him healthwise," he says. In December, Sierra Riddle notified Landon's doctors that she plans to transfer his care. She's searching for a physician willing to work with her to reduce the amount of steroids and chemotherapy he takes. Wendy Riddle says they have no regrets and will continue to fight. "It's not just fighting for Landon. It's not just about him, it's about all of the kids to come," she says. "When Landon is 15 years old and we talk about this, I want Landon to know that we did everything in our power to be compassionate in his care and to protect him."The party burst into the room at the top of the spire where they encountered Morjan face-to-face for the first time. Morjan was a Drakaina (human/dragon hybrid) with large reptilian wings and a dangerous lashing tail. The party’s two barbarians rushed in first while Praetor created 4 more illusionary barbarians via his Phantasmal Force spell. Nedraw got behind Morjan and braced himself in the window to prevent her escape. The party lost a barbarian (a real one) in the battle but were able to eventually defeat Morjan and gain her coveted spellbook. There was a brief standoff between new party member Slade and original member Fizban for who would get possession of the book but eventually the party negotiated that Slade would get the book AFTER the party had a chance to learn the spells from it that they needed. After searching the room they also found a text describing a medical process whereby an individual could pledge themselves to the dragon god Drakkar by injecting a combination of dragon blood and magical powder directly into their jugular vein via an enlarged bee stinger. Venn Woodenbleeder knew the procedure would be risky but decided to go ahead with it. Although he didn’t immediately get new powers, the procedure was a success. Nedraw also found a book on “How to Train Your Dragon” that gave him some valuable tips on how to care for his whelp. He began by feeding it some of Morjan. After leaving the keep (and killing some giant leeches along the way) the party returned to Edgetown. In Edgetown, Morjan’s barbarians had become completely disoriented. The human slaves sensed their weakness and were attacking and killing their former oppressors. The team negotiated a plan whereby one of human slaves named Mikael would become Edgetown’s acting leader until they could communicate with King Warden back in Renaulton and have reinforcements sent to strengthen the royal claim on this area. The party decided to sleep and recuperate. While sleeping, they were brought together in a united dream sequence. Bellum, God of Combat explained that they had gained his attention for their work in destroying rival god minions. He simulated a combat arena and urged them to fight each other to the death for a chance to win his favour. There were only a few ground rules… no invisibility, no hiding and no Djinni helpers. Slade was first to die from Praetor’s fireball. Praetor then took the form of a giant bee but was promptly killed by Fizban’s fireball. Nedraw killed the barbarian. Venn made a brief alliance with Dyme before being killed by Fizban’s magic missiles. Nedraw was crushed between two walls as the arena began to close-in. We were left with just Dyme and Fizban to fight it out to the death. The two were locked in close quarter combat. Fizban’s summoned insects pecked away at Dyme’s exposed skin but he was able to slay Fizban and take the title of supreme combatant. Belluum blessed Dyme with a permanent strength blessing and a ring of knowledge to accelerate his experience gains. Dyme also pledged himself to Belluum in order to receive further benefits of the combat god’s favour. AD: Star Wars Toys Canada AdvertisementsSometimes innovation just needs a little incentive to get moving. Sometimes that incentive comes in the form of money, sometimes it's exposure, and sometimes, as in the case of the Google Lunar XPrize, it's both. The GLXP is a $30 million pool of prizes that's kicked off a new-age space race. Private teams from around the world are competing to land craft on the moon in pursuit of a $20 million grand prize, plus a further $10 million in bonus prizes. The biggest check goes to the first team to land on the moon and cover at least 500 meters across (or above) the lunar surface while beaming high-definition video back to Earth. That financial incentive has been enough to get 19 international teams to sign on, and some of those teams will be getting additional exposure thanks to a newly announced documentary called "Moon Shot." Through nine episodes, the series will chart the progress of many of the GLXP's leading teams, getting you behind the scenes -- much like we did in our own 2014 video series about the competition. As you can see in the trailer embedded above, there's no shortage of production value here, and with Executive Producer J.J. Abrams on board, plus Academy Award-nominated director Orlando von Einsiedel, you know it's going to be good. The free series launches on Google Play on March 15, hitting YouTube two days later. As to the competition itself, teams have until the end of the year to announce launch contracts to get their lunar landers into orbit. Watch this space!أحكم ثوار ليبيا قبضتهم على آخر معاقل العقيد الليبي أحكم ثوار ليبيا قبضتهم على آخر معاقل العقيد الليبي معمر القذافي باقتحام مجمع باب العزيزية الذي ظل رمزا لحكمه الذي امتد لأكثر من أربعة عقود، ورفعوا علم الثورة على البيت الذي كان العقيد يلقي منه خطاباته منذ اندلاع الثورة المطالبة بإسقاطه . وقال رئيس المجلس العسكري لثوار طرابلس عبد الحكيم بلحاج في تصريحات خاصة بالجزيرة من داخل مجمع باب العزيزية (حوالي 30 كيلومترا جنوب طرابلس) إن الثوار أحكموا السيطرة على نحو 90% من المجمع واقتحموا جميع مكاتب معمر القذافي دون أن يلقوا القبض عليه، حيث لا يزال مصيره مجهولا. ورفع الثوار علم الثورة فوق ما يسمى "بيت الصمود" حيث اعتاد العقيد القذافي إلقاء خطاباته منذ اندلاع الثورة يوم 17 فبراير/شباط الماضي. وقال بلحاج إنه باقتحام مجمع باب العزيزية يكون الثوار قد حسموا الموقف العسكري في وجه نظام القذافي وفي تفاصيل أخرى عن اقتحام باب العزيزية قال بلحاج الذي قاد تلك العملية إن الدخول إلى المجمع تم من خلال أربعة محاور، وإن الثوار لم يواجهوا مقاومة كبيرة من طرف الكتائب التابعة للقذافي وتمكنوا من أسر عدد من أفرادها والاستحواذ على أسلحة قناصة ومصفحات وداخل المجمع ردد الثوار وعدد كبير من المدنيين الذين هبوا بأعداد كبيرة إلى المكان، عبارات وشعارات تعبيرا عن فرحة عارمة بإسقاط نظام القذافي، وقال بعضهم "نظام الطاغية انتهى ". وأفاد مراسل الجزيرة عبد العظيم محمد من داخل مجمع باب العزيزية بأن الثوار بسطوا سيطرة شبه كاملة عليه، وأن مشاهد الدمار هي السائدة داخل المجمع الذي كان يعتقد أن القذافي وعددا من أفراد عائلته يتحصنون به. وفي وقت سابق قال المراسل إنه في أعقاب اقتحام المجمع سادت حالة من الفوضى جراء توافد أعداد كبيرة من المدنيين على المجمع وشوهد بعضهم يحملون أغراضا (تلفزيون، تماثيل، هدايا..) من داخل المجمع. وشوهد أحدهم يحمل تلفازا ويقول إنه في ملك الشعب الليبي. وعزا المراسل ذلك الاندفاع العارم للمدنيين نحو المجمع إلى فضول سكان طرابلس وبقية الليبيين لاكتشاف ذلك المكان الذي كان محاطا بهالة كبيرة طيلة عقود حكم القذافي للبلاد. وأثناء تغطية الجزيرة المباشرة لسيطرة الثوار على باب العزيزية أصيب أحد مرافقي الزميل عبد العظيم محمد برصاصة في كتفه أدت إلى جروح بسيطة. ولم يعرف مصدر تلك الرصاصة، وقد رد الثوار على ذلك بإطلاق النار في عدة اتجاهات. قصف وحصار وقد دخل الثوار إلى باب العزيزية بعد ساعات من حصاره واشتباكات عنيفة مع كتائب القذافي وفي أعقاب قصف طائرات حلف شمال الأطلسي ( ناتو ) أهدافا داخل ذلك المجمع المحصن. وتمهيدا لاقتحام شامل كان مراسل الجزيرة قال إن آلاف الثوار الليبيين طوقوا مجمع باب العزيزية قادمين من الجبل الغربي ومصراتة ومن طرابلس ومدن أخرى تقدموا على متن مئات السيارات. وأضاف المراسل أن محيط المجمع شهد تبادلا لإطلاق النار بين الثوار ومسلحين متحصنين داخل المجمع استعمل فيه الطرفان قذائف آر بي جي ومضادات أرضية، وتحدث عن اقتحام الثوار لبعض بوابات المجمع. وفي المراحل الأولى للعملية اقتحم الثوار أولى بوابات ذلك المجمع المحصن بعد أن تدفقت أعداد كبيرة منهم نحو المجمع. وقبل اقتحام المجمع شدد وزير خارجية فرنسا آلان جوبيه على ضرورة مواصلة الناتو عملياته حتى النهاية، وأضاف أن بالإمكان القول إن سقوط القذافي قد تم. وأضاف أن الانتصار في ليبيا ليس كاملا بعدُ بسبب وجود بعض جيوب المقاومة، وهو ما يتطلب مواصلة الضغط على القذافي. وفي خضم الاستعدادات لشن هجوم شامل على باب العزيزية، قال مراسل الجزيرة إن الثوار استقدموا أسلحة ثقيلة وتحركوا بها نحو مجمع القذافي. وقبل الاقتحام بعدة ساعات تحدث مراسل وكالة الأنباء الفرنسية عن حصول اشتباكات في محيط باب العزيزية وصفها بالعنيفة, كما سبقه تحليق طائرات تابعة للناتو. حرب شوارع وخارج مجمع باب العزيزية تحدث الناتو عن حرب شوارع في طرابلس، في حين قال مراسل الجزيرة إن الثوار باتوا يركزون عملياتهم على حي بوسليم الذي يعتقد أن بعد الكتائب فروا إليه من مجمع العزيزية. وكان أبو بكر المصراتي -وهو أحد الثوار المشاركين في عمليات طرابلس- قد قال للجزيرة إنه تم القبض على ثلاثة من القناصة كانوا يطلقون النار من إحدى البنايات وسط طرابلس التي يسيطر الثوار على معظم أحيائها. وقال الثوار إن مقاتلي الكتائب أطلقوا أمس نيران أسلحة ثقيلة من داخل المجمع في حي سيدي خليفة المجاور مما أدى إلى إصابات بصفوف المدنيين. وكان الثوار بطرابلس قد أعلنوا أنهم سيطروا على معظم أحياء العاصمة، لكنهم لم يتمكنوا وقتذاك من دخول مناطق في حيي بوسليم والهضبة الخضراء ومجمع باب العزيزية ومرافق قريبة منه مثل فندق "ركسوس" الذي يقيم فيه الصحفيون الأجانب ويسيطر عليه حتى الليلة الماضية مسلحون موالون للقذافي. وقالت الناشطة أسماء الطرابلسي للجزيرة صباح اليوم إن الوضع آمن وهادئ في الأحياء التي دخلها الثوار مثل سوق الجمعة وتاجوراء وفاشلوم, التي أقيمت فيها نقاط تفتيش كثيرة.A husband who admitted killing his wife after finding her in bed with another man was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a judge who said that such a killing was understandable. The defendant, Kenneth Peacock, 36, said he killed his wife, Sandra, 31, last Feb. 9 with a single shot to the head from a hunting rifle a few hours after he had arrived home unexpectedly during a storm. Mrs. Peacock's lover escaped unharmed. In handing down the sentence on Monday, Judge Robert E. Cahill of Circuit Court said he was reluctant to give any prison time to Mr. Peacock, who had pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. "I seriously wonder how many men married five, four years would have the strength to walk away without inflicting some corporal punishment," Judge Cahill said. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The judge added that he felt obligated to impose prison time "only because I think I must do it to make the system honest."Trump Boycotts U.N. Migration Talks President Donald Trump has decided to boycott a global conference on migration scheduled to begin Monday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, sending a blunt signal that the United States is no longer interested in forging a concerted response to the world’s burgeoning migration crises. Trump made the decision on Friday — a day dominated by Senate negotiations on a landmark tax bill — and just days before the Mexican government is scheduled Monday to host a three-day meeting to take stock of negotiations on a pact to ensure a more humane approach to the more than 60 million people who have been forcibly displaced as a result of conflict, poverty, or climate change. On Saturday, the U.S. mission to the United Nations informed Secretary-General António Guterres that it was “ending its participation in the Global Compact on Migration.” The U.S. president’s decision to pull out of the negotiations highlighted the enduring influence of Stephen Miller, the 32-year-old senior White House policy advisor who has championed the Trump administration’s effort to sharply restrict immigration to the United States. In recent weeks, Miller led efforts to pull out of the migration talks. The administration’s top national security advisors met early last week to determine whether the United States would participate in the talks. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who previously led the Department of Homeland Security’s crackdown on illegal immigration, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions strongly backed a pullout, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the deliberations. The State Department initially opposed the withdrawal, but its policy planning chief, Brian Hook, who represented Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the principals’ meeting
-governing island of twenty-three million people that China claims. Beijing believes that a successful independence movement in Taiwan would pose the biggest threat to the future survival of the Chinese Communist Party. China’s National People’s Congress even passed a law in 2005 stating that the People’s Republic of China will “employ nonpeaceful means” to assert control over Taiwan in the event of a popular referendum for independence. Were the current U.S. charm offensive just a matter of diplomatic niceties, it would be no harm, no foul. But courting Beijing this way is undermining U.S. positions that lie at the heart of critical and long-standing disagreements with China over the future of international politics and the fate of the Asia-Pacific region. Contrary to a March 10 White House statement, the United States does not agree with China “on the importance of upholding principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Rather, the right and responsibility to violate these principles for the protection of human rights is a core element of U.S. foreign policy, and arguably the principal difference between the two countries’ approaches to world affairs. The Obama administration should emphasize this divergence, not paper it over or act like the United States sides with China’s illiberal perspective. Meanwhile, there are dangerous implications five thousand miles from Ukraine in Beijing’s backyard, where China is aggressively pursuing its own sovereignty claims over territories that are in some instances controlled by U.S. allies. The United States does not support the substance of or justification for China’s expansive sovereignty claims in the South and East China Seas. On this score, U.S. statements of sharing China’s perspective on these key principles have sent the wrong message to an Asia already worried about the commitment of a war-weary United States. Not surprisingly, China wasted no time in turning the administration’s newfound professions of solidarity right back on the United States. Following the Obama-Xi meeting in The Hague, China’s official news service declared that President Xi had stressed to Obama that “the United States should honor its commitment to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Taiwan and Tibet issues.” Working with China on shared interests makes sense. But pretending we’re on the “same page” to woo Beijing on the Ukraine crisis does not. The implications for U.S. interests are far more real than concerns over a Sino-Russian alliance. Samuel Charap (@scharap) is senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Ely Ratner (@elyratner) is senior fellow and deputy director of the Asia-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (@CNASdc). Image: Wikimedia Commons. Agencia Brasil/Roberto Stuckert Filho. CC BY 3.0.× ‘Good Samaritan’ tells crash victim he’s there to help, then does the unthinkable IRVING, Texas — A woman was scared and dazed, trapped upside down after her car rolled three times during an accident in Texas. But it’s what happened after the crash that is even more unsettling to her and her family. In a Facebook post, Joshua Smith said a man posing as a Good Samaritan robbed his sister, Kimberly, who was the driver involved in the single-vehicle crash. Joshua Smith said the crash happened on Sept. 27. He said a man stopped to “help” his sister, and even found her purse for her. He then said he was going to call 911. While Kimberly begged the man to stay with her, he ended up getting in his truck and taking off. “He said don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. He gets in his truck and takes off. With her wallet. All her credit cards. Id’s. Everything. And all this happened after she was trapped upside down...” — Joshua Smith Kimberly was able to get out of her car and sat by the side of the road, KHOU reports. A stranger finally stopped and called 911. Shortly after the crash, Joshua wrote on Facebook: “If anybody has a “friend” that is bragging about robbing some girl after she flipped her car this morning, please be a real friend and let us know. He is described as a tall, skinny black male, in his 30’s, driving a red pickup truck. Kimberly some how managed to walk away from this. She is headed to the ER now. Please say a prayer for her. I hope this guy who stopped to “help” and everyone that did not stop at all, is not a majority in our society today. We are better people than that. Everyone please share this and maybe we can find this loser. Thank y’all.” — Joshua Smith Kimberly suffered only cuts and bruises, according to KHOU.Cover Oregon: If You Haven’t Heard From Us By Monday – Seek Coverage Elsewhere Another Obamacare success story… Cover Oregon is robocalling applicants this week telling them if they haven’t received enrollment confirmation by Monday the 23rd, seek coverage elsewhere. In other words – “Fly With Your Own Wings.” The Oregonian reported: Oregon’s troubled health insurance exchange began robocalling applicants Friday, warning them that if they don’t receive enrollment confirmation by Monday, they should seek coverage elsewhere for Jan. 1. “If you haven’t heard from us by Dec. 23, it is unlikely your application will be processed for Jan. 1 insurance coverage,” a woman’s voice on the pre-recorded call from Cover Oregon says. “If you want to be sure you have insurance coverage starting Jan. 1, you have other options.” It’s yet another sign that the health insurance exchange’s technological breakdowns will prevent some — perhaps many — Oregonians from getting subsidized coverage Jan. 1, despite Gov. John Kitzhaber’s previous assurances otherwise. Out of more than 65,000 applicants, the exchange reports enrolling nearly 30,000, but only about 11,000 of them in private insurance plans. Then there’s this… Cover Oregon has banned its community partners from bad-mouthing the failed program by signing a non-disparagement agreement. That means that those community partners, including hospitals, are not allowed to speak in a negative fashion about Cover Oregon, or they risk losing their funding.Tension as four killed in Mombasa after cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Ismail shooting Police drive past a fire lit by demonstrators in Kisauni, Mombasa, Friday [PHOTOS: KEVIN ODIT & MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD] Militant supporters of slain Muslim cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Ismail battled police in the neighbourhoods of Majengo and Kisauni for hours, protesting his Thursday killing by unknown gunmen in a drive-by shooting. Police said four people were killed and dozens injured in the standoff between rioters and security officers, and the situation was expected to escalate with police receiving reinforcements from Kwale County. A church was burnt, vehicles stoned, and M-Pesa and other shops along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue destroyed as businesses closed early over the chaos that started immediately after the 1pm Friday prayers. At the same time, authorities said they were seeking to arrest radical Islamist Sheikh Abubakar Shariff, alias Makaburi, who they claim tampered with Sheikh Ibrahim’s murder scene and orchestrated the hurried burial of his body. “We are looking for him (Makaburi) because he obstructed justice. Police were supposed to perform a postmortem on the bodies but the bodies were hurriedly buried,” said Mombasa County commander Kipkemboi Kitur. Earlier, Makaburi — who police accused of inciting his militant supporters — was unreachable for most of the day yesterday as his phone was shut down, but The Standard On Saturday managed to reach him late in the evening. Makaburi disputed that he was the first at the scene, saying he arrived 45 minutes after the police. He was ready to be arrested, he said, adding he was not a coward. Reports indicate yesterday that police were planning night raids in key areas in Kisauni, Likoni, Changamwe and mosques in Mombasa. Intelligence sources told The Standard On Saturday that Sheikh Ibrahim — alias Rogo alias Amour — was killed “in order to disrupt a major terrorist attack in Mombasa this weekend.” In mid July, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) accused Sheikh Ibrahim of activating the so-called Mtopanga cell of al-Shabaab and of inviting four newly trained jihadists from Somalia into Mombasa to plot a bombing campaign in the coastal city and Nairobi to avenge last year’s killing of Sheikh Aboud Rogo. A church was torched in Majengo as violence spread from Musa Mosque where Sheikh Ibrahim issued incendiary sermons against non-Muslims, the State and Muslim opponents and allegedly recruited Kenyan youth to fight jihad in Somalia. Last evening, Red Cross branch co-ordinator Mohamed Rajab said the four died from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. One died at the Coast General Hospital after being picked at a market in Kisauni, while a second was pronounced dead at the same hospital. Two bodies – all male – were discovered in Mtopanga area and local residents were preparing to bury them. At the height of the violence in Majengo, a man was shot in the stomach by police in Bakarani and Kisauni after militant youths spilled over from streets, mosques into dingy alleys in gory violence that also led to looting and shutdown of roads and shops. He is believed to be the one in hospital. The nurse-in-charge at the hospital, Cecilia Mugambi, confirmed one death but declined to name the victim who was hit by a bullet on the left side of the chest. Close to 10 casualties with bullet wounds, including bus conductors, shot in the legs were treated at the hospital while a man was stabbed in the stomach in Majengo by unknown rioters. Hooded youths lit fires with old tyres shouting Allahu Akbar (God is great) and threatening to avenge Sheikh Ibrahim’s killing. Tension has been building in Mombasa since last month’s terrorist carnage at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi when false rumours spread that Makaburi and Sheikh Ibrahim had been killed by state agents over the Nairobi violence. Makaburi himself and the slain preacher inflamed passions more by praising the Westgate attacks and warning of more violence if Kenyan forces are not removed from Somalia where the Kenyan military is fighting Al-Shabaab. Arriving at the scene on Thursday evening after the 9.45pm killing, Makaburi declared Kenyan authorities had embarked on a “systematic assassination” to avenge the Westgate killings. He railed at Muslims who attended Tuesday’s interdenominational prayers and accused former Prime Minister Raila Odinga of bringing Israel agents to lead the war on terrorism. “The government has to obey its law or we will have to disobey it because we can’t sit back and be slaughtered or see our sheikhs killed everyday,” said Makaburi. Meanwhile, Salim Aboud — who survived Thursday’s attack in which Sheikh Ibrahim was killed — said the slain imam and two others were killed in “a shower of bullets” pumped from the right side of their car as they sped towards Mtwapa in Kilifi County. A shaken Salim, who had bruises on his chin, said he survived the shooting because “Allah did not want my end today”, but reports show he played dead to deter further shooting. “Allah spared me because my time has not come,” he said, and disclosed that gunmen in a car overtook them as they approached Bamburi Beach hotel.Theme park operator Euro Disney has revealed that it plans to open “a major new attraction” in 2024 as part of a $2.4 billion (€2.1 billion) investment drive following the takeover of the French resort by media giant The Walt Disney Company. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the resort on the outskirts of Paris. It is Europe’s most-visited tourist attraction with 13.4 million guests streaming through its ornate iron gates last year. The complex comprises seven on-site hotels, two convention centres, a 27-hole golf course and two parks – the Walt Disney Studios and the fairytale-themed flagship Disneyland Paris. Their parent company Euro Disney was listed on the Euronext exchange until June when Disney took full ownership of the company in a $2.30 (€2) a share offer. As part of its preparation for the takeover Euro Disney produced a new ten-year forecast to 2026 and its filings state that “capital expenditure included in the business plan represents a total of €2.1 billion over the period. This includes in particular the renovation of two hotels and attractions, as well as a major new attraction in 2024.” The capital expenditure was revealed in British newspaper the Daily Express last week but the plan for the new attraction has only just come to light. Euro Disney has not publicly announced the new attraction and the details of it are not yet known. It was disclosed in the cash tender offer document which was issued in connection with the takeover and there is good reason for this. The documents considered Euro Disney’s future plans and likely performance in order to evaluate the company’s share value for the de-listing. They add that the capex “includes major investments in hotel rehabilitations at the Hotel New York and the Disneyland Hotel, as well as Marvel-themed attractions and entertainment at the Walt Disney Studios.” In 2009 Disney paid $4 billion to buy Marvel Entertainment, creator of super heroes such as Spider-Man and the Hulk, and its use of the characters in theme parks is subject to certain restrictions due to an existing agreement with NBC Universal. This applies to Walt Disney World in Florida and Tokyo Disneyland but Disneyland Paris is exempt and it is making the most of it. Last month it announced a special ‘Marvel Summer of Super Heroes’ season for 2018 which will feature meet and greets with characters and new shows. One is understood to be a replacement for CinéMagique, the Hollywood-themed show in the Studios park which shuttered in March. “We will have shows that explore the thrilling, spectacular dimension of the Marvel universe, as well as interactive entertainment offers that will allow guests to meet their favorite super heroes,” said Moira Smith, senior show director for Disneyland Paris. Its Hotel New York, which is currently styled on the big apple, is even getting a heroic makeover. Concept designs show that it will feature models of super hero costumes in display cases and walls adorned with artwork based on Marvel comics when it re-opens in 2020 as ‘Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel’. It is likely that this will be just the start. One rumoured development is that the Disneyland Paris Tower of Terror freefall ride will get an update based on Marvel’s blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy movie series. The first instalment was released in 2014 and stars Chris Pratt as the leader of an outer-space super hero team which includes a talking tree and a raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper. They team up to deliver an ancient artefact to the Collector, an inter-galactic kleptomaniac played by Oscar-winner Benicio Del Toro, and of course it doesn’t go to plan. The sequel premièred in April and sees the team reunite to take on a living planet played by eighties icon Kurt Russell. It is a stand out performance which makes an almost omnipotent character seem down-to-earth thanks to Mr Russell’s sincerity. Without it, the character and the movie would have failed to grab the audience’s attention. Instead, both movies have been commercial and critical successes. It is testimony to the inspired casting choices, skilful writing and direction by one of the movie industry’s brightest talents, James Gunn. Mr Gunn began his career as a screen-writer at independent studio Troma but has quickly risen to become a Hollywood heavyweight thanks to his treatment of the Guardians series. Most sci-fi movies have plot holes aplenty but no stone is left unturned in the tight and snappy Guardians scripts. Then there’s the characters which are far from generic spacemen and aliens. The movies take them seriously but never in a self-indulgent or overly reverent way. The key to this is that each character represents a distinct and familiar personality type from the quiet and brooding heavy to the stylish and aloof go-getter who cuts to the chase and, of course, the out going have-a-go-hero. The raccoon is the boastful brains behind the team who speaks its mind, even at the most inopportune times. They are personalities that anyone can relate to and it draws viewers into the story so much that by the end of the movies you forget that most of the team are aliens. Music is cleverly used to drive the plot forward and lure in older viewers as the hero was abducted by aliens in the 1980s with his only connection to earth being a Walkman. The films are filled with disco classics like ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ by Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’ which gives even more for an adult audience to relate to. Adding to the atmosphere, the action takes place against a psychedelic backdrop which evokes imagery made famous by legendary British sci-fi artist Angus McKie in the pages of 1980s fantasy magazine ‘Heavy Metal’. It has paid off as the two Guardians movies have grossed a total of $1.6 billion worldwide according to industry analyst Box Office Mojo. Given the far-fetched subject matter they could have easily been busts if they hadn’t had Mr Gunn’s care and attention and the same is true of the theme park attraction. Fans of Disney parks are renowned for their die-hard support of classic rides so updates are rarely well-received. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!’ had its work cut out for it as it replaced one of the most beloved rides in the Disney California Adventure park. The Tower of Terror was a 199 feet terracotta-colored skyscraper designed to look like a faded Art Deco hotel. It was meticulously themed to the sci-fi television series the Twilight Zone with a queue winding through an overgrown garden into a cobweb-covered lobby complete with luggage standing at the reception. An old TV showed an ominous black and white video in the style of a Twilight Zone episode where guests mysteriously disappeared in the hotel’s elevator. No sooner had that set the scene than you got strapped into seats in a cage-like elevator which rocketed up a shaft in pitch darkness. An impressive effect then made it appear as if stars were surrounding the lift before the big shock: giant windows opened up to reveal a view of the park down below. You then hurtled down faster than gravity before getting fired back up to repeat the ordeal. The ride was a game-changer when it made its début at Disney World in 1994 and Mission: BREAKOUT! is equally pioneering. It doesn’t just immerse guests in the environment from the movies, it moves the story forward and makes them a part of it. Crucially, thanks to Mr Gunn’s involvement, it shares the same attention to detail and pacing as the movies. This is what sets it apart from any other ride and makes it one of the most ground-breaking attractions in the modern history of the theme park industry. The hotel now looks like a steam-punk fortress as it’s meant to be a museum containing the artefacts which the Collector has harvested from all over the galaxy. It is based on the museum which was home to one of the most memorable scenes in the first Guardians movie as it contained hundreds of giant glass cases holding surreal characters from Marvel folklore. A giant cocoon? Check. A dog in a Russian space suit? That was in there too along with countless weapons and outré objets d’art. The columns of cases seemed to stretch endlessly upwards and somehow a similar effect is created in the lobby of the ride. Most theme park queues are the definition of tedium but Mission: BREAKOUT! is an exception. The cases contain intricately detailed models from the Marvel movies which sometimes move when you least expect it. The plot sees the guests being shown around the collection and riding a lift to the top to view the Guardians themselves who have been captured by the Collector. No expense has been spared. This story is told through a video, shot especially for the ride, which plays on a giant screen in the lobby of the tower. It features the same calibre of visual effects as the movies as well as all of the main stars. Not many other theme park rides can boast an Oscar-winning actor introducing the attraction to guests in the queue. Like the movie, music is integral to the ride as the Walkman has now become an exhibit which is snatched by an intricately-detailed animatronic model of the raccoon. It tells guests that it has broken out of its case and wants their help to ride to the top of the tower and rescue its team mates. That sets the scene for getting strapped into seats in the elevators but there aren’t many other similarities with its predecessor. A projection shows the raccoon plugging the Walkman into a stereo and then you’re off. Accompanied by ‘70s disco tunes the elevator rockets upwards and falls time after time as the raccoon supposedly struggles to control it. This time the story continues throughout the ride. Instead of looking at a black wall as the elevator hurtles through the shaft it now stops on its way in front of pin-sharp screens showing the progress of the raccoon and the Guardians’ escape plan. The scenes were shot especially for the ride and feature the same actors as the movies with the same standard of special effects. The breakout plays out in real time as you’re on the ride which makes it seem like you’re part of the proceedings. Giant aliens, which have broken out of their cases, attempt to thwart the escape in comedic fashion putting guests in the surreal situation of laughing and screaming at the same time. Ingeniously, some of the songs and scenes are random so the Guardians may face different pitfalls each time which encourages repeat rides. Of course, in the end it all comes good for the Guardians and the guests. Even the inevitable shop at the exit has been carefully thought through as it sells classic toys from the 1970s and 1980s like the Spirograph and Simon Says. As with the movie, this attention to detail has paid off. Just weeks after opening in May Disney announced that Mission: BREAKOUT! had become the highest-rated thrill ride in the whole of its California resort. Queues of nearly three hours were not uncommon over summer. Indeed, it has been so popular that it even spawned a Halloween edition which swapped the scenes on the screens in the lobby and ride to tell the story of one of the team members being left behind after the others broke out. Given the popularity of the Guardians movies in Europe a makeover of the Tower of Terror could play a key part in helping Euro Disney hit its targets. The company’s filings show that it projects 4% annual revenue growth until 2026 with an 11.3% underlying profit margin by the end of period rising to 15% four years later. It has got off to a strong start. Last month it launched a 440 acre carbon neutral nature resort designed by Disney in partnership with holiday park operator Pierre & Vacances. In time for Euro Disney’s birthday this year some of its classic attractions have also been given a sprinkling of pixie dust. The Star Wars simulator has had a 3D update as Forbes revealed in 2014, an explosive finale has been added to its mine train roller coaster and there is a new parade featuring a mechanical fire-breathing dragon. Peter Welch, VP of marketing and sales for Disneyland Paris in the UK and Ireland, told Forbes that “the 25th anniversary clearly is resonating. There’s the investment in the new shows, the new parade and I think like any business, it’s probably not one factor. When the stars are aligned you get a momentum.” Testimony to this, in the six months to 31 March 2017 attendance rose 5% on the same period the previous year with revenue increasing $21.7 million (€19 million) to $712 million (€623 million) and occupancy up three percentage points to 81%. Last year theme parks generated $17 billion of Disney’s $55.6 billion revenue and although Euro Disney’s tally only came to $1.5 billion (€1.3 billion) it acts as a beacon for the brand in Europe. As Forbes has reported, Euro Disney’s latest blockbuster attraction, which is themed to the Oscar-winning movie Ratatouille, alone led to the creation of 200 new jobs with 4,000 people contributing to it. Over the past 25 years the resort has had more than 320 million visits during which guests spent around $91 billion. This generated 6.2% of France’s tourism revenue and $8.1 billion in taxes. Last year 49% of its visitors came from France followed by Britain which provided 17% of the total. Euro Disney is now the largest single-site employer in France with 75% of its 15,000 staff coming from the country, 18% from elsewhere in Europe and 7% from the rest of the world. It is the magic touch which the French government envisaged when it signed an agreement with Disney in 1987 to develop a European house for the Mouse. One of Disney’s objectives was to develop far more land than the space on which its theme parks would sit. It needed more land so that it could maintain standards throughout the entire resort from the parks to the surrounding hotels and even the roads and nature reserves. This strategy stems from when Walt Disney bought land for Disneyland in California and soon after it opened in 1955 motels and restaurants began springing up next to it spoiling the fantasy theming of the resort. To prevent a repeat of this in France Disney requested a vast plot of land almost a fifth the size of Paris. It was originally home to five villages and huge beet fields which had been earmarked for development. These plans were frozen following the 1973 oil crisis but were put back on the drawing board with a wave of Disney’s magic wand. It got what what it wanted but it came with a catch. The government agreed to sell the land to Disney provided that the majority of it was developed in accordance with its own vision. To ensure that it benefits the local area, and isn’t rushed through, the government only sells land to Disney in stages once previous plots have been completed. This relieves pressure on Euro Disney and it has a wide window to develop the land since its 1987 masterplan with the French government expires in 2030. It has been allocated a total of 5,510 acres and although only half has been developed so far, the aim is to get through all of it. Despite having more visitors than any other tourist attraction in Europe Mr Welch says Euro Disney still has room to grow. “New markets, like the adult market, have great potential. For us, historically, or traditionally, it has been the family market but the family of today is very different to the family of 25 years ago so that changes as well.” Euro Disney is changing to suit it and with Marvel characters on its side it has more than enough punching power.Study Populations Table 1. Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of the Patients with Prostate Cancer. Seven case series of men with metastatic prostate cancer across multiple institutions in the United States and United Kingdom, including a total of 692 patients, were analyzed. All the patients had a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer and were not selected on the basis of family history, age, or any knowledge of genetic background. The demographic characteristics of the men in each series are summarized in Table 1. Detailed information on the specific germline mutations and on clinical features of mutation carriers in each series is provided in Tables S1, S2, and S3 in the Supplementary Appendix, available with the full text of this article at NEJM.org. Case Series 1, the Stand Up to Cancer–Prostate Cancer Foundation (SU2C-PCF) International Prostate Cancer Dream Team discovery series, was made up of 150 patients for whom data were previously reported in the SU2C-PCF study of molecular stratification of metastatic prostate cancer.18 Case Series 2, the SU2C-PCF validation series, was made up of 84 patients who were newly enrolled in the SU2C-PCF study and for whom data had not been reported previously. Case Series 3, Royal Marsden Prostate Cancer Genomics series, included 131 patients who were considered for enrollment in clinical trials at the Royal Marsden Hospital from January 2013 through July 2015. Case Series 4 consisted of 91 consecutive patients included in the University of Washington rapid autopsy program from 1997 through 2013. Case Series 5 included 69 consecutive patients who were enrolled in the Weill Cornell Medical College precision medicine program. Case Series 6 was made up of 43 consecutive patients from the University of Michigan rapid autopsy program. Case Series 7, from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, included 124 consecutive patients who were enrolled through the Memorial Sloan Kettering Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets (MSK-IMPACT) study. The protocols for these case series were approved by the local institutional review boards, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients at the local sites before enrollment. Correlative clinical data were collected at each site with the use of electronic patient records and were entered into deidentified databases. The study was designed by the Stand Up To Cancer–Prostate Cancer Foundation International Prostate Cancer Dream Team investigators. The study sponsors had no role in the design of the study, the collection or analysis of the data, or the preparation of the manuscript. The manuscript was written by four of the authors. All authors reviewed the manuscript, agreed to submit the manuscript for publication, and vouch for the accuracy and completeness of the data and for the fidelity of the study to the protocol. Sequencing and Bioinformatics Analysis For the analysis involving Case Series 1, 2, and 6, whole-exome sequencing of germline and tumor DNA was performed as described previously.18 Germline DNA from buccal swabs, buffy coats, or whole blood was isolated with the use of the QIAGEN DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 in paired-end mode. For the analysis of Case Series 3, germline DNA was extracted from saliva or buccal swab samples with the use of the Oragene kit (DNA Genotek). Libraries for targeted sequencing were constructed with a customized GeneRead DNaseq Panel (Qiagen) covering 53 genes and run on the Illumina MiSeq sequencer, as described previously.16 For the analyses of Case Series 4 and 5, germline DNA was extracted from peripheral blood or nontumor tissue and from matched tumor DNA, as described previously.19 Targeted deep sequencing was performed with the BROCA panel of 53 DNA-repair pathway genes. The bioinformatics pipeline has been described previously.20,21 For tumors from Case Series 5, analyses were performed by means of exome sequencing, as described previously.22 For Case Series 7, tumor and germline genomic sequencing was performed as described previously, with the use of the MSK-IMPACT hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing assay.23,24 The mean sequencing depth of coverage was more than 100× for all case series, with the exception of sequencing of BAP1, BARD1, BRIP1, and FAM175A, which were not included on the Royal Marsden Hospital panel, and GEN1, which was not included on the Royal Marsden Hospital or Memorial Sloan Kettering panel. Data from the Royal Marsden Hospital and Memorial Sloan Kettering cases were censored for analyses of these genes. In addition, data were censored for CHEK2 in 158 cases for which exon sequencing coverage was incomplete. The depth of coverage for each gene according to site is provided in Table S4 in the Supplementary Appendix. To compare our results with data from a large series of patients with localized prostate cancer, we analyzed public data from the Cancer Genome Atlas prostate cancer study.25 Paired-end reads (100 bp) were aligned to the hg19 reference human genome with the use of the Burrows–Wheeler Aligner. Annotations were defined with ANNOVAR (http://annovar.openbioinformatics.org/en/latest). Population allele frequencies were extracted from the Exome Aggregation Consortium ExAC Browser (http://exac.broadinstitute.org/), 1000 Genomes (www.1000genomes.org), and the single-nucleotide polymorphism database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (dbSNP), version 138 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/SNP). Interpretation of Variants Table 2. Table 2. Germline Mutations in Metastatic Cases as Compared with the General Population and Primary Cases. Our analysis focused on variants identified among 20 genes associated with autosomal dominant cancer-predisposition syndromes that involve maintenance of DNA integrity (Table 2). The pathogenicity of germline variants was determined according to established American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology consensus criteria and International Agency for Research on Cancer guidelines.24,26 At least two independent expert reviewers evaluated all variants against published literature and public databases, including ClinVar and variant-specific databases, in addition to population frequency databases, including 1000 Genomes and the Exome Aggregation Consortium. Expected high-penetrance or moderate-penetrance variants classified as mutations that are pathogenic or likely to be pathogenic are reported here. Low-penetrance variants, such as CHEK2 p.I157T, were excluded. Statistical Analysis Associations between DNA-repair gene mutation status and age, race, or Gleason score strata were evaluated with the use of two-sided Fisher’s exact tests. The frequencies of DNA-repair gene mutations among the 692 patients with metastatic prostate cancer were evaluated relative to the expected frequencies from the Exome Aggregation Consortium (53,105 persons) or the Cancer Genome Atlas cohort (499 persons) with the use of two-sided exact binomial tests. We also performed analyses in which the 150 men from the previously reported Case Series 1 were excluded18 (Table S5 in the Supplementary Appendix). No adjustments were made for multiple comparisons; P values of less than 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.Ms. Sullivan acknowledged that the organization was aware of “a lot of threats” on social media of people saying they would drop their membership, although neither she nor the group’s executive director, Anthony D. Romero, would provide more details. And with numerous alt-right rallies scheduled in the coming days and weeks, the A.C.L.U. also faces the question of how to respond to the next case involving a white nationalist rally that the local authorities try to block. Another potential First Amendment showdown in Texas already looms. Citing safety concerns, Texas A&M on Monday canceled a white nationalist rally scheduled for Sept. 11. The rally organizer, Preston Wiginton, told the Texas Tribune that he might sue and he might seek the A.C.L.U.’s help. Since Charlottesville, the A.C.L.U. has clearly wrestled with what to do when the next case comes along. It indicated on Thursday that, in evaluating whether to take free-speech cases involving public gatherings, the group would consider the potential for violence at the event and whether protesters were going to be carrying firearms. But Ms. Sullivan, the spokeswoman, said that was not a new policy; rather, it reflected existing practices. “We make decisions on whom we’ll represent and in what context on a case-by-case basis,” the A.C.L.U. said in a statement on Thursday. “The horrible events in Charlottesville last weekend will certainly inform those decisions going forward.” Mr. Romero, the A.C.L.U.’s executive director, said in an interview this week that the group would remain committed to its free speech advocacy. “This is not a new juncture for the A.C.L.U.,” he said. “We have a longstanding history of defending the rights of groups we detest and with whom we fundamentally disagree.” Even so, in the first months of the Trump presidency, the A.C.L.U. seemed to be more cautious about which fights it would embrace. It stayed uncharacteristically quiet when the University of California, Berkeley, canceled speeches by two right-wing writers and provocateurs, Milo Yiannopoulos and Ann Coulter, earlier this year, issuing statements and Twitter messages, mainly after the controversy had passed. And when a federal judge in April weighed whether Richard Spencer, a leader of the so-called alt-right, could hold an event at a public university in Alabama, the A.C.L.U. was absent from the case.• Download Complete Release (PDF) ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS: All-Pac-12 honors will be released Tuesday, Dec. 1. The Conference office will release first and second teams honors, while Pac-12 Networks will unveil the various Player of the Year honors, including Coach of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Inside Pac-12 Football at 6 p.m. PT. BOWL ELIGIBLE: For the third consecutive year, the Pac-12 has a record-tying nine bowl eligible teams in ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, STANFORD, UCLA, USC, UTAH and WASHINGTON STATE are bowl eligible. With one more win, the WASHINGTON Huskies can join the group. The Golden Bears are bowl eligible for the first time since 2011. The Cougars are bowl eligible for the first time since 2013 and just the second time since 2003. DIVISION RACES: The North Division has been settled. With STANFORD’s win over California, the Cardinal clinched their third North Division title in the last four years... In the South Division, it comes down to the winner of the UCLA-USC game. For the Bruins, it would mean their third FCG appearance, while the Trojans are looking for their first FCG appearance (the Trojans finished first in the South Division in 2011, but were ineligible for the postseason). ROAD WARRIORS: In 49 Conference games played to date, the visiting team is 25-24. POLL WATCHING: The polls have been a revolving door for Pac-12 teams. After a one week absence, UCLA moves back into the AP poll this week, joining STANFORD, OREGON and WASHINGTON STATE. While UTAH fell out of the AP poll, ending a streak of 14 straight weeks in the regular season poll, the Utes remain in the Coaches poll at No. 25. For Washington State, the No. 20 ranking is its highest since the final AP poll of the 2003 season when it finished at No. 9... Five different Pac-12 teams this season have been ranked in the AP Top 10... Over the last two seasons, 10 different Pac-12 teams have been ranked among the AP Top 25, while six different Conference teams have been ranked among the Top 10. ALL-PURPOSE: STANFORD sophomore RB Christian
be described as pure, unadulterated lust.” Side Note: Have a look at the date this article was published (2/13/2008, just before Valentines day) it’ll be important when we get to today’s bonus round. Are there any benefits, aside from soulful glances and the satisfaction of a sparkling clean floor, that exist for men who share the load (laundry and otherwise)? That’s hard to say, although there are some interesting indicators. A recent survey by Parenting Magazine found that “choreplay,” i.e., husbands pitching in around the house, was what put 15 percent of moms in the mood. Ooh, a whole 15%?! Would this mean the other 85% were turned off? You know, I’ve been married for over 16 years now and in that time, on occasion, I’ve performed many domestic duties for no other reason than it was a necessity. I have changed my daughter’s diaper, I have cleaned toilets, I’ve done laundry, I’ve vacuumed, etc. However, in 16 years never have I had my wife be consumed with an uncontrollable lust to give me a spontaneous blow job or pin me down on the kitchen floor, tear my pants off and ride me to glory after my having put away the dishes. Neither have I ever heard the words, “damn, you looked so hot ironing my blouse yesterday, fuck me you stud, fuuuuhhck MEEE!!” proceed from her lips while in the throes of passion. And in the interest of being fair, I’ve never been turned on, nor do I consider it foreplay with my wife, when she’s the one doing the chores. I have been greatly turned on by the sight of her in lingerie; sweat pants, a t-shirt and a toilet bowl brush in hand? Not so much. However some of the most memorable sexual experiences I’ve had with her (and other women in my sexual past) have come after I’ve done something particularly masculine or I performed well doing something that benefitted me with a lot of social proof. For instance, my wife seems to like sex after I’ve had a good heavy lifting day at the gym. She also seems very amorous after social engagements I bring her along to for my work. So the moral of this story is, as always, base your assessments on a woman’s behavior – NEVER on her words. Any woman telling you you look hot in an apron or she loves how you pee sitting down is selling you something. It’s up to you to determine what she’s selling. Ah, but what is she selling? Research conducted by Laurie A. Rudman, a psychologist at Rutgers University, also seems to point to a hot soapy love connection. Her study, recently published in the journal Sex Roles, looked at feminism’s impact on romantic relationships. Among other things, she found that men with feminist partners reported both more stable relationships and greater sexual satisfaction. “We didn’t ask who was doing the dishes or taking care of the kids,” says Rudman. “We asked broadly about the quality of the relationship and about the agreement of gender roles in the relationship. But we did find that if men were with a feminist woman, they had more sexual satisfaction and their relationship was more stable. Men benefit from having a feminist partner.” Oh ho ho, that’s it! Feminist women get hot seeing their men in an apron, and boy dothey ever benefit. So you see guys, you’re going about this all wrong; you benefit from locking down a feminist woman and embracing the gender neutral sexiness of traditionally feminine household chores. Back to the Future! Ah, 2008 what heady time it was, but unfortunately I need to step back into my phone booth DeLorean time machine and fast-forward to January 30th, 2013 where, not to be outdone by her 2008 assertions of Choreplay, the exact same media has a new take on intergender chore assignments. Take it away 2013 feminine imperative Diane Mapes: Hey, fellas, put down those vacuum cleaners and pull out the lawn mowers. Married men may think helping around the house may up their hotness quotient in the bedroom, but what really matters is the type of chore. Heterosexual married men who spend their time doing yard work, paying bills and changing the oil have more sex than husbands who spend their time cooking, cleaning and shopping, according to a new study on the subject of housework and sex. “Households with a more traditional gender division of labor report higher sexual frequency than households with less traditional gender divisions of labor,” says Sabino Kornrich, lead author of a study that appears in the February issue of the American Sociological Review. “Housework is something that people use as a very important way to express gender, masculinity and femininity. We weren’t surprised to think that sex might be more tied to this type of gender expression.” So, let me get this straight, the yard work, manual labor, auto maintenance, home remodeling and pressure washing hotness that I replaced with soapy dish washing, ironing boards and laundry detergent was actually what inspired “what can only be described as pure, unadulterated lust?” Whoda thunk? You mean to tell me all that shit I ate in 2008 about being a neanderthal 50’s throwback for expressing that Men’s work is what women really find sexy was all just horse shit slung from the feminine imperative? I realize I’m goofing on this, but I remember reading Mapes’ first article in 2008 and started thinking about why a man doing “woman’s work” would be in any way sexy or at all arousing for a woman. As usual it’s always a good start to reverse gender roles in order to get a better understanding of any social contrivance or perceived “double standard”. The equalist mindset can never logically stand up against this reversal. Would a guy get sexually excited to see a woman doing traditionally masculine housework? In 16 years of marriage I’ve never had my wife do, much less offer to do, things around the house (on a regular basis) that I assumed as a husband from day one. I get the dirty jobs. I mow the lawn, clean up the dog shit in the back yard, I have trash duty, clean the pool/spa, install the nice new acrylic sinks and marble countertops she picks out, plunge the toilets when they back up, install the garbage disposal, fix what I can on her car, wash the cars,…you get the idea. And of all those (with the exception of maybe seeing her wash my car in a thong bikini) I can’t say as I’d get turned on by seeing my wife do any of that. So what is the intrinsic appeal of seeing a guy doing the dishes Mr. & Mrs. Gender Equalist? The role reversal of putting a man into a traditionally feminine role doesn’t have real arousal value. It has a power value for sure, in that it temporarily casts a man in a submissive role, but after the novelty of having a guy perform those behaviors repeatedly wears off, does it still have that arousal value? My wife doesn’t wear lingerie for me every night, but she does so often enough that the arousal value of it still turns me on. However doing the dishes is something so mundane and so monotonous that any thrill that might be associated with it wears thin in a month. The Mapes Effect I can’t end this article without drawing attention to what I’m sure most of my readers are getting about the 5 year shift in attitude with regards to these articles. It’s easy to pass these off as some flighty progression in feminine self-understanding, but remember Diane Mapes draws a paycheck for writing these articles in well read media sources. She’s a media arm of the feminine imperative. What we’re graphically witnessing is the fluidity with which the feminine imperative can realign itself socially to better affect its propagation. You see in 2008 the message to men (that resonated with women) was Fem-Up; stop being so insecure in your masculinity and do the dishes and laundry – the payoff will be more sexual access. In 2013 the message to men (again resonating with women) is Man-Up; stop being such a house frau and get out int the yard and mow – the payoff will be more sexual access. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is just another example of women’s fickle duplicity. A lot has happened socially in the five years between these articles; the End of Men, Kate Bolick, feminine triumphalism, men “checking out”, kidults, ‘late term’ spinsters unable to find “acceptable” men, etc. and a whole slew of other gender shifts occurred between both these articles. What Mapes’ most recent article represents is the feminine imperative reworking an outdated feminine social convention to accommodate women’s Man-Up needs in 2013 that it actively extinguished itself in the Fem-Up years leading up to 2008. Like this: Like Loading...Ah yes, Mr Özil. Welcome, we’ve been expecting you. In the last two years Mesut Özil’s time in the Premier League has been not so much a bumpy road as an indeterminate drift, moments of high-grade influence mixed with long spells of meandering at the fringes. This, though, was something else. In the course of a stunning, fast-start 3-0 victory at the Emirates Arsenal’s record signing not only scored one and made one, elegantly shredding Manchester United’s defence in the opening 20 minutes while laying on the afternoon’s decisive combination punch. The German also continued to pass, move and press at a relentlessly high level during his 75 minutes on the pitch. Much has been made of the fact Arsène Wenger did not sign any outfield player during the summer transfer window. Well, he had one here, with the arrival finally in a key Premier League match of Özil at his most incisive, plus a glimpse perhaps of something new, too. Here Özil wasn’t just the game’s outstanding creative influence. He was spiky, dogged, assertive, an alpha-male lovely little gliding ghost of a No10. Alexis Sánchez’s explosive start fires Arsenal above Manchester United Read more On a mild, sunlit north London afternoon there was an air of double take about the entire opening half hour. Arsenal had spent their last five Premier League matches against United mustering up three goals in the last two years but here they got three in the first 20 minutes. The whole thing had a kind of fantasy Wenger-world feel to it, a sort of sweatily enticing dream. Arsène, wake up. The game’s about to start. No... No we’re 3-0 up already. Özil’s playing like a god. Arsène. Arsène, stop babbling into your pillow. One thing is for sure. Never mind the familiar disappointments against Olympiakos in midweek, if Arsenal can reproduce the aggression and the intense will to win they showed here they have a fair shot this season at beating any team on any ground at any time. Özil is key to this. When he flexes his shoulders and pulls himself up to the full height of his talent – not to mention operating in his favoured No10 position – Arsenal have a creative player whose ability to pass and use space is a class above anything else in the Premier League, David Silva excepted. The challenge is just to do this more often. There is often talk among committed Özilites about his influence as an immeasurable, gossamer force, visible only to the initiated. But the fact is in two years at the club this was Özil’s first goal and second assist in 17 matches against Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the five best teams Arsenal have played in his time. It was, though – and Özil really is a lovely, beguiling infuriating sprite of a No10 – well worth waiting for. His first significant touch was a dreamy little flick with the outside of his foot. After which Özil drifted left, dropping into Ashley Young’s space, creating pockets of alarm wherever he went. The opening goal came via an overload in the same channel that resulted in Arsenal’s No10 sprinting to the byline and cutting the ball back for Sánchez to finish brilliantly via his right instep. Minutes late Özil scored the second, combining with Theo Walcott to set Arsenal’s centre-forward in space before taking Walcott’s pass and slotting the ball low past David de Gea for his first Premier League goal since April. Stunned, United got to grips with the midfield gradually, producing a kind of lumbering, sideways domination that rarely promised to create pace anywhere other than in behind the pachydermic Carrick-Schweinsteiger midfield pair. Twice Özil tried his favourite 30-yard loft-pass for Walcott to run on to and was inches off both times. The third goal came from Sánchez again – and it was a genuine stunner, spanked into the top corner after a jink past Matteo Darmian. After which there were plenty more moments of sugar from Özil. On 35 minutes he did something only semi-possible, pulling a high pass out of the air by backing into Carrick and simultaneously allowing the ball to run down his shin on tot his toe where it briefly stuck dead still, like an orange impaled on a skewer. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Arsenal’s manager, Arsène Wenger, praised his team’s strong response to their Champions League defeat but Manchester United’s Louis van Gaal was understandably disappointed As the match settled into a half-speed, zombie affair Özil kept on ferreting away, pressing with rest of Arsenal’s front line and on 53 minutes drawing a booking for Wayne Rooney as he held the ball and jinked inside his (nominal) opposite number twice, United’s captain reduced to basically shoving him over in exasperation. Two interesting points stood out in that exchange. First, Özil’s famed “bulking up” has only been apparent in snatches but here he went chest to chest with Rooney in the kind of area he was often run off the ball in his first season. And second, at that stage Arsenal seemed to be playing a de facto 4-3-3, with Aaron Ramsey a bit deeper and Walcott, Özil and Sánchez the flyers up front. It is no secret Arsenal’s problem has been playing as a “split” team, with Francis Coquelin the lone fingernail on the window ledge holding the whole thing together. With Özil in this mood, playing through the middle but also drifting to the left and right, and with Walcott and Sánchez in ceaseless motion alongside him, Wenger might even be tempted to bulk his central midfield out with an extra body. United’s attempts to “chase” the game were never more than mobility-scooter speed, a team set up to suffocate still gamely trying to work its fingers around the throat despite having already been knocked out by three swift blows to the chin. Özil left the pitch with 15 minutes left to a huge, booming ovation around the ground, recognition of surely his outstanding performance for Arsenal to date. “We gave too much space to Özil,” Louis Van Gaal sighed afterwards, although at times like these he is quietly, elegantly irresistible.Conan is a miniature-based board game that pits one player, the overlord, who controls hordes of savage tribesmen, no-good lowlifes and undead minions against 1 to 4 players who incarnate the legendary Conan and his fellow adventurers. The gameplay is asymetric, as the overlord possesses a large selection of models and objectives which are his own, whereas the brave heroes are played from a first person perspective, much like in a role playing game. An adventure can be played out in 1 hour on one of the beautiful game boards as you pit your wits, daring and tactical acumen against your opponent EXPANSIONS: Join Conan and his companions as they cross swords with the Vanirs, pursue the Frost-Giant's daughter, do battle with a necromancer defiling the burial grounds of wars past and more in the Third expansion for Conan! This set contains: Niord, Aesir Hero 5 Aesir warrior allies 10 Vanir warrior Minions Atali, the daughter of Ymir, the frost-giant, Leader Atali's Brothers, 2 frost giant monsters 5 Monstrous Crow minions 1 double sided game board 4 scenarios written by Croc and Sippik Token, tiles and Character sheets. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Far to the South of Conan's home there lies a dry, arid land where a rugged, dark skinned people eke as much of a life as they can out of the sands. The environment is not the only danger in these lands however, there is a darker, more sinister power at work, one that man should have known to leave well enough alone but the promise of power is too tempting for some. Now the dead rest uneasily beneath the sands and monstrous beasts devour men like cattle as the great and powerful watch on, eternally. This set contains: 1 exclusive Assassin hero 1 Thot-Amon Leader 10 Giant scorpions monsters 1 Scorpion broodmother monster 5 Assassins minions 5 Eternal guard minions 1 double sided game board 4 scenarios by Bruno Cathala Token, Tiles and Character Sheets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This place is a mystery in Howard's works. It is known however that it’s home to great sorcerers whose spells are feared by those from the West. Take Conan and his companions East to this mysterious land as they are swept up in a sinister assassination plot! This set contains: 1 exclusive Hero 5 Tower Guard minions 5 Javelin throwers minions 5 Honor Guards minions 5 Foo Dogs minions 1 Sorcerer leader 1 double-sided gameboard 1 half sized game board 4 Scenarios by Antoine Bauza and Ludovic Maublanc Token, Tiles and Character Sheets ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KS EXCLUSIVE ADD-ONS: A ferocious pack of giant wolves that the Overlord can use to take down the more tencious prey, including heroes! A feisty warrior who is in NO WAY RELATED TO ANY CHARACTER YOU MAY KNOW is a character that can be used as both a Hero and an overlord minion! This book contains the beautiful artwork from the Conan game as well as 19 brand new scenarios that ca, be played as an 8-episode campaign including hero and overlord progression! A feral beast from deep within the wild corners of the world, The Sabertooth-Tiger is a new monster minion that comes with his own scenario as well as guidelines for integrating him into others. “The Strangler” as he is known is a cold blooded murderer. A new leader minion, he comes with his own scenario as well as guidelines for integrating him into others. The Personal guard of King Conan, these fearsome warriors can be led by any hero with the command skill! A ferocious being from another plane. The earth demon can be summoned by both hero and overlord sorcerers to give them a huge punch in combat! GUEST BOXES: We asked multiple artists to draw us their favorite Conan characters and this was the result! Each box contains two alternative heroes complete with their Character sheets and equipment cards (where applicable). OTHER MINIATURES: Ageera is often accompanied by his two lieutenants Afari and Shubba. This pack will let you play this dangerous Warrior/mage duo as well as their personal bodyguards! The "Dragon" is the biggest model we've made for the game and presents a herculean challenge for any and group of adventurers! Powerful ranged minions, the Crossbowmen will give you more variety in you games and come with their own mission as well as guidelines for using them in others. These nefarious, inhuman beings come with their own scenarios as guidelines for using them in others. This powerful hero from another planet represents a strong and unbowed yogah before his enslavement in “the tower of the elephant” 3D SCENERIES: OTHER OPTIONAL PURCHASES: 74 Highly detailed, 32mm, plastic models 1 Book of Skelos (Plastic overlord dashboard) 25 coloured base sleeves 9 engraved, six sided dice (3 Yellow, 3 Orange, 3 Red) 60 Plastic energy gems 4 Hero character sheets 1 Turn counter sheet 43 Creature tiles 55 spell and equipment cards (1.65x2.48in / 42x63mm) 2 double sided game boards 24x28in / 60x70cm (4 maps) Over 80 tokens (doors, chests, villagers, effects...) 1 rule book (8 scenarios) All pledge levels will be available in English and French. You will be able to choose your version during the pledge manager phase after the campaign. The Barbarian level pledge will get you a standard game box along with ALL the stretch goals unlocked during the campaign. The King level pledge is a deluxe box that will only be available during the kickstarter campaign. The additional exclusive models included come with 4 scenarios to play with them. We will also include ALL the stretch goals that are unlocked during the campaign. Please note that anything bearing the following logo is an exclusive reward for Kickstarter backers. Any remaining models will only be available at special events and conventions. Each of the superbly detailed boards provided was designed to immerse you totally in the game. (Each board will have multiple scenarios attached to it, so that you can forge any number of adventures!). The Inn for example, is an iconic location for any self-respecting adventurer, the one place where all it takes is one wayward comment to get fists flying. Bar stools, tables and benches add more tactical options to your fights. The Pictish village is inspired by the Conan story "Beyond the Black River" depicting (ahem...) a confrontation between Conan and the savage Picts. The pirate ship scenarios are inspired by Conan's days as a pirate, when he sailed with Bêlit, Queen of the Black Coast. Savage boardings, ruthless ship to ship combats and plunder are the order of the day! The infamous fortress is where you will be under siege or, perhaps even more frightening, where you will have to face the terrible Thog, an ancient god linked to the nightmarish legend of Cthulhu. Coming soon... The Barbarian of legend is the most powerful warrior in the Hyborian Age. As stretch goals are met, you will be able to choose between different versions of Conan, each with their own skills. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Arnaud Boudoiron Shevatas, King of thieves, makes a mockery of even the most complex locks; his feline agility allows him to evade the grasp of his foes without breaking step. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Simon As one of the few sorcerors that Conan trusts, Hadrathus' arcane power provides invaluable assistance to the group. His mystical shield makes him very resiliant, he can also magically shift from one place to another, and cause his enemies to burst into flames. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Arnaud Boudoiron Queen of the Black Coast and captain of the infamous pirate ship Tigress, Bêlit is a charismatic leader who knows how to drive her crew (or any adventurer, such as her faithful warrior N'Gora) to victory. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Yannick Hennebo Bêlit's right-hand man N'Gora is a seasoned fighter, able to take the fight to the enemy (in close combat or at a distance); he is also very good at defending and protecting his allies. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Simon She may appear frail and weak but don't let this fool you. Zelata the witch uses her arsenal of magical potions as well as her giant lupine bodyguard to deadly effect! Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Grégory Clavilier and Elfried Perochon Conan's trusted companion, Valeria is a swordswoman without equal. While lacking Conan's raw power, she more than makes up for it in precision and efficiency! Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Yannick Hennebo The character sheets allow you to keep track of your heroes' most important resource: their stamina gems, as well as their abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Three kinds of engraved dice For each action attempted, you roll an amount ofequal to the sum of the stamina gems you have invested in the action, plus any bonuses. Each character rolls a certain color of dice for different types of actions. There are 3 types of dice: Yellow is the weakest, you have less of a chance to hit and will obtain fewer successes. Red is the strongest dice whereas Orange is in between.Each Hero begins an adventure with a certain amount of: Weapons, Shields, Armour, Potions... This equipment gives you bonuses to your rolls or allows you to execute certain special actions. A weapon for example, will allow you to roll additional dice during an attack. A sorcerer hero will usethat give him special abilities, such as teleportation. The majority of the players will control Conan and the other heroes, the player pitted against them is known as the Overlord. This player controls not one but multiple groups of models, both mindless henchmen, powerful villains and terrible monsters. The book of Skelos allows him to keep track of all these models as well as his own stamina gems and activation track. The Book of Skelos A classical evil-doer, The Necromancer can revive and control the dead. He may seem frail but beware his nefarious aura, it has been the end of many an adventurer who has come too close and gazed into the eyes of death. Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Simon Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Elfried Perochon Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Simon Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Arnaud Boudoiron Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Simon Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Thomas David Illustration by Adrian Smith, sculpted by Stéphane Nguyen Undead Viking Review: Gaming Rules: Conan by Paul Grogan: The Rules: Example of a full game: Barry Doublet review: The draft rulebook, as well as other elements including a P&P pack are available below. Please remember that these are ALPHA VERSIONS. Hero Manual Overlord Manual Skill sheets Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Print & Play pack Conan has been heavily tested, with over 500 people having participated in the playtesting. The rules were finalised at the last possible moment so as to incorporate as many suggestions and fine tunings as possible. Nevertheless, please note that this is still an Alpha version of the rules and may be subject to change. Apart from being huge fans of Conan and Robert E. Howard, we have been working in the gaming industry for many years now. Frédéric Henry is the author behind some incredibly successful games such as The Adventurers, Timeline and The Builders. Erwan and Loïg Hascoët are the founders of Bombyx, a respected publishing company with many great games in their catalogue such as Takenoko, The Builders and Abyss. Monolith was created so that we could make the game of our dreams: Conan. HeroQuest was a big part of our gaming culture as kids and we wanted to recreate the joy and immersion we felt for that game back then. So as to stay as true to Robert E. Howard as possible, we hired Patrice Louinet as a consultant, a world renowned expert on this author's works. This gives us a degree of authenticity that is almost unheard of in a product like this. Patrice has approved all the contents of the Barbarian and King box sets as well as most of the stretch goals. Please note that some KS exclusive add-ons to the game will take inspiration from a few non-canon areas which were only mentioned by Robert E. Howard but not fully developed. Patrice was not consulted about those and thus they don't have his approval seal. This being said, we have always kept the spirit of Howard's work in mind and worked under the strict supervision of Paradox Entertainment, owners of the Conan property. On top of the people from Monolith, a huge team of passionate professionals have worked on Conan. Here’s a complete list: Game Author: Fred Henry. Artwork: Adrian Smith, Brom, Paolo Parente, Kekai Kotaki, Xavier Collette, Naiade, Georges Cl4renko, Alex Tornberg, Per Ø. Haagensen, Fang Wangli. Sculptors: Stéphane Simon, Jacques-Alexandre Gillois, Thomas David, Stéphane Nguyen, Yannick Hennebo, Arnaud Boudoiron, Grégory Clavillier, Elfried Perochon, Rafal Zelazo, Gaël Goumon, Viktor Dragosani, Gautier Giroud & Laslo Forgach. Graphic artist: Loïg Hascoët. Consultant: Patrice Louinet. Community manager: Jamie Johnson. Video trailer: Fabien Delarue. Game videos producer and presenter: Monsieur Phal Gaming Rules: Conan: Paul Grogan Scenario Designers: Antoine Bauza, Ludovic Maublanc, Croc, Bruno Cathala, Laurent Pouchain, Pascal Bernard, Adnane Badi, José Chaves, Jérôme Soffietti, Itai Perez, Jérémy Pinget, David Bertolo, Julian Lemonnier, Philippe Villé. Communication: Léonidas Vesperini Artistic director and project manager: Erwan Hascoët. From left to right: Stéphane Simon, Fred Henry, Adrian Smith, Jamie, Patrice Louinet, Léo Vesperini, Loïg Hascoët, Georges Cl4arenko, Stéphane Nguyen, Adnane Badie, Jérémy Pinget. Conan has had a lot more money invested in it than the majority of board games. If we were to apply the margins of a classic development cycle, the cost of the box set and the stretch goals would be far too high, around $250. The process of desintermediation that is inherant to Kickstarter allows us to reduce this price down to something far more manageable and in line with other large board games. It also allows us to take the product directly to our target audience. Shipping costs will be applied once the Kickstarter is over so as to allow us to calculate the exact costs when taking into account all the unlocked stretch goals and optional purchases. We have reached an agreement with Asmodee for deliveries in North America and Philibert for Europe. Since the project began, we have unlocked a phenomenal amount of Stretch Goals which do of course have an effect on the price of shipping. The latest estimate for a King pledge with all the stretch goals is on average $22 for all American and European addresses. The latest estimate for a King pledge with all stretch goals and all add-ons (including the 3 expansions boxes: Khitai, Stygia and Nordheim) is on average $34 for American addresses and $27 for European addresses. For all other parts of the world, it is a lot harder for us to get a precise estimation as we do not have logistical hubs there. Therefore, please bear in mind that the figures below are deliberately overestimated in an attempt to prevent any last minute surprises, so they are more than likely to change! • South America : $80 • New Zealand : $90 • Australia : $80 • South Africa : $100 • Japan : $55 • China : $80 • Taiwan : $60 We will do our utmost to ensure that your products arrive on time, before the public release of the game. However, we are aware that some problems concerning shipping and production may arise that are outside of our sphere of influence. If we cannot guarantee that all backers will receive their copy of the game before the general release, then we can, at least, guarantee that you will be benefitting from a great discount and many exclusive Kickstarter only features. The commercial version of the game will include a lot less material than the Kickstarter one. If these special contents and prices are not sufficient when compared to the risk of not being delivered on time however, then we suggest that you do not participate in this crowdfunding campaign and acquire the game when it is released in shops. Thank you for your understanding. © 2015 Conan Properties International LLC. Conan, Conan the barbarian, Hyboria, and related logos, characters, names and distinctive likenesses are trademarks or registered trademarks of Conan Properties International LLC unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Robert E. Howard is a trademark or registered trademark of Robert E. Howard properties, used with permission. All rights reserved. Conan - Miniatures Boardgame © 2015 - Monolith Board Games Age of Conan Logo for copyright music of the trailer Music by Knut Avestroup Haugen. Visuals from Age of Conan MMO by FunCom are used with permission by Paradox EntertainmentAussie stars come out for marriage equality June 4, 2017. A perfect sunny Sunday for a proposal, and an appropriately intimate plan in place. Megan Schutt set out with her partner, Jess Holyoake, for a day of Amazing Race-style activities around their adopted home of Brisbane. They retraced footsteps taken on adventures from yesterday and yesteryear; places and experiences they'd shared as their relationship grew from social to serious to special. A favourite café, a one-sided game of ten-pin bowling, and lunch at the scene of their first date (according to Megan, though Jess disagrees) before a bike ride through Kangaroo Point. Each time, Jess had to complete a small challenge to open an envelope with a clue to the whereabouts of their next stop. The sentimental trip down memory lane ended with a picnic under the Gateway Bridge. They sat on a blanket and reflected on the almost two years they'd spent as a couple. They cast their minds toward the future, too, dissecting how their lives together might look with the passage of time. Hiding in the surrounding bushes were two of Megan's close friends, acting as makeshift photographers for one last surprise. Megan wanted the day's crescendo – and the most significant moment of their young lives to date – caught on film, so that in fifty years they could do exactly what they were doing in that very moment; looking at their life together – past, present and future – through a shared lens. She blindfolded Jess and found the tiny box she'd stashed away. She told her partner to turn around. Jess pulled off the blindfold and there was Megan, presenting a ring. "It took her about five seconds to answer me, so for a moment I was a bit worried," Schutt remembers, smiling. "And then she was like, 'Ohhh – yes!'" A perfect sunny Sunday for a proposal. And the perfect response. * "If you don't like gay marriage, don't get gay married." It's the quote Schutt believes best elucidates a subject that has become one of Australia's most discussed. It's little wonder it appeals to her; the straightforwardness of the line is a lot like Schutt herself. The 24-year-old makes no apologies for her lack of pretence, and why should she? Few sportspeople present as authentically and articulately as the Australia fast bowler, and fewer still are willing to dive headfirst into subjects as diverse and potentially divisive as same-sex marriage, religion and love. "Sometimes I'm too honest," she says. "But if I get caught in my emotions and the moment, you're not going to get any sugarcoating whatsoever." It wasn't always so simple. * Drive south from Adelaide for an hour and you hit wine country. Sprawling suburbs melt into a homogenous blur and eventually disappear in the rearview mirror, making way for the famous McLaren Vale region, home to dozens of internationally recognised wineries. It was on the northern side of the Onkaparinga River though, before you cross the DV Fleming Bridge and amid that blur of suburbia, that Schutt and cricket first collided. Far (though not geographically) from the romanticism attached to South Australia's picturesque vineyards, Hackham is a nondescript suburb on the southern outskirts of Adelaide, understandably overlooked by the masses as they jump off the M2 and onto the A13 en route to wine-lovers' heaven. But the suburb's unwelcoming reputation is perhaps a touch unkind, at least from the perspective of surely one of its most famous products. "Well it's supposedly rough," Schutt says. "But I've lived there all my life, and if anything, it's just boring." Schutt has played two Ashes Tests in the past four years // Getty St Vincent Gulf lies just five minutes to the west of the Schutt home, and growing up, Megan's spirit of adventure regularly took her to its shore, where she would escape the summer heat at Port Noarlunga or Christies Beach, taking classic catches in the water before lazing about on a pristine stretch of sand. The family's house was modest but homely. Three kids and three small bedrooms meant one had to be shared, by Megan and her older sister, Natalie. Little brother Warren got a room of his own. Later, their parents, Sue and Brian, saved up the money to buy a caravan that went out the back and became Natalie's retreat, meaning all three children had a space of their own. It was typical of the Schutt parents. "They gave us everything they could," Megan says. By the age of 12, Megan was playing for her local cricket club, learning the rules on the run after she was introduced to the sport in the driveway, facing up to Warren and the boys from down the street. Gender was irrelevant in their bitumen-based battles, probably because Megan tended to hold her own, anyway. "We kinda grew up, as you do, playing all different sports," she says. "We'd change season to season, footy to cricket." In virtually every way, she was the same as a million other Australian kids, though her athleticism and hand-eye coordination soon separated her from the pack on a sporting field. In fact, the cricket path perhaps presented itself too quickly – well before she had worked out where she was heading, or who she really was. " I probably knew I was gay even then," Schutt reflects. "But I just didn't want to accept it." *** Schutt is in a talkative mood. It's a fact that wouldn't surprise anyone who knows her well; almost de rigueur for the pace bowler. She was silenced in July though by Australia's semi-final loss to India at the World Cup in England, an outcome that left her "heartbroken". Post-match at the County Ground in Nottingham, Schutt was just one of a
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--1123101620-1509173053-1375775181=:72913 Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti= mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span><br></span= ></div><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;"><span>Hello,<br><br>Got your mail= as regards the vacancy in your estemmed organisation (Picknship European C= ompany based in Poland)<br>=0A=0A</span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>=0A = <w:WordDocument>=0A <w:View>Normal</w:View>=0A <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>=0A <w:= TrackMoves/>=0A <w:TrackFormatting/>=0A <w:PunctuationKerning/>=0A <w:Va= lidateAgainstSchemas/>=0A <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>= =0A <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>=0A <w:AlwaysShowPl= aceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>=0A <w:DoNotPromoteQF/>= =0A <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>=0A <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</= w:LidThemeAsian>=0A <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScri= pt>=0A <w:Compatibility>=0A <w:BreakWrappedTables/>=0A <w:SnapToGridIn= Cell/>=0A <w:WrapTextWithPunct/>=0A <w:UseAsianBreakRules/>=0A <w:Don= tGrowAutofit/>=0A <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>=0A <w:DontVertAlignCellW= ithSp/>=0A <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>=0A <w:DontVertAlignInT= xbx/>=0A <w:Word11KerningPairs/>=0A <w:CachedColBalance/>=0A </w:Compa= tibility>=0A <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>= =0A <m:mathPr>=0A <m:mathFont m:val=3D"Cambria Math"/>=0A <m:brkBin m:= val=3D"before"/>=0A <m:brkBinSub m:val=3D"--"/>=0A <m:smallFrac m:val= =3D"off"/>=0A <m:dispDef/>=0A <m:lMargin m:val=3D"0"/>=0A <m:rMargin = m:val=3D"0"/>=0A <m:defJc m:val=3D"centerGroup"/>=0A <m:wrapIndent m:va= l=3D"1440"/>=0A <m:intLim m:val=3D"subSup"/>=0A <m:naryLim m:val=3D"und= Ovr"/>=0A </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>=0A</xml><![endif]--><table class=3D= "MsoNormalTable" style=3D"mso-cellspacing:0in;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-pad= ding-alt:0in 0in 0in 0in" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0">= <span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </span><tbody><tr style=3D"mso-yfti-= irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes"><span style=3D"font-weig= ht: bold;">=0A </span><td style=3D"padding:0in 0in 0in 0in" valign=3D"top"= ><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A =0A =0A </span><table class=3D"M= soNormalTable" style=3D"mso-cellspacing:0in;mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-paddi= ng-alt:0in 0in 0in 0in" border=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" cellspacing=3D"0"><s= pan style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </span><tbody><tr style=3D"mso-yfti-= irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes"><span style=3D"font-weig= ht: bold;">=0A </span><td style=3D"padding:0in 0in 0in 0in" valign=3D"to= p"><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </span><div class=3D"MsoNormal= " style=3D"line-height:normal"><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;"><span sty= le=3D"font-size:=0A 12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","= ;serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> I a= m a graduate of Enugu State University of Science and=0A Technology wher= e I studied Banking & Finance.</span><span style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weigh= t:normal"><span style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style=3D"font-si= ze:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-far= east-font-family:=0A "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>= </span></div><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </span><div class=3D= "MsoNormal" style=3D"line-height:normal"><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;"= ><span style=3D"font-size:=0A 12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman&q= uot;,"serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""= ><br>=0A I consider myself fit for this job because I am versatile=, creative,=0A innovative, proactive, multilingual and hard working= individual with=0A strong leadership skill. I can easily fit into any o= perating environment=0A with minimal ease.</span><span style=3D"mso-bidi= -font-weight:normal"><span style=3D"mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style= =3D"font-size:12.0pt;=0A font-family:"Times New Roman","s= erif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">=0A </sp= an></span></span></span></div><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </s= pan><div class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"line-height:normal"><span style=3D"fo= nt-weight: bold;"><span style=3D"font-size:=0A 12.0pt;font-family:"= Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times= New Roman""><br>=0A My work experience span through customer= service, business=0A development, sales and marketing. 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style=3D"font-weight: bold;"><span style=3D"font-size:= =0A 12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso= -fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><br>=0A Yours Faithful= ly</span><span style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style=3D"mso-bid= i-font-style:normal"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;=0A font-family:&qu= ot;Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Ti= mes New Roman"">=0A </span></span></span></span></div><span style= =3D"font-weight: bold;">=0A </span><div class=3D"MsoNormal" style=3D"lin= e-height:normal"><b><span style=3D"font-size:=0A 12.0pt;font-family:&quo= t;Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Tim= es New Roman""> Ogbuagu=0A Joy Oreoluwa</span><i><span style= =3D"font-size:=0A 12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","s= erif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><br>=0A = </s= pan></i></b><b style=3D"mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><i style=3D"mso-bidi-f= ont-style:normal"><span style=3D"font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times N= ew 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delegates against conservative challenger Ronald Reagan. Four years later, he worked on Reagan's triumphant presidential campaign. President Ford shakes hands with Ronald Reagan on the closing night of the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City. (Photo: William Fitz-Patrick, Gerald R. Ford Library) After Reagan's victory, Manafort became a founding partner of one of the most influential consulting and lobbying firms in political history: Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly. From congressional campaigns to legislative fights, the firm became involved in many of the biggest political battles of the Reagan and George H.W. Bush presidencies. The "Stone" in the title was Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of Trump. The firm also employed Lee Atwater, the famously aggressive strategist for Bush's victorious campaign in 1988. "They played hardball, but this is a hardball town," said Republican strategist Rich Galen. "If you needed gunslingers, they knew how to shoot." Another name partner, Charles Black, said "we were pretty good at winning campaigns" and "we never did anything below the belt" in working for clients. "You've got to be on offense in political campaigns," Black said. "Someone is rising and someone is falling all the time." Black, who is now backing Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential campaign, praised Manafort's organizing skills, but said he is coming in pretty late to help Trump obtain the delegates he needs. Like Cruz, Kasich is working to block the New York businessman from winning the required majority of convention delegates — 1,237 — to claim the Republican presidential nomination on the first ballot at the July convention in Cleveland. Delegates gradually become unbound on subsequent ballots, enabling them to back other candidates. Former Minnesota congressman Vin Weber, who also backs Kasich, said Manafort is a friend and a "first rate" hire, but he is trying to transform a relatively small Trump campaign organization that has not been designed for a convention fight. "Paul has got to put all this together at once," said Weber, now a partner with Mercury public affairs. Weber also chuckled at the notion that Manafort would accuse the Cruz campaign of underhanded tactics: "If anybody were to ruthlessly exploit the rules — and it was to their advantage — it would be Paul." Kasich has also accused the Cruz campaign of inappropriate delegate tactics. In announcing Manafort's appointment, Trump said "the nomination process has reached a point that requires someone familiar with the complexities involved in the final stages." While Trump has won the most primaries and caucuses this election season, votes in and of themselves do not translate directly to delegates. Each state has its own rules for delegate selection, and how they are bound, or not bound, to certain candidates. That hasn't made much difference in past years because candidates have had their nominations wrapped up well before the conventions. This year, every delegate counts as Trump tries to work his way toward 1,237. Trump currently has 743 delegates to Cruz's 545, according to the Associated Press. But the businessman has less than half the total awarded so far; Kasich has 143 delegates, while former candidate Marco Rubio still controls 171. Despite that, Manafort has said he expects Trump to be the presumptive nominee by mid-May. "It's the process that matters," Manafort told NBC. "If you know how to use the process, the support is there." Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1N5VQ5bGertrude Janeway (née Grubb; July 3, 1909 – January 17, 2003) was one of the last surviving widows of a Union Civil War veteran. Life [ edit ] Gertrude Grubb was born in Blaine, Tennessee and courted by John Janeway beginning when she was 16. Her mother, widowed when Gertrude was only 13, would not allow her to marry until she was 18. She married John Janeway, an officer in the 14th Illinois Cavalry, in 1927 when she was 18 and he 81. The marriage ceremony took place in the middle of a dirt road with family and friends in attendance. They lived together in a log cabin in Blaine, Tennessee, until John Janeway's death in 1937.[1] Pension [ edit ] She was a member of the Green Acres Missionary Baptist Church. Gertrude continued to live in the cabin for nearly 70 years after her husband's death. She received a $70 pension check for veterans' benefits from the government every two months until her death in 2003. On April 9, 2011, The Economist commented on her as an example of the length of pension obligations: "When Gertrude Janeway died in 2003, she was still getting a monthly check for $70 from the Veterans Administration—for a military pension earned by her late husband, John, on the Union side of the American Civil War that ended in 1865. The pair had married in 1927, when he was 81 and she was 18. The amount may have been modest but the entitlement spanned three centuries, illustrating just how long pension commitments can last."[2] See also [ edit ] Maudie Hopkins – last known Confederate war widow (died 2008) Alberta Martin – penultimate Confederate war widow who has been identified (died 2004)Billy Corgan is selling mail-order boxes of paleo and vegan treats. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman has teamed up with food subscription service Farm To People for the limited edition baskets, which feature sprouted hazelnut butter, bourbon smoked sea salt, and chunky coconut raw chocolate bars. Each box costs $129.95. Corgan, who will be personalizing a greeting card for three randomly selected boxes, explained, "All over the country, there are passionate makers creating wholesome, tasty products with real ingredients. By teaming up with Farm To People, I hope to support some of my favourite small businesses, and get their names and delicious products out to a larger community of conscious eaters." The Smashing Pumpkins' eleventh studio album, Day For Night, is expected to be released later this year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Entertainment NewsNew software developed at the University of Waterloo could make it easier to adopt and trust powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems that generate stock market predictions, assess who qualifies for mortgages and set insurance premiums. The software is designed to analyze and explain decisions made by deep-learning AI algorithms, providing key insights needed to satisfy regulatory authorities and give analysts confidence in their recommendations. “The potential impact, especially in regulatory settings, is massive,” said Devinder Kumar, lead researcher and a PhD candidate in systems design engineering at Waterloo. “If you can’t provide reasons for their decisions, you can’t use those state-of-the-art systems right now.” Deep-learning AI algorithms essentially teach themselves by processing and detecting patterns in vast quantities of data. As a result, even their creators don’t know why they come to their conclusions. To develop a program capable of explaining deep-learning AI decisions, researchers first created an algorithm to predict next-day movements on the S & P 500 stock index. That system was trained with three years of historical data and programmed to make predictions based on market information from the previous 30 days. Explanatory software called CLEAR-Trade was then developed to examine those predictions and produce colour-coded graphs and charts highlighting the days and daily factors – index high, low, open and close levels, plus trading volume - most relied on by the AI system. Those insights would enable analysts to use their experience and knowledge of recent world events to determine if deep-learning AI decisions actually make sense or not. “If you’re investing millions of dollars, you can’t just blindly trust a machine when it says a stock will go up or down,” said Kumar, who expects to start field trials of the software within a year. “This will allow financial institutions to use the most powerful, state-of-the-art methods to make decisions.” The ability to explain deep-learning AI decisions is expected to become increasingly important as the technology advances and regulators require financial institutions to provide reasons to the people affected by them. While the stock market was used for development purposes, Kumar said the explanatory software is applicable to predictive deep-learning AI systems in all areas of finance. Kumar, who collaborated with professors Alexander Wong of Waterloo and Graham Taylor of the University of Guelph, will present the research at the two-day Conference on Vision and Imaging Systems at the University of Waterloo at the end of October. About the University of Waterloo University of Waterloo is Canada’s top innovation university. With more than 36,000 students we are home to the world's largest co-operative education system of its kind. Our unmatched entrepreneurial culture, combined with an intensive focus on research, powers one of the top innovation hubs in the world. Find out more at uwaterloo.ca Media Contact Matthew Grant University of Waterloo 226-929-7627 www.uwaterloo.ca/news @uWaterlooNewsThe New York Knicks have emerged as the strong favorite to sign free-agent big man Joakim Noah, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN that multiple teams interested in Noah have all but conceded that the Knicks are his runaway preferred destination. The Knicks' meeting with Noah will be Friday afternoon, league sources said. No deals can be officially signed until July 7, but teams and free agents can start coming to verbal agreements on contracts ‎starting Friday at 12:01 a.m. Noah, a former All-Star center, is scheduled to meet with Knicks president Phil Jackson on Friday, according to sources. Joakim Noah would be reunited with his former Bulls teammate Derrick Rose should he sign with the Knicks. Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images There is significant interest on both sides. Noah, a native New Yorker, had expressed strong interest in signing with the Knicks in recent days, sources say. He is close with Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, his former teammate in Chicago, who said last week that he would like Noah to join him in New York. The Knicks are eager to land a center this offseason. They have prioritized the position in free agency after trading Robin Lopez, last year's starting center, to Chicago in the Rose trade. Noah, 31, is coming off a 2015-16 season filled with injury. He suffered two significant shoulder injuries that limited him to 29 games last season, missing almost a month with a left shoulder tear and undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a left shoulder dislocation in January. He has spent a portion of his summer at The Peak Performance Project in Santa Barbara, California. He has been outspoken in years' past about how much he loves Chicago, and there is still some hope within his camp that he will stay with the Bulls, but the likely option is that Noah will take a big-money deal from a team and look for a new start. "I'm very focused on free agency," Noah said in June, according to international website Sportando. "I spent the last 10 years in Chicago. There were good moments and bad moments, but now I have an incredible opportunity for a player, being recruited by a team. I definitely want to live that kind of experience. It's new for me, but it's something very intriguing for a player." The Knicks have roughly $30 million to spend in free agency and hope to fit Noah into that space while keeping enough room to add a starting shooting guard. Courtney Lee and Eric Gordon are among the guards the Knicks have a level of interest in, sources say. Some members of the Knicks organization expressed optimism earlier in the week about getting an audience with free agent Kevin Durant. But if the club comes to terms quickly with Noah, it's unlikely that it will have the requisite cap space to sign Durant to a max contract. The Knicks are currently not among the teams that have secured a meeting with Durant. Information from ESPN staff writer Nick Friedell was used in this report.Dani Alves has given some advice to the Brazil fans who have criticised Neymar’s displays for the national team. Josep Capdevila Neymar is passing through a similar moment with Brazil that Lionel Messi has long since endured with Argentina. In both countries, the two Barcelona players are criticised for playing better for their clubs than their countries, perhaps forgetting that the problem is the way the national teams play - not the two forwards. Alves, who we know is not afraid to express his opinion, has leapt to Neymar’s defence: “We cannot expect the same performances from Neymar with the national team as with Barça, because the philosophies are not the same. “At Barça, there’s been a philosophy in place for many years which continues to be applied, while here [Brazil] we still have to adapt. But Neymar always has to make the difference and our job is to help him. If we don’t help him, it’ll be more difficult for him, because football is a team sport.” Meanwhile, Alves also spoke about Brazil’s 2-2 draw against Uruguay: “To play two such contrasting halves of football is not fitting for a team with our level of players. “We have to find the balance, we can’t fluctuate so much during games, because if we do, it makes things even more difficult.”MOSCOW (Reuters) - Pipes to build Moscow’s Nord Stream-2 are expected to start being supplied in December or January, in a sign the gas project is going ahead, Ivan Shabalov, owner of Pipe Innovation Technologies (PIT), told the Reuters Russia Investment Summit. Ivan Shabalov, CEO and owner of Pipe Innovation Technologies, attends an interview at the Reuters Russia Investment summit in Moscow, Russia, September 12, 2016. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor The plan, designed to double the capacity of the existing pipeline on the bed of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, has irked the European Union, which is trying to cut the bloc’s dependency on energy supplies from Moscow. Russian natural gas supplies to Europe, where Kremlin-controlled Gazprom (GAZP.MM) owns a 31 percent share of the market, have become increasingly politicized since 2014 when Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region. Although Shabalov’s firm does not supply pipes for Nord Stream-2, one of his companies plans to provide cement coating for some of the pipes which are being used in the project and Gazprom is its customer. Shabalov, who founded his firm in 2006 and also heads the Russian pipemakers association, said he expected construction of Nord Stream-2, which was due to start in 2018, to go ahead as planned as production of the pipes had already begun. “Supplies are seen starting in December-January,” he told the Reuters Investment Summit at the Reuters office in Moscow. Some 2.2 million tonnes of steel pipes will be supplied by Europipe [AGD.UL] GmbH, a consortium which includes Salzgitter (SZGG.DE), with 40 percent of the contract and Russian companies OMK (33 percent) and Chelpipe (CHEP.MM) (27 percent). Last year Gazprom and its European partners, including E.ON (EONGn.DE), Wintershall (BASFn.DE), Shell (RDSa.L), OMV (OMVV.VI) and Engie (ENGIE.PA), agreed on Nord Stream 2, which will double the 55 billion cubic metres per year of the existing pipeline. Demand from Gazprom’s domestic projects will fall to 1.2-1.3 million tonnes of large-diameter pipes (LDP) this year - valuing them at $1.8 billion - from a peak of more than 2 million tonnes in 2015, Shabalov said. Gazprom is seeking to bypass Ukraine, a key transit route for Russian gas to the EU and is also pushing on with the plans to build a gas pipeline to Turkey and beyond to Southern Europe. The company also plans to complete the Power of Siberia pipeline to China in 2019-2020, part of Moscow’s push for closer ties with Asia despite many analysts questioning its economics. “When we built a pipeline to Germany in (the) 1970s, it was not profitable in some respects, this was pure political,” Shabalov said. “The return of projects like this is the beyond the 20 year horizon... The infrastructure project stands out as only the state can venture to build it.” Follow Reuters Summits on Twitter @Reuters_SummitsThe Southern Poverty Law Center is using a novel legal argument in an attempt to address what it describes as gross inequities between public schools serving majority-white and majority-black populations in Mississippi. In a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday, the organization alleges that poor academic outcomes for black students in Mississippi are a direct result of the state’s failure to live up to the terms of its readmission to the Union following the Civil War. The complaint hinges on a 147-year-old law that Congress passed to allow Mississippi to rejoin the Union shortly after the state ratified a new constitution that required, as a prerequisite for an educated public and a functioning democracy, a “uniform system of free public schools” for all citizens, black and white. “Today, Mississippi schools are anything but uniform,” said Will Bardwell, a lawyer at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “If you’re a kid in Mississippi, your chances of getting a good education depend largely on whether your school is mostly white or mostly black. That is not a uniform system.” Congress allowed Mississippi’s readmission in 1870 on the condition that its constitution never be amended in such a way that would deprive citizens of their right to an education. [Judge: Mostly white city may secede from school district, despite racial motive] But since 1870, the constitution has been changed at least four times, starting with a major revision in 1890, as Reconstruction gave way to the era of Jim Crow, according to the complaint. By 1890 the constitution called for separate but equal schools and directed far more tax dollars to white schools that were much better off than black schools, according to the complaint. Each revision since then has watered down the requirement for a uniform system of public schools. Today, the education provision in Mississippi’s constitution gives state lawmakers wide latitude to decide how to run and fund public education, saying that they must provide schools with “such conditions and limitations as the Legislature may prescribe.” The constitution is now an “empty shell of the guarantee that Congress obligated Mississippi to preserve in 1870” and, as a result, the legislature has been able to consistently underfund schools, the complaint says. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the state has violated the terms of the 1870 readmission law. The complaint names a litany of state officials as defendants, including Gov. Phil Bryant (R); House Speaker Philip Gunn (R); the state superintendent of education, Carey Wright; and the chair of the state board of education, Rosemary Aultman. In a statement to The Washington Post, Bryant called the lawsuit “another attempt by the Southern Poverty Law Center to fundraise on the backs of Mississippi taxpayers.” “While the SPLC clings to its misguided and cynical views, we will continue to shape Mississippi’s system of public education into the best and most innovative in America,” Bryant said. While the weaker constitutional language has hurt all students — Mississippi is among the nation’s lowest-performing states on many academic measures — black students have borne the brunt, according to the complaint. [GOP bill could dismantle one of nation’s most robust desegregation efforts] The four plaintiffs represented by the SPLC are black parents whose children attend two overwhelmingly black elementary schools in Jackson and Yazoo City, both with ratings of D. The schools have a higher percentage of inexperienced teachers than the average in their districts and lack enough textbooks to go around, and the facilities are in poor condition, according to the complaint. At each school, only about 10 percent of children are proficient in reading. In contrast, majority-white A-rated schools nearby employ fewer inexperienced teachers than average. They offer plentiful technology and a rich complement of extracurricular activities, and the majority of students are proficient readers. The schools are emblematic of a broader pattern, according to the complaint, which cites state data showing that in schools where at least 70 percent of students are black, the average rating is a D, compared with a B for schools that are at least 70 percent white. Only two other Confederate states — Texas and Virginia — were readmitted on the condition of safeguarding their citizens’ rights to an education, according to the SPLC’s Bardwell. He said he found no evidence that anyone had mounted a similar legal challenge in those states.A debate is raging among free market advocates regarding the proper posture to take with respect to Too Big to Fail (TBTF) banks. This has become an increasingly important issue as the financial sector has grown to take up an unprecedented share of our economy. While cleaving to tried-and-true libertarian defenses of finance as vital to the economy, some of us fear that the machinations of the crony capitalists running the TBTF banks—in cahoots with their allies in the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve—will result in not only another global financial collapse, but a populist anti-capitalist backlash that could destroy what’s left of our free enterprise system. But before we can tackle this problem, we must figure out what is really going on. In all public policy debates, perceptions matter, and public perceptions are often driven by the leading narratives that gain cultural acceptance. Let’s look at what these are. The prevailing narrative on the left is that we are locked in a two-sided conflict pitting greedy capitalists against the working man. Within this narrative noble legislators and wise regulators must accumulate power unto themselves in order to: 1) rein in the capitalists’ depredations; 2) balance the playing field to offset “market failures;” and 3) “invest in the future” to compensate for the shortsightedness of profit-seeking investors. Success requires waging a permanent campaign against corrupt political opponents doing the dirty work of the wicked 1 percent—who if left to their own devices would accumulate all the wealth leaving the 99 percent destitute. The prevailing narrative on the right is that we are locked in a two-sided conflict pitting American business against ham-handed legislators and clueless regulators whose well-intentioned but misguided laws, regulations, taxes, and mandates threaten to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Within this narrative, free market advocates must fight every attempt by tree-hugging Luddites and their socialist fellow travelers to interfere in the free flow of information, goods, and services that are responsible for driving innovation and creating all the wealth the left is trying to redistribute. Failure will leave the working man unemployed, American businesses crippled, and the global economy in perpetual recession. Both of these narratives are oversimplifications, and both contain elements of truth. How can that be? Because they both miss the key point that the battle we are in is actually a three-sided struggle. Why is this important to realize? Because attempts to defend capitalism strictly within the bounds of a two-sided dialectic can only accelerate the emergence of a populist regime that fuses the centralized economic controls of fascism with the income redistribution of socialism. We are already more than halfway there with today’s “mixed economy”—a pale shadow of the laissez faire system that serves as the libertarian ideal. So, who are the three constituencies battling over America’s economic soul? In one corner we have the traditional market capitalists, the bedrock of American exceptionalism and the source of our prosperity. These businesses, both large and small, pursue profits by trying to do a better job than their competitors at pleasing customers. Often referred to by the press as “Main Street,” most market capitalists seek neither special privileges from government nor regulatory shackles for their competitors. In an adjacent corner, claiming a common heritage, are the crony capitalists. These are generally large companies with substantial lobbying operations. Contrary to popular belief, crony capitalists love regulations—especially when they get to write them. Nothing chokes off up-and-coming competitors better than a thicket of incomprehensible and expensive new rules. Crony capitalist enterprises have a well-oiled revolving door that allows their key people to seamlessly enter “government service” (sometimes taking huge severance bonuses with them), while welcoming former bureaucrats, congressional staffers, and elected officials seeking to cash in on their connections. And while crony capitalists have been with us since the friends of Alexander Hamilton cornered the Revolutionary War bond market, never before has their raiding of the public till so focused the public’s attention. This brings us to the third member of the triad—the federal Leviathan. Bloated beyond recognition, the beast in Washington has reached the point where it can only be kept alive using borrowed and printed dollars. Contrary to some Republicans’ small-government rhetoric, both parties have contributed to its growth over the last half century. And neither is doing anything substantive to restore fiscal sanity, as they engage in cosmetic battles that do nothing more than tinker around the edges. Even worse, while Congress claims to maintain oversight, it is no match for the crony capitalists and career bureaucrats who run the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, particularly when they join their corporate brethren to shout “crisis” and demand more of the bailouts that have allowed firms to socialize losses and privatize gains. The Leviathan’s business model is simple: 1) Collect tribute in the form of taxes from market capitalists and redistribute it to favored constituents in return for votes; and 2) collect campaign donations from crony capitalists so that incumbent politicians can remain in office and expand their power. In return for said contributions, those politicians regale their crony capitalist supporters with special favors, including subsidies, tax loopholes, and regulations designed to cripple their competitors. And so the question arises: What are free marketers to do? There is no question that market capitalists deserve our support. But even crony capitalists deserve to be defended against regulatory depredations when these are clearly counterproductive and being used by demagogues like Elizabeth Warren as convenient tools to expand their power base. While coming to their aid can be the right thing to do, it risks doing tremendous damage to the free-market brand. So how do we counteract that? Quite simply, we should not shy away from tarring and feathering any supposed “capitalist” who goes to Washington hat in hand, looking for favors to “save” America’s financial sector, auto industry, “green” energy economy, or what have you. Whether it’s Goldman Sachs, General Motors, or General Electric, we need to shout to anybody who will listen that any one firm imploding will not blow up the economy. Being pro-business is not the same as being pro-market. There is no reason why defending the right of money changers to operate free from onerous regulations should translate into letting the counterfeiters run amok and the temple priests loot the public treasury. Finally, it’s worth noting that the oversimplification of our political landscape into a false right/left dichotomy presents us with an opportunity to better inform members of the general public who are seriously looking for answers, because it partly explains why a record number of our fellow Americans are disengaging from both the Democratic and Republican parties. They are baffled, frightened, and lurching right and left depending on the calamity du jour. Desperate for practical guidance, they are met with demagoguery. Free market advocates have the information and insight they seek, as well as practical solutions that can help guide our nation out of the statist morass it is in. But to do so we must not be afraid to name and shame false practitioners of capitalism whose behavior threatens the entire economy. Are we ready to take up that challenge?As we enter the fall political season, we will hear a great deal of rhetoric from both major political parties and their many candidates for office. It's important for us to remember, however, that words can be made meaningless by misuse or overuse. And when we as citizens allow politicians to obscure the truth by distorting words, we diminish ourselves and our nation. For example, we've all heard politicians use the words "democracy" and "freedom" countless times. They are used interchangeably in modern political discourse, yet their true meanings are very different. They have become what George Orwell termed "meaningless words." Words like "freedom," "democracy," and "justice," Orwell explained, have been abused for so l?ong that their original meanings have been eviscerated. In Orwell's view, such words were "often used in a consciously dishonest way." Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language. As just one example, Americans have been conditioned to accept the word "democracy" as a synonym for freedom. Thus we are conditioned to believe that democracy is always and everywhere benevolent. The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with freedom. While our Constitution certainly features certain democratic mechanisms, it also features inherently undemocratic mechanisms like the First Amendment and the Electoral College. America is a constitutional republic, not a democracy. Yet we've been bombarded with the meaningless word "democracy" for so long that few Americans understand the difference. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom or liberty − regardless of the issue being discusse − ask yourself whether he is advocating more government force or less. The words "liberal" and "conservative" have also been abused. "Liberalism," which once stood for civil, political and economic liberties, has become a synonym for omnipotent coercive government. Liberalism has been redefined to mean liberation from material wants, always via a large and benevolent government that exists to create equality on earth. "Conservatism," meanwhile, once meant respect for tradition and distrust of active government. But in recent decades conservatism has been redefined as support for big-government grandiosity via military adventurism, corporatism and inflationary monetary policy. The modern political right has redefined conservatism into support for an all-powerful central state, provided that the state furthers supposedly conservative goals. Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. Our task, therefore, is to reclaim our language and reclaim our liberties. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us. You don’t have to play by the rules of the corrupt politicians, manipulative media, and brainwashed peers. When you subscribe to The Daily Bell, you also get a free guide: How to Craft a Two Year Plan to Reclaim 3 Specific Freedoms. This guide will show you exactly how to plan your next two years to build the free life of your dreams. It’s not as hard as you think… Identify. Plan. Execute. Yes, deliver THE DAILY BELL to my inbox!The lying campaign on Russian hacking 31 December 2016 On Thursday, US President Barack Obama announced a series of measures targeting Russia, presented as retaliation for alleged cyber attacks carried out by the government of Vladimir Putin. The moves include the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the imposition of economic sanctions against Russian intelligence agencies and officials. The media, led by the New York Times, praised the actions, with the Times declaring in a lead editorial that “there should be no doubt about the correctness of President Obama’s decision to retaliate against Russia for hacking American computers and trying to influence the 2016 presidential election.” The US media does not see fit to mention that the government making the accusations against Russia runs the world’s largest hacking and cyber espionage program, the aim of which, according to documents released by Edward Snowden, is to collect or hack all the data in the world, under the slogan “Collect it all… Exploit it all.” This is the government that, with Israel, created and released the Stuxnet worm to attack Iran, and was shown to have tapped the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and spied on Internet connections at the United Nations. As for “influencing” the elections of other countries, a history of the covert operations by the US and its intelligence agencies to manipulate political events, swing elections and overthrow elected governments around the world would comprise several volumes. It does not take a great deal of imagination to surmise that Russia, like any other country, carries out espionage over the Internet. But in this case, the allegations that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Committee are unsubstantiated. Neither the White House, nor the US intelligence agencies, nor the media, nor any private security firm has produced any information that would lead an impartial person with basic knowledge of communications technology to conclude that Russia carried out a major cyber attack against the United States. In his statement announcing the moves against Russia, Obama declared, “In October, my administration publicized our assessment that Russia took actions intended to interfere with the US election process.” Obama was referring, in a deliberately vague manner, to a statement published October 7 by James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, declaring that “the Intelligence Community… is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from US persons and institutions, including from US political organizations.” The aim of Clapper’s statement, issued in the run-up to the November election, was to discredit the revelations published by WikiLeaks that the Democratic National Committee rigged the primary process to secure the victory of Hillary Clinton over her challenger for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders. Clapper’s statement, a mere three paragraphs in length, like all of the allegations by the White House on this issue, was characterized by its generality and lack of specific details. Its use of the term “confident” is highly significant, as it denotes a lower level of conviction than the word “certain.” Simultaneously with Obama’s statement on Thursday, Clapper’s Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report on alleged Russian hacking in the 2016 election. The document contains no specific allegations, much less evidence, of attempts to access confidential data. Given that the actual content of the document is so scanty, it is not surprising that the statement hedges its findings, declaring, “The US Government can confirm that the Russian government, including Russia’s civilian and military intelligence services, conducted many of the activities generally described by a number of… security companies.” The facts laid out in the document released by Clapper are so weak that the New York Times’ lead article on Friday was forced to point out that the evidence in the report “fell short of anything that would directly tie senior officers of the GRU or the FSB [Russian intelligence agencies]… to a plan to influence the election.” Why then, in the absence of any evidence, does the New York Times declare, “It would have been irresponsible for [Obama] to leave office next month and allow President Vladimir Putin to think that he could with impunity try to undermine American democracy.” That there are no facts to justify such retaliation does not concern the “newspaper of record.” This is because it, like the rest of the US media, does not serve to question or check the false assertions of the US government, but rather to propagate them. There are echoes in the present campaign of the Bush administration’s false claims of “weapons of mass destruction” that were used to launch the war in Iraq in 2003. Then, as now, the Times and other publications not only repeated and amplified the administration’s lies, but actively developed a false narrative of events as part of the government’s propaganda effort to justify war. Obama’s latest actions are part of an extended anti-Russian campaign by the White House and the New York Times, which has been accelerated by the collapse of the US-backed regime-change effort in Syria. This campaign takes place in the context of substantial divisions within the American state over the target of US military aggression. The faction for which the New York Times speaks is seeking a more direct intervention against Russia, while President-elect Donald Trump and the section of the state with which he is aligned see a conflict with Russia as a distraction from the real enemy: China. To this end, the Obama administration has sought to create new “facts on the ground” before leaving office that would lead the Trump administration into a confrontation with Russia. Earlier this month, the White House announced that it was accelerating the deployment of 4,000 US/NATO troops to the Russian border, meaning they will be in place by the time the new administration takes office. Alongside this military buildup, the White House, the Times and much of the American media have sought to whip up the most hysterical anti-Russian campaign since the 1940s and early 1950s—carrying with it the stench of that period’s McCarthyite witch-hunts. The main concern of the Times, as spelled out in an editorial published four days after Trump’s election, is to ensure that the incoming administration does not “go soft on Russia.” Andre Damon Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Please enable Javascript to watch this video RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)--It you watched or were at Wednesday night’s VCU ramming of the UR Spiders, you saw plenty of Ram shirts on the wildly cheering fans in the stands. But very few Ram hats. Even though Virginia Commonwealth University has really pushed out – and is seriously cashing in on – Ram fan shirts and sweats and Ts since its B-ball team has become a national contender, but there aren’t any wacky Ram hats to represent the havoc on the court. A key member of Richmond’s world-famous shock rock band GWAR – a band largely born out of VCU’s Art Department – believes the Shaka faithful could use some new lids as feisty as the team. “It’s just a fan item for Ram fans, because everyone loves the Rams these days,” said Bob Gorman, donning the foam rubber Rams hat, complete with horns and a menacing snout. Gorman is shop foreman and secretary of Slave Pit Inc., the parent company GWAR. He’s also one of the key stage characters in the band’s humorous shock-rock performances. “Oh, I play all kinds of stuff,” he quipped. “I’m the most murdered man in show biz.” The Grammy-nominated outfit, which also produces videos, comic books and other art, has become proficient in making foam rubber costumes and props, including mock-ups of any number of key political, religious, military and pop-culture figures who are routinely “massacred” during GWAR shows. Like the core members of the large musical troupe, Gorman attended VCU, and has relished the Rams growing fame. But he also noticed the lack of Ram-worthy hats, so he fellow Slave Pit artist Matt McGuire went to work making the molds for the intricately designed headgear. The Ram hats, which can also serve as head protection for rowdy fans, will be selling in a week or so, for somewhere in the neighborhood of $35, perhaps more. Gorman said they be available on vcuramnation.com. Dave Brockie, the well-known lead singer of GWAR, joked that “this is our latest di
You can’t say something else; you’ve got to say: the Son of man, because that’s a reference that’s extremely important because it refers to Jesus. Now let’s see how the New Revised Standard Version translates this text. I already mentioned that it’s perfectly okay when they say, “Look down from heaven and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted,” right? Then they even do put the note in: “And upon the one whom you made strong for yourself.” But they say, “the one whom you made strong for yourself.” In Hebrew and Greek, it says, “the man that you have made strong for yourself.” It doesn’t say the one; it says the man. Then it continues: “And let your hand be upon the one,” it says here in RSV; it says “man” in Hebrew in Greek. “And the one whom you made strong for yourself. Again, in Greek and in Hebrew both, it says, “the Son of man whom you have made strong for yourself.” So it’s the Son of man who is seated at the right hand; it’s the Son of man whom he made strong for himself. Then we will never turn back from you. Give us life, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts, let your face shine, that we may be saved. But they removed the term man and Son of man. Three times it’s there, and it’s removed. It says the one in every case. Well, it’s not the one; it’s the Son of man. It’s the Son of man, and the Son of man is a very, very, very important biblical concept. It’s so central that Jesus uses that term for himself consistently in the New Testament. But if you read this New Revised Standard in the Old Testament, you would never even know that the word “Son of man” is there—because it’s not there! It says: “the one.” Another example from the New Revised Standard: the first psalm. The first psalm says: “Blessed is the man.” Orthodox are familiar with this; it’s sung at every Saturday vespers and at big feast days. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. Well, it can sound like it’s “Blessed is the human being.” But here, in Hebrew and in Greek, the word is aner, not anthropos. It means a male human being. It literally means in English a man, not a woman, and not just a person. So it can’t say, “Blessed is the person.” It means the man. Again, our Tradition interprets that as referring to Jesus. The only man who is blessed… ...who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted… All of this wants to say that it’s not just any old male man; it’s the One who in the Psalter, the righteous man in the Psalter, is constantly and consistently interpreted in our Church as referring to Jesus. Now let’s listen to what the New Revised Standard says. Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers, but their delight is the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water… The whole psalm is put in the plural, not the singular, and it says they, not the man, which means this can refer to anybody. The point is: was it meant to refer to anybody? Well, ultimately it has to refer to everybody, because everybody has to live the way Jesus lived. Everybody who believes in Jesus is graced by God and the Holy Spirit to be blessed the way he is blessed. But we are blessed because of him, so these are not generic statements about humanity or human beings. The Son of man is a biblical title. So that’s places where you cannot play with that. You cannot change those kind of things. When you try to be inclusive and so on, you can simply ruin the text. The New Revised Standard Version may be sounding nice and generally applicable and so on, but it is not a translation. It is not a rendering of what the text actually says. Sometimes the text says hard things, and sometimes the text says specific things. Sometimes the text refers to one male human being and not to humankind in general. So when you have aner, it’s got to be a male human being. When you have anthropos, then it is human beings. Certainly we can translate human beings as persons or as humanity, the human race; it’s very possible when that is what is said in Hebrew and Greek, but when that is not said, you’ve got to translate what is said. And when it says in the old scriptural texts—Ezekiel, Daniel, the psalms—the Son of man, then it’s got to be the Son of man. When it says aner, a male human being, then you’ve got to use an English word that would refer to a male human being. And you can’t put in plural what is there in singular. Sometimes it could be better. Instead of saying, “God loves the righteous,” you could say, “God loves the righteous people” or something. Probably the meaning would be the same. But here you’ve got to be really careful again, really careful, not only to language and grammar and syntax, but to what the words actually say, and, even more important, what they mean, to whom they refer. So I think that the New Revised Standard Version is just too much of a paraphrase. It’s just too much of a change of language. It is not something that is helpful at all. Then you have other things in the New Revised Standard where you have the word for spirit could be breath and it could be spirit, but it could also be wind. If you use breath of God, that would be fine; it wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t want to say spirit: maybe you want to say breath because maybe in Hebrew ruach means breath more than spirit. But the New Revised Standard Version, this is what it says: In the beginning when God created the heaven and the earth, the earth was formless, void, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. “A wind from God.” Now, again, to be fair, the footnote says, “While the spirit of God” or “while a mighty wind,” but they could have also said, “the breath of God.” They don’t refer to that here. But it’s very different to have the breath of God or the spirit of God than to have a wind from God. The wind from God: is God producing wind or passing wind or something? It’s terrible even to think! You can’t just do it when you have a kind of a bias against you might say traditional orthodoxy, so every time you get a chance you can choose the translation that seems to be more against what was classically believed—that’s not very good, but it does show a certain theological tendency. Here I would just simply say, point-blank, don’t bother with the New Revised Standard Version at all, unless you’re a biblical scholar and you want to see what people are doing or you want to read how it’s said. But even if you go to the New Revised Standard Version, just as another version just kind of to be edified, I would say be extremely careful and do not ever just read it alone. Read it with the old Revised Standard or the old King James, even, but don’t read it with a paraphrase; don’t read it with Bible for Modern Man or something like that. I would say even the New International Version sometimes even betrays Evangelical tendencies and so on. But in any case, we are folks who know English and are stuck with translations. So we’ve got to find various translations and use them, but I personally think the best is still the old Revised Standard Version with the footnotes. It’s the clearest, it’s the most theologically sound, it gives good notes, and it’s not very dangerous. But others, like paraphrases, like Living Bible or Good News, they’re not acceptable. And the New Revised is, I think, just too liberalized to the point where it just simply distorts the text. May God help us all in all of this, but it’s a good thing to delve into. But when all is said and done, and the end result is we still thank God that the Bible is not a Quran. It is not a text dictated by God that fell from heaven, that if you don’t get the right text you’re in big, huge trouble. Thanks be to God, we’re liberated from such a curse. We have the living faith of the Church, we have the canon of faith, we have the totality of Scripture, we have Scripture scholars who can help us, we have Church Fathers and Mothers and saints who interpret. We have Greek texts, we have Hebrew texts, we have English translations. We can use all of this for God’s glory and for our salvation—but be careful. We must be careful. Of course, the greatest care would be to read the holy Scriptures in Greek—when they’re written in Greek, and some of the Old Testament is written in Greek—to read the Hebrew that we have available to us if we can, or find people who can to tell us and share their knowledge with us; to read the Septuagint in Greek—that’s what the Church uses liturgically—read English translations of the Septuagint—there’s several of them—and just deal with it all. But we’ve got to read it. If we are literate, we’ve got to go to church and hear it. If we go to church and hear it, it’s got to be a particular text, somebody’s got to read it well, it’s got to be a well-chosen text, well-rendered. It should be consistent, it should be familiar, and we should delve into it and make ourselves what Fr. Florovsky called a scriptural mind. But we should also be aware it’s not a Quran, and we should also be aware that we are at the mercy of human beings, and we are at the mercy of translations, even translation from Hebrew to Greek. And we are at the mercy of variant texts, whether they are of the Old Testament or of the New, whether they’re Hebrew or Greek. There are variations, and we have to face it and live with it. And we can, and it’s not a problem; it’s not a problem at all, because God Almighty will guide us, if we’re pure at heart, if we’re praying, if we’re reading with an open mind, if we want to glorify God, if we want to delve into the meaning—God Almighty himself will see that that is given to us. But we have to use our brain, we have to use our mind, we have to use what God has given us, and what he’s given us are texts and translations of texts, and men have given this to us, too. We thank God for the work that they’ve done: lexicons, dictionaries, various translations, footnotes. We thank God for it all, but thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend on this alone. In some sense it does not depend on it at all except in the context of the entire faith of the Church as a whole, the ongoing, living tradition of preaching, teaching, worshiping, praying, and living a holy, sacred life, and following the holy people who brought all this to us and translated it for us and commented and explained it to us as well. May God’s holy name be praised, and may we keep and love his holy word, Jesus Christ himself, and the incarnation of the word in various words in various languages.Share. Filmmaker is a busy man. Filmmaker is a busy man. Director F. Gary Gray is reportedly in contention to helm one of Marvel’s Phase 3 movies. According to Variety, Marvel could be eyeing the Straight Outta Compton director for Black Panther. Gray did say he would “love to direct a superhero movie” in an interview in with BlackTree TV in August. Gray remains in high demand as it was reported earlier today that he is a finalist to direct The Fast and the Furious 8. This isn’t the first time Gray has been connected to a Marvel film. Back in 2012, was being considered to helm Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Marvel appeared to have settled on Ava Duvernay (Selma) to direct Black Panther, but she passed on the project due to “creative differences.” She later expanded on why she passed on the Marvel film, citing the “sheer commitment involved” as a factor. Black Panther is due to open in July 2018. Exit Theatre Mode Michael Martin is a full-time freelance writer with way too many pop culture mash-up t-shirts to count. Follow him on Twitter @Bizarro_Mike.ORLANDO, Fla. — A school board in Florida has voted to ban all religious materials from being distributed in public schools after a New York-based Satanist group As previously reported, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) learned in 2013 that the Christian ministry World Changes had made Bibles available to Orlando high school students on “Religious Freedom Day.” To counter the Bible distribution, FFRF sought permission from the school district to give students a variety of atheistic and anti-Christian materials. According to reports, the Orange County School Board permitted FFRF to distribute several books and pamphlets, including a booklet entitled “What’s Wrong With The Ten Commandments?” and a brochure entitled “What Is An Atheist?” However, the board prohibited FFRF from giving students several other publications, citing the materials’ “disruptive” and inappropriate content. FFRF promptly sued the school board for not allowing the distribution of the materials, and eventually it complied with the organization’s demands. In July, a district judge officially dismissed the FFRF lawsuit, thus giving the green light to the in-school distribution of atheistic materials. Following the decision, the New York-based Satanic Temple announced last September that it would likewise distribute its publications to area schools so that it can have its equal time before students. “I am quite certain that all of the children in these Florida schools are already aware of the Christian religion and it’s Bible, and this might be the first exposure these children have to the actual practice of Satanism,” spokesperson Lucien Greaves wrote in a press release about the matter. “We think many students will be very curious to see what we offer.” One of the items that the group sought to distribute was The Satanic Children’s Big Book of Activities, which includes a coloring page that features “Annabel’s study filled with Satanic literature and philosophy,” a pentagram connect the dots complete with a goat’s head, and a secret code that reads “Satana Blessed Be.” Connect with Christian News Follow @4christiannews But the Orange County School board said in November that the distribution policy was being abused through these efforts and had become a distraction to the learning environment. It then moved to consequently ban the distribution of all religious materials in order to end the competition between the various groups. “This really has, frankly, gotten out of hand,” Orange County Chairman Bill Sublette told reporters. “I think we’ve seen a group or groups take advantage of the open forum we’ve had. … In my office alone I had received close to 11,000 emails in one period on this issue, and it gives you an idea of the level of disruption it was causing.” “Everyone’s upset about the Satanists and the atheists coming,” added board member Christine Moore. The board consequently decided to put a halt to all requests from outside groups until the distribution policy is revised. On Tuesday, the Orange County School Board officially voted 7-1 to ban all religious materials from being distributed in public schools within the district. Christians groups state that they are disappointed with the move. “If my client is turned away because my client is a religious organization, then I think we’ll have grounds to sue the school board based on an unconstitutional policy,” Roger Gannam of the Christian legal organization Liberty Counsel told WFTV. But the board said that it is not concerned about legal challenges. “This board has been fully briefed on the legal issues,” Sublett stated.Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday upgraded its existing unlimited calling schemes by adding 3GB free 4G data, worth up to Rs 9,000, for non-users of its 4G services. "Customers will get free 3GB data every month till December 31, 2017 with select prepaid and postpaid packs under this offer. This free data benefit will be over and above the pack or plan benefits," Bharti Airtel said in a statement. Under the scheme, Airtel will offer free data for 12 months, worth up to Rs 9,000, to customers who switch to Airtel 4G network. "The 12 months offer is available to any customer with a 4G mobile handset that is currently not on the Airtel network. Any customer, including existing Airtel customers, upgrading to a new 4G handset can also avail this offer," the statement said. This offer will be available to customers across India starting tomorrow and will close on February 28, 2017. "We are inviting customers to experience 4G through the year on India's fastest network. We are seeing increasing penetration of 4G handsets across the country and believe that this attractive offer will provide an opportunity to more and more customers to enjoy high speed broadband on their devices with Airtel," Bharti Airtel Director Market Operations Ajai Puri said. For pre-paid customers, Airtel offers unlimited calling to any network in the country and 1 GB of 4G data for Rs 345. Any customers switching to Airtel 4G, will now get free local and STD calls and 4GB data. Post paid customers with any 4G mobile handset who are not on the Airtel network or upgrading to a new 4G device, will now get 3GB free data per month, with all MyPlan Infinity plans. "This is in addition to regular plan benefits which includes unlimited free voice calling - Local/STD/Roaming, generous bundles of data, free SMS and free subscription to Wynk Music and Wynk Movies," the statement said.For anyone who uses a computer of virtually any kind, my highest recommendation is Logitech Trackman m570, the newest thumb controlled trackball. Mice have been the prevalent input device for computers. Now with laptops out-pacing desktops, touchpads are becoming the dominant device. In my opinion we are going from bad (mouse) to worse (touchpad). I first started using a trackball a year or so after using a mouse (early 90s). Over the years both mice and trackballs kept improving, becoming more comfortable, more accurate, and less error prone. One of the biggest improvements to the mouse was an optical sensor which replaced the ball (yes, mice used to have a ball on the bottom of them). This greatly increased the life from a year or so to several years. However trackballs continued to improve as well, going from the some-what clumsy finger driven (arcade game style big ball in middle design) to fast and efficient thumb driven. Then getting more and more comfortable and ergonomic, optical, and now laser driven. Now more then ever before I believe a good quality thumb driven trackball is essential to anyone who uses a computer for more then 20 minutes at a time. With the majority of work being shifted to laptops / notebooks / netbooks this is even more important. The lack of efficiency, ergonomics, comfort and speed of touchpads are self evident. Look at your hand on a touchpad and see if that is a normal position for your hand and fingers to be in. Combine this awkward and dangerous artificial position with longterm use, and besides high probability of strain, productivity efficiency is at a minimum. Since laptops are moved around, and on different surfaces often, a mouse is not always even an improvement (or possible). Here are some of the strength a trackball provides: - Small footprint (set it down, that's it, no moving, dragging, or slding required) - Lap, couch, floor, edge of laptop case, etc. No problem (flat surface or even space is not required) - Substantially decreased exposure to RSS (Repetitive Strain Syndrome) + Only thumb and occasionally fingers move leaving hand, arm, wrist & elbow relaxed - Relaxed fit, smooth operation, efficient to use + from small screens to more then 6 large screens - Easy to carry, micro leave-in receiver battery lasts over a year - Can be used for hours without cramping - Looks and feels amazing Okay, that list could keep on going, and once you start using a trackball (for more then a week) I'm positive you will wonder how you lived without (and never want to be without it again)! So if you are willing to try and see if it is as great as I am saying it is, then here are two import things to know (What kind to get, and How to make the switch): 1. What kind to get (and what kind not to get) and why. There are almost as many kinds of trackballs as there are mice. The thumb driven trackballs are the most accurate, easiest to become effeiciant on, and have the best ergonics for prolonged use. There are only two thumb driven trackballs to consider, and Logitech makes them both. They are: A - The new Logitech Trackball m570 - Portable / mobile use - Has USB micro leave-in receiver - Included AA Battery lasts up to 18 months - Works up to 30 ft away - Here are the main advantages over the older optical corded one: + This one is much more precise + Reception is incredible, even on a desktop + Accuracy and acceleration is executed perfectly (meaning I can travel long distances faster & when moving slowly it is pixal accurate, both at the same time) + The design is more comfortable B - The older Logitech Trackman (corded version) - I would only consider this one if money is a HUGE factor! + m570 is far superior in every way (movement, accuracy, front & back buttons, etc.). - Corded for desktop use (no batteries) - No batteries, no troubleshooting, always works if plugged in - Costs less - 4.5 Stars out of 5 from Amazon.com with over 715 reviews! - After using the above m570 on my desktop for a few days: + I no longer recommend this trackball. + I leave it here because it is the 2nd best trackball available 2. How to make the switch from a mouse / touchpad successfully - Plug in new trackball. - Install the software if you want the advanced acceleration and customizable buttons (the software is not required otherwise) - Adjust sensitivity as needed. You may be returning to adjust it some more once you use it more. - VERY IMPORTANT. Unplug your old mouse, and put it in an different room (yes seriously), you will not learn how to use a trackball by using a mouse! Really that's all it takes. Just start using it. It will seem slow, awkward maybe even a bit frustrating at first. After an hour or so, it should start to feel more natural, and the cursor will start to go where you need it on the first try. After a day or two, you will reach the speed and efficiency you had with a mouse, and would have already passed that of a touch pad. After a week, well, congratulations! Welcome to the world of efficiency like you've never felt before. I have yet to recommend these two trackballs and have someone tell me after a week of use, that they went back to a mouse. I've never had it happen! Once you hit this landmark, you will never want to use a mouse again. Really it's that great of an experience. However, don't worry, no matter how long you go without using a mouse, if you ever need to use one again (on someone else's computer, for example) you will be just a good as ever. Similar to riding a bike, you will always have the skill and capability to be efficient on a mouse. On that note, I have yet to see anyone that is efficient on a touchpad, and what do the majority of laptop users go with? You guessed it, the touchpad. For my full review see: "double u" "double u" "double u" "dot" "G" "o" "o" "dot" "g" "l" "forward slash" "mIRIo" goo.gl/mIRIo Read morePower brokers return to Europe for annual confab Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com March 31, 2014 The 2014 meeting of the Bilderberg Group – a secretive organization of global power brokers – will take place in Denmark at the end of May. The announcement was made today on the official ‘Bilderberg Meetings’ website, which states simply, “The 62nd Bilderberg meeting will take place at the end of May 2014 in Denmark.” No city or hotel has yet been identified as the location of the meeting, although the group always holds its conferences at luxury resorts either in or nearby major cities or exclusive remote tourist resorts. The 2014 confab marks Bilderberg’s first return to Scandinavia since the group met in Sweden in 2001 and the first time the conference has been held in Denmark since 1969. The elitist organization, which meets on an annual basis in either Europe, the United States or Canada, is comprised of some of the most powerful heavyweights of industry, banking, politics, royalty, academia and technology. Last year, the likes of Jeff Bezos, Timothy Geithner, Christine Lagarde, Henry Kissinger, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, and British Prime Minister David Cameron were all in attendance. While the mainstream media habitually fails to afford Bilderberg the press coverage it demands – characterizing the group as a mere “talking shop” – innumerable examples of the organization having a direct impact on global policy have been documented in recent years, leading to charges that the group is fundamentally undemocratic in nature. This has led to bigger and bigger anti-Bilderberg demonstrations in recent years, including last year in Watford, UK when thousands of people attended an event that was held in the grounds of the Grove Hotel, where Bilderberg was holding its meeting. Prior to last year’s meeting, Infowars reporters who had booked to stay at the Grove Hotel days before Bilderberg members arrived had their reservations canceled due to unspecified “security” concerns. In 2010, former NATO Secretary-General and Bilderberg member Willy Claes’ admitted that Bilderberg attendees are mandated to implement policy decisions that are formulated during the meeting. There are innumerable other examples of how Bilderberg has influenced major global events ahead of time, picking Presidents and Prime Ministers on a regular basis with total contempt for the democratic process. Last year, Italian lawyer Alfonso Luigi Marra requested that the Public Prosecutor of Rome investigate the clandestine organization for criminal activity, questioning whether the group’s 2011 meeting in Switzerland led to the selection of Mario Monti as Prime Minister of Italy. In 2009, Bilderberg chairman Étienne Davignon even bragged about how the Euro single currency was a brainchild of the Bilderberg Group. Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71 FOLLOW Paul Joseph Watson @ https://twitter.com/PrisonPlanet ********************* Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Infowars.com and Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a host for Infowars Nightly News. This article was posted: Monday, March 31, 2014 at 9:21 am Print this page. Infowars.com Videos: Comment on this articleImage copyright Reuters Image caption Police were deployed at the Gamela reserve after the attack The head of Brazil's indigenous rights agency, Funai, has been sacked, days after a brutal attack in which at least 10 indigenous people were hurt. The official, Antonio Costa, complained that Funai was left powerless after its budget was cut by more than 40%. He said he had been dismissed "for being honest" and for defending the rights of Brazil's indigenous peoples. The assault in the northern state of Maranhao was carried out by farmers and landowners, the authorities said. "I refused to employ [for jobs at Funai] 20 people who were recommended by the government's leader in Congress, Andre Moura, but who've never seen an indigenous person in their lives," Mr Costa wrote on WhatsApp. He later told journalists that he "would never employ people at the agency who have no commitment to indigenous causes". Better management The government rejected Mr Costa's comments. "Considering the high priority the government gives to indigenous matters, the agency requires a more agile and efficient management, which we didn't have," read a statement issued by Justice Minister Oscar Serraglio. Image copyright EPA Image caption Protesters carried coffins in Brasilia last week at a demonstration that ended in violence The crisis comes as human rights organisations warn of an alarming rise in assaults on indigenous groups in Brazil. They say government cuts in the budgets of environmental enforcement agencies will worsen the situation. Last week, members of indigenous groups clashed with riot police in the capital, Brasilia. Thousands gathered in front of the Congress building to demand more land rights and protest against the encroachment of their land by loggers and farmers. Campaigners say 13 indigenous people died in land conflicts last year.CSS Grid is revolutionizing web design. It’s a flexible, simple design standard that can be used across all browsers and devices. Designers and developers are rapidly falling in love with it and so are we. That’s why we’ve been working hard on the Firefox Developer Tools Layout panel, adding powerful upgrades to the CSS Grid Inspector and Box Model. The latest improvements are now available in Firefox Nightly. Layout Panel Improvements The new Layout Panel lists all the available CSS Grid containers on the page and includes an overlay to help you visualize the grid itself. Now you can customize the information displayed on the overlay, including grid line numbers and dimensions. This is especially useful if you’re still getting to know CSS Grid and how it all works. There’s also a new interactive grid outline in the sidebar. Mouse over the outline to highlight parts of the grid on the pages and display size, area, and position information. The new “Display grid areas” setting shows the bounding areas and the associated area name in every cell. This feature was inspired by CSS Grid Template Builder, which was created by Anthony Dugois. Finally, the Grid Inspector is capable of visualizing transformations applied to the grid container. This lets developers accurately see where their grid lines are on the page for any grids that are translated, skewed, rotated or scaled. Improved Box Model Panel We also added a Box Model Properties component that lists properties that affect the position, size and geometry of the selected element. In addition, you’ll be able to see and edit the top/left/bottom/right position and height/width properties—making live layout tweaks quick and easy. Finally, you’ll also be able to see the offset parent for any positioned element, which is useful for quickly finding nested elements. As always, we want to hear what you like or don’t like and how we can improve Firefox Dev Tools. Find us on Discourse or @firefoxdevtools on twitter. Thanks to the Community Many people were influential in shipping the CSS Layout panel in Nightly, especially the Firefox Developer Tools and Developer Relations teams. We thank them for all their contributions to making Firefox awesome. We also got a ton of help from the amazing people in the community, and participants in programs like Undergraduate Capstone Open Source Projects (UCOSP) and Google Summer of Code (GSoC). Many thanks to all the contributors who helped land features in this release including: Micah Tigley – Computer science student at the University of Lethbridge, Winter 2017 UCOSP student, Summer 2017 GSoC student. Micah implemented the interactive grid outline and grid area display. Alex Lockhart – Dalhousie University student, Winter 2017 UCOSP student. Alex contributed to the Box Model panel with the box model properties and position information. Sheldon Roddick – Student at Thompson Rivers University, Winter 2017 UCOSP student. Sheldon did a quick contribution to add the ability to edit the width and height in the box model. If you’d like to become a contributor to Firefox Dev Tools hit us up on GitHub or Slack or #devtools on irc.mozilla.com. Here you will find all the resources you need to get started.Share The midrange handset business is heating up. Alcatel has made plenty of attempts to offer decent phones at excellent price tags – but more often than not it seems like there are better options out there. After recently reviewing the Idol 5S, for example, we found that you were better off going for the Lenovo Moto G5S Plus or Huawei Honor 6X, both excellently-reviewed phones, and top of their price range. Now, Alcatel is back again with the Alcatel Idol 5, which, unlike naming conventions suggest, was released after the Idol 5S, and brings a slightly different design along with a few new features – all at the same $280 price tag. Better yet, it’s on sale right now for as little as $150. Even at that price, though, there’s some serious competition – like the Lenovo Moto G5S, and the excellent Honor 7X. We put the Idol 5 to the test, to see if it can lure budget smartphone fans away from Motorola and Huawei. Good design with a few quirks While flagship phones often place an emphasis on beautiful design, midrange devices are generally more functional than beautiful. Thankfully, however, the Alcatel Idol 5 isn’t a bad-looking device – though there are a few design quirks preventing perfection. The display comes in at 5.2-inches with a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel resolution, and in general use it looks pretty good. It’s quite bright, which means it’s legible, even in direct sunlight. It’s sharp, too, so during day to day use you won’t notice any pixelization – though we’ll take a deeper look at that when we examine the phone’s VR capabilities. The design of the Idol 5 is unique, and in this case that’s not a bad thing. It’s unique because of things like the metal frame, which curves over the top and bottom of the phone and houses components like the loud, clear dual front-facing speakers. It’s the same overall look you’ll find in the Idol 5S and the Idol 4S before it – and we like it. Unlike the Idol 5S, the phone is made largely from metal. That means that in a battle against the pavement the phone is likely to fare a little better than its glass-backed predecessor, though we did like that the glass back helped give the Idol 5S a little more sheen and prestige. Also on the back is a camera and flash, both in the top left-hand corner, and the Alcatel and Cricket Wireless logos, along with two antenna lines that curve around the top and bottom of the phone, iPhone-style. The Alcatel Idol 5 isn’t a bad-looking device – though there are a few design quirks preventing perfection. Buttons and ports are somewhat uniquely placed as well, and that presented a mixed bag of experiences. On the left of the phone is the power button, and the downside of it being placed there is that it’s easy to accidentally hit the volume rocker with your thumb while you press the power button with your pointer. You’ll also get Alcatel’s programmable “Boom Key,” which was previously only found on the Idol 4S, and can be programmed depending on what you want to use it for. On the bottom is an off-center USB-C port and a headphone jack. The port being off-center looks slightly awkward and actually presented some functional issues – like the fact that the port was covered up when in my car phone mount, so I couldn’t plug it in. Having the port on-center may not be unique, but sometimes there are good reasons for everyone doing the same thing. There is one thing missing here and that’s a fingerprint sensor. Unlike other great phones in this price range, you’ll have to use your PIN code to access the phone, which may be a little frustrating for some. Alcatel Idol 5 Compared To Overall, the phone looks good. It’s not flagship-quality design, but it’s also not an ugly device by any means. Still, we would have liked the power button to be in a more helpful location, and the USB-C port to be centered along the back. A fingerprint sensor would have been nice too – and the lack of one puts other midrange phones, like the Moto G5S Plus and Honor 7X, ahead. There’s also no water-resistance – though that’s to be expected in this price bracket. Decent specs to handle the day-to-day Under the hood, the Idol 5 offers a MediaTek MT6753 chip coupled with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage – specs that may be a little limited, but are powerful enough to handle most every-day tasks with ease. It is interesting that Alcatel has chosen to go for a MediaTek chip here – the previous Idol 5 and the Idol 4S both offered processors from Qualcomm, and most competitors also stick with the Qualcomm 600-series, save for the Honor 6X which uses a Huawei-built Kirin 655 chip. In any case, the phone’s Android 7.0 operating system is generally responsive and smooth. The basic user interface is quick and snappy, and while there were some stutters and even an app crash when playing Asphalt 8, in general issues were uncommon. Now, day to day use is more important than benchmarks – but benchmarks still serve a purpose in indicating how long a phone might last. Just because a phone can handle apps now, that doesn’t mean it’ll be able to handle them tomorrow. Here are the results it achieved in benchmark tests: AnTuTu: 62,869 62,869 GeekBench 4: 807 single-core, 3,605 multi-core 807 single-core, 3,605 multi-core 3DMark Slings
uzaj, who was ineligible for United’s first two Champions League games, is now able to make his debut in the competition. “He is now available,” Moyes said. “He is an exceptional talent. He is someone who is going to play a big part in the future of Manchester United.”Europe’s top human rights court on Tuesday ruled that existing human rights laws require governments to legally recognize same-sex partnerships. The ruling from The European Court of Human Rights was in response to a suit brought by three same-sex couples challenging the Italian government, the only government in Western Europe that does not provide legal recognition of same-sex unions in some form. In making its decision, the high court cited the European Convention on Human Rights. Consequently, the ruling technically not only applies to EU member states (over which the court has jurisdiction) but also to all signatories of the ECHR, signatories that include states that have been hostile to LGBT rights as of late, such as Russia and Turkey. BuzzFeed reports: The court ruled that although states should be allowed flexibility to decide how to handle the question of rights for same-sex couples, Italy violated the article of the European Convention on Human Rights establishing the “right to respect for private and family life” by failing to provide a “specific legal framework providing for the recognition and protection of their same-sex unions.” […] The seven judges were unanimous in ruling Italy must establish civil unions, although three signed a concurring opinion arguing to limit its impact on other states. Rather than holding that the European Convention on Human Rights creates a right to partnership recognition, these judges essentially argued that Italy was in violation only because the parliament had failed to comply with the rulings of its own courts. As for recognizing a right to full marriage equality throughout Europe, this latest ruling brings that possibility one step closer: The Oliary decision stopped short of overturning its 2010 ruling, Schalk and Kopf v. Austria, in which it ruled that European Convention on Human Rights did not obligate states to establish marriage equality. But the court seemed to hold open the door to returning to that question in the future, noting that today 24 of the 47 signatory states to the Convention have established civil unions or marriage equality, as well as the recent judicial decisions in the United States and Brazil recognizing a right to marriage equality.The Obama administration will send a letter to every public school district in the country Friday warning them that they must allow students to use whatever bathroom and locker room corresponds to their stated gender identity, or face a federal lawsuit. The decree, sent jointly by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education, comes just a few days after North Carolina and the federal government sued each other over the state’s recent law governing bathroom use in public buildings. It won’t be a new federal law, but will instead reflect the Obama administration’s interpretation of existing federal anti-discrimination law. In particular, the decree is based on Title IX, the 1972 law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. While the drafters of the law may not have known it at the time, the Obama administration’s position is that the law covers discrimination based on gender identity as well as physical sex. “A school may not require transgender students to use facilities inconsistent with their gender identity or to use individual-user facilities when other students are not required to do so,” the letter says, according to The New York Times, which obtained a copy. Currently, federal courts have not conclusively settled whether, and to what degree, sex discrimination laws cover matters of gender identity as opposed to physical sex. But the Obama administration appears optimistic that an aggressive approach will succeed, especially after an April court ruling favored a transgender Virginia girls who sued for the right to use a boys’ bathroom. The letter says that schools must immediately respect a student’s new gender identity as soon as it is declared by their parent or guardian. Schools are not allowed to require that a student provide a medical diagnosis to justify the change, and they also cannot require a student to legally change their gender. To assist schools in implementing the new policy and help those made uncomfortable by it, the letter includes a 25-page document of “emerging practices,” with suggestions such as erecting privacy curtains in locker rooms for those who need extra privacy. Obama’s new order will without a doubt enrage many Republicans who have argued that transgender bathroom policies will allow perverted men to prey upon women in bathrooms and locker rooms. A few such incidents have already occurred. In February, for instance, a Seattle man used the city’s now transgender bathroom ordinance to enter a women’s locker room and begin stripping while young girls were using it. When confronted, he said the law gave him the right to be there, and he was never identified or arrested. Follow Blake on Twitter Send tips to blake@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.Rep. Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be his secretary of Health and Human Services may have encountered a little “fake news” by CNN reporters who questioned the ethics of a stock trade he made in the health care field. CNN charged its “First on CNN” page Monday, “Rep. Tom Price last year purchased shares in a medical device manufacturer days before introducing legislation that would have directly benefited the company.” CNN also reported, “Less than a week after the transaction, the Georgia Republican congressman introduced the HIP Act, legislation that would have delayed until 2018 a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulation that industry analysts warned would significantly hurt Zimmer Biomet financially once fully implemented.” CNN’s article was repeated by such news organizations as Reuters, CBS News, New York Magazine, and Forbes. However, CNN decided to leave out key facts: Importantly, Price played no role in the decision to purchase the stock, which was executed under a broker-directed account by Morgan Stanley, according to a source with direct knowledge on the issue. The stock purchase was by his brokerage firm during a regular rebalancing of accounts. The congressman — who for two decades was an orthopedic surgeon — also went on record opposing the CMS regulation six months before the stock selection had been made. On Sept. 21, 2015 Price joined 60 Democrats and Republicans who questioned the Obama administration’s new, controversial Medicare reimbursement policy. In the letter, the group asked Andy Slavitt, the CMS acting administrator, to delay the regulation. Further, Price introduced his legislation before he knew of the stock purchase. He was the chief sponsor of the HIP Act and he introduced it on March 23, 2016, according to House records. But Morgan Stanley did not inform Price of the Zimmer Biomet stock until April 14, according to House financial disclosure forms on the Georgia congressman’s transactions. How big was the stock transaction that would have allowed Price to clean up? It was 26 shares, amounting to a little less than $2,700. Follow Richard on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Abdullah Abdullah: "Lots of fraudulent ballot papers were included without being validated" An audit of votes from Afghanistan's disputed presidential election has restarted without observers from the camps of either candidate. Candidate Abdullah Abdullah had withdrawn his observers after raising concerns over fraud. The team sent by his rival, Ashraf Ghani, said it pulled out after having been asked to do so by the UN. Both Mr Abdullah and Mr Ghani have claimed victory in June's poll and both have alleged widespread fraud. The two candidates have agreed to form a government of national unity but have so far failed to reach a deal. Auditing all eight million votes cast in the June run-off began a month ago and could take weeks to complete. The UN said Mr Abdullah's decision to withdraw from the process was "regrettable". How rival candidates compare Ashraf Ghani Abdullah Abdullah Technocrat and former World Bank official. Open to talks with Taliban Former anti-Soviet resistance member. Wary of Taliban talks Leading in Pashtun-dominated southern provinces Ahead in mainly Tajik northern areas Backed by Rashid Dostum, an Uzbek ex-warlord accused of human rights abuses Supported by wealthy Balkh governor Atta Mohammad, a bitter Dostum rival Has support of Qayyum Karzai, brother of President Karzai Also has backing of Mohamed Mohaqiq, powerful leader of ethnic Hazaras Ahmed Zia Masood, whose brother was a famous resistance hero, helped balance ticket Gul Agha Sherzai, an influential Pashtun, helped bring ethnic balance to ticket Analysis: Dawood Azami, BBC World Service Despite all the reports from Kabul of impending doom and collapse, there are still genuine reasons to be optimistic while we wait for a new president to be announced. The two candidates agree on at least two major points. Both have committed themselves to signing a security agreement with the US which will allow foreign forces to stay in Afghanistan after 2014. And both have signed a document pledging to form a national unity government which will accommodate whichever side loses. But the main contentious issue is how to distribute power and positions. Abdullah Abdullah's team seem to be trying to extract maximum concessions for whoever loses. Disputed preliminary results suggested they were heading for defeat. They want devolution of power and more portfolios for the losing side and insist the position of "chief executive" - that both sides have agreed to establish by presidential decree - should have more powers. Mr Ghani's camp seems reluctant to dilute the president's powers and give too much away. The wrangling at the top has hit the economy and is being exploited by the Taliban who have staged some of their biggest attacks since being ousted in 2001. The public just want a quick end to the crisis. Image copyright Mahfouz Zubaide/BBC Image caption The audit could take weeks to complete Mr Abdullah was the frontrunner in the first round in April but did not secure an outright majority. Preliminary results after a second round in June put Mr Ghani ahead. Mr Abdullah's team alleges hundreds of thousands of ballots are fraudulent and should be thrown out. Some of his supporters have threatened to stage major street protests, and the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says it feels a very dangerous moment in Afghanistan. The Abdullah team said they would boycott the audit when it moved into its final stage this week, and only a few ballot boxes were thrown out. A member of Mr Ghani's team said the Abdullah camp "know they have lost the election and... are trying to make excuses".UPDATE: Oct. 17, 2016, 3:54 p.m. EDT Updated with another tweet from WikiLeaks. Sound the cyberwar cannons. It has begun. On Monday afternoon the WikiLeaks Twitter account sent out an urgent tweet to the masses: "Julian Assange's internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party. We have activated the appropriate contingency plans." The Australian founder of the activist website, known for releasing leaked and classified documents, was apparently having a connectivity issue. While some immediately recalled seeing Hillary Clinton lurking outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London with a big pair of scissors, there were some alternate, equally valid theories. Did he reach his bandwidth cap on the Ecuadorean Embassy guest wifi? https://t.co/1hvOFWU6O9 — Bad Take Bernie (@bernietb) October 17, 2016 when mum tells you to get off MSN because you've got dialup internet and she needs to make a phone call https://t.co/1d3lQMlBs5 — Josh BOOoOoOtler (@JoshButler) October 17, 2016 "appropriate contingency plans" = have a friend pop on down to starbucks https://t.co/1jLa8jlz4B — Christopher Hooks (@cd_hooks) October 17, 2016 WikiLeaks has played a significant role in the current U.S. election. It released troves of documents from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in July, forcing the resignation of Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz after tensions were revealed between the DNC and Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders. The organisation is currently sharing emails stolen from the account of Hillary Clinton's advisor, John Podesta. WikiLeaks has not disclosed the origins of its documents, although some security officials have pointed to Russian hackers hoping to influence the U.S. election. The link has not been definitively proven. Assange, for his part, has been living in the Ecuador Embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden where he faces sexual misconduct charges. A United Nations panel recommended in February he should be allowed to move freely. Assange has denied the most recent leaks were intended to damage the Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, however WikiLeaks's political sympathies have been called into question. The group's Twitter account deleted a poll in September speculating about Clinton's health, and has also deleted tweets accused of being anti-Semitic. Still, never one to hold a grudge, Twitter has some tried and tested suggestions if Julian needs some help. Have you tried reseting the router... https://t.co/0R4ZWtjuPC — Iain Martin (@_IainMartin) October 17, 2016 "So you've tethered to your iPhone?" "Yeah, war is hell". https://t.co/ssZnJf7wI8 — Glenghoulron (@glengyron) October 17, 2016 Mom is gonna drive them over to Julian's so they can just have the LAN party IRL https://t.co/ZcX1ZPTIwY — annihilation craver (@ChrisCaesar) October 17, 2016 don't worry I'm calling Time Warner right now https://t.co/vlhjPINdFK — John Carpenter's (@MilesKlee) October 17, 2016 Hours earlier, the same Twitter account sent out three cryptic tweets, leading to fevered Reddit speculation Assange had died and the tweets were a "dead man's switch" to be triggered on his demise. Given the concern about his internet, that is presumably not the case. pre-commitment 3: UK FCO f33a6de5c627e3270ed3e02f62cd0c857467a780cf6123d2172d80d02a072f74 — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 16, 2016 pre-commitment 1: John Kerry 4bb96075acadc3d80b5ac872874c3037a386f4f595fe99e687439aabd0219809 — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 16, 2016 pre-commitment 2: Ecuador eae5c9b064ed649ba468f0800abf8b56ae5cfe355b93b1ce90a1b92a48a9ab72 — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 16, 2016 Anyway, if all else fails, Verizon's got you Julian. Image: mashable If you were wondering whether WikiLeaks's actions during the U.S. election have made Twitter users (among them vast swathes of the media) take it a tad less seriously, these LOLs may be your answer. We can confirm Ecuador cut off Assange's internet access Saturday, 5pm GMT, shortly after publication of Clinton's Goldman Sachs speechs. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2016 WikiLeaks tweeted again later Monday afternoon to confirm that following the release of Clinton's Goldman Sachs speeches on Saturday, Ecuador cut off Assange's internet.Senegal will begin plotting their assault on the Africa Cup of Nations when a squad boasting the likes of Liverpool winger Sadio Mane gathers in the capital Dakar from Monday. Senegal are among the favourites for the January 14-February 5 tournament in Gabon and coach Aliou Cisse has named a strong 23-man squad packed with players from clubs all over Europe, particularly the English Premier League. Mane will be a big miss for Liverpool in the Premier League title race, while other Senegal stars include forward Keita Balde of Lazio and highly rated central defender Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli. Coach Cisse has largely kept faith with the squad that completed their Cup of Nations qualifiers with a perfect six wins from six games. The highly fancied squad will meet in Dakar from Monday to Thursday before going on to their camp in Congo's capital Brazzaville, Senegalese media said. Along with Senegal in Group B are Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Algeria. Full Squad Goalkeepers: Abdoulaye Diallo (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey), Khadim Ndiaye (Horoya AC, Guinea), Pape Seydou Ndiaye (NGB Niary Tally) Defenders: Lamine Gassama (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Kara Mbodj (Anderlecht, Belgium), Zargo Toure (Lorient, France), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Italy), Saliou Ciss (Valenciennes, France), Cheikh Mbengue (Saint-Etienne, France) Midfielders: Idrissa Gueye (Everton, England), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham, England), Cheikh Ndoye (Angers, France), Pape Kouly Diop (Espanyol, Spain), Pape Alioune Ndiaye (Osmanlispor, Turkey), Mohamed Diame (Newcastle, England), Henri Saivet (Saint-Etienne, France) Forwards: Moussa Konate (FC Sion, Switzerland), Famara Diedhiou (Angers, France), Moussa Sow (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke City, England), Sadio Mane (Liverpool, England), Keita Balde (Lazio, Italy), Ismaila Sarr (Metz, France) AFPHowdy Fellow Ags, When talking to some fellow Aggies the other day, they began to talk about U.T. I, knowing that Texas A&M is the best University in Texas, immediately thought to the University of Tennessee. “My brother,” the girl said, “Goes to UT.” “Oh that’s great!" I exclaimed, "I love Tennessee; it is so cute there.” The girl (also a fellow Ag) grew upset. “You know what I mean.” She exclaimed as she rolled her eyes. Then continued to talk about U.T. I was so confused could it be there was another school called U.T. besides Tennesee?! I started frantically searching my mind, I couldn’t think of another University. Then it hit me, as she mentioned, it was only about two hours away by car. This Ag was talking about the school down in Austin. She actually thought that this burnt orange place was the real University Of Texas! I knew then that I must write an article on this subject, for the greater good of our university as every Ag deserves to be educated on why they go to the best university, not just in the state of Texas, but possibly in the whole world. I hope when reading this you keep an open heart and mind. I encourage you to pray for those I am talking to today, as they are blind to their ways. Here are 10 reasons why Texas A&M is the real university of Texas. 1. We are the biggest university in the state. Actually, we are the fifth biggest in the country. With 52,000 kids enrolled in 2014, we have everything you could possible need for your major. Our stadium, Kyle Field, is by far the biggest in the SEC seating over one hundred thousand. We have not one but three Starbucks, and basically any other restaurant you could want to eat at. Not even our library lacks space with six floors and an attached Annex open 24 hours a day. 2. We stay true to Aggies who deserve a chance. Some people say that Texas A&M is easy to get into because of our programs like gateway and Blinn team, but let me assure this is not the case as Texas A&M rejected 10,000 applicants last year. However, we do love kids who love this university and have a great story to offer. That is why we have programs called Blinn Team and Gateway. In Blinn Team, you get to take classes at both community college and Texas A&M while having the full benefits of being an Aggie. If you maintain a 3.0, you’re in! In gateway you get to take summer classes, and if you pass, you’re in. These kids may have not been the top ten percent, but they showed the Aggie Spirit and had something different and fun in their essays. Odds are they had a parent come here as well. Texas A&M is loyal to kids they know deserve a shot. These kids are some of the best Aggies around. 3. We don’t hate our freshmen, we love them. At Texas A&M, we get being a freshmen can be scary. That is why we have something called Fish Camp! Before class starts, we take all of our freshmen to a camp off campus for about a week. They have fishermen counselors, upper-classmen who try to make coming into college easy for them. Some people even meet their best friends here. But, here is the real kicker, the counselors don't even get paid! That's right they love our freshmen so much they spend an entire week building relationships with them, for free! 4. We are the 12th man. Here at Texas A&M, we don’t sit we stand ready to support our teams at all times. We yell from the bottom of our hearts and every good Ag is expected at every game. 5. We make more money than that school down in Austin. According to a recent article, no other University graduates more Fortune 100 CEO's than Texas A&M. You heard that right, no other school, not even T.U... 6. We carry our university for life. Get your Aggie Ring ready. When you get a certain number of hours here at A&M, you get to order your Aggie Ring. It is something that can be spotted across the room and will have you making connections for life. 7. It’s a Spirit that can never be told. We yell. We sing. We bleed maroon. From the outside you can’t understand it, and from the inside you can’t explain it. I’ve never heard of anyone from T.U. say that. 8. We have integrity. Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal. Nor tolerate others who do. If you meet an Aggie, odds are you can trust them. Integrity is something we strive to achieve. 9. Our mascot is way better. Reveille is a part of our life! She lives on campus with a member of the Corps. You pet her, take pictures with her. The best part is the Aggie tradition that states if she barks in class, the professor has to let you leave. Sorry T.U., I don't think your bull has the same loving effect. 10. We don't like two percenters. A two percenter is an Ag who only gives two percent back to their university. Here at A&M aggies are expected to give 100 percent. Two percenter actions are not limited but do include: sitting during sporting events, not trying in your classes, not participating in Big event or referring to that school down in Austin as U.T. A true Aggie never knows the meaning of half way. Well Ag’s I hope now you know why you should call t.u. t.u. ( And yes I meant that lower case t and that lower case u.) Thanks and Gig' emDennis Crowley is the founder of the social-networking site Foursquare and Kingston Stockade FC, an amateur soccer team in New York that competes in the 4th division NPSL. He’s doing some exciting things with soccer in the Hudson Valley and his manifestos have outlined the need for lower division soccer, and a transparent look into the operations of his own team. (Links can be found below.) On Monday, April 24 over a bowl of jellybeans in the Foursquare office in midtown Manhattan, Dennis and I discussed the current state of the game in the U.S. and the future of the sport. Reading material: “So, Let’s Build A Professional Soccer Team From Scratch …” Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Operating a Division 4 Soccer Club (But Were Afraid to Ask) Find out more: stockadefc.com patreon.com/thesoccertour Social media: Dennis Crowley – @dens Stockade FC – @StockadeFC The Soccer Tour – @TheSoccerTour Steven Bernasconi – @SteveBernasconiThere was much to consider as Alexei Zhamnov and Russia’s World Cup delegation boarded a plane back to Moscow on Thursday. For starters, they had meetings planned to settle on the initial 16-man roster for the tournament. Most interesting of all was a decision the group had already made: No players from the KHL will be among those named to the team next week. “Right now we’re going to put 16 players from NHL,” Zhamnov told Sportsnet in an interview. “(For the remaining) seven spots, we’ll discuss. Maybe some players from KHL, too. Right now it’s most important for us to make the list of 16 players.” This is always a delicate issue with the Russian national team. The domestic league is a point of pride – as are the homegrown stars that play there – but it hasn’t been easy to find harmony at past best-on-best tournaments that featured a mix of KHL and NHL players. September’s World Cup in Toronto is a NHL/NHLPA-sanctioned event, and the Russian braintrust is focused heavily on those based on this side of the Atlantic. There certainly won’t be a repeat of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, when 10 KHLers were named to the host team that lost out in the quarter-finals. Zhamnov is both general manager of Spartak Moscow and head scout of Russia’s World Cup team, but isn’t focused on boosting up players from the domestic league. “If we want to bring KHL players they will be the right players for the national team – that’s all,” said Zhamnov. “We come for the World Cup and we don’t want to lose like every game, right? We want to win. “If we take the players from KHL it’s going to be good players.” Zhamnov and a delegation that included head coach Oleg Znarok have just completed a tour around the NHL, taking in five games over an eight-day stretch while meeting individually with a number of Russian players. They like what they see. As usual, the Russians appear capable of mounting a formidable attack – with Capitals centre Evgeni Kuznetsov and Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin both enjoying breakthrough seasons to boost up a core that includes stalwarts Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Then, of course, there is Alex Ovechkin – on pace for another 50-goal season in Washington and showing no signs of slowing down. “He is the best player and he is the guy that has to bring something special to the World Cup,” Zhamnov said of Ovechkin, whom he watched play three times during the visit. Another player heavily on the radar as the team prepares to make its first 16 selections this coming Wednesday is Nikita Kucherov, who has 24 goals and 49 points for the Tampa Bay Lightning season. The Russian management and coaching group had dinner with Kucherov and three Lightning teammates – goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, defenceman Nikita Nesterov and winger Vladislav Namestnikov – before their game in Pittsburgh last weekend. What’s clear in talking to Zhamnov is that there’s a strong desire to include new faces in the team. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he said. “We saw the young guys from Tampa. … Those guys are our future and we want to make sure everybody is healthy and they play in the World Cup.” The former NHLer felt good as he wrapped up his visit to North America. He said they’ve settled on roughly “90 per cent” of the initial selections, which have to include at least two goalies and 14 skaters. “We watch the (NHL) games on TV when we’re in Russia,” said Zhamnov. “Watching live, that’s much better. It’s important for us to just talk to the players and see how they feel and what’s going on.” There are plenty of tough choices ahead for the Russian management group; how it handles the KHL-based players with a June 1 deadline to finalize the 23-man roster chief among them. Ilya Kovalchuk has worn the national team jersey with distinction for more than a decade, but is currently being scratched by SKA St. Petersburg during the Gagarin Cup playoffs. Alex Radulov is another national team mainstay that merits serious consideration. However, the Russians haven’t won a best-on-best event since the 1992 Olympics, and Zhamnov is focused more on identifying players that can get the job done down the line. “For the World Cup we want to build a team who is going to be the future for Olympic Games,” said Zhamnov. “We want to make sure we take the right guys for the future. We want to see them in real games because World Cup, the best players come. “We want to make sure the team’s competing.”Former European Commission chief José Manuel Barroso today (6 October) said controversy over his appointment to a job at Goldman Sachs revealed anti-US hostility in Europe. Barroso headed the Commission, the EU’s powerful executive arm, from 2004 until 2014, emerging as a high-profile public figure with political and business connections worldwide which critics say he could use unfairly to Goldman’s advantage. Barroso’s new job described as ‘greatest boon for Europhobes’ Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso faced a wave of criticism today (9 July) after it emerged that he will advise US investment bank Goldman Sachs on the fallout from Brexit. But speaking at the annual Web Summit in Lisbon, the former Portuguese prime minister said Europeans need to change their mentality to catch up with the United States. He noted that a week ago, a European Commission ethics committee had cleared the advisory appointment to the US investment bank, which was particularly targeted by critics over its role in the 2008 financial crisis. Barroso cleared of wrongdoing by EU ethics committee Former European Commission President José Manuel Barroso did not breach EU ethics rules but he may have been unwise to take a controversial top job at US investment bank Goldman Sachs after leaving office, an EU panel said today (31 October). “But the very fact that the issue was raised shows a negative attitude of many people towards international finance, being in this case a United States institution, and it shows there are still a lot of cultural(ly) negative attitudes in Europe towards the new world, the financial world, the global integrated world we are living in. “And I think it’s a mistake. We need a more innovative finance contribution,” Barroso said, arguing that startup companies in the United States face fewer regulatory obstacles and greater access to venture capital than in Europe. Nationalism and protectionism are certainly on the rise in the United States, he stressed, as US voters headed to the polls today to elect either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump as their next president. “But in Europe, in some quarters, there is a negative attitude towards the United States of America, everything that comes from the United States of America, and I think it’s a mistake.” Such thinking prevented job creation through deeper trade cooperation across the Atlantic, he said, describing hostility in parts of Europe towards a long-negotiated trade pact with Canada as “irrational”.The biggest threat to a corrupt regime is when truth moves away from the "conspiracy theory" fringes and into the mainstream. Which is why we thank Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, for daring to tell the truth to those who care to listen. Posted first on LinkedIn The Big Lie: 5.6% Unemployment Here’s something that many Americans -- including some of the smartest and most educated among us -- don’t know: The official unemployment rate, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, is extremely misleading. Right now, we’re hearing much celebrating from the media, the White House and Wall Street about how unemployment is “down” to 5.6%. The cheerleading for this number is deafening. The media loves a comeback story, the White House wants to score political points and Wall Street would like you to stay in the market. None of them will tell you this: If you, a family member or anyone is unemployed and has subsequently given up on finding a job -- if you are so hopelessly out of work that you’ve stopped looking over the past four weeks -- the Department of Labor doesn’t count you as unemployed. That’s right. While you are as unemployed as one can possibly be, and tragically may never find work again, you are not counted in the figure we see relentlessly in the news -- currently 5.6%. Right now, as many as 30 million Americans are either out of work or severely underemployed. Trust me, the vast majority of them aren’t throwing parties to toast “falling” unemployment. There’s another reason why the official rate is misleading. Say you’re an out-of-work engineer or healthcare worker or construction worker or retail manager: If you perform a minimum of one hour of work in a week and are paid at least $20 -- maybe someone pays you to mow their lawn -- you’re not officially counted as unemployed in the much-reported 5.6%. Few Americans know this. Yet another figure of importance that doesn’t get much press: those working part time but wanting full-time work. If you have a degree in chemistry or math and are working 10 hours part time because it is all you can find -- in other words, you are severely underemployed -- the government doesn’t count you in the 5.6%. Few Americans know this. There’s no other way to say this. The official unemployment rate, which cruelly overlooks the suffering of the long-term and often permanently unemployed as well as the depressingly underemployed, amounts to a Big Lie. And it’s a lie that has consequences, because the great American dream is to have a good job, and in recent years, America has failed to deliver that dream more than it has at any time in recent memory. A good job is an individual’s primary identity, their very self-worth, their dignity -- it establishes the relationship they have with their friends, community and country. When we fail to deliver a good job that fits a citizen’s talents, training and experience, we are failing the great American dream. Gallup defines a good job as 30+ hours per week for an organization that provides a regular paycheck. Right now, the U.S. is delivering at a staggeringly low rate of 44%, which is the number of full-time jobs as a percent of the adult population, 18 years and older. We need that to be 50% and a bare minimum of 10 million new, good jobs to replenish America’s middle class. I hear all the time that “unemployment is greatly reduced, but the people aren’t feeling it.” When the media, talking heads, the White House and Wall Street start reporting the truth -- the percent of Americans in good jobs; jobs that are full time and real -- then we will quit wondering why Americans aren’t “feeling” something that doesn’t remotely reflect the reality in their lives. And we will also quit wondering what hollowed out the middle class. *** And since we never tired of showing the "job recovery", here is what Clifton is talking about visually.Massachusetts is one of the original 13 colonies which fought the British for American independence. It is located in the Northeast and much of Massachusetts borders the Atlantic Ocean. Boston is now the largest city, by population, in Massachusetts. Boston played a key role in the American War of Independence, by providing morale, militia, supplies. On this day March 19th, in 1822, the City of Boston is incorporated. Previously it had been the Town of Boston. Boston was founded in 1630 by Puritans, not to be confused with the Pilgrims who made their way to America in 1606/1607 on Plymouth Rock. Boston is a growing city and rated as 12th in the Top 20 Global Financial Centers according to Z/Yen, a think-tank from London. Boston is also home to the world famous Red Sox. What makes this team so special is the Red Sox curse – which supposedly stopped the Red Sox from winning for 86 years as it was given in 1918. In 2004 the Red Sox overcame the curse and went on to win the World Series! In addition to their sporting events, Boston is home to many top rated colleges and Universities: Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Emerson, Boston College, Boston University, Tufts and many more. The famous Faneuil Hall where Independence speeches were made is also located in Boston.In another poem he asks: “Who remembers/Delayed Gratification?/Save it for later,/for a rainy day.” This part of the book ends with a heartrending poem called “Ours,” a farewell to the speaker’s wife and daughters and the life they shared: the girls the life I left the lost life all of it was ours is ours was ours is ours was “The Crossing,” the second section of “Left-handed,” consists in part of urgent, sometimes despairing love poems written to a figure called Jude. In the final section, “I Can Sleep Later,” he has apparently been replaced by someone named Tom, who is likened to Antinous, the young man beloved by the Roman emperor Hadrian, and the book ends with the speaker somewhat at loose ends: a nomad, a loner and a fool for love. Photo Though happy to talk about himself and his book, Mr. Galassi, 62, was reluctant to discuss the other figures in it, beyond acknowledging that he was married to Susan Grace Galassi, a curator at the Frick, for 36 years and that they have two grown daughters, ages 26 and 30. His separation was “extremely painful,” he said, and he and his wife got divorced only at the end of last year. (Ms. Grace Galassi declined to be interviewed.) In 2005, he added by way of explanation, he found himself, like the speaker in the poems, falling in love with a younger man. This wasn’t the first time it had happened. Both in preparatory school and in college, he said, he formed strong attachments to certain classmates, but they were “un
policy options "to ensure we can keep on supporting high-quality care and treatment". Labor's health spokeswoman, Catherine King, said the Government was dumping the plan because Mr Abbott's leadership was under pressure. "Whatever Tony Abbott announces about his GP tax... it will have one aim in mind, and that is keeping his leadership on life support," Ms King said prior to Ms Ley's official announcement. Under the Government's original budget plan, bulk-billed patients would have been charged $7 to see a doctor, with some of the proceeds put into a new medical research fund. But in December - facing opposition in the Senate - the policy was dumped in favour of a $5 "optional co-payment" charged at doctors' discretion. Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer, whose party holds crucial crossbench votes in the Upper House, said this morning he did not support any changes to Medicare at all. "We don't think you should tamper with Medicare at all, that's the reality of it," he told ABC News Breakfast. "Every Australian should be entitled to best health care." "More frequent visits is more preferable instead of expensive surgery and a long time in hospital." Government should focus on other health policy: AMA Australian Medical Association president Dr Brian Owler welcomed the confirmation. "The policy was never one which was going to improve general practice or make the healthcare system more sustainable, so we are pleased that finally we can end some of the uncertainty around that aspect of the co-payment proposal," he said. He said the Government now needed to focus on other aspects of health policy. "We've spent the last 10 months haggling over co-payments and I think the tragedy of this whole period is that other health policy has been neglected," he told News 24. "What we really need to do is get on with discussing issues around training the GPs and specialists that we need for the future, [including] how we improve the number of doctors in rural and regional areas, a whole range of other issues around public hospital funding and the role of private health insurers in our healthcare system." Dr Owler said part of the longer-term debate would involve discussion of the system of "blended payments" currently used by the Department of Veterans Affairs. "For a small group of patients, that may work to encourage people to have better chronic disease management," he said. "But fee for service will still underpin the Australian healthcare system for the foreseeable future. "I think the issues at the moment are to deal with the uncertainty not only around the $5 cut to the rebate but also around the freeze to indexation, which will have consequences not just for patients and their rebates when they see a GP, but also when they have care by a specialist as well." Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, liberals, health-policy, doctors-and-medical-professionals, australia First postedChicago will pay $100,000 to a photojournalist who says prominent police officers beat him and destroyed one of his cameras during the 2012 NATO summit, according to a settlement reached this month. Freelance photographer Joshua Lott’s federal lawsuit named six officers as defendants, including Glenn Evans, promoted by Supt. Garry McCarthy to command the Grand Crossing police district three months after the summit. Evans now awaits trial on felony charges in a separate case of alleged excessive force. The defendants also include Matthew E. Tobias, a deputy chief who retired a few weeks after the summit, and Christopher Taliaferro, promoted to sergeant five months after the summit and elected by West Side voters to an aldermanic seat this year. The incident took place May 20, 2012, as Lott was covering a downtown NATO protest for Getty Images. He said he was carrying two cameras and his press credentials when he saw two officers mistreating a young man. “They had him down on the ground and they were beating him with batons,” Lott said. “The officers that were beating him just weren’t happy that I was taking pictures and told me I needed to leave. I indicated that I was a working journalist and who I was working for.” The officers returned to beating the young man, Lott said. The journalist kept taking photos. Stay up-to-date with the latest news, stories and insider events. Please enter a valid email address Oops, something went wrong! Sign Up Try Again You've signed up to receive emails. Please check your email for a welcome confirmation. “They came over and approached me a second time,” Lott said. “They took me off to the side of the road and threw me to ground, and I had numerous officers beating me the same way they were beating the kid that I was photographing — with the batons — and stomping on me.” Lott said Evans, a lieutenant at the time, “hit me a bunch of times” using a baton. Tobias slammed the camera to the ground “like a football spike,” Lott said. Taliaferro, who unseated Ald. Deborah Graham (29th Ward) this past April, was not present during the alleged beating but helped bring a misdemeanor reckless-conduct charge against Lott. The lawsuit accused Taliaferro of “knowing there was no probable cause” to support the charge. In a text message to WBEZ, Taliaferro claimed he had “nothing to do with the facts or circumstances” of the incident and merely worked as a “booking officer during a mass-arrest procedure and should not have been included as a defendant in this case.” A Cook County judge dismissed the charge against Lott six weeks after the arrest. The photographer’s attorneys said the officers had failed to appear in court. Separately, Evans is scheduled for trial next week in the felony case. Prosecutors have accused him of putting the barrel of his gun into a suspect’s mouth and a Taser to his groin while threatening his life during a 2013 incident. In Lott’s lawsuit, Evans sat for a deposition last July but refused to answer hundreds of questions. The commander cited his Fifth Amendment rights. The Lott case is among at least seven instances in which Evans has allegedly used excessive force leading to lawsuits and city payments to the plaintiffs, according to a WBEZ review of court filings and city Law Department records. The payouts total $324,999, not counting tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses. All the settlements specify that the city and Evans deny wrongdoing and liability. Law Department officials did not answer WBEZ questions about Lott’s case but the city denied his allegations in court filings. Neither Evans’ attorney nor Tobias returned calls. The other defendants in Lott’s lawsuit included Sgt. Ricky O’Neal and officers Marek Grobla and Gary Hughes, who could not be reached for comment. Chip Mitchell is WBEZ’s West Side bureau reporter. Follow him on Twitter @ChipMitchell1 and @WBEZoutloud, and connect with him through Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.As many have noted, members of Congress left behind some unfinished business when they headed home for their August recess. But here’s something else you should know: Even though hordes of lawmakers have left D.C., neither chamber of Congress officially adjourned. The reason? In an effort to block President Obama from making recess appointments—which the Constitution allows presidents to do—Congressional Republicans have kept Congress technically in session. The Washington Examiner explains: The Republican-controlled House used a procedural move to help force this issue. Though it's the Senate that must confirm presidential appointments, under the U.S. Constitution, it cannot adjourn for more than three days without the approval of the House. So, instead of adjourning, both the House and Senate will be conducting what are known as “pro forma” sessions. What that entails, essentially, is having a member of Congress stick around the Capitol to strike the gavel for what are sometimes seconds-long sessions, according to the Examiner. And if history is our guide, it seems Congress will have to hold these perfunctory sessions at least once every three days. According to this 2010 Congressional Research Service report [PDF], the Constitution doesn’t actually say how long the Senate must be in recess before the president may make a recess appointment, but in 1993, the Justice Department suggested that the number was three days. According to Roll Call, the Senate will be holding pro forma sessions nine times, even while most of its members are back at home. Lest you think this maneuver is specific to Republicans: Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also used the strategy under President Bush. Republicans have used it frequently under President Obama—during the Memorial Day recess, the July 4 recess and through the rest of this month. In June, the freshman class of House Republicans sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner urging him to prevent recess appointments [PDF] and offering their services for covering the pro forma sessions. “We understand that our request will very likely mean that the House of Representatives will meet no less than once every three days for the remainder of 2011 and all of 2012,” the lawmakers wrote. “We stand ready to assist you in ensuring there are always sufficient members to cover the necessary pro forma sessions.” By keeping Congress technically in session, Republicans will be able to keep the president from naming a temporary head to the recently formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The new bureau's powers are limited without a director, and Republicans have vowed to oppose the confirmation of a new director unless the agency's authority is rolled back. They've speculated that President Obama might resort to a recess appointment in order to get his new nominee, former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, finally on the job. Overall, President Obama has made relatively few recess appointments. The New York Times noted that he’s made 15—which the White House openly announced last year, citing "Republican obstruction"—compared to President Bush’s 171 and President Clinton’s 139 recess appointments.Throughout the 2016 campaigning cycle, then candidate Trump frequently criticized NATO as “obsolete” and repeatedly knocked allies for not paying their “fair share.” Then, in a shocking reversal, Trump hosted a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, just a few months after moving into the White House, in which he declared: "I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete." "The Secretary General and I had a productive discussion about what more NATO could do in the fight against terrorism. I complained about that a long time ago and they made a change. And now they do fight terrorism. I said it was obsolete. It's no longer obsolete." "(NATO) is no longer obsolete." pic.twitter.com/FwLu67097G — Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) April 12, 2017 Well, it now seems he may have been right in the first instance. According to a new request for pricing (RFP) from NATO entitled, "Development of NATA Military Operations In Urban Environment Concept," NATO forces are "not sufficiently organized, trained, or equipped to comprehensively understand and execute precise operations" in modern urban environments. Here's how NATO defines their problem: Problem statement: NATO is not sufficiently organized, trained, or equipped to comprehensively understand and execute precise operations across the maritime, cyberspace, land, air, space dimensions/domains in order to create desired effects in an emergent complex, urban littoral system possessing a dense, interconnected population. So why the sudden interest in urban warfare? NATO's RFP conveniently cites urban population statistics from the United Nations as its justification but that's hardly a new trend so it will undoubtedly leave the cynics among us a bit skeptical. Projections by the United Nations indicate that by the year 2035 the world population will increase to 8.7 billion people, an increase of 1.4 billion people, and that most of this growth will take place in developing countries and in urban areas. Currently 80% of the global population lives on or within 100 km of the coast; this also will likely continue. The SFA1 2013 Report – including 2015 Interim Update Report and the FFAO2 2015 have identified this trend of urbanisation as a potential instability situation for NATO. The world as a whole passed the 50% urban mark seven years ago. Estimates are that five billion people live in cities with two billion of these living in slums. It is also estimated that 1.4 million people worldwide migrate to cities each week. Studies, based upon global demographic trends, suggest that an increasing percentage of armed conflicts will likely be fought in urban surroundings. But, irrespective of the motivation, one thing is certain...modernizing an "obsolete" international force is going to be expensive. Perhaps it's time for Trump to write up some new invoices...When someone is considering addiction treatment, it’s a widespread concern to be worried about their job security. Will you be able to keep your job? Is it legal for your employer to fire you while in treatment? How do you maintain job security throughout treatment? We get these questions a lot from both those interested in our programs as well as those currently in one of our treatment program. Therefore we decided to tackle these topics here on our blog so that you and your family can rest assured that you have all the right information to make the best decision about your plans for recovery. Before Addiction Treatment Know your rights with the ADA and FMLA While many people fear that taking time off to get treatment for a substance use disorder, there are laws in place that will protect you from workplace discrimination and ultimately, from being fired. Since addiction is considered a mental illness, anyone that chooses to seek treatment has protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Both help in protecting you from jeopardizing your career just because you need treatment. Once you start treatment, your employer cannot terminate your employment for any reason related to your addiction. [Tweet “Since addiction is considered a #mentalillness, anyone that chooses to seek treatment has protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). #KnowYourRights”] Here is where it gets a little iffy. If your job performance has declined as a result of your drug or alcohol use, your employer can still fire you as long as they have solid proof that your performance has not been up to par. However, once you start treatment, you cannot be fired for any reason related to your addiction. Talk with your employer It won’t be an easy conversation to have but talking with your employer is better to do sooner rather than later. Make sure to ask about your company’s alcohol and drug policy (if they have one) and also inquire about their Employee Assistance Programs. An EAP can help connect you with counseling or referrals to rehab facilities. If you can, try to tie up loose ends before you leave work. Make sure that everything is caught up to date and set up so that whoever takes over for you while you are gone has everything taken care of. Insurance coverage If you have an insurance policy, contact them to find out if your insurance will cover the kind of treatment that you need. Insurance can get pretty complicated to understand, so make sure you ask questions and do your research. There are also a few other options for pay for rehab such as loans, financing, scholarships, and federal aid programs. During Addiction Treatment Not everyone can afford just to drop everything and go to treatment. We have families to care for, children to feed, and bills to pay. Even though we know it’s good for our health; it’s not always easy to take 30 days off from work to focus on getting better. Thankfully, there is a way to maintain your life somewhat while you are in treatment. It’s not a simple process, but you can apply for disability benefits for the duration of your stay in an inpatient drug program. The Social Security Administration explains how you can determine if you will qualify for disability benefits here. Do your best to focus on your recovery while in treatment for alcohol or drug addiction. Here are some helpful articles and blogs about how to make the most of your rehab experience: How to Make the Most of Your Rehab Experience How to Have the Best Experience in Alcohol Rehab The Most Effective Ways to Treat Substance Addiction 5 Types of (Evidence-based) Drug Therapies That We Use How Mindfulness Can Help You in Your Recovery After Addiction Treatment Know Your Post Treatment Rights As someone who is in recovery, your rights don’t stop when you complete your drug addiction treatment program. When you return to work after treatment, your employer is required to make “reasonable accommodations” to help support your adjustment period as they would for any other type of disability. They are also prohibited from discriminating against you in any way because of your addiction recovery. Maintaining Aftercare is Very Important Aftercare is an essential component of long-term recovery so make sure you attend meetings, groups, and any counseling sessions that are required. Having a healthy support system will make your adjustment to everyday life much more manageable. Focusing on your recovery gets more comfortable over time, but in those early months, you can be especially susceptible to relapse. Here are some excellent reads to keep you on track: Healthy Ways to Deal With Stress in Recovery 5 Ways to Jumpstart a Sober Lifestyle Healthy Coping Skills for a Successful Recovery How to Prevent a Relapse in Addiction Recovery There are a lot of things to consider when you are choosing recovery – and it’s not an easy decision. However, it’s possible, and despite how you might feel there is a way out of this. We are here for you when you are ready. Call us at 818.666.3083 to start planning your future in recovery today.Browns receiver Andrew Hawkins caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Patriots. He celebrated the score in noticeably rigid fashion: Advertisement Yesterday, Hawkins admitted that he was sticking it to the NFL, which has gone out of its way to punish players who dare express any emotion. Here’s what Hawkins had to say: “Everything you do gets fined nowadays, right?” Hawkins said. “Me seeing the tape of what not to do — and I get it, rules are rules — but I thought it would be funny to do that and troll the whole situation, so that’s what I did.” Roger Goodell is currently punching Hawkins’s infraction into our punishment generator, trying to figure out just how many games he should be suspended.So in the interests of furthering the agenda of artsy, feely, totally non-objective weirdo games writing in the wake The Hashtag That Shall Not Be Named, I decided that I was going to make a virtual mixtape. Are virtual mixtapes a thing? Whatever, I’m making it a thing. It’s different than a playlist because this assortment of songs is hand-collected and hand-pasted into a single WordPress page with love. We’re talking artisanal, cave-aged, free-range music compilations, not those music compilations you get out of a can from a factory. I’ve got a few reasons for doing this. First, I talk about curation with frustration a lot, mostly because it’s used in the context of digital media as a way to keep “undesirable” stuff off of store shelves. So I figured I could show the good side of curation; the kind that isn’t used to gatekeep but is used to create a collection that makes its own statement by putting unrelated works next to one another. Second, I dig that mixtapes are so personal and taste driven. Everyone responds to songs in different ways and everyone listens to different bands. I’ve no doubt that there will be a song or two on here that makes people furrow their brows while thinking, “He chose that!?” And that reliance on intimate responses is something I want to embrace, something that has been so brushed aside by the dialog lately. Finally, I’ve really struggled to piece together a meaningful response to the past few weeks. I’m not being coy by refusing to call it out by name, either – I’m just so weary of the conflict that I’m intentionally avoiding reference to any Google-able keyword that may set the hounds loose. But make no mistake, this virtual mixtape is definitely a response to those events – or, if not a response itself, at least an attempt to process my personal response by breaking down a lot of concurrent emotions that I’ve yet to find adequate words for. Regardless, much like a 14 year old’s mixtape professing undying love for his crush by including Rick James’ “Superfreak,” a lot of these songs aren’t meant to be taken literally in the context they’re being discussed. Instead, each one captures a tone, an emotion, or an idea that feels relevant to what’s gone down. Consider them all allegorical in some capacity. This is Why We Videogaming – Jonathan Mann …Except for this one, I guess. Based on Leigh Alexander’s half GTAV review/half cultural commentary, listening to this song for the first time in months is what inspired me to do this whole post. I love the optimistic tone as the song bounces back and forth between mocking the incredulously lofty gamer-placating praise “expected” of this sort of game review and the reality that mentioning any of the game’s ugly elements results in death threats (and usually towards women writers). It captures a defiant snark in the face of manchildren upset about trends in video games, and that’s definitely a relatable idea these days. And hey, it’s catchy to boot. Bored of Everything – Ellegarden I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely say it again: If I could afford the rights to this song I would totally make it the Errant Signal theme song. It’s an up-tempo punk song by a Japanese band singing in English where the entire chorus is about how bored they are of video games where you shoot zombies over and over. I’m not sure what else there is to say other than I like rocking out to the idea of being bored of yet another manshoots. The Times they Are A Changing’ – Bob Dylan Okay, yeah, this is probably a little overdramatic. What’s going down in the dorky subculture of video games ain’t got nothin’ on the social and cultural upheaval in the 1960’s, and by invoking this song I’m absolutely not trying to draw comparisons between that period and now. Like I said, these songs are presented because they capture something about my personal current response to things. And yeah, the song resonates with a degree of truth in that regard. It is, in some ways, echoing what Golding, Alexander, et al discussed with their “death of gamers” pieces. An old guard of conservative authority is crumbling before a wave newly inclusive groups. If the people who wrote about The Hashtag of Doom as an extinction burst are right (and while I’m incredulous, here’s hoping) then the times may well be changing. Besides, if Watchmen can invoke it to talk about how fake super heroes were seeing change in their life time I’m pretty sure I can invoke it to talk about a legitimate change in a real subculture. The Princess Who Saved Herself – Jonathan Coulton A song about a woman un-damseling herself to engage in the everyday rather than a grand adventure seems indicative of trends and discussions in the greater game dev/criticism culture in general, but then you get this verse: there was a dragon with a point tail he was bigger than a while and his breath was terrible he scared the princess when he came around tried to burn the castle down but she caught him by his tail then she tied him to a tree so the dragon couldn’t fly she told him he was mean and it made him cry when he finally apologized she offered him some tea (he accepted it graciously) Kinda wish it was that easy. Them and Us – Bad Religion A song about two similar groups in a conflict because their perceived differences are used to promote a pointless conflict and violence fuelled by a sudden sense of identity stemming from being able to call the other side “enemies.” Can’t fathom how that’s related. Also it was in Crazy Taxi, so, hey, it’s got video game cred. Aenima – Tool The angriest song on this list, but also probably the most reflective of my mood over the past few weeks. Much like The Times They Are A-Changin’, this song has a clear-cut context that doesn’t apply here – a condemnation of L.A., Hollywood, and a shallow culture based around fame. But at its heart, it’s a song about longing for the destruction of a culture the singer finds toxic. And that’s something I can get behind – as I suggested on Twitter last week, I’m ready to go all Ellen Ripley on things. There’s something about watching a subculture responsible for so much needless conflict and pain slowly rip itself apart that would feel… therapeutic. Cleansing. Cathartic. Plus, hey, the apocalyptic undertones reflect all of the “end of days for gamers” discussion that’s been happening. So yeah. I don’t know if this experiment was a success onto itself. I’m afraid I’ve just written something that would pass as a Livejournal post 10 years ago. But in a way I wanted that – Livejournal was where people wrote about deeply personal life stuff for some time, and lived experiences and personal responses to works is very much what I’m trying to defend here. We need more of the personal, the intimate, the critical. We need more of everything that certain hashtags are trying to steal from us. If nothing else, though, I got to post something about this mess. I’ve needed to get all of this pent up anxiety, frustration, and bitterness out of my system for a while and the words just wouldn’t come. Maybe I’ll do a legit writeup some day in the future, when things are calmer (just today Jennifer Hale did a spot on NPR about the whole thing, and her Twitter feed is as fervently vitriolic as anything else I’ve seen lately, so my guess is it will still be some time). But for now I’ll let these songs speak for me.More than half of Americans tell polling organizations they disapprove of the job the president is doing, but even in that majority, there are factions. There are the conservative-leaning voters upset that President Donald Trump has not "drained the swamp" in Washington. There are the liberal-leaning voters appalled by his foreign-policy mishaps. And then there are folks like John Angelos. The Orioles executive vice president and president and chief operating officer of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, a self-identifying supporter of neither the Democratic nor Republican Party, talked Trump on the B-More Opinionated podcast this week, except not really. As he expressed his disappointment in the president's conduct and his hope in the new wave of activism spreading across the country, Angelos referred to Trump only as "the candidate" or "the president," never by name. It wasn't quite Russell Westbrook before the NBA All-Star Game, but it felt like it. So as Opening Day in Baltimore approaches, do not expect to see Trump — reportedly once scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies as a pro prospect — on the mound at Camden Yards for a ceremonial first pitch. "Ultimately, that decision is with the ownership group as to, you know, what major politicians and political figures and societal figures they want to invite to be part of something," Angelos told hosts Jason La Canfora and Jerry Coleman. (His remarks start at about the 1:03:30 mark of the episode.) "I know that the administration has taken a lot of criticism for its controversial positions, and I think more so, perhaps, for his statements made both during the campaign and since the administration came in concerning things that are considered to be problematic from a race, ethnicity, religious, gender, disability community. People in those communities have been spoken about very negatively by a candidate, now president. "[If] you’re asking my personal opinion, I think it’s really incumbent upon any individual [who] leads the country to step away from those types of statements, to apologize for those statements and retract them and then turn the page and then to move forward in embracing their community, all parts of that community. Until that happens, it wouldn’t be my preference to have the president come throw a pitch. But that’s up to the ownership as to what they would like to do there." Angelos' list of grievances was long. He commented on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' heightened crackdown on undocumented immigrants — "sending of essentially shock troops through neighborhoods to chase people around, which is outrageous on every level," as Angelos put it. He lamented Trump's penchant for offending minority or marginalized groups and not regretting one word: "You don’t say those things about women. You don’t say those things about different ethnic groups, different national origins, people who are disabled, all that. And if you do say them, you’re a big enough person to withdraw them and apologize." And he said it was a shame that he even had to comment on such matters, because he wants the president, Trump or otherwise, to succeed: "I do not say anything here because I want to give sustenance to the Democratic Party or I want to tear down the Republican Party or this candidate or this president. Everybody wants to see whoever’s in the office of the president do extremely well." This is not virgin territory for Angelos, or his father, for that matter. After the Freddie Gray riots in 2015, John Angelos posted a series of tweets in which he advocated for nonviolence and due process and railed on the "needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans." Managing partner Peter Angelos has long been a Democratic Party benefactor, donating over $1 million ahead of the 2012 elections and over $270,000 to the super PAC formed to encourage then-Vice President Joe Biden to seek the presidency last year. If John Angelos' rejection of the "Stick to sports" cliche wasn't already apparent, consider the context in the podcast: The conversation about Trump began after Angelos had discussed his hopes for improved attendance and ticket sales, and it concluded with his joking about joining La Canfora and his family at their regular protests of Trump and Congress. "The other thing that needs to happen here is more corporate CEOs and people that want to be community leaders to act like Misty Copeland did," he said, referring to the internationally known ballerina and Under Armour spokeswoman's comments about the importance of inclusion and diversity. "They need to stand up and not normalize and not legitimize and not whitewash that kind of conduct. I wouldn’t accept that from a Democratic, a Republican or somebody from outer space." (H/T The Washington Post)How to cook butternut squash? Easy! Just roast it and turn it into a yogurt dip! This roasted butternut squash is a healthy dip for the football season. I find that butternut is the hardest vegetable to work with. Every time I cut butternut squash, I seem to get a new cut on my hand. So, what is the best way to cook butternut squash? In my experience, the best way to cook it is by roasting it. When I say “roasting”, I am not referring to the comedic act of making it sit on a chair and having other vegetables berate it with cruel jokes. Although, that would be funny thing to do. Can you imagine the butternut sitting there and grimacing at all the jokes? No, I am referring to the literal sense of the word, “roasting”. Nothing brings out the squash’s natural taste and juices quite like roasting. Additionally, roasting a butternut squash makes the skin soft and easy to remove. Side note: this roasted butternut squash dip can also double as a spread for your sandwiches. In fact, I have also used it as a hummus substitute on many occasions. Once I have the butternut squash in cubes, I like to mix it up with all the spices and garlic. The aroma that comes out of my kitchen when these beauties are roasting reminds me of fall in upstate New York. Time for a short detour to interject a little whining…. I MISS NEW YORK!!!!! Now, back to your regularly scheduled blog. What is your favorite way to work with Butternut Squash? Related: Check out my gluten-free pizza dough recipe. How To Make A Healthy Roasted Butternut Squash Dip Roasted Butternut Squash Dip A quick and simple dip made using a classic butternut squash recipe that is perfect for any season. Serve it as a game day snack or for your holiday party. 5 from 4 votes Print Pin Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 2 servings Calories: 224 kcal Author: Healing Tomato Ingredients 2 cup butternut squash cubed 3 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 5 cloves garlic 2 tsp sea salt 2 tsp peppercorns 2 tsp sesame seeds 1 tsp basil dried 1 tsp oregano dried 2 tsp flax seed meal 1/2 cup vegan yogurt 2 tsp Pistachios Optional, for garnish Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees In a mixing bowl, add the butternut squash Add the Oil, salt peppercorns, sesame seeds, garlic, basil and oregano Mix well In a baking sheet, spread out the butternut squash Place in the oven and let them bake for about 15 minutes Flip the butternut squash and roast the other side for 10 minutes Remove from the oven and straight into the processor Remove all "meat" from the butternut squash and place in a blender Add the yogurt and flax seed meal to the blender and pulse for 10 seconds at a time Do this until all the contents are perfectly blended and it has a smooth consistency Place the roasted butternut squash dip in a serving dish and top it with pistachios. Serve immediately. Notes - This dip can stay refrigerated for about 1 week - This dip can also work as a spread for sandwiches - You can use this butternut squash dip in place of hummus - Nutrition info is approximate- This dip can stay refrigerated for about 1 week- This dip can also work as a spread for sandwiches- You can use this butternut squash dip in place of hummus Nutrition Serving: 2 g \| Calories: 224 kcal \| Carbohydrates: 29 g Tried this recipe? Follow me @healingtomato1 and mention #healingtomato1 MORE FROM HEALINGTOMATOReddit Acquires RedditGifts to Support “Secret Santa” To Offer More User-to-User Gift Exchanges Reddit have made their first acquisition of this year: RedditGifts. For the non-Redditors, RedditGifts is a user-to-user gift exchange service which was first launched by Redditor kickme444 for Reddit’s record-breaking “Secret Santa” back in 2009. In every “Secret Santa” happening, Redditors are routinely coordinated with one other Redditor, and are then carry out tasks for creating out something amazing to propel that person’s way. Some hang about through their receiver’s comments for hints as to what they might be fond of; others now make somewhat precise and anticipate that it works out well. There are, of course, dreadfulness stories of people dodging the method for complimentary crap and other disobedience but for most of the part which everybody plays gracious and it works out well. So, why this acquirement? What is in it for Reddit? In short, RedditGifts’ two-person squad just couldn’t meet the expense of to keep preserving the project while also running their day trading, so at present Reddit’s newly acquired RedditGifts will be their daytime profession. Reddit gets to remain an overwhelming, entrenched, fundamentally self motivated foundation of society union, and the RedditGifts group finds to do what they were carrying out before that but for currency. Everybody wins! RedditGifts will ultimately go open source which already is and the entire thing should guide to enhanced incorporation specifically easier and faster sign-ups in the long run.“I worry that something has gone seriously wrong with the way we run companies,” warns Google’s CEO, Larry Page, about companies who focus on the competition. “How exciting is it to come to work if the best you can do is trounce some other company that does roughly the same thing? That’s why most companies decay slowly over time.” Page’s fascinating interview with Wired is a comprehensive look at why Google spends millions on moonshot innovations, encourages all of its employees to innovate, and how the media may have created a false narrative for the tech industry. Page sums up his approach in this nugget of a rant: “I worry that something has gone seriously wrong with the way we run companies. If you read the media coverage of our company, or of the technology industry in general, it’s always about the competition. The stories are written as if they are covering a sporting event. But it’s hard to find actual examples of really amazing things that happened solely due to competition. How exciting is it to come to work if the best you can do is trounce some other company that does roughly the same thing? That’s why most companies decay slowly over time. They tend to do approximately what they did before, with a few minor changes. It’s natural for people to want to work on things that they know aren’t going to fail. But incremental improvement is guaranteed to be obsolete over time. Especially in technology, where you know there’s going to be non-incremental change. So a big part of my job is to get people focused on things that are not just incremental. Take Gmail. When we released that, we were a search company—it was a leap for us to put out an email product, let alone one that gave users 100 times as much storage as they could get anywhere else. That is not something that would have happened naturally if we had been focusing on incremental improvements.” The opening shot set up Page to justify Google’s “crazy” R&D investments like driver-less cars and Google Glass. The industry buzzword for this approach is the “abundance mentality,” the belief that there’s more to be gained by focusing on innovation rather than narrowly out-performing the competition. At its core, it presumes we don’t live in a world of scarce resources–or, at the very least, aren’t even close to scarcity. “There are all these opportunities to make people’s lives better. Tech companies are attacking 1 percent of them. That leaves 99 percent virgin territory.” Indeed, Chairman CEO Eric Schmidt has attacked the media’s attempt to create a narrative that the major tech companies are in a heated battle: “People tend to think of the internet as a zero sum game, but the internet allows multiple winners who can win in different ways; Apple can win with a completely different model to Google. We think of Facebook as a growing new market of a lot of new information.” Critics could call Google a bald-faced hypocrite: Google has refused to develop their coveted maps software for Windows 8 mobile (citing lack of users) and had a very public kerfuffle with Twitter, which resulted in Google no longer searching realtime public tweets. And, this all overlooks the
the bizarro-Quakes, apparently. Last Week: Defeated Colorado, 4-1 Defeated Colorado, 4-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-T-W-L-W L-T-W-L-W This Week: Sunday vs. Chivas USA (9 pm, NBCSN) 2 2 Kei giveth, Kei taketh away. The fact is that Sporting are a very one-dimensional team right now, and are about to become moreso with Teal Bunbury on the shelf for the rest of the season. There are some offensive concerns, to put it mildly, heading down the stretch. Last Week: Tied New York, 1-1 Tied New York, 1-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-W-W-W-D L-W-W-W-D This Week: Saturday vs. Toronto FC (8:30 pm, MLS Live) 3 5 Fredy Montero, Christian Tiffert, Mauro Rosales and Eddie Johnson have spent about 110 minutes on the pitch together. In that time the Sounders have scored seven goals. Are you not entertained?! Last Week: Won at Chivas USA, 6-2 Won at Chivas USA, 6-2 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-W-L-W-W W-W-L-W-W This Week: Sunday at FC Dallas (7 pm, MLS Live) 4 3 Get a draw on the road vs. the league's second-best team and drop a spot? Not fair, but that's how good Seattle was — plus it's hard to ignore that RBNY didn't put a single shot on goal. That said, five of their final seven are at home, so if anybody's going to push San Jose, it could be the Red Bulls. Last Week: Tied at Sporting Kansas City, 1-1 Tied at Sporting Kansas City, 1-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-L-W-W-D L-L-W-W-D This Week: Wednesday at D.C. United (8 pm, Galavision) 5 4 Bobby Boswell nailed it after Saturday's disappointing tie: The sharpness and ruthlessness that characterized this team over the summer just isn't there right now. Chances are they'll figure it out again pretty quick, though. Home field for the playoffs is too tempting a carrot. Last Week: Tied Toronto FC, 1-1 Tied Toronto FC, 1-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-W-L-D-D W-W-L-D-D This Week: Sunday at Chicago (7 pm, Galavision) 6 6 Hanging onto that sixth spot by a thread. After a fairly decent midweek showing against Tauro FC in the Champions League, RSL came out absolutely listless against Philly. They still got a road point out of it, which will have to be good enough, but their Shield hopes may be done. Last Week: Tied at Philadelphia, 0-0 Tied at Philadelphia, 0-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-L-L-L-D W-L-L-L-D This Week: Saturday vs. D.C. United (9 pm, MLS Live) 7 8 Jose Villarreal sure looks like the real deal, and Michael Stephens has quietly been one of the league's most effective midfielders over the past month. It's all about the backline, though. At what point can we retroactively award Omar Gonzalez the 2011 MVP? Last Week: Defeated FC Dallas, 2-0 Defeated FC Dallas, 2-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-L-W-D-W W-L-W-D-W This Week: Saturday vs. Vancouver (10 pm, MLS Live) 8 7 Everything that had been going right for the Fire went wrong in that midweek pasting by D.C. They'll need to put it behind them quickly, because the upcoming schedule is packed with six-pointers. Last Week: Lost at D.C. United, 4-2 Lost at D.C. United, 4-2 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: D-W-W-W-L D-W-W-W-L This Week: Sunday vs. Houston (7 pm, Galavision) 9 11 Five straight wins makes them the league's hottest team. A healthy Alessandro Nesta means they'll have one of the league's best backlines. And Patrice Bernier may just be the league's best two-way central midfielder right now. This is not an expansion team. Last Week: Defeated D.C. United, 3-0 Defeated D.C. United, 3-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-W-W-W-W W-W-W-W-W This Week: Saturday at Columbus (7:30 pm, MLS Live) 10 13 Here come the Crew. When Robert Warzycha finally dismantled the Schelotto-era team after 2010, a lot of fans screamed bloody murder. But he's bided his time, collected talented young pieces and finally seems to have hit the jackpot with Federico Higuaín. Columbus look very much like a playoff team, and have the games in hand to become one. Magnificent rebuilding job done there. Last Week: Defeated Toronto FC, 2-1; Defeated New England, 4-3 Defeated Toronto FC, 2-1; Defeated New England, 4-3 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS / FULL MATCHCENTER (TOR) (TOR) WATCH HIGHLIGHTS / FULL MATCHCENTER (NE) (NE) Last Five: L-D-D-W-W L-D-D-W-W This Week: Wednesday at Philadelphia (8 pm, MLS Live), Saturday vs. Montreal (7:30 pm, MLS Live) 11 12 The midweek 4-2 thrashing of Chicago (it really wasn't that close) outweighs the hammering they took at Stade Saputo. Ben Olsen decided to rest his big guns — for the most part, anyway — on the road, and paid for it. They'll have a Wednesday rivalry match to try to find some solace. Last Week: Defeated Chicago, 4-2; Lost at Montreal, 3-0 Defeated Chicago, 4-2; Lost at Montreal, 3-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS / FULL MATCHCENTER (CHI) (CHI) WATCH HIGHLIGHTS / FULL MATCHCENTER (MTL) (MTL) Last Five: W-L-D-W-L W-L-D-W-L This Week: Wednesday vs. New York (8 pm, Galavision), Saturday at Real Salt Lake (9 pm, MLS Live) 12 9 Three straight losses, just nine points from their last 13 games overall. Their midfield is pretty bereft of ideas as Barry Robson hasn't really lived up to the billing of a Designated Player, and Kenny Miller's taken his time to fit in as well. They have breathing room, but it could get tight quick if they don't grind out some wins. Last Week: Lost at Portland, 2-1 Lost at Portland, 2-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-W-L-L-L L-W-L-L-L This Week: Saturday at LA (10 pm, MLS Live) 13 10 Brutal loss to LA may very well have put the postseason out of reach. FCD have six games left and probably need to win at least four of them to have a realistic hope at making the playoffs. Won't be easy, especially with red-hot Seattle coming to town this weekend. But at least they have all their pieces back and healthy for the first time ever. Last Week: Lost at LA, 2-0 Lost at LA, 2-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: D-W-W-W-L D-W-W-W-L This Week: Sunday vs. Seattle (7 pm, MLS Live) 14 14 They were simply ripped apart by San Jose, conceding goals from all angles in that loss. Hendry Thomas should help the overworked Jeff Larentowicz close down space in midfield, and that's where it has to start for Colorado: denying easy service and wide-open lanes that they've so readily conceded in the center of the pitch. Last Week: Lost to San Jose, 4-1 Lost to San Jose, 4-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-W-L-D-L L-W-L-D-L This Week: Friday at Portland (10:30 pm, NBCSN) 15 16 The Freddy Adu situation is a tough one. Clearly he hasn't been good enough to give him the keys to the car and simply build around him. Just as clearly, the normally punchless Union are a better attacking team with him out there. Whether they're better overall is still up for debate. Nothing's ever easy when Freddy's involved. Last Week: Tied Real Salt Lake, 0-0 Tied Real Salt Lake, 0-0 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: W-L-L-D-D W-L-L-D-D This Week: Wednesday vs. Columbus (8 pm, MLS Live), Saturday at New England (7:30 pm, MLS Live) 16 15 An offensive outburst! Robin Fraser would probably be a lot happier about the two goals his team scored if they hadn't shipped six, and looked utterly helpless in the process. The Power Rankings Politburo is thinking about starting a "Poor Dan Kennedy" Tumblr. Last Week: Lost to Seattle, 6-2 Lost to Seattle, 6-2 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-W-L-D-L L-W-L-D-L This Week: Wednesday at New England (8 pm, MLS Live), Sunday at San Jose (9 pm, NBCSN) 17 19 So, let's see here: a big, mobile target forward with soft feet and a good passing eye. Darlington Nagbe suddenly playing like the league's best trequartista. Two lively wingers pushed very, very high into the attack. Diagonal runs and triangles everywhere. Sure does sound exactly like how Caleb Porter would want this team to play. You know, if he were coach and all. Last Week: Defeated Vancouver, 2-1 Defeated Vancouver, 2-1 WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-D-D-L-W L-D-D-L-W This Week: Friday vs. Colorado (10:30 pm, NBCSN) 18 17 The offense finally clicked, right before they got steamrolled by the Higuaín Express. Last Week: Lost at Columbus, 4- 3 Lost at Columbus, 4- WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FULL MATCHCENTER Last Five: L-L-L-L-L L-L-L-L-L This Week: Wednesday vs. Chivas USA (8 pm, MLS Live), Saturday vs. Philadelphia (7:30 pm, MLS Live)French President Francois Hollande delivers a statment to the press at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 24, 2014 (AFP Photo/Bertrand Guay) Paris (AFP) - President Francois Hollande vowed Thursday to deploy all of France's military means in Mali, where it has hundreds of troops, to track down a missing Algerian plane. Speaking on French television, he also said he had cancelled an official trip to the Reunion island and Mayotte -- both French departments -- and to the Comoros in the Indian Ocean. "I have decided to deploy... all military means we have in place in Mali," he said, referring to soldiers sent early last year by Paris to stop Islamic extremists and Tuareg rebels who overran northern Mali from taking the capital Bamako. Air Algerie flight AH5017 went missing as it overflew northern Mali, which is still a restive region despite France's military intervention last year. The pilots, in their last radio contact, said they were diverting course due to "extremely difficult weather conditions", Hollande said.JERUSALEM—Saying they now understood the earliest moments of the Resurrection in greater detail than ever before, archaeologists from Cambridge University announced compelling new evidence Tuesday revealing that Jesus Christ lounged for an extra hour in his tomb before finally rising from the dead. “It’s important to understand that Jesus had been deceased for three whole days—he didn’t just pop up from the grave, ready and raring to go,” said Dr. Marian Sullivan, adding that physical traces she and her colleagues had discovered suggested Christ had sat at the edge of his burial slab for several minutes staring at his own feet, his death shroud still half-covering his face. “He took some much-needed time to just sort of zone out and shuffle around the tomb a little bit before having an extended bathroom break, stretching out, and finally ascending to heaven.” According to Sullivan, markings around the entrance of the crypt indicated that Christ at one point might have partly rolled back the stone sealing his tomb but then resealed the grave after deciding he wanted to lie back down just a little while longer. AdvertisementThe United States' B61-12 nuclear warhead life extension program will lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control said Wednesday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Mikhail Ulyanov underlined that while Russia will not be dragged into a new arms race amid such actions by the United States, it will "definitely" work to ensure its national security. "It is no coincidence that some American experts were quick to call the new warheads more 'ethical,' stating that their use would have less severe humanitarian consequences. But this is precisely why this is a bad thing. The characteristics of such weapons will objectively increase the temptation to use them. This will mean a substantial lowering of the threshold for using nuclear weapons," Ulyanov told RIA Novosti. © Flickr / Sandia Labs US Nuclear Security Body Authorizes Production Engineering Stage of B61-12 Nuke Bomb According to the official, the US National Nuclear Security Administration's recent decision on the B61-12 will not have any noticeable consequences in the forthcoming years as the deployment of the new nuclear warheads will only begin in 2020. "That is when the negative impacts of the modernization will truly be felt," he said, adding that the renewal of US nuclear arsenal in Europe means a long-term extension of NATO's joint nuclear missions, which "flagrantly violate the spirit and contents of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."Screenwriting is a notoriously difficult thing to get right. Despite the fact that every other person you speak to on the street thinks that they could sit down and write a movie in a matter of hours, writing a screenplay is an extremely complicated and elusively arduous process. There are many schools of thought regarding just exactly what makes the "perfect" screenplay - many would argue that no such thing exists. But there are a handful of screenplays out there that come pretty damn close to perfect, all of which make essential reading for anybody who hopes, dreams or has even fully-realised their dreams of screenwriting as a professional. Here's 10 essential screenplays for the aspiring screenwriter... 10. Groundhog Day (1993) - Danny Rubin/Harold Ramis Columbia Pictures Though some people are quick to write this off as "another goofy Bill Murray movie," comedy scripts seriously don't come much better than this - in fact, Groundhog Day might have hailed from the greatest comedy script ever written. The magic working this screenplay is all in the concept. If this movie had never existed and you wrote it today, there's absolutely no doubt that you'd sell within a week: the idea alone would be enough to make you a millionaire. The fact that - beyond its concept - the script is so flawlessly written, is certainly what propels it into "masterclass" territory, but Groundhog Day is essential reading because it doesn't - not for a single moment - waste the story opportunities brought on by its concept. The genius, of course, is that - despite its "stuck in the same day" premise - it works like any other generic rom-com. You don't realise this, of course, because the idea is such a doozy. Sensational stuff, and the high mark you should be aiming for when writing something of the high-concept comedy variety. You can read Danny Rubin's screenplay for Groundhog Dayhere.By Jeremy Gorner Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — Three Chicago police officers filed a federal lawsuit against the department Thursday, challenging its new policy that requires uniformed officers to cover their tattoos. The officers, all of whom served in the military and have tattoos on their arms, argue in the suit that the policy violates their First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and expression. The city of Chicago is named as the sole defendant. According to the Police Department's new policy, which went into effect June 12, tattoos and body brandings cannot be visible on officers "while on duty or representing the department, whether in uniform, conservative business attire, or casual dress." The hands, face, neck and other areas not covered by clothing must be covered with "matching skin tone adhesive bandage or tattoo cover-up tape," according to the policy. Uniformed officers also are barred from wearing baseball caps, and knit caps in the winter, under the new policy. One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Officer Daniel Medici, a nine-year veteran of the department, bears a tattoo that honors his service in the Marine Corps. An Iraq War veteran, he has a "wings and halos" tattoo in remembrance of his fallen comrades, according to the suit. The two other plaintiffs, Officers John Kukielka and Dennis Leet, each have a religious tattoo of St. Michael, the patron and protector of police, mariners, paratroopers and sickness, the suit says. Medici also bears a religious tattoo. Leet and Kukielka both served in the Air Force and were hired by the Police Department in 1999 and 2009, respectively. But according to the lawsuit, patrol officers who must wear extra clothing to cover tattoos or wear the cover-up tape experience overheating in warm months and skin irritation and discomfort from the tape. Spokesmen for the Police Department and the city's Law Department said Thursday evening they had yet to see the lawsuit and had no immediate comment. Three days before the directive went into effect, a department spokeswoman issued a brief statement saying the changes to the uniform policy were "to promote uniformity and professionalism." The spokeswoman, Jennifer Rottner, also said officers were using too many uniform variations, "making Chicago police officers less immediately identifiable to the public." The department's largest union, which represents rank-and-file officers, quickly voiced its opposition, saying the department should have negotiated the changes before making any announcement. The Fraternal Order of Police has filed a formal complaint with the Illinois Labor Relations Board alleging that the revisions to the uniform policy violate their collective bargaining agreement. A number of officers also have spoken out to the Tribune against the move, saying their tattoos are part of their identities. A police source familiar with the new policy has said the changes were prompted by newer officers whose tattoos were "over the top." Tattoos covering arms and necks, as well as the wearing of baseball caps backward, "had gotten extreme," the source said. The source also has said the department was sympathetic to officers with tattoos commemorating their military service but ultimately decided it was too "difficult to draw a line." The move put Chicago in line with other big-city police departments like those in New York and Los Angeles that have implemented similar changes to their uniform policies as body art has become more mainstream. Copyright 2015 the Chicago TribuneNEW DELHI: Indian doctors for the first time attempted to separate twins joined at the head on Monday. The surgery, which started around 9am, was still on at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS ).“We are hoping to save both but even if one of the twins survives, it will be a historic achievement,” a doctor said.Twins joined at the head are very rare, occurring once in 25 million live births, which is roughly the total number of births in India each year. Approximately four in 10 such twins are dead at birth and an additional three die within 24 hours.Since 1952, only about 50 attempts have been made to separate such twins across the world, with the success rate below 25%.In the case of Jaga and Baliya, who are two years and three months old, the operation is more complicated because they share veins that return blood to the heart from the brain.Surgeons plan to create an alternative venous channel, expand the skin and then separate the brain in the first stage of the surgery, which will be followed by complete separation and skin closure. The children are otherwise healthy and playful, said a doctor.“This attempt to separate them, if successful, will provide hope and test the frontiers of science,” a doctor said. Nearly 20 specialists from paediatric neurosurgery, neuro-anaesthesia, plastic surgery and cardiovascular sciences are involved in the operation, besides a Japanese expert flown in to assist in the procedure.The twins, born to Bhuiyan and Pushpa, farmers from Odisha’s Kandhamal district, were referred to AIIMS last month.Even the AIIMS neurosurgeons were initially doubtful about separating the twins. “Multiple MRIs and angiograms were done to examine the brain structure of the twins over the last one month. We went through literature on such surgeries conducted worldwide and even contacted some of the surgeons who did them. Finally, it was decided to take up the case for surgery with the hope of saving at least one of the twins,” said a surgeon.At least one other pair of twins joined at the head is surviving without surgery in India.Sisters Saba and Farah from Patna are 20 years old. They were not operated upon because of the risks involved.However, in a recent case of successful surgical separation, surgeons at Montefiore hospital in New York separated 13-month-old twins joined at the head.Press release Three-time Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum band MAROON 5 will take center stage at the PEPSI SUPER BOWL LIII HALFTIME SHOW on CBS at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, they confirmed today. Maroon 5 will feature a slate of guest artists including Grammy-nominated rapper TRAVIS SCOTT and Atlanta native BIG BOI bringing together the broadest range of musical genres ever seen on the Super Bowl stage. Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi join an esteemed list of recent halftime acts including Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz, Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Nicki Minaj, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and many more. The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is the most-watched musical event of the year. Super Bowl LIII and the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show will be broadcast by CBS from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Super Bowl LIII marks Pepsi's seventh year as title sponsor of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and 17th year as an NFL partner. Pepsi and the NFL have teamed up again to provide fans with a halftime experience worthy of pop-culture's biggest stage. The PEPSI SUPER BOWL LIII HALFTIME SHOW is an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by RICKY KIRSHNER and directed by HAMISH HAMILTON. For more information about Super Bowl LIII, visit SuperBowl.com. About Maroon 5: Maroon 5 stands out as not only one of pop music's most enduring artists, but also one of the 21st century's biggest acts. To date, the universally renowned Los Angeles band have achieved three GRAMMY® Awards and sold over 53 million albums, 48 million singles worldwide and earned gold and platinum certifications in more than 35 countries. The band won over fans and critics alike with the hybrid rock/R&B sound they introduced on their debut album, Songs About Jane and their double platinum album, It Won't be Soon Before Long. Maroon 5 went on to release studio albums, Hands All Over, which featured the anthemic "Moves Like Jagger," and Overexposed. The band's fifth studio album, V, debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 chart and featured the #1 hit singles "Maps," "Animals" and "Sugar," helping the band set a record for the most #1's by a group in the Top 40 chart's 20-year history, with 9 in total. The music video for the album's GRAMMY- nominated single "Sugar" has notably logged a record setting 2+ billion views to date. Maroon 5 released their 6th studio album, Red Pill Blues, in late 2017 via 222/ Interscope. The album features the global hit single "Girls Like You" ft. Cardi B, which reached #1 at Top 40, #1 at Adult Pop, #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks. The track also claimed the #1 position on iTunes and Spotify, all while accumulating over 626 million Spotify streams and over 1.7 billion YouTube/ VEVO views. The single has gone on to become the longest-running song on the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 and is notably the most-watched video on VEVO in 2018. The band recently finished 2018 as the biggest act on U.S. radio (according to Nielsen Music). The group's songs amassed 8.58 billion audience impressions across all monitored radio stations, which included 1.95 million plays of Maroon 5's music. About Travis Scott: Grammy-nominated global superstar Travis Scott has established himself as a leading force in the music world. His third full-length album ASTROWORLD – released August 3, 2018 via Cactus Jack Records/Epic Records – debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200, scored the second-largest debut of 2018 and has since certified platinum by the RIAA. The critically acclaimed album also yielded his first Billboard Hot 100 #1 single with "SICKO MODE," and garnered a total of three Grammy nominations: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. ASTROWORLD followed the 2016 release of platinum-certified, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight and earned his first #1 album. Travis' platinum-certified debut album, Rodeo was released in 2015 and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single "Antidote." Hailing from Missouri City, TX, Travis has performed on Saturday Night Live, Ellen, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and many more. He has appeared on the cover of prestigious publications such as Rolling Stone, GQ, GQ Style, Billboard, XXL, and The FADER. Additionally, Travis is a household name in the fashion world where his influence spans from launch collaborations with YSL, Helmut Lang, Nike and Ksubi Denim to starring in notable campaigns for Alexander Wang, and Ricardo Tisci among other numerous top designers. Travis will embark on the second North American leg of his ASTROWORLD Tour this month. The immense SOLD OUT world arena tour began November 2018 and features a roller coaster hoisted in the air running the length crowd, a ferris wheel, fireworks, and pyrotechnics and is as Rolling Stone describes, "the greatest show on earth." About Big Boi: Atlanta indisputably set the pace for modern hip-hop. However, Big Boi set the pace for Atlanta, and by proxy, the culture at large. If the genre of hip-hop ever gets its own "Rap Mount Rushmore," a legacy as the region's foremost wordsmith, funkiest gentleman, and resident ATLien certainly guarantees a place for the diamond selling artist, rapper, songwriter, record producer, actor, philanthropist born Antwan André Patton. Big made history as the preeminent spitter of the Dungeon Family and one-half of OutKast. The legendary duo sold 25 million albums and garnered seven GRAMMY® Awards, becoming the first and only hip-hop artist in history to win the GRAMMY® for "Album of the Year" upon release of their 2003 RIAA Diamond-certified Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Big Boi made his proper introduction as a solo artist in 2010 with Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. A modern classic, it captured #3 on theBillboard Top 200 and landed on Pitchfork's "100 Best Albums of the Decade 'So Far'." Following a succession of high-profile album releases, Big Boi released his latest album Boomiverse in 2017. The smash single "All Night" sound tracked a high-profile Apple Animoji commercial, blew up radio, and clocked 40 million streams within a year. The song also hit the Top 30 on the pop chart and Top 10 at Rhythmic.Changeling the Lost: Tinkering and Toying Changeling: The Lost, Open Development Hi everyone. Some people were all, “Where’s Changeling at? I want to play with it.” To which I respond, “Um, okay?” So I just want to start this out by saying here’s the core Changeling template rules. Pretty cool, right? A lot of this is familiar. Some of it was already shared via forums and previous teasers. Some is totally new. But, this is basically the difference between a Changeling: The Lost character and a Chronicles of Darkness mortal character. You know what else? I can predict the future, and act accordingly to change the course of time itself. Because right now (well after I wrote this post) you’re saying, “That’s great, but how am I supposed to toy with this material if I don’t know what Contracts look like?” It’s cool. I’ve got you covered. Here’s Contracts. This isn’t all of them, but it’s a more than healthy sample. And before the next question, don’t worry your head. I know you love the way we’ve been doing Merits in Chronicles of Darkness. So I want to give you some of those to play with, too. Again, this is not a complete list. In particular, it doesn’t contain many of the Merits that deal with subsystems like dreams. Wait. Dreams are a subsystem in the core book? You think I’d let you down like that? Here’s dream walking. Okay. So, you’ve got all these fun systems to toy with. But how can you put those together into characters you can actually play? I guess you’d need the character creation rules to do that. I shared plenty of Kith and Seeming material before. That still exists, and you can find it and other previews collected here. If you have the Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook, this should be playable. Or, Changeling the Lost, First Edition with the God-Machine Chronicle rules update. Now, what would I like from you? Mess with things. Have fun. Play games. If you get the chance, fill out this questionnaire. I’ll be using these notes as part of my final pass through the text. Like I said before, this is hardly complete; it’s a few targeted chunks. But it should be enough to get a feel. What I don’t need is notes about typos and stuff like that. This isn’t through editing. So it’s just a waste of everyone’s time. We’ll run it through an editor, I’ve still got revisions to do, then we’ll look at all that polish on the back end. Edit: I’m feeling generous. Here’s Pledges.Oh, yes, it’s that time of year again. That month when I completely fall off the face of the earth IRL, but inversely become more active on social media because I’m compulsively distracting myself from THE EPIC WRITING CRUSADE known as National Novel Writing Month. (In brief, it’s a challenge to write 50,000 words of a novel in the 30 days of November. There are no tangible prizes, but you do win at life.) I’ve participated the past 3 years, but I only reached the goal in one of those – resulting in the first draft of The Thief. (#selffive) This year I’m going to use this bad boy to bang out the alpha draft of book 2, The Dragon! Yes, I am! Accordingly, I thought I’d share some tips for preparing your waking world for the facemelting joyous stressfest that is a noveling November. I may not have mastered these, but I am getting better. Marginally. Clean your house/apartment/bunk/spaceworthy Winnebago. Put up the laundry on your bed, sweep the cat hair out of your keyboard. Ain’t nobody got no time for that tomfoolery when there are triple negatives to type and fictional lives to destroy. Put up the laundry on your bed, sweep the cat hair out of your keyboard. Ain’t nobody got no time for that tomfoolery when there are triple negatives to type and fictional lives to destroy. Stock the pantry with quick-to-make foods. Learn to love your crock pot and your microwave, or become BFFs with the Wendy’s drive thru cashier. Forget your fancy diet of hand-rolled sweet potato gnocchi and leave the braising to the professionals. You will be feasting on instant mashed potatoes and the blood of your enemies. Or bubblegum romance. Depends on your genre. Learn to love your crock pot and your microwave, or become BFFs with the Wendy’s drive thru cashier. Forget your fancy diet of hand-rolled sweet potato gnocchi and leave the braising to the professionals. You will be feasting on instant mashed potatoes and the blood of your enemies. Or bubblegum romance. Depends on your genre. Warn people. Your friends, your family, your coworkers, your fish. Let them know you’re about to get extremely anti-social, and a lot neurotic over the next month. Tell them, “It’s not you, it’s me, and the people living inside my head.” They might not be terribly surprised. I mean, you’re talking to your fish. Getting the support of those you live with can be an enormous help. Kindly request the consideration of your partner/roommates/offspring, explaining how important this is to you. They might make you hot chocolate during a bad day, if you’re lucky. Your friends, your family, your coworkers, your fish. Let them know you’re about to get extremely anti-social, and a lot neurotic over the next month. Tell them, “It’s not you, it’s me, and the people living inside my head.” They might not be terribly surprised. I mean, you’re talking to your fish. Getting the support of those you live with can be an enormous help. Kindly request the consideration of your partner/roommates/offspring, explaining how important this is to you. They might make you hot chocolate during a bad day, if you’re lucky. Get plotting. Your mileage may vary based on your writing style. Some people go all-out, detailing every scene, stack of script-style index cards ready for every move their characters make. If you’re this type, you really should start plotting much sooner than a week out. If you’re more like me, a “pantser,” a week is plenty of time to sneeze out a skeleton plot. At minimum, hit the high points, like “who the heck is in this book?” “where/when the heck is this set?” “what the heck is at stake?” Maybe jot down a major motivation for each major character, and drum up some backstory for each. This may change as you spew terrible ideas over the next thirty days, but it’s very helpful to have a starting point. Spend this next week thinking about where you think the story is going, but save the actual writing of scenes for November 1st. Your mileage may vary based on your writing style. Some people go all-out, detailing every scene, stack of script-style index cards ready for every move their characters make. If you’re this type, you really should start plotting much sooner than a week out. If you’re more like me, a “pantser,” a week is plenty of time to sneeze out a skeleton plot. At minimum, hit the high points, like “who the heck is in this book?” “where/when the heck is this set?” “what the heck is at stake?” Maybe jot down a major motivation for each major character, and drum up some backstory for each. This may change as you spew terrible ideas over the next thirty days, but it’s very helpful to have a starting point. Spend this next week thinking about where you think the story is going, but save the actual writing of scenes for November 1st. Build your nest. WHERE you write has an enormous impact on your success. And like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade, you must choose wisely. The Grail was the cup of a carpenter – your nest is the nest of a writer. It should fit your purpose. Find a place that gives you focus, that best helps you empty your head of things that aren’t the kickass story you’re beating into submission. I’m saying nest, because you may very well not write at a desk. I generally don’t. I have two nests, one in the back corner of a local chain coffeehouse (take my seat at your peril), and one on the second floor of the public library. My own house has too many distractions – video games, wall of DVDs, overly-friendly cat. You may find it easier to shut yourself in an office, or hunker down in your bed with a laptop and a cuppa Earl Grey. Regardless of where you write best, this next step goes hand-in-hand: WHERE you write has an enormous impact on your success. And like Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade, you must choose wisely. The Grail was the cup of a carpenter – your nest is the nest of a writer. It should fit your purpose. Find a place that gives you focus, that best helps you empty your head of things that aren’t the kickass story you’re beating into submission. I’m saying nest, because you may very well not write at a desk. I generally don’t. I have two nests, one in the back corner of a local chain coffeehouse (take my seat at your peril), and one on the second floor of the public library. My own house has too many distractions
defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law," he said. "Recent events in Syria, where chemical weapons have again been put to use, have underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons." The Nobel Committee also criticised Russia and the US for failing to meet an April 2012 deadline to destroy their chemical weapons arsenals. The OPCW's Ahmet Uzumcu said the organisation had been working "with quiet determination to rid the world of these heinous weapons", away from the spotlight, for the past 16 years. He said the Syria mission was the first time the OPCW had worked to such a short timeframe and in an ongoing conflict, and that it was "conscious of the enormous trust" placed on it by the international community. Praising the commitment of his staff and the support of member states, he said the Nobel Peace Prize would "spur us to untiring effort, even stronger commitment and greater dedication" to bring about a world free of chemical weapons". Image caption The OPCW's Ahmet Uzumcu said the prize would spur the organisation's efforts The head of the OPCW inspection team in Syria, Ake Sellstrom, said: "This is a powerful pat on the back that will strengthen the organisation's work in Syria." The OPCW is made up of 189 member states and the principal role of its 500-strong staff is to monitor and destroy all existing chemical weapons. It draws on a network of some of the best laboratories and scientists in the world to help it in its work, the BBC's science correspondent Pallab Ghosh says. The 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention has contributed to the destruction of nearly 80% of the world's chemical weapons stockpile. Syria is expected to sign the treaty in the coming days. French President Francois Hollande said the Nobel prize was a "vindication" of the international efforts in Syria and pledged continued support for the OPCW's work there and elsewhere. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the "Nobel Committee has rightly recognised [the OPCW's] bravery and resolve". European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, EU President Herman Van Rompuy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel all congratulated the OPCW. Notable omission There were a record 259 nominees for this year's Peace Prize, but the list remains a secret. Pakistani schoolgirl campaigner Malala Yousafzai and gynaecologist Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of Congo had been tipped as favourites to take the award. Malala praised the work of the OPCW after the announcement and thanked those who had offered her encouragement. "I would like to congratulate them on this much-deserved global recognition," she said in a statement. "I would also like to thank the people and media in Pakistan, and those from all over the world, for their support, kindness and prayers. I will continue to fight for the education for every child, and I hope people will continue to support me in my cause." OPCW Born out of the Chemical Weapons Convention signed by nations in 1993 Convention entered into force in 1997, allowing OPCW to start its work Within 10 years, inspectors had destroyed 25,000 tonnes of weapons By 2013, about 80% of world's declared stockpile had been destroyed Thousands of tonnes remain in the possession of the US and Russia Profile: OPCW Others who had been listed as contenders were Chelsea Manning (formerly Bradley Manning), the US soldier convicted of giving classified documents to Wikileaks and Maggie Gobran, an Egyptian computer scientist who abandoned her academic career to become a Coptic Christian nun and founded the charity Stephen's Children. But an hour before Friday's announcement, NRK reported the award would go to the OPCW. The European Union won the prize in 2012 in recognition of its contribution to peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. Previous Nobel Peace Prize laureates include anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, US President Barack Obama, the Dalai Lama and Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel Committee has in the past publicly regretted never awarding the prize to Mahatma Gandhi, the pacifist leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule, even though he was nominated five times.CHICAGO — A Guatemalan national who has been previously removed from the United States three times, and who is wanted by police in Champaign, Illinois, for allegedly causing a fatal crash while driving under the influence on New Year’s Day, was added Monday to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Most Wanted list. Esteban Juarez-Tomas, 33, is wanted for aggravated DUI, resulting in the death of LaDonna (Jeannie) Brady, of Mahomet, Illinois, on Jan. 1, 2017, according to police records. He is also wanted by ICE for removal from the United States, after resolution of the criminal case against him, and any subsequent jail term. Juarez-Tomas, a laborer, has been known to use the following aliases: Salvador Diaz-Gomez, Victor Ochoa and Edgar Gomez-Estrada. He his 5’5” tall and weighs about 140 pounds with brown eyes and black hair. Juarez-Tomas was ordered deported in absentia Jan. 13, 2003, following his February 2002 arrest by the now defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) near Springfield, Missouri. He was again arrested July 4, 2010, by the Warren County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department and charged with aggravated battery. ICE lodged a detainer July 13, 2010, and he was taken into ICE custody at the completion of his sentence and removed to Guatemala Sept. 9, 2010. On Oct. 31, 2011, Juarez-Tomas was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona, and was subsequently removed again to Guatemala on Nov. 14, 2011. On Dec. 23, 2011, he was again apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol near Rio Grande City, Texas, and was removed a third time Jan. 18, 2012. Despite attempts by ICE to locate him, Juarez-Tomas remains at large. He was last known to live in Champaign, and may have fled to Guatemala after the fatal crash. ICE urges the public not attempt to apprehend any fugitive. Anyone who wants to submit a tip may call their local ICE office, or call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423), or submit a tip online.Jackley says S.D. needs transgender bathroom policy South Dakota's top prosecutor said he thinks the state needs a transgender bathroom policy for its public schools. Attorney General Marty Jackley in an interview with Argus Leader Media Thursday said he supported legislation that would have made South Dakota the first state to bar transgender students from using bathrooms that don't match their biological sex and would have signed the bill if he was in Gov. Dennis Daugaard's place. "I have a 12-year-old son and a nine-year-old little girl and I don’t want my daughter to come home and talk about being in the shower room with someone with male parts," Jackley said. "I think we’re to the point where we need to have a fair, non-discriminatory policy to address this." Daugaard vetoed the measure last month, saying schools can make decisions at the local level on how they can handle transgender students. He also said the measure would have also created legal liability for the state's schools by forcing them to adopt policies that counter recent interpretations of federal discrimination law. Under the measure, transgender students who didn't want to use bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms based on their biological sex would've been required to submit a request to their school for a "reasonable accommodation." MORE COVERAGE:Jackley calls for more info on conflicts, deflects criticism, conspiracy theories Jackley has formed a political action committee and said he is laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial campaign, but has yet to formally announce. The attorney general said he'd been consulted by the bill's author, Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, and supported it as long as the attorney general's office wasn't bound to represent any public school district that faced a lawsuit. A broader law approved last month by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has spurred boycotting by businesses and other state legislators and has fueled scorn from LGBT advocacy groups and the American Civil Liberties Union. Jackley said he'd like to work with lawmakers to bring another measure that would be more palatable for business in South Dakota and could be more agreeable for the transgender community. "I think there’s a way to go about it where we don’t need to discriminate and we don’t need to hurt economic development," he said. Supporters of the South Dakota measure, including conservative Christian groups such as Family Heritage Alliance Action, said it would enhance the privacy of all students while opponents including LGBT advocacy rights groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and celebrity Caitlyn Jenner, said the bill was discriminatory. Would-be tourists on both sides of the issue hijacked the state's tourism hashtag in February, saying they'd boycott the state if Daugaard didn't support their position on the bill. Several businesses and the city of Sioux Falls also asked Daugaard not to approve the measure. Follow Dana Ferguson on Twitter @bydanaferguson Read or Share this story: http://argusne.ws/1S0zSzDAdelaide United is pleased to confirm defender Jordan Elsey has re-signed with the Club on a one-year deal. Elsey’s new contract means he will be with the Reds for the Hyundai A-League 2017/18 season. Elsey was given the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities under new Head Coach, Marco Kurz, during the off-season and subsequently impressed the German tactician as well as Assistant Filip Tapalovic. The South Australian local’s versatility will provide Kurz adequate cover in defence, capable of playing as a centre-back or at full-back. Head Coach, Kurz, said the medical staff have given Elsey the all-clear to return to playing football after suffering a second serious knee injury last year. “We asked the medical staff and they gave us the okay to re-sign him and his knee was good,” he said. “We were looking for one more centre-back for the squad and he was an option for this position. “He has trained with the team in pre-season and did well and we wanted to make the decision before the Cup game.” Kurz also stated Elsey will be an important player in the squad. “I think in this moment Jordan knows the Club, the supporters and the team.” “And now he’s an important player for Adelaide United and we’re happy to have him in the team.” Speaking on re-signing with the Club after a long injury lay-off Elsey said: “It’s a good feeling knowing I’ve done everything right on and off the park with my rehab to show the new coach what type of player I am.” “Obviously I’ve done (injured) the knee before and I knew what to expect mentally and physically. “So it was a little bit easier this time, it’s nearly eleven months (since the injury) so I’ve never felt better and the knee has never felt better.” Elsey believes his performances in the two pre-season friendlies against White City and Adelaide Comets helped convince Kurz in the decision to award him a new contract. “He (Kurz) wanted to see me in a game environment and not just at training.” “I felt I fit in well with the new style that he likes to play, playing out from the back and keeping the ball and I feel comfortable under his coaching.” Elsey also said he was hoping to repay the faith shown in him by the Reds following his long-term injury. “I want to obviously show Adelaide United what I can do and thank them for keeping the faith with me throughout the injury.” “I have unfinished business to show the fans and the Club what type of player I am and that’s what I’m really looking forward to this season.” The 23-year-old has amassed 30 appearances across all competitions and has scored one goal since making his debut for Adelaide in January 2014.“Guess who’s back, back again.” Charlie Shrem, former CEO of BitInstant and one of the founders of the Bitcoin Foundation, announced that he is free from prison. Charlie Shrem remains on supervised release and cannot give press interviews. In a blog post titled “Onward” Shrem seemed to be in good spirits. “Currently I’m home in southern Pennsylvania where Courtney and I have relocated temporarily. We will spend the summer months enjoying the outdoors, good food, family, friends and the small things that I missed while I was away, and at the same time transition back into normal life. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back home.” Charlie Shrem remains a prominent figure in bitcoin despite his arrest. The government accused Shrem of laundering money for Robert M. Faiella aka “BTCKing.” Faiella sold bitcoin to Silkroad users for use on the site. Prosecutors originally charged Shrem and Faiella with two counts of Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy. Shrem eventually plead out to one count of Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business. Judge Jed S Rakoff sentenced Shrem to 24 months in federal prison and three years supervised release. During sentencing, Shrem’s lawyer Marc A. Agnifilo argued for a lessened sentence or simply probation, reminding the judge that Shrem was only 22 years old when he committed the crime and just 21 when he started BitInstant. Agnifilo also argued that Faiella was selling bitcoin to users, not sellers. Therefore, Shrem laundered money for drug buyers, not the drug dealers money laundering laws are usually aimed to stymie. “The crime he committed is so much a product of youthful bad, bad, bad judgment, and not appreciating the important role he had, not realizing that he had to grow up faster than he did because it was no longer about just sitting at a computer and writing computer code and dreaming of things that could make the world better. He had real responsibilities. He had tangible responsibilities and he had to live up to them, and he didn’t appreciate it enough. And when he had the chance to stop Faiella, he should have. There’s no question, and he didn’t because it just was the mistake of a lifetime. But that’s not him and that’s why I think the aberrational part is the key. He’s not looking to break the law. He’s looking to do this the right way. He’s sort of hitched his spiritual wagon to bitcoin.” Judge Rakoff had some sympathy towards the argument. But he also agreed with the prosecution that probation or forfeiture would not be enough of a deterrent for future individuals and companies. “[Shrem] is immature, immature and impulsive, but not to the point that can be excused. This was not some kid making a one-time mistake, some act truly aberrational, taken in a moment of impulsivity or just plain stupid. There’s no question that Mr. Shrem, over a period of many months, was knowingly, willfully and to some extent excitedly, even passionately, involved in activity that he knew that, in part, was a serious violation of the law and that was promoting the evil business of trafficking in drugs.” The court briefly discussed the terms of Charlie Shrem’s probation. They stated that Shrem would have to report to a probation office and submit to a drug test. Shrem will also be required to refrain from committing any serious crimes during his probationary period. The court did not mention a restriction on media relations or running a bitcoin company. The probation office may have imposed those restrictions itself. Federal guidelines suggested that Shrem serve at least 57 months. Judges are not required to follow guidelines related to the particular charge Shrem was facing. Judge Rakoff called the guidelines “ridiculous.” Since Charlie Shrem is unable to provide a quote himself, we leave you on a quote from his comments to the court.UPDATED: BES Big Core MK-III’s Special Summon is not “exactly” like Cyber Dragon’s. 灰流うらら Haru Urara (OCG: Floating Ash & Spring Breeze/TCG: Ghost Ash & Spring Breeze) Level 3 FIRE Zombie-Type Tuner Effect Monster ATK 0 DEF 1800 You can only use the effect of “Ghost Ash & Beautiful Spring” once per turn. (1) During either player’s turn (except during the Damage Step), when your opponent activates a card or effect that moves card(s) from a Deck to a hand or Graveyard, or Special Summons a monster(s) from the Deck: You can discard this card; negate that effect. You can only use this effect of “Ghost Ash & Beautiful Spring” once per turn. 妖精伝姫- カグヤ Fairy Tail – Kaguya Level 4 LIGHT Spellcaster-Type Effect Monster ATK 1850 DEF 1000 (1) When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Spellcaster-Type monster with 1850 ATK from your Deck to your hand. (2) Once per turn, during either player’s turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; your opponent can send 1 monster with the same name as that monster from their Main Deck or Extra Deck to the Graveyard to negate this effect, otherwise, return that monster to the hand. (I guess with TCG patterns, Fairy Tail – Scroll is likely?) Diamond Duston Normal Trap (1) When a card(s) on the field is destroyed by battle or card effect: Special Summon “Duston” monsters from your Deck to anywhere on the field, equal to the number of cards destroyed. (2) Once, while this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 1 “Duston” monster from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card to your opponent’s field in Defense Position as a Normal Monster (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level 1/ATK 0 /DEF 1000). (This card is NOT treated as a Trap Card.) If Summoned this way, this card cannot be Tributed or be used as a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Material for a Summon. Source 幻煌龍の螺旋波 Gen Ou Ryuu no Spiral Wave (Spiral Wave of the Mythic Radiant Dragon) Equip Spell Card Equip only to a Normal Monster. You can only use the (2)nd effect of “Spiral Wave of the Mythic Radiant Dragon” once per turn. (1) The equipped monster is not destroyed once per turn. (2) At the end of a Battle Phase in which the equipped monster battled: You can Special Summon 1 “Spiral, the Mythic Radiant Dragon” from your hand, Deck or Graveyard, then equip this card to that monster. Then, your opponent discards 1 card from their hand. 幻煌龍の天渦 Gen Ou Ryuu no Tenka (Conquering Whirlpool of the Mythic Radiant Dragon) Normal Trap Card If “Umi” is on the field, you can activate this card from your hand. (1) Target 1 “Spiral, the Mythic Radiant Dragon” you control; when it destroys 3 effect monsters by battle while it has 3 or more “Mythic Radiant” Equip Spell Cards equipped to it, you win the Duel. (2) If a Normal Monster you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can banish this card from your Graveyard instead. Note: This card’s name is based on Tenka 天下 “Everything under Heaven”, a term used in a lot of terminology to refer to conquest and supremacy, hence its Win The Duel effect. 十二獣ライカ Jyuunishishi Lyca (Zoodiac Lyca) Rank 4 EARTH Beast-Warrior-Type Xyz Effect Monster ATK? DEF? Xyz Materials: 2 or more Level 4 monsters Once per turn, you can also Xyz Summon “Zoodiac Lyca” by using 1 “Zoodiac” monster you control with a different name as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) (1) This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the total ATK and total DEF of the “Zoodiac” monsters attached to it as Xyz Materials. (2) Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 “Zoodiac” monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, but its effects are negated, also it cannot be used as an Xyz Material. These changes last until the end of this turn. 十二獣ハマーコング Jyuunishishi Hammerkong (Zoodiac Hammerkong) Rank 4 EARTH Beast-Warrior-Type Xyz Effect Monster ATK? DEF? Xyz Materials: 3 or more Level 4 monsters Once per turn, you can also Xyz Summon “Zoodiac Hammerkong” by using 1 “Zoodiac” monster you control with a different name as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) (1) This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the total ATK and total DEF of the “Zoodiac” monsters attached to it as Xyz Materials. (2) While this card has any Xyz Materials, your opponent cannot target other “Zoodiac” monsters with card effects. (3) Once per turn, during each player’s End Phase: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card. 十二獣の相克 Juunishishi no Soukoku (Zoodiac Xiangke) Continuous Trap Card You can only use the (1) effect of “Zoodiac Xiangke” once per turn. (1) When you would detach an Xyz Material to activate a “Zoodiac” Xyz Monster’s effect, you can detach the Xyz Material from another Xyz Monster you control instead. (2) You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 2 “Zoodiac” Xyz Monsters you control; attach 1 of them to the other as Xyz Material. 智天の神凰龍(セフィラ・トーラ・グラマトン) Sephiratorah Grammaton (Zefratorah Grammaton) Level 11 EARTH Rock-Type Pendulum Effect Monster ATK 3450 DEF 2950 Pendulum Scale: 5 Pendulum Effect: You can only use the Pendulum Effect of “Zefratorah Grammaton” once per turn. (1) During your Main Phase: You can take 1 “Zefra” Pendulum Monster in your Deck, and add it to your Extra Deck face-up, also this card’s Pendulum Scale becomes the same as that monster’s Pendulum Scale, until the end of this turn. Monster Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned (face-up from your Extra Deck) by Tributing all monsters you control, including at least 1 “Zefra” monster and at least 3 monsters total, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. (1) During the turn this card is Special Summoned, you can Pendulum Summon only “Zefra” monsters, in addition to your Pendulum Summon per turn. (2) Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 monster; Special Summon 1 “Zefra” monster from your Deck. ファイヤークラッカー Fire Cracker Level 4 FIRE Fiend-Type Effect Monster ATK 1700 DEF 200 You can only use the (1) effect of “Fire Cracker” once per turn. (1) During either player’s turn: You can discard this card; inflict 1000 damge to your opponent, also skip your next Draw Phase. (2) Each time your opponent takes effect damage, place 1 counter on this card. (3) During the End Phase: Remove all counters from this card, and if you do, inflict 300 damage to your opponent for each removed. 醒めない悪夢 Samenai Akumu (Eternal Nightmares) Continuous Trap Card You cannot activate this card’s effect on the same Chain as itself. (1) Pay 1000 LP, then target 1 face-up Spell/Trap Card; destroy it. 盆回し Bon Mawashi (Show Time) Quick-Play Spell Card (1) Take 2 Field Spell Cards with different names from your Deck, and Set 1 of them to your field and another to your opponent’s field. As long as at least 1 of the cards Set by this effect is on the field, neither player can activate or Set Field Spell Cards. 憑依装着ライナ Hyoui Souchaku Lyna (Familiar-Possessed Lyna) Level 4 LIGHT Spellcaster-Type Effect Monster ATK 1850 DEF 1500 (1) You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or Deck) by sending 1 face-up “Lyna the Light Charmer” you control and 1 face-up LIGHT monster you control to the Graveyard. (2) When this card is Special Summoned by its (1) effect: You can add 1 Spellcaster-Type monster with 1500 DEF from your Deck to your hand, except “Familiar-Possessed Lyna”. (3) If this card was Special Summoned by its (1) effect and attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing Battle Damage to your opponent. SRアクマグネ Speedroid Akumagne Level 1 WIND Machine-Type Tuner Effect Monster ATK 0 DEF 0 You can only use the effect of “Speedroid Fiendmagnet” once per turn. Cannot be used as a Synchro Material, except by its own effect. (1) If this card is Normal or Special Summoned during your Main Phase: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon 1 WIND monster using only this card and that monster. ＳＲビードロドクロ Speedroid Vidrodokuro Level 7 WIND Machine-Type Effect Monster ATK 0 DEF 3000 You can only Special Summon “Speedroid Vidrodokuro” with its (1) effect once per turn. (1) During either player’s Standby Phase, if your opponent controls a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. (2) Cannot be destroyed by battle with Normal Summoned monsters. (3) Your opponent takes all damage you would have taken from from battles involving this card. (4) If you control a monster that is not a “Speedroid” monster, destroy this card. 幻影騎士団ロスト・ヴァンブレイズ Phantom Knights Lost Vambrace / The Phantom Knights of Lost Vambrace Normal Trap Card (1) Target 1 face-up monster; it loses 600 ATK, also its Level becomes 2, also your “The Phantom Knights” monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. These changes last until the end of this turn. Then, Special Summon this card as a Normal Monster in Defense Position (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 2/ATK 600/DEF 0). (It is not treated as a Trap Card.) 巨大戦艦ビッグ・コアＭｋ3 Kyodai Senran Big Core MK3 (B.E.S. Big Core MK3) Light Machine / Effect LV8 2700/1900 (1) If your opponent controls a monster while you do not, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand) in face-up Defense position. (2) If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: Place 3 Counters on it. (3) Cannot be destroyed by battle. (4) At the end of the Damage Step, if this card battled: Remove 1 Counter from this card. If you cannot, destroy it. (5) You can banish this card from your Graveyard: Shuffle all “B.E.S.” monsters from your Graveyard into the Deck. 光虫信号 Bug Signal Quick-Play Spell Card “Bug Signal” can only be activated once per turn. (1) Target 1 Insect-Type Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon 1 Insect-Type Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck is that 2 Ranks higher or lower than target, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon. Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.)An artist's illustration of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) atop the volcanic peak of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The construction phase of the TMT project officially kicked off on Oct. 7, 2014; the telescope's "first light' should come in 2022. Construction of a massive telescope triple the size of the world's largest current optical telescopes is set to begin on Hawaii's Mauna Kea volcano this year. The Thirty-Meter Telescope (TMT), which will consist of interlocking, segmented mirrors with a diameter totaling 30 meters (98 feet), has raised 83 percent of its funding, and builders could break ground by this summer, the project's leaders say. "We're really ready to go with this telescope," Dr. Michael Bolte, associate director for the TMT project, said last month at a meeting of the American Astronomical Association in Washington, D.C. [Thirty Meter Telescope: Hawaii's Giant Space Eye (Gallery)] In the coming decade, three enormous telescopes - the Giant Magellan Telescope, the European Extremely Large Telescope and the Thirty Meter Telescope - will come online. See how they stack up in this SPACE.com infographic (Image: © by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist) If construction goes ahead on schedule, the telescope will have its "first light" in 2022. The TMT is closely modeled on technology used by the twin 10-m Keck telescopes in Hawaii, currently some of the world's most powerful optical telescopes. The TMT will have nine times the light-collecting power of Keck, and 12 times sharper images than the Hubble Space Telescope using the tools of adaptive optics, Bolte said. The new observatory will enable exciting new studies of the first epoch of star formation, the assembly and evolution of galaxies, the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, and other areas. Like all ground-based telescopes, the TMT will be subject to atmospheric turbulence, which is the reason why stars appear to twinkle. But the TMT will have technology known as adaptive optics to "de-blur" the images it captures with its giant mirror. Design is underway for a suite of sophisticated instruments. The Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) and The Infrared Multi-object Spectrometer (IRMS) will be able to study the chemical composition, or spectra, of astronomical objects in near-infrared light, and will be capable of "diffraction limited" imaging, which has a resolution as good as the instrument's theoretical limit. The Wide Field Optical Spectrometer (WFOS) will enable imaging and spectroscopy in visible and near-ultraviolet light. The project has spent $120 million on the design of the observatory, and the operations cost will by $27 million per year, Bolte said. Refurbishing costs tack on another $12 million. Funding for the project is still 17 percent short, however, Bolte said. Nevertheless, the project received a building permit in 2011, and initial preparation of the Mauna Kea site began in August 2013. Construction is nominally set to begin in April, though Bolte said it would more likely happen this summer. The TMT project is an international collaboration between Caltech, the University of California, the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Department of Science and Technology of India. Follow Tanya Lewis on Twitter and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on SPACE.com.At least 23 Canadian women who were taking two of the most commonly prescribed birth control pills in the world have died, CBC News has learned. According to documents obtained from Health Canada, doctors and pharmacists say Yaz and Yasmin are suspected in the deaths of the women, who mostly died suddenly from blood clots. One of the women, 18-year-old Miranda Scott, was working out on an elliptical machine at the Okanagan gym at the University of British Columbia when she collapsed and died three years ago, said her mother, Chip McClaughry, who is involved in a class-action lawsuit against Bayer, the maker of the birth-control pills. "She fell backwards into the person behind her and then, I guess, when she was on the ground she said, 'I can't breathe,' and then, you know, she was gone," McClaughry said at her home in Delta, B.C. McClaughry had no idea what had happened to her athletic, healthy young daughter, but she started to investigate. "As soon as I heard that she had been on Yasmin, I thought, 'I'm just going to look that up,' and I did, and I thought: 'Oh my God, this is what's killed her," she said. Risk of blood clots rises According to Scott's autopsy, she died of "disseminated intravascular coagulation," which means that blood clots formed inside blood vessels throughout her body. Matthew Baer, of the Siskinds law firm, represents hundreds of Ontario women in a certified class-action lawsuit against Bayer that alleges Yaz and Yasmin have an increased risk of serious side-effects, including blood clots. Miranda Scott, of Delta, B.C. was 18 when she suddenly collapsed in a gym at UBC Okanagan in 2010. Her autopsy report concluded she had died after blood clots formed throughout her body, a complication sometimes reported with birth control hormones. (CBC) "[Scott's] autopsy report did say that there was a pulmonary embolism, which again is a blood clot in the lung," he said. "The major side-effect that we're alleging is worse with Yasmin than with the other oral contraceptives, [which] is an increase of blood clots." Certification of the class action is not a finding of fault against Bayer. While Bayer has already paid more than $1 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits in the U.S., the drug company tells CBC News it stands by its products. Both Yaz and Yasmin, which are sometimes called "newer-generation" birth control pills, includes a synthetic progestin, drospirenone, which is exclusive to Bayer. Teen girls as young as 14 In 2011, Health Canada issued a warning about Yaz and Yasmin, saying the risk of blood clots, which is rare overall, is 1.5 to 3 times higher with the drospirenone-containing pills than with some other birth control pills. While one in 10,000 women on older birth control pills will develop blood clots, as many as three in 10,000 will develop blood clots on Yaz or Yasmin. Bayer stands by its Yaz and Yasmin lines, which are the only birth control pills containing the progestin drospirenone. (CBC) According to the documents obtained from Health Canada, between 2007 and February 2013, doctors and pharmacists have reported 600 adverse reactions and 23 deaths where Yaz or Yasmin were suspected. More than half of the reported deaths were women under 26, with the youngest age 14. Most of the deaths reported occurred soon after starting the pills. In Scott's case, it was just over a month. "And that was all it took, five weeks start to finish, and that was the end of a beautiful, beautiful girl," her mother said. Lawyer says deaths underreported Tony Merchant, a lawyer representing 1,000 women outside Ontario — including Scott — is seeking to certify a second class-action lawsuit in Canada against Bayer this fall. Merchant said the number of deaths potentially associated with Yasmin or Yaz may be largely underreported because doctors may not realize there is a link between the cause of death and the risks of the pills. "There are about 30 or 40 deaths that we think are known, but that is usually just the tip of the iceberg because all sorts of people will have died.... [Their families] don't know anything about the litigation, they don't know anything about the problem," he said. Merchant said hundreds of patients who have approached his firm have had gallbladders removed, or have had strokes or blood clots and now must take blood thinners for the rest of their lives. None of the allegations has been proven in court. Bayer stands by Yasmin, Yaz In a written statement to CBC News, Bayer said it is fighting the certification of the first Canadian class-action suit, the one in Ontario, which alleges women died or were injured by Yaz and Yasmin: "We are very disappointed in Justice Crane's decision to certify a class in Ontario in an ongoing lawsuit regarding Yaz and Yasmin. No decision has been made on the merits of the case. We have filed a request with the Court for leave to appeal the decision and are evaluating our legal options... At Bayer patient safety comes first and we fully stand behind, Yaz and Yasmin." Bayer is scheduled to appear in court in Ontario on Sept. 4. Health Canada summaries of reported adverse reactions for Yaz and Yasmin, where death was an outcomeRoadblock on al-Madares Street. Photo by Hussam ‘Abed, B’Tselem, 9 Jan. 2017 On Sunday 8 January 2017, 28-year-old Fadi al-Qunbar – a resident of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal al-Mukabber – carried out a vehicle-ramming attack at the Armon Hanatziv Promenade in Jerusalem, killing four Israeli soldiers: Yael Yekutiel, 20; Shir Hajaj, 22; Shira Tzur, 20; and Erez Orbach, 20. Another thirteen soldiers were injured in the attack. Israeli authorities have since adopted a series of punitive measures against al-Qunbar’s extended family and other local residents. Such measures constitute collective punishment targeting individuals who are not charged with any wrongdoing. There can be no possible justification for these vindictive steps. Yesterday, Tuesday 10 January 2017, dozens of police officers and Jerusalem Municipality inspectors arrived in Jabal
to use on your Cross-Check. And for years we have ignored you. Not really, but there were a bunch of other things we needed to get done first, so it only seemed that way. Earlier this year our answer to this, the Surly Hurdy Gurdy, arrived here with little to no fanfare. We figured you nerds would find it on our website and rush right over to your favorite bike shop to order one. That’s what we figured anyway, until we heard from our trusty bearded inventory control robot Phil Raitt that we have a bunch of these in stock but hardly any have sold. I’m here to inform you five people who wrote to us about six years ago BEGGING us to make this for you that these are now available, and you need to make good on your promise of doing “ANYTHING!!!” for us to make it now that we have in fact made it for you. If you only learn one thing from this blog post please make it this little nugget. The Hurdy Gurdy is designed to be used with the Surly Cross-Check. The Cross-Check is a bike with forward-facing semi-horizontal dropouts. There are other bicycles made with this style of dropout, by a bunch of companies that are not Surly, and while the Hurdy Gurdy MIGHT work with some of those bicycles, we do not in any way guarantee that they will. The only bicycle that we do guarantee them to fit on is the Surly Cross Check. Oh, they will also fit on the Surly Travelers Check, because both frames use identical dropouts, but that is all we can promise. Feel free to buy one to use on another brand of bike, but please don’t blame us if it doesn’t work. Check out the Hurdy Gurdy. Isn't she pretty? Sexy investment cast stainless steel usually is. Here is a photo of our Single Speed Cross-Check without the Hurdy Gurdy installed. Here is a photo of the same bike with the part installed. It can be used with either bolt-on or QR hubs. Installation is pretty easy but as always if you don't know how to read instructions or use bicycle tools please have your local shop do it for you. That's what they are there for. Happy trails!Where there’s smoke there’s fire, as the folk saying has it. Unless the smoke is just people blowing smoke. The opposition parties have invested a solid week in the proposition that the finance minister, Bill Morneau, by selling 680,000 shares in his family firm Morneau Shepell on Nov. 30, 2015, followed by a ways and means motion in the Commons a week later signalling an increase in taxes was coming, did Something Wrong. Quite what that something is they have been too shy to say, So let’s try to figure out what they mean in their absence. Was it, first, wrong of him to sell the shares? No: it is exactly what he should have done, as a minister of the Crown. Indeed, the complaint until now has been that he should have divested all of his shares on taking office, and not, as we later learned, kept about half of them hidden inside a numbered company. But what is right in the whole cannot be wrong in the part. Was it, then, wrong of him to raise taxes on the wealthy? From a policy perspective, maybe, but ethically? Of course not. The Liberals ran and won on precisely that promise: it was perhaps the most prominent plank in their platform. Again, the knock on the Liberals until now has been about the promises they did not keep. So the opposition complaint must be that, although there was nothing wrong with each on its own, there was Something Wrong with the two together: that it is the timing that is suspicious, the one following so closely after the other. The suspicion, though they do not quite say it, is that Morneau was trading on inside information. Let’s unbundle this. The election was on Oct. 19, 2015; the cabinet was sworn in on Nov. 4. The “suspicious” sale of shares took place less than four weeks later. Perhaps it could have been done sooner, but it couldn’t have been done much sooner, and even if it had it would have been vulnerable to the same suspicion: that Morneau was selling the shares in anticipation of the ways and means motion. The motion was introduced in the first week the House sat after the election. It could not have been done sooner, and it could not have been done much later, since its purpose was to announce the tax increase would take effect on Jan. 1, 2016. So there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on either date: the sale of Morneau’s shares or the ways and means motion. They were almost bound to be close together. Certainly no one could have been surprised by the announcement, either of the fact of the tax increase or its timing. Not only had the Liberals told the country for months of their plan to raise taxes on the wealthy, but they had been quite explicit, in advance, that they intended to bring it in by the new year. On the Liberals’ first day in office, then House Leader Dominic LeBlanc told reporters the tax pledge was the government’s highest priority. “The prime minister,” he said, “has made it very clear to us that it is his hope and his intention that the tax measures will be in place for Jan. 1.” There’s little doubt that the prospect of a tax increase in the new year would have moved many investors to sell their shares before then, so as to realize any capital gains at the lower rate then prevailing. So far as they did, share prices generally might have been lower than they otherwise would have been, for a time. But the suggestion that there was some particular significance to Nov. 30, or that Morneau realized some special advantage as a result, rests on a number of shaky assumptions. First, it assumes that the parliamentary motion, and not any previous government statement, would have caused investors to dump their shares en masse. Maybe. But as my colleague, John Ivison, has noted, the fact that the motion was introduced while the markets were still open suggests Finance did not expect it to be a market mover. Second, it assumes the decline in share prices on that day, including Morneau Shepell’s, was in fact a result of the motion, and not of other economic factors. But that is far from established: stocks fell on the New York exchange that day as well. Third, it assumes that by selling his shares before then, Morneau avoided a loss that would otherwise have resulted. But the decline in Morneau Shepell’s share price, while sharp, was short-lived: by January they were back to where they were on the date the motion was introduced. They are now about 50 per cent higher — if anything, by selling when he did Morneau cut himself out of a sizeable gain. The only way for Morneau to have suffered a loss by selling his shares, then, even assuming the motion had anything to do with it, would be if he had sold them in the days immediately after the motion. Was he somehow obliged to pick that exact window? In fact, he did sell another tranche, totalling 320,000 shares, on Dec. 17, further weakening the case that he was seeking to profit from inside knowledge. None of this absolves Morneau of responsibility for the rest of the broader mess he is now in: for not divesting all his shares, for leaving people to think he had, for sponsoring legislation that would potentially benefit Morneau Shepell, and not recusing himself when he did. And certainly he has greatly contributed to the opposition’s efforts by his unwillingness to answer simple questions, such as whether he in fact sold his shares on the date in question. But as to the substance: while it is the minister’s obligation, as the prime minister’s mandate letter to him states, to arrange his private affairs in a way that meets the closest scrutiny, it is not clear what he could have done differently in the present case, still less that he did anything wrong.On Wednesday, May 7, Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty announced that the “Audit the Fed” bill originally proposed by the former congressman and recently reintroduced by Representative Paul Broun (R-Ga.) now enjoys the bipartisan support of a majority of the House of Representatives. “I am pleased to see such wide support for Audit the Fed, and I hope the House moves quickly to pass this important piece of legislation,” said Paul, the Campaign for Liberty chairman. Citing a Rasmussen poll conducted in November 2013, Campaign for Liberty reports that not only does the “Audit the Fed” measure have broad support in Congress, but “74 percent of the American people want to audit the Federal Reserve. This latest poll is consistent with previous polling showing a vast majority of Americans desire greater Federal Reserve transparency.” The Campaign for Liberty statement provided a little legislative history of the effort to expose the Fed’s procedures: Ron Paul’s “Audit the Fed” bill, H.R. 459, gained 274 cosponsors and passed the House of Representatives in the 112th Congress on July 25, 2012, by an overwhelming three-fourths majority of 327-98, after a nationwide grassroots mobilization effort led by Campaign for Liberty. The legislation calls for a “full audit of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Reserve banks by the Comptroller General of the United States.” In February 2013, Ron Paul’s son, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), offered the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013, also known as "Audit the Fed.” The bill would eliminate restrictions on Government Accountability Office (GAO) audits of the Federal Reserve. Additionally, the bill would give Congress oversight of the Fed's credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities. "The Fed's operations under a cloak of secrecy have gone on too long and the American people have a right to know what the Federal Reserve is doing with our nation's money supply," Paul said in a statement. "Audit the Fed has significant bipartisan support in Congress and across the country and the time to act on this is now.” Senator Paul's bill, S. 209, has 29 co-sponsors in the Senate, including one Democrat, Mark Begich of Alaska. In January 2013, Broun introduced the House version, the version that Campaign for Liberty reported on May 7 has 223 co-sponsors. The Broun bill currently pending in the House is nearly identical to the bill originally offered by Ron Paul. In a statement, Broun said he was fighting the Fed in order to “pick up where Ron Paul left off.” After Ron Paul’s last attempt to audit the Federal Reserve handily passed through the House in 2012, Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blocked the legislation, saying he wouldn’t be comfortable bringing the matter to the Senate until he’d had a “real serious conversation” with Fed chairman Ben Bernanke. While Reid’s opposition to a hearing on the Audit the Fed measure, not to mention a vote on it, can be counted on, the lassitude of Republican lawmakers could be the highest hurdle the bill would have to get over. There’s evidence that conservative groups that would typically be counted on to join a fight against the Fed are losing their lust for battle. As Roll Call reported on November 13, 2013: The Club for Growth and Heritage Action for America, two prominent organizations that have not shied away from battles with the pro-business wing of the Republican party, appear ready to spend the Yellen fight on the sidelines. “There’s no mystery and it’s not complicated. We just almost never take a position on monetary policy,” said Club for Growth spokesman Barney Keller in an email. “Thus, we probably won’t be involved in the Yellen nomination.” And, true to their word, they were not. Janet Yellen was confirmed in January of this year by a vote of 56-26, despite efforts by Senator Paul and others to block the nomination pending consideration of the “Audit the Fed” bill. The reaction to Yellen’s confirmation and the concomitant likelihood that the Fed would go on working in the shadows was reported by The New American: Senator Rand Paul, who was stranded by weather, arrived after the vote, but delivered a scathing denunciation in the Senate of the Fed’s secrecy and money manipulation: I rise today in opposition to secrecy — in opposition to the veil of secrecy that clothes the moneychanging that takes place in the temple of the Federal Reserve. While the money changes hands the moneyed class gets richer and the middle class gets shortchanged. It is more than time to part the curtain that hides the trillions of dollars that change hands. There is a revolving door from Wall Street to the Treasury to the Fed and back again. We have former Secretaries of Treasury who go from government to Wall Street pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars. I’ve called repeatedly for transparency at the Federal Reserve, so Americans can see what is being done with their money supply. Every time I call for transparency people from both sides have said “transparency would undermine Fed independence.” This is, in a sense, laundering money from the American people to bail out big banks and Wall Street. Many “conservative” organizations were nowhere to be found when the rubber hit the road. It seems that someone should have a "real serious conversation" with congressional leaders and these so-called conservative groups about the damage the Federal Reserve and the shadowy coterie of global bankers who own it have done to the economic well-being of the United States. First, the unelected governors of the unconstitutional central bank have an absolute stranglehold and monopoly over the flow of our nation’s money and credit. Not once since its inception in 1913 has there ever been a thorough audit or an accounting to Congress about its activities. During its century-long reign over the financial well-being of our country, the Federal Reserve has manipulated our currency until it is nearly worthless. Meanwhile, Congress turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to the crisis and the calls to control it. The fact is that since that day in 1913, the dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power. Most, if not all, of this precipitous decline was caused by the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve. Adding insult to injury, during testimony to Congress in 2009, Ben Bernanke refused to reveal to committee members the names of the institutions that received trillions of dollars in bailout money from the Fed. Later, he told our elected representatives that he would not disclose the identity of the foreign banks that were parties to sweetheart deals with the Federal Reserve. When it comes to the central bank and its machinations, the fix is in. The Fed — ostensibly a non-profit organization — owns the mint, the money, and sets the terms of the loans it makes to the federal treasury. What’s more, there is no product; there is nothing being loaned other than worthless paper that can never be traded in for anything of value because all that is used to secure the worth of the currency is now owned by the very bankers who control the Federal Reserve. And the Fed will continue to accumulate power. There is no limit to the lengths global bankers will go to in order to enslave the population of the world. There is no hope of regulating restraint. Power of this magnitude operates beyond the reach of regulations. As it has since 1958, The John Birch Society offers Americans a well-established, experienced, and influential way of organizing with like-minded constitutionalists who demand the Federal Reserve be not only audited but abolished. A statement from The John Birch Society declares the group's position: The powers of Congress are described in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, and the creation of a central bank like the Federal Reserve is not listed as one of those powers. The Federal Reserve is charged with protecting the value of the dollar through managing our nation's monetary policy. However, since its inception in 1913, the dollar has lost 95 percent of its value under the Federal Reserve's monetary oversight. The John Birch Society advocates abolishing the Federal Reserve. Photo of Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, D.C. Joe A. Wolverton, II, J.D. is a correspondent for The New American and travels nationwide speaking on nullification, the Second Amendment, the surveillance state, and other constitutional issues. Follow him on Twitter @TNAJoeWolverton and he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..Light doesn’t always travel at the speed of light. A new experiment reveals that focusing or manipulating the structure of light pulses reduces their speed, even in vacuum conditions. A paper reporting the research, posted online at arXiv.org and accepted for publication, describes hard experimental evidence that the speed of light, one of the most important constants in physics, should be thought of as a limit rather than an invariable rate for light zipping through a vacuum. “It’s very impressive work,” says Robert Boyd, an optical physicist at the University of Rochester in New York. “It’s the sort of thing that’s so obvious, you wonder why you didn’t think of it first.” Researchers led by optical physicist Miles Padgett at the University of Glasgow demonstrated the effect by racing photons that were identical except for their structure. The structured light consistently arrived a tad late. Though the effect is not recognizable in everyday life and in most technological applications, the new research highlights a fundamental and previously unappreciated subtlety in the behavior of light. The speed of light in a vacuum, usually denoted c, is a fundamental constant central to much of physics, particularly Einstein’s theory of relativity. While measuring c was once considered an important experimental problem, it is now simply specified to be 299,792,458 meters per second, as the meter itself is defined in terms of light’s vacuum speed. Generally if light is not traveling at c it is because it is moving through a material. For example, light slows down when passing through glass or water. Padgett and his team wondered if there were fundamental factors that could change the speed of light in a vacuum. Previous studies had hinted that the structure of light could play a role. Physics textbooks idealize light as plane waves, in which the fronts of each wave move in parallel, much like ocean waves approaching a straight shoreline. But while light can usually be approximated as plane waves, its structure is actually more complicated. For instance, light can converge upon a point after passing through a lens. Lasers can shape light into concentrated or even bull’s-eye–shaped beams. The researchers produced pairs of photons and sent them on different paths toward a detector. One photon zipped straight through a fiber. The other photon went through a pair of devices that manipulated the structure of the light and then switched it back. Had structure not mattered, the two photons would have arrived at the same time. But that didn’t happen. Measurements revealed that the structured light consistently arrived several micrometers late per meter of distance traveled. “I’m not surprised the effect exists,” Boyd says. “But it’s surprising that the effect is so large and robust.” Greg Gbur, an optical physicist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, says the findings won’t change the way physicists look at the aura emanating from a lamp or flashlight. But he says the speed corrections could be important for physicists studying extremely short light pulses.In the early stages of the net neutrality debate in 2007, then-Senator Barack Obama made a clear pledge to defend the open Internet. Seven years later, things seem to have changed. After a court ruling struck down part of the FCC's net neutrality guidelines in January, the FCC announced a plan to allow for limited agreements between Internet providers and content providers, potentially paving the way for faster lanes and a two-tiered web — a nightmare scenario for Internet freedom advocates. A new campaign, launched by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, criticizes the new FCC plan, led by current commissioner and former cable industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler. But the campaign, most of all, is about reminding Obama of his past promise. Responding to a question from Joe Niederberger, a former computer engineer, who is now behind the online campaign called NoSlowLane.com, Obama clearly endorsed net neutrality. "I am a strong supporter of net neutrality," Obama said during a 2007 campaign event broadcast on MTV. Internet providers should not "charge different rates to different websites" because "that destroys one of the best things about the Internet which is that there is this incredible equality there," Obama added. He then used an argument that net neutrality advocates often repeat: Without equality, the Internet giants we're so familiar with today would never have existed. "Facebook, Myspace, [...] Google, might not have been started if you had not had a level playing field for whoever has got the best idea," Obama said. "And I want to maintain that basic principle in how the Internet functions. So as President I'm going to make sure that that is the principle that my FCC commissioners are applying as we move forward." In the last few months, as the debate over net neutrality has come back to the headlines, Obama and the White House have been mostly silent on the issue, leaving the FCC take the lead. It's important to note that Obama isn't the only one responsible for saving net neutrality, and blaming him might not be entirely fair. Congress perhaps deserves some of the blame, too, although some members of Capitol Hill are trying to do something about it with a recently introduced bill. But the president does have a lot of influence over the issues through the FCC, which has authority to regulate the telecommunications industry. And it was Obama who appointed Julius Genachowski, the FCC commissioner responsible for the flawed 2010 Open Internet rules partially struck down in January, as well as his successor, Tom Wheeler. Wheelers appointment was criticized at the time for the commissioner's past as a cable and wireless industry lobbyist, which some saw a bad omen for net neutrality. BONUS: What Is Net Neutrality?poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201603/2091/1155968404_4804166213001_160316-mcconell-scotus-00-00-45-15-Still001.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true McConnell accuses Obama of politicizing Supreme Court pick Minutes after President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the president intended to "politicize" the pick — and reaffirmed his commitment to blocking the nominee. McConnell pointed to remarks from then-Sen. Joe Biden in 1992 in which the current vice president, then serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, remarked that the Senate should not hold hearings on a Supreme Court vacancy in an election year. Biden has maintained that those remarks, which have frequently been used against the administration in the past month, misrepresented his views on how the Senate should handle court vacancies. Story Continued Below Even so, McConnell argued, the principle of not considering a nominee until the next president nominates one remains paramount. “The Biden rule reminds us that the decision the Senate announced weeks ago remains about a principle and not a person. About a principle and not a person. It seems clear that President Obama made this nomination not — not with the intent of seeing the nominee confirmed, but in order to politicize it for purposes of the election, which is the type of thing then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Biden was concerned about," McConnell said. "The exact thing Chairman Biden was concerned about.” Instead of considering Garland, McConnell said, the Senate should focus on areas of bipartisan agreement, such as heroin and opioid-addiction prevention legislation that recently passed, as well as jump-starting the economy. "As we continue working on issues like these, the American people are perfectly capable of having their say—their say on the issue. So let’s give them a voice," McConnell said. "Let’s let the American people decide. The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominees, whoever that might be.”Trajectory recovery from Ash: User privacy is NOT preserved in aggregated mobility data Trajectory recovery from Ash: User privacy is NOT preserved in aggregated mobility data Xu et al., WWW’17 Borrowing a little from Simon Wardley’s marvellous Enterprise IT Adoption Cycle, here’s roughly how my understanding progressed as I read through this paper: Huh? What? How? Nooooo, Oh No, Oh s@\#! Xu et al. show us that even in a dataset in which you might initially think there is no chance of leaking information about individuals, they can recover data about individual users with between 73% and 91% accuracy. Even in datasets which aggregate data on tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of users! Their particular context is mobile location data, but underpinning the discovery mechanism is a reliance on two key characteristics: Individuals tend to do the same things over and over (regularity) – i.e., there are patterns in the data relating to given individuals, and These patterns are different across different users (uniqueness). Therefore, statistical data with similar features is likely to suffer from the same privacy breach. Unfortunately, these two features are quite common in the traces left by humans, which have been reported in numerous scenarios, such as credit card records, mobile application usage, and even web browsing. Hence, such a privacy problem is potentially severe and universal, which calls for immediate attention from both academia and industry. (Emphasis mine). As we’ll see, there are a few other details that matter which in my mind might make it harder to transfer to other problem domains – chiefly the ability to define appropriate cost functions – but even if it does relate only to location-based data, it’s still a very big deal. Let’s take a look at what’s in a typical aggregated mobility dataset, and then go on to see how Xu et al. managed to blow it wide open. Aggregated mobility data (ash) In an attempt to preserve user privacy, owners of mobility data tend to publish only aggregated data, for example, the number of users covered by a cellular tower at a particular timestamp. The statistical data is of broad interest with applications in epidemic controlling, transportation scheduling, business intelligence, and more. The aggregated data is sometimes called the ash of the original trajectories. The operators believe that such aggregation will preserve users’ privacy while providing useful statistical information for academic research and commercial usage. To publish aggregated mobility data, first the original mobility records of individual mobile users are grouped by time slots (windows), then for each window, aggregate statistics are computed (e.g., the number of mobile users covered by each base station). Two desirable properties are assumed to hold from following such a process: No individual information can be directly acquired from the datasets, with the aggregated mobility data complying with the k-anonymity privacy model. The aggregate statistics are accurate. Although the privacy leakage in publishing anonymized individual’s mobility records has been recognized and extensively studied, the privacy issue in releasing aggregated mobility data remains unknown. Looking at this from a differential privacy perspective, you might already be wondering about the robustness of being able to detect e.g., whether or not a particular individual is represented in the dataset. But what we’re about to do goes much further. Take a dataset collected over some time period, which covers a total of M locations (places). In each time slot, we have the number of users in each of those places (i.e., an M-dimensional vector). That’s all you get. From this information only, it’s possible to recover between 73% – 91% of all the individual users’ trajectories – i.e., which locations they were in at which times, and hence how they moved between them. Huh? What? How? Revealing individual users from aggregate data The first thing it’s easy to work out is how many individual users there are at any point in time, just sum up all of the user counts for each place at that time. Call that N. Now we need to consider what other clues might be available in the data. Individual users tend to have fairly coherent mobility trajectories (what they do today, they’re likely to do again tomorrow), and these trajectories are different across different users. See for example the trajectories of five randomly selected selected users over two days in the figure below. Each users’ pattern is unique, with strong similarity across both days. The key to recovering individual trajectories is to exploit these twin characteristics of regularity for individual users, and uniques across users. Even so, it seems a stretch when all we’ve got is user counts by time and place! We’re going to build up estimates for the trajectories of each of the N users, one time step at a time. Let the estimate for the trajectory of the th individual user at time step t, be represented by a sequence of locations. For example, here’s a world with M=9 locations: And here’s a trajectory for a user to time t, represented as a sequence of t locations: We want to decide on the most likely location for each user at time step t+1, subject to the overall constraint that we know how many users in total there must be at each location at time t+1. The description of how this next part works is very terse in the paper itself, but with a little bit of reverse engineering on my part I believe I’ve reached an understanding. The secret is to formulate the problem as one of completing a decision matrix. This decision matrix takes a special form, it has N rows (one for each user trajectory to date), and N columns. Say we know that there must be two users in location 1, and four users in location 2. Then the first two columns in the matrix will represent the two ‘slots’ available in location 1, and the next four columns will represent the four slots available in location 2, and so on. In the decision matrix, if next location for trajectory is the location identified by column, and zero otherwise. A valid completion of the matrix has every row adding up to one (each trajectory is assigned one and only one next location), and every column adding up to one (each slot is filled by one and only one user). Thus the example decision matrix above indicates that the next location for the trajectory of user #3 has been assigned as location 5. When we complete the decision matrix, we don’t just make random assignments of slots of course! That’s where the cost matrix comes in. The cost matrix is also an NxN matrix, with the same row and column structure as the decision matrix. Instead of being filled with 1’s and 0’s though, contains a value representing the cost of moving to the location for slot given the trajectory so far for user. Take for example the trajectory for a user in the illustration below, which currently finishes in location 6. We might use as the cost of moving to each potential next location simply the number of hops in the grid to get there (red numbers). The actual cost functions used are more complex than this, this example is just to help you get the idea. Here then is what a subsection of the cost matrix for the user in the above sketch might look like: We’ll return to to how to define the cost functions in a moment. For now note that the problem has now become the following: The above formulated problem is equivalent to the Linear Sum Assignment Problem, which has been extensively studied and can be solved in polynomial time with the Hungarian algorithm. Space prevents me from explaining the Hungarian algorithm, but the Wikipedia link above does a pretty good job of it (it’s actually pretty straightforward, check out the section on the ‘Matrix interpretation’ to see how it maps in our case). Thus far then, we’ve discovered a way to represent the problem such that we can recover each step of individual trajectories in polynomial time, so long as we can define suitable cost matrices. Noooooo. Building cost matrices – it’s night and day At night time, people tend not to move around very much, as illustrated by these plots from two different datasets (the ‘operator’ dataset and the ‘app’ dataset) used in the evaluation: Not only that, but the night time location of individual users tends to be one of their top most visited locations (often the top location): For the night time then, it makes sense to use the distance between the location of the user trajectory at time t and the location being considered for time t+1 as the cost. In the daytime, people tend to move about. The key insight is the continuity of human mobility, which enables the estimation of next location using the current location and velocity. Let the estimated next location using this process be, then we can use as the cost function the distance between the and the location being considered for time t+1. It is worth noting that the Hungarian algorithm is currently the most efficient algorithm to solve [the linear sum assignment problem], but still has computational complexity of. To speed things up, we adopt a suboptimal solution to reduce the dimension of the cost matrix by taking out the pairs of trajectories and location points with cost below a predefined threshold and directly linking them together. Linking trajectories across days Using the night and day approaches, we can recover mobile users’ sub-trajectories for each day. Now we need to link sub-trajectories together across days. Here we exploit the regularity exhibited in the day-after-day movements of individual users. Specifically, we use the information gain of connecting two sub-trajectories to measure their similarities. The entropy in a trajectory is modelled based on the frequency of visiting different locations, and the information gain from linking two sub-trajectories is modelled as the difference between the entropy of the combined trajectory, and the sum of the entropies of the individual trajectories over two. For the same user, we should see relatively little information gain if the two trajectories are similar, whereas for different users we should see much larger information gain. And indeed we do: To conclude, we design an unsupervised attack framework that utilizes the universal characteristics of human mobility to recover individuals’ trajectories in aggregated mobility datasets. Since the proposed framework does not require any prior information of the target datasets, it can be easily applied on other aggregated mobility datasets. Once the individual trajectories are separated out, it has been shown to be comparatively easy, with the help of small amounts of external data such as credit card records, to re-identify individual users (associated them with trajectories). Oh no. Evaluation The authors evaluate the technique on two real world datasets. The ‘app’ dataset contains data for 15,000 users collected by a mobile app which records a mobile user’s location when activated, over a two-week period. The ‘operator’ dataset contains data for 100,000 mobile users from a major mobile network operator, over a one week period. Tests are run on aggregate data produced from these datasets, and the recovered trajectories are compared against ground truth. In the figures that follow, stage #1 represents night time trajectory recovery, stage #2 day time trajectory recovery, and stage #3 the linking of sub-trajectories across days. Here we can see the recovery accuracy for the two datasets: For the app dataset, 98% of night time trajectories are correctly recovered, failing to 91% accuracy by the final step. The corresponding figures for the operator dataset are 95% and 73%. For the recovered trajectories, the following chart shows the percentage that can be uniquely identified given just the top-k locations for k=1 to 5. From the results, we can observe that given the two most frequent locations of the recovered trajectories, over 95% of them can be uniquely distinguished. Therefore, the results indicate that the recovered trajectories are very unique and vulnerable to be reidentified with little external information. To put that more plainly, given the aggregated dataset, and knowledge of your home and work locations, there’s a very good chance I can recover your full movements!!! Oh s@\#! Decreasing the spatial resolution (i.e., using more coarse-grained locations) actually increases the chances of successful trajectory recovery (but only to the location granularity of course). It’s harder to link these recovered trajectories to individual people though as human mobility becomes less unique in coarser-grained datasets. Decreasing the temporal resolution (only releasing data for larger time windows) increases both the chances of successful trajectory recovery, and of re-identification. The best defence for preserving privacy in aggregated mobility datasets should come as no surprise to you – we need to add some carefully designed random noise. What that careful design is though, we’re not told! … a well designed perturbation scheme can reduce the regularity and uniqueness of mobile users’ trajectories, which has the potential for preserving mobile users’ privacy in aggregated mobility data.Image: Fyodor Nosov/Wikimedia To this day, before boarding the Soyuz capsule, Russian cosmonauts will pop the fly on their spacesuits and piss all over the rear wheel of a bus. Female cosmonauts, not to miss out on all the egesta fun, have even been known to throw a vial of their own pee across the tyre to show willing. The bus is the one taking them to the launch pad, and the root of this idiosyncratic liquid ritual? None other than Soviet hero and space pioneer Yuri Gagarin. It is exactly 55 years ago today that Gagarin climbed into the Vostok spacecraft to complete the first manned orbit of the Earth, apparently after making a quick pit stop to relieve himself right there on the tarmac. On 12 April 1961, Gagarin well and truly put the Soviets in space. This was a man who embodied an ideology, risked his life to prove a point to the Americans and, as a result, played a key role in space race glory for the Soviet Republic. The date is now recognised as the International Day of Human Space Flight. A Soviet stamp depicting Gagarin and the capsule from the Vostok 1 he flew in. Image: BUCHAKA ALEXANDER/Shutterstock Born in the village of Klushino, west of Moscow, Gagarin is described by fellow cosmonaut Alexei Leonov in a recent BBC documentary by Michael Lachmann as being "of peasant background." His parents worked on a collective farm, as bricklayer and milkmaid. It was a childhood not just 327 km below Gagarin's eventual Vostok altitude but a lifetime away from the high-tech world he'd go on to call his own. According to Paul Rogers, writing in the Independent, at 16 the already technology-hungry Gagarin enrolled in an apprenticeship at the Lyubertsy Steel Plant near Moscow and went on to study tractors at the Saratov Industrial Technical School. But the glamour didn't, of course, end with tractors. After graduating from technical college, Gagarin was drafted into the Soviet army, joining the First Chkalov Air Force Pilot's School in Orenburg and eventually rising to the rank of Senior Lieutenant. "Korolev considered things we didn't even see; how he looked, what his smile was like" In 1960, Yuri Gagarin was chosen with 19 other pilots to take part in the Soviet space program. This, as any European schoolchild will tell you, was one of last century's greatest military acts of sublimation—
to reform the process. “If you look at my past, I’ve always supported earmarks,” Aderholt said. “I’m not opposed to us putting a moratorium on it until we can get a better handle on how to address it.” He said the problem with earmarks is that “I think that the American people have lost confidence in the way earmarks have been done here.” Two other subpanel chairmen, commonly known as cardinals, didn’t go so far as to call the ban temporary, but did suggest it should come under further examination in the future. “My view is when we look at earmarks, it is a constitutional responsibility to direct spending, but the perception is that it is something we shouldn’t be doing. I don’t know when or if we would do it again,” Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), the head of the Legislative Branch subcommittee, said. “Right now, they’re off the table … if it does come back there will have to be some further reforms.” Transportation subcommittee Chairman Tom Latham (R-Iowa), another friend of Boehner John Andrew BoehnerEx-GOP lawmaker joins marijuana trade group Crowley, Shuster moving to K Street On unilateral executive action, Mitch McConnell was right — in 2014 MORE’s, said that he supports the earmark ban “at this point.” “I think there is a constitutional role for members of Congress to be able to decide where the federal government’s dollars go, and certainly members of Congress should have a role in that, but at this point I am very supportive of the moratorium,” he said. “We have got to send a message that this is not business as usual and we need to cut spending.” Another cardinal said it would be up to the full GOP conference to determine the future of earmarks. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), the chairman of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee, declined to offer a personal opinion. “Those kinds of decisions are made by the Republican Conference,” he emphasized. Simpson said the GOP conference made a decision to ban earmarks for two years, and that he is supporting that decision. Still, he suggests, the inability to earmark will eventually make the practice popular again. “But there is going to come a time when somebody’s going to need to do something in their district — totally appropriate — and they’re going to find that working with the agency is difficult because they might have a different view and they won’t be able to earmark money to do something that is totally appropriate to do,” Simpson said. “What we have really done is turn authority over to the administrative branch of government, something we have been doing for 200 years, and I think it needs to stop and Congress needs to re-establish some of its authority. That means the ability to direct funding.” Simpson said he looks forward to coming up with further reforms that might satisfy critics. But he noted that before the ban, he had to post earmarks on his website and sign financial disclosures and that earmarks had to be within already authorized programs, so it is hard to see what new reforms will work.Winds whipped across the Oceti Sakowin Camp last year outside the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, where Native Americans and activists have protested the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Kevin Gover, a citizen of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, is the director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Thanksgiving recalls for many people a meal between European colonists and indigenous Americans that we have invested with all the symbolism we can muster. But the new arrivals who sat down to share venison with some of America's original inhabitants relied on a raft of misconceptions that began as early as the 1500s, when Europeans produced fanciful depictions of the "New World." In the centuries that followed, captivity narratives, novels, short stories, textbooks, newspapers, art, photography, movies and television perpetuated old stereotypes or created new ones — particularly ones that cast indigenous peoples as obstacles to, rather than actors in, the creation of the modern world. I hear those concepts repeated in questions from visitors to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian every day. Here are five of the most intransigent. Myth No. 1 There is a Native American culture. This concept really took hold when Christopher Columbus dubbed the diverse indigenous inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere "Indians." Lumping all Native Americans into an indiscriminate, and threatening, mass continued during the era of western expansion, as settlers pushed into tribal territories in pursuit of new lands on the frontier. In his 1830 "Message to Congress," President Andrew Jackson justified forced Indian removal and ethnic cleansing by painting Indian lands as "ranged by a few thousand savages." But it was Hollywood that established our monolithic modern vision of American Indians, in blockbuster westerns — such as "Stagecoach" (1939), "Red River" (1948) and "The Searchers" (1956) — that depict all Indians, all the time, as horse-riding; tipi-dwelling; bow-, arrow- and rifle-wielding; buckskin-, feather- and fringe-wearing warriors. Yet vast differences — in culture, ethnicity and language — exist among the 567 federally recognized Indian nations across the United States. It's true that the buffalo-hunting peoples of the Great Plains and prairie, such as the Lakota, once lived in tipis. But other native people lived in hogans (the Navajo of the Southwest), bark wigwams (the Algonquian-speaking peoples of the Great Lakes), wood longhouses in the Northeast (Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois peoples' name for themselves, means "they made the house"), iglus and on and on. Nowadays, most Native Americans live in contemporary houses, apartments, condos and co-ops just like everyone else. There is similar diversity in how native people traditionally dressed; whether they farmed, fished or hunted; and what they ate. Something as simple as food ranged from game (everywhere); to seafood along the coasts; to saguaro, prickly pear and cholla cactus in the Southwest; to acorns and pine nuts in California and the Great Basin. Myth No. 2 American Indians get a free ride from the U.S. government. The notion that indigenous people benefit from the government's largesse is widespread, according to "American Indians: Stereotypes and Realities," by Choctaw historian Devon Mihesuah. Staff and volunteers at our Washington and New York museums hear daily about how Washington "gave" Native Americans their reservations and how the Bureau of Indian Affairs manages their lives for them. But Native Americans are subject to income taxes just like all other Americans and, at best, have the same access to government services — though often worse. In 2013, the Indian Health Service (IHS) spent just $2,849 per capita for patient health services, well below the national average of $7,717. And IHS clinics can be difficult to access, not only on reservations but in urban areas, where the majority of Native Americans live today. As for reservations, most were created when tribes relinquished enormous portions of their original landholdings in treaties with the federal government. They are what remained after the United States expropriated the bulk of the native estate. And even these tenuous holdings were often confiscated and sold to white settlers. The Dawes Allotment Act, passed by Congress in 1887, broke up communally held reservation lands and allotted them to native households in 160-acre parcels of individually owned property, many of which were sold off. Between 1887, when the allotment act was passed, and 1934, when allotment was repealed, the Native American land base diminished from approximately 138 million acres to 48 million acres. Myth No. 3 'Native American' is the proper term. Commentaries and corporate guidelines address the notion that "Native American" is preferred or that "American Indian" is impolite. During the 1492 quincentennial, Oprah Winfrey devoted an hour of her show to the subject. At the museums and on social media, people ask at least once per day when we are going to take "American Indian" out of our name. The term Native American grew out of the political movements of the 1960s and '70s and is commonly used in legislation covering the indigenous people of the lower 48 states and U.S. territories. But Native Americans use a range of words to describe themselves, and all are appropriate. Some people refer to themselves as Native or Indian; most prefer to be known by their tribal affiliation — Cherokee, Pawnee, Seneca, etc. — if the context doesn't demand a more encompassing description. Some natives and nonnatives, including scholars, insist on using the word Indigenous, with a capital I. In Canada, terms such as First Nations and First Peoples are preferred. Ditto in Central and South America, where the word indio has a history of use as a racial slur. There, Spanish speakers tend to use the collective word indígenas, as well as specific national names. Myth No. 4 Indians sold Manhattan for $24 worth of trinkets. This myth — repeated in textbooks and made vivid in illustrations — casts Native Americans as gullible provincials who traded valuable lands and beaver pelts for colorful European-made beads and baubles. According to a letter to Dutch officials, the settlers offered representatives of local Lenape groups 60 guilders, about $24, in trade goods for their homeland, Manahatta. The best insight we have into what the Lenape received comes from a later 17th-century deed for the Dutch purchase of Staten Island, also for 60 guilders, which lists goods "to be brought from Holland and delivered" to the Indians, including shirts, socks, cloth, muskets, bars of lead, powder, kettles, axes, awls, adzes and knives. The Dutch recognized the mouth of the Hudson River as a gateway to valuable fur-trapping territories farther north and west. But it is unlikely that the Lenape saw the original transaction as a sale. Although land could be designated for the exclusive use of prominent native individuals and families, the idea of selling land in perpetuity, to be regarded as property, was alien to native societies. Historians who try now to reconstruct early transactions between Europeans and Native Americans differ over whether the Lenape considered it an agreement for the Dutch to use, but not own, Manahatta (the majority view), or whether even as early as 1626, Indians had engaged in enough trade to understand European economic ideas. Myth No. 5 Mascots honor Native Americans. Many people, including some American Indians, hold that naming sports teams after Native American caricatures, such as the Redskins and the Braves, recognizes the strength and fortitude of native peoples. "It represents honor, represents respect, represents pride," Redskins owner Dan Snyder told ESPN. A little history: The use of Native Americans as mascots arose during the allotment period, a time when U.S. policy sought to eradicate native sovereignty and Wild West shows cemented the image of Indians as plains warriors. (No wonder all of these mascots resemble plains Indians, even when they represent teams in Washington, Florida and Ohio.) What's more, social science research suggests not only that some native people recognize the word "Redskins" as a racial slur and are offended by it, but that exposure to mascots and other stereotypes of Native Americans has a negative impact on American Indian young people. According to a study by Tulalip psychologist Stephanie Fryberg, such mascots "remind American Indians of the limited ways others see them and, in this way, constrain how they can see themselves." Likewise, in 2005, the American Psychological Association called for the retirement of all Indian mascots, symbols and images, citing the harmful effects of racial stereotyping on the social identity and self-esteem of American Indian youth. Five myths is a weekly feature challenging everything you think you know. You can check out previous myths, read more from Outlook or follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.Back in 2012, when the first massive marketwide-rigging scandal made the front pages, that of Libor (one which Zero Hedge discussed first in January 2009 with "This Makes No Sense: LIBOR By Bank" and for which we won early points in the "you are a fringe tinfoil blog" category until proven correct as usual) the prosecution's case was handed on a silver platter by one bank which hoped it would squeeze through the prosecutorial cracks by ratting out all of its heretofore complicit partners in crime: UBS. And sure enough, UBS did indeed get away with a paltry fine, and the whole affair was quietly swept under the rug with a December 2012 settlement, in which the U.S. agreed not to prosecute the bank on the condition that it “commit no United States crime whatsoever” for the two-year term of the agreement, subsequently extended by an extra year. Unfortunately for UBS, its reputation as a ratting squealer was all for nothing, because just over one year later UBS as well as virtually all the same banks that were manipulating Libor, were caught rigging that other massive, global market in secret online chatrooms such as the "Bandits" and the "Cartel": foreign currency rates. And also unfortunately for UBS which had sworn to commit no US crimes, it had just been caught committing at least one US crime. As a result, as Bloomberg reported earlier this week and as WSJ reported tonight, the US "Justice" Department is now tearing up and voiding the UBS 2012 settlement. Actually, make that two crimes: "UBS also was viewed by the Justice Department as a repeat offender, having reached previous settlements including one in 2011 related to antitrust violations in the municipal-bond investments market." Actually, make that three crimes: "[Justice Department criminal division head Leslie] Caldwell's message in the talks was stern: UBS was a recidivist having previously settled with the Justice Department over antitrust violations and had also obtained a deferred-prosecution agreement in 2009 to resolve charges it helped American taxpayers hide money overseas." Sure enough, UBS is shocked, shocked to find out there was criminal gambling going on in its world's largest trading floor in Stamford, CT which is on its way to becoming a mini golf course. And again. And again. UBS officials are confounded by the outcome, some of the people familiar with the negotiations said. The bank believes it provided early cooperation which helped prosecutors break open the foreign-exchange investigations and, as a result, was promised immunity by the antitrust division of the Justice Department. But for prosecutors the punishment is seen as justified, the people said: The bank promised not to break the law in its 2012 deal and it violated those terms when its traders engaged in the currency-market misconduct after the 2012 agreement, they said. Prosecutors have been investigating whether traders colluded to move currency rates to benefit themselves to the detriment of clients. We too would be shocked to learn that ratting out all our former peers and colleagues doesn't pay off in the end. The WSJ also adds, "the negotiations with the Justice Department are expected next week to result in UBS paying a fine of about $200 million to the Justice Department and pleading guilty to allegations that UBS traders manipulated the London interbank offered rate, or Libor, prior to 2012, according to some of the people." While the fine is paltry, the guilty plea will open the bank to a myriad of lawsuits from around the globe, which will surely result in billions of new recurring, non one-time "one-time, non recurring" legal fees, charges and further settlements as UBS is now open to litigation by anyone and everyone. And while we applaud the DO"J" for doing its job for once, will it be too much just once not to assume everyone is an idiot and that clearly the DO"J" has a bias against foreign banks who are used as a buffer to avoid prosecution of domestic banks, which have mysteriously gotten away with virtually every criminal act known to man and mafia. Such as JP Morgan for example. The same JP Morgan whose luck may have run out, because according to the WSJ, in addition to UBS, Barclays, Citigroup, RBS, and J.P. Morgan "are expected to plead guilty to criminal antitrust charges and pay between $500 million and more than $1 billion in penalties to various government entities, according to company disclosures and people familiar with the talks. On Thursday, J.P. Morgan disclosed in a financial filing that “any resolution acceptable to DOJ would require that the Firm plead guilty to an antitrust charge.” Curiously, it is none other than JPMorgan who courtesy of Troy Rohrbaugh happens to be the Chairman of the Fed's Foreign Exchange Committee. We are confident, however, that JPMorgan admiting guilt to a criminal anti-trust FX rigging charge will have zero impact on, and no conflicts of interest whatsoever with it remaining head advisor to the NY Fed on all issues FX. And while there are several things we can be absolutely certain of i) the banks will pay a few more billion in settlements here and there, and maybe UBS will be barred from competing with Goldman and JPM in fields in which the US banks feel there is "too much competition" (because a Lehman-type raid on a key competitor would not quite work out just now), and ii) nobody will actually go to prison, we have one question: just which umbrella agreement with US prosecutors will UBS use for that "other other other" market UBS was most recently caught rigging: gold. Actually, if UBS made the price of gold drop with its gold-rigging, it may well be that the Swiss bank just may get a commendation by the US DO"J" for that one.AMMAN: Ten days after an unclaimed car bombing outside Aleppo city killed at least 120 evacuees from two rebel-blockaded towns in Idlib province, displaced residents from al-Fuaa and Kufraya are still searching for information on family members who went missing during the explosion. After a suicide bomb detonated on April 15 in rebel-held Rashideen—an exchange point where residents from the two towns waited to enter Aleppo city—Civil Defense first responders transported injured evacuees to hospitals across opposition-held Idlib province and placed the dead in body bags. But Civil Defense officials weren't able to identify all the victims, and instead handed the unidentified remains over to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), Ali Abeed, spokesman for the Syrian Civil Defense in the Idlib town of Atareb, told Syria Direct. SARC representatives in Damascus told Syria Direct on Tuesday they would not immediately comment on the matter. The Local Defense Forces, a pro-government militia in Aleppo, announced via Twitter the day after the explosion that they “recorded 88 deaths and 100 missing residents from the two towns.” Two residents in al-Fuaa and Kufraya told Syria Direct they have not been informed whether their family members were killed in the explosion or if they were hospitalized. “We transported all the injured to hospitals in opposition-controlled territory, but the hospitals then transferred those injured, according to the severity of their conditions,” Ibrahim Abu Leith, spokesman for the Aleppo Civil Defense, told Syria Direct. “Not all of the transfers were recorded by the hospitals.” SARC ambulances reportedly transported 12 injured Kufraya and al-Fuaa residents from opposition-held hospitals, as well as 12 bodies, to the university hospital in government-held Aleppo last Wednesday as part of the second round of evacuations, Syrian state news agency SANA reported that day. Syrians injured in car bomb on April 15 are transported from Idlib hospitals to Aleppo. Photo courtesy of George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images. “Until now, there are people from the towns of Kufraya and al-Fuaa missing from the terrorist explosion…among them women, children and young people,” N.Z.F.K. News, an online, pro-regime media page for the two Shiite-majority towns, posted on Tuesday. The evacuation from the two towns was part of a deal brokered last month by Iran and Qatar. The terms of the agreement stipulate that all residents from Kufraya and al-Fuaa—two pro-regime towns blockaded by rebels in northern Idlib—would leave. In return, rebel fighters, their families and all residents wishing to leave would depart from Madaya and Zabadani—two regime-blockaded towns in Outer Damascus. More than a dozen residents from the evacuated towns have posted photos and personal details of their missing children and family members on social media in the hope of getting more information. Abdulrahman, who is from al-Fuaa and is now living in the Jibreen district of Aleppo, is one of those searching. Abdulrahman told Syria Direct on Monday that the last time he saw his 11-year-old son Ali, was on April 14, while they were boarding the buses for Aleppo. “He didn’t want to be on the same bus as me, because he wanted to stay close to my brother and his family—he was good friends with his cousin.” The first convoy carrying an estimated 5,000 residents from the pro-regime towns departed on Friday, April 14. The journey continued into Saturday as Kufraya and al-Fuaa residents waited on the outskirts of Aleppo city for 2,000 residents from the two besieged towns in Outer Damascus to arrive. As men, women and children waited inside the buses or sat in the grass on the side of the road, a blue pickup truck supposedly carrying food but in fact loaded with explosives drove up to the convoy and detonated. In the chaotic aftermath, Civil Defense and SARC members, journalists on hand and evacuees rushed to pull bodies and injured residents from the wreckage. Civil Defense members retrieve bodies from the blast site in Rashideen on April 15. Photo courtesy of the Syrian Civil Defense in Aleppo. Eyewitnesses who spoke to Syria Direct described a scene of carnage. “There were so many severed limbs,” Civil Defense member Ali Abeed told Syria Direct. “We took the injured to hospitals in opposition-held areas—Atareb, Saraqeb, Maarat a-Misrin and Bab al-Hawa [on the Turkish border].” Ibrahim Sami Abbas, a Damascus resident, told Syria Direct on Tuesday that he is calling everyone he knows in Idlib province for information on his brother, Hassan, and his sister-in-law who went missing in the April 15 explosion. “A few people told me that they’d seen them after the explosion as they searched for their daughter,” said Abbas, “but I haven’t learned anything new.” Abdulrahman says that he is constantly calling hospitals where those injured in the blast were taken, but has not been able to find any information on his son’s whereabouts. “He might have died in the explosions, but we haven’t found his body,” Abdulrahman tells Syria Direct. “Even so, we’ll keep searching.” Two Civil Defense officials told Syria Direct last week that the search-and-rescue teams could not identify “a large number” of bodies recovered from blast site. Ibrahim Abu al-Leith, spokesman for the Syrian Civil Defense in Aleppo, told Syria Direct that he cannot even give an estimate about the number of bodies recovered. “It’s incredibly difficult because there were many severed body parts we recovered, some of them belonging to injured people transported to the hospitals,” he said. Damascus resident Ibrahim Abbas told Syria Direct on Tuesday that he called Syrian government officials in Jibreen, the district of Aleppo city that is the site of a shelter for evacuees from the two towns, for information about his brother. “They didn’t give us any answers.” Both Ibrahim and Abdulrahman are scouring Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp for any shred of information on their relatives, telling Syria Direct that social media is their only recourse now. Ibrahim, from Damascus, says the last time he spoke with his brother Hassan “that he was very happy that the torture and the hunger they were living through would end. He now would be able to provide everything for his son.” Meanwhile, Abdulrahman sits in a shelter in Jibreen, circulating posts on social media with pictures of his son and his phone number. “Even though we sleep without worrying about the bombs, sadness remains because of what happened in Rashideen,” he tells Syria Direct. “But I still have hope that I’ll find him soon.”Pinterest Mark Wilson/Getty Images The House prepares to pass a bill that breaks a lifetime of promises. On Tuesday, six weeks after unveiling the details of their long-awaited tax reform proposal, the House and Senate are expected to pass an agreed-upon compromise version of the bill that they will send to President Trump's desk for a signature. Barring a miraculous, A Christmas Carol-esque change of heart from multiple legislators sometime in the next few hours, the Republican Party will soon be responsible the most significant transfer of wealth from poor Americans to rich ones in modern history. Paul Ryan is so fired up about it that he spliced together a vanity pump-up video to mark the occasion, setting his greatest hits to a vaguely urgent classical music soundtrack that sounds like it should back a luxury car commercial: Let's get it done. Never mind that "it," in this case, checks none of the boxes that a Young Paul Ryan outlined while contorting his brow into increasingly impossible positions. The bill will likely send more jobs overseas, instead of creating incentives for employers to keep them stateside. Whatever existing provisions Ryan thinks qualify as loopholes are being replaced with different loopholes that happen to benefit very wealthy people, some of whom are serving as elected officials in the federal government. And the oft-promised simplification of the tax code, punctuated by that absurd "fill out your taxes on a postcard" line to which Ryan turns whenever pressed to explain why, exactly, a bill that would rip a $1.5 trillion hole in the deficit is actually a good thing? Not happening, either. Nonetheless, Paul Ryan forges ahead, because his ego won't allow him to do anything else. Remember that the Speaker is, at his core, an overgrown Atlas Shrugged-toting college Republicans president who printed out the Wikipedia article on Reaganomics one day and has studiously avoided reading any other literature on the subject ever since. For God's sake, this is the same person who has admitted to "dreaming" about taking health care away from poor people since his college days tapping kegs, and who abandoned his Responsible Governance Principles the moment he thought that goal might be within reach. His is an intellectually bankrupt proposal designed to achieve a morally bankrupt outcome, and he's been waiting for this moment for his entire professional life. Even though all the available evidence indicates that the bill fails to fulfill any of his promises, for an ideologue as parched for success as Ryan is, passing something bad by lying about its contents is more palatable than passing nothing at all. Imagine the level of self-delusion it takes, when asked if he is concerned about the fact that the bill is "deeply unpopular" with his constituents, to respond thusly: No concerns whatsoever. I have to say, if people are out there on TV telling mistruths, disguising the facts of this thing, that’s going to make it unpopular... When you have a slingfest, a mudfest, on TV, when pundits are slamming each other about this tax bill before it passes, that’s what’s going to happen. He continues: But when we get this done—when people see their withholding improving, when they see the jobs occurring, when they see bigger paychecks, a fair tax system, a simpler tax code—that’s what’s going to produce the results. This is insane. The problem is not that people do not understand the tax reform bill. There are plenty of analyses of the proposal, many of which illustrate precisely how the new system would affect different Americans at different income levels. The problem, instead, is that the American people do not like the results—and, since those results provide little support for the merits of his ideas or his image as a wonky policy genius, Ryan probably doesn't like them, either. As a result, on the day the bill is set to clear both chambers of the legislature, the Speaker of the House has been reduced to defending his proposal by straight-up gaslighting, blaming its unpopularity on mysterious liars and vowing that it will just work.Image copyright NataliaDeriabina/Getty A blood test in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy could indicate a risk of miscarriage or premature birth, early research suggests. US doctors believe they have found molecules in the blood that can be linked to serious birth complications, months before symptoms are apparent. The findings could help doctors take steps to avoid premature birth. But experts warned against overstating the findings, citing the "small and preliminary" nature of the research. In the UK, one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage, while Britain has one of the highest rates of premature birth in Europe. The proposed blood test screens for molecules called microRNA, which are found in blood cells in the placental bed - a thick membrane that lines the uterus during pregnancy. Predicting problems The team, from the Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Immunology in San Francisco, assessed the microRNA cells' ability to predict premature birth, pre-eclampsia, and miscarriage during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In total, they looked at 160 births - over a series of four published studies. The results predicted miscarriage and late pre-eclampsia with about 90% accuracy and premature birth before 34 weeks with about 89% accuracy. Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition where abnormally high blood pressure and other problems develop during pregnancy. It affects up to 10% of all first-time pregnancies and often leads to premature birth. Unlike that of miscarriage, the risk of pre-eclampsia and premature birth can be managed by medical intervention. The study authors said the test could possibly be used in combination with other established screening tests. 'Root cause' Daniel Brison, honorary professor of clinical embryology and stem cell biology at the University of Manchester, said the study was "exciting looking" in a much needed area. But he added: "Although the results might seem exciting and cutting edge, there is unfortunately a high risk of them being wrong. "We'd need larger follow-up studies to be sure whether these results are valid." Tim Child, associate professor at the University of Oxford and medical director of Oxford Fertility, echoed his concerns but described the research as important. "Pre-eclampsia, premature birth and miscarriage are significant issues all around the world, so any research is important," he told BBC News, stressing that "while the number [of cases studies] is very limited, the statistical relationship between the test and the complication is very high." He added that he hoped ongoing research would help doctors understand "the root cause" of placental disease.Choosing Mobilicity or WIND Mobile over any of the incumbent carriers is a no-brainer for urban-dwelling Canadians, but what about choosing between the two? I currently have an account with each, but probably not for long. Even though with two numbers together I’m still paying less per month than I did for a single line with Fido I will probably port my primary phone number of some sixteen years to a proper VoIP service in the new year, once I get everything tested and in place. I’ve not yet made a final decision on this but from my experience so far Mobilicity has proven its worth (and value) significantly more than WIND has. Note that I’m a data user first and a voice caller second, so kindly keep that in mind as you read the reasoning that follows… Con: Mobilicity throttles data. This is widely accepted as fact, and the screen grabs below would seem to concur. Both are results from the Speedtest.net Android app: First up, Mobilicity’s data network, tested on the Motorola Spice. Second, my unlocked Nexus One on WIND — showing more than two times Mobilicity’s download speed. But hang on… Mobilicity’s upload speed is more than twice that of WIND’s, which might come in handy for an on-board SIP client or Qik videoconferencing. Another thing that these grabs don’t show is that Mobilicity keeps me on HSPA everywhere I go, whereas I’ve been limited to a slightly slower UMTS/3G connection on WIND so far. Advantage: Mobilicity. Con: WIND blocks ports. WIND’s controversial white-listing of ports is well documented on their community site. It came to my attention when I found myself unable to send an email from my Nexus via SMTP. Sure, I could change the outgoing port, but why should I have to? And what kind of heartache lies ahead when I try to configure my N1 for SIP? Advantage: Mobilicity. Con: WIND spams their customers. They don’t do it often, but they shouldn’t do it at all. In contrast, the only texts I’ve received from Mobilicity so far are bill reminders — which I actually appreciate. I have to admit that I kind of wince every time I hear that sassy recorded “Great, welcome to the conversation” message when I call customer service. And even if it’s opt-in, WIND’s rumoured end-of-call advertising sounds like a terrible idea. Advantage: Mobilicity. Pro: WIND will unlock handsets after three months. This was a great differentiator for WIND when first announced. Of course it’d be better still if they sold their hardware unlocked out of the box (I’m told their data stick is, at least). Mobilicity could pull out even further ahead if they sold their entire lineup unlocked, but for now I’ll concede this to WIND. And on the subject of hardware… Pro: Mobilicity has better handsets. If you’re a BlackBerry user both Wind and Mobilicity have got you covered. For everyone else I’m of the opinion that, handset for handset, Mobilicity has the better lineup. From the (hopefully still) unlocked Nexus One to the Motorola Spice to the reborn Danger hiptop/Sidekick, Mobilicity trumps WIND at every price point. At least I think so. Advantage: Mobilicity. Obviously, your choice will come down to who gives you a better signal where you need it the most. All things being equal, however, I’d definitely give the nod to Mobilicity. And if anyone from Mobilicity is reading this, you should give whoever is in charge of procuring handsets for you a big fat raise. 😎0 of 9 Mike Roemer/Associated Press We love to rank things in the NFL world, and ranking free agents is no different. But this time, they’re being ranked with a scouting emphasis to give a full picture of what type of player each team is getting with a free-agent contract. The goal of the NFL Free Agency 100 is to look at each player the way an NFL front office will look at him. By evaluating on-field play (production), past injuries (durability), off-field and locker room behavior (intangibles), his potential as a player (upside) and then the type of contract expected (value), we’re able to get a complete image of the player. In the case of ties, I have asked myself, "Which player would I rather have on my team?" and set the rankings accordingly. Subjective? Yes. But ties are no fun. Each player was scouted by me and a team of experienced evaluators with these key criteria in mind. The following scouting reports and grades are the work of months of film study from our team. All statistics from Pro Football Focus. Players' heights, weights and seasons from NFL.com.The Russians feel they have been betrayed by the West time and again and are not going to take it anymore. Russia’s resistance to American military intervention in Syria’s civil war is the latest indication that a relationship that was supposed to be “reset” in 2009 is unraveling. Russia’s relations with the United States were most recently tested when it granted asylum to former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden who revealed embarrassing details about America’s global surveillance efforts to a number of Western media outlets, notably Britain’s The Guardian newspaper. President Barack Obama canceled a bilateral summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in protest to that decision. The New York Times reports that such tussles are less to blame for souring American-Russian relations than are “radically different worldviews revealed by the Syria dispute.” Whereas Obama feels compelled to take action in the country after the regime of President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against civilians, Putin “sees American imperialism at work again.” The Russians fear a repetition of what happened in Libya two years ago. They consented to a United Nations Security Council resolution at the time to protect civilians whose protests to the regime of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi were brutally suppressed. But as the Russians see it, NATO and Arab allies seized on the mandate to engineer regime change in Tripoli. Bombings of government and military assets enabled the rebels to murder Gaddafi and displace his regime. “The Russians felt they had been played for suckers on Libya,” Robert Gates, Obama’s former defense secretary, told The New York Times. “They felt there had been a bait and switch. I said at the time we would pay hell ever getting them to cooperate in the future.” Indeed, the Russians saw that “as part of a continuum of illegitimate and even imperialistic American interventions from Kosovo under President Bill Clinton to Iraq under President George W. Bush,” writes the same newspaper. Alexei K. Pushkov traced the list of Russian grievances back further in The National Interest in 2007, pointing out that the unlimited expansion of NATO following the end of the Cold War broke what the Russians had considered a promise not to threaten their security during such a precarious time for them. In 1999, the alliance also broke a treaty obligation to coordinate with Russia when it bombed Serbia, a Russian client state. Many Western countries criticized his counterinsurgency campaign in Chechnya but that did not stop Putin from wholeheartedly supporting the invasion of Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — against the advise of many of his own politicians, according to Pushkov. Russia facilitated the creation of American military bases in Central Asia, otherwise the last part of the former Soviet empire where it still had major influence, and permitted overflights of Russian territory by American warplanes. For “an old cold warrior” like Gates, sending American military personnel to war through Russia was “never in my wildest imaginings,” he said. In November 2001, Russia also shut its listening post in Lourdes, Cuba. The following year, it did not make an issue when the Bush Administration unilaterally withdrew from the Antiballistic Missile Treaty. “What Putin was hoping for was a tacit agreement that, in turn, the United States would not encroach on those of Russia’s priorities that did not have a major importance to America,” Pushkov believes
-0030, NRC, 2013). 2004. National Research Council, Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage. National Academies Press, Washington, DC: 34–35. In the matter of Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Indian Point Nuclear Generating Units 2 and 3), Docket nos. 50-247-LR and 50-286-LR (NRC, 2016). N. von Hippel, M. Schoeppner, Sci. Glob. Secur. 25, 10.1080/08929882.2017.1318561 (2017). Okrent. 17 April 1987. The safety goals of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Science 236:296. Abstract/FREE Full Text Bier, M. Corradini, R. Youngblood, C. Roh, S. Liua. June 2014. Proceedings of the 12th Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management, Honolulu, Hawaii, paper 199_1 (International Association for Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management). Denning, V. Mubayi, Risk Anal. 37, 160 (2016). Domenici. 2004. A Brighter Tomorrow: Fulfilling the Promise of Nuclear Energy (Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, chap. 5. Inhofe, S. M. Capito. 21 December 2016. Letter to Chairman of the NRC, 21 December 2016. 2014. Nuclear Energy Institute, Price-Anderson Act provides effective liability insurance at no cost to the public, [NEI fact sheet] (NEI, Washington, DC); http://bit.ly/2oUniNh. 2015. FY 2015 DOE agency financial report, U.S. Department of Energy. 2015. FY 2016 DOE agency financial report, U.S. Department of Energy. McGeehan. 1 August 2016. New York Times, 1 August 2016. Please follow and like us:Louisiana’s Senate runoff is Saturday, but voters have already been casting ballots, and the early returns look ugly for Mary Landrieu. Early-voting rates are down across the board, in almost every demographic group and almost every parish, compared with the early-voting period before the November all-party primary. But that decline has been most acute among groups the Democrat incumbent needs if she is to pull off a victory against challenger Bill Cassidy. With Landrieu’s Senate career on the line, women, registered Democrats, and especially African-Americans were more likely than others to drop out of the runoff’s early electorate, according to voting statistics released by the Louisiana secretary of state. Certainly, early votes are just that — early. The bulk of Louisiana’s ballots will come in on Saturday, and Landrieu’s campaign argues that those results will help. But at this point, she would need an enormous shift to overcome her early-vote deficit. Just over 221,000 people cast early ballots for the runoff, compared with more than 245,000 who voted early before the November primary. But more Republicans actually turned out early this time, while 18 percent fewer Democrats cast early ballots. Seven percent fewer men have already voted, but women’s early votes have dropped off even more, with a 12 percent decline. By far the most troubling demographic for Landrieu is the African-American electorate. While women are more likely than men to vote Democratic, and registered party members are also reliable supporters for their own party, race may be the starkest dividing line in Louisiana politics. Landrieu won 94 percent of the black vote in the November primary, according to the exit poll, while she only carried 18 percent of white voters. That makes the 24 percent drop in early African-American turnout compared with the November primary a blaring warning siren for Louisiana Democrats — especially given that the white early vote has barely fallen — only 3 percent — compared with the primary. Almost the entire drop in early turnout between the two elections is because fewer African-Americans showed up early this time. Landrieu spokesman Matthew Lehner cautioned against drawing conclusions from early-voting statistics. “Landrieu won in 2002 by driving up support on Election Day in New Orleans, especially in the African-American community.” Louisiana’s traditional runoff on Saturday rather than Tuesday could help Landrieu boost turnout among key groups, Democrats argue. That would get her to a starting point — an electorate that’s at least 30 percent African-American — from which she could be competitive. That was the turnout rate in November, but the African-American share of the vote actually declined slightly among the full November electorate compared with the primary’s early-voting period. This time, Landrieu’s campaign has to hope the opposite happens. The real hurdle for the Democrat is that she also needs to boost the share of white voters who support her instead of the Republican candidate in the runoff, a tougher assignment. Landrieu’s camp, admitting it’s “running from behind,” says a string of recent stories about Cassidy’s income from Louisiana State University — raising questions about the hours he was billing the school, where he taught medical students part-time while serving in Congress — could damage him with voters late. “While we are running from behind, Dr. Double Dip Bill and his payroll-padding has shifted the momentum to us,” Lehner said. “We are on the offense. The question is, can we turn out our voters? If 1996 and 2002 are any guide, we can and will.”British Prime Minister Theresa May has formally rejected a petition calling for U.S. President Donald Trump to be prevented from making a state visit to the UK. The online petition gathered over 1.8 million signatures, however the government issued an official response Tuesday morning saying it “recognises the strong views” of the signatories, but Mr Trump should be offered the “full courtesy of a State visit”. The response says: [Her Majesty’s] Government believes the President of the United States should be extended the full courtesy of a State Visit. We look forward to welcoming President Trump once dates and arrangements are finalised. HM Government recognises the strong views expressed by the many signatories of this petition, but does not support this petition. During her visit to the United States on 27 January 2017, the Prime Minister, on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, invited President Trump for a State Visit to the UK later this year. The invitation was accepted. This invitation reflects the importance of the relationship between the United States of America and the United Kingdom. At this stage, final dates have not yet been agreed for the State Visit. However, due to the high number of signatures parliament will still debate the proposed state visit next week. The petition does not call for Mr Trump to be barred completely from the UK, but says he should not have the full honour of a state visit as it may “cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen”. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow is coming under increasing pressure to quit after he said Mr Tump should be barred from addressing Parliament due to his “racism and sexism”. He has faced strong criticism, even from his counterpart in the House of Lords who said he had not been consulted before Mr Bercow made the announcement.The decisive second leg of the Liga MX Apertura 2017 final will be played this Sunday at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. The first leg between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw, now it is the decisive game and here are four players that need to step it up in this match. Aviles Hurtado The Colombian forward has been one of Monterrey’s best players throughout this Apertura 2017 but was one of the most disappointing players in the first leg of this final. Hurtado played 69 minutes, was dispossessed three times, had a dismal 60-percent pass accuracy and only won five of 11 duels. The 30-year-old has been that difference maker for Los Rayados and must now step up in this vital game against Tigres UANL Luis Fuentes Leonel Vangioni picked up a red card in the first leg of this matchup and will now be unavailable for this second leg at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. Luis Fuentes is likely the player that will replace him and the Mexican fullback will have a huge responsibility down that left flank. The 31-year-old did start in 10 games this season and posted solid numbers with an assist and 188 recovered balls. Fuentes has already won two Liga MX championships with Pumas UNAM, has a wealth of experience and should provide a solid performance in this match. Andre-Pierre Gignac The French striker has not had a very good season with just six goals between the regular season and the playoffs so far. “Monsieur Liguilla” had a very poor first leg of this series as he played the entire match, had no shots on target or successful dribble attempts, no accurate crosses from four attempts, was dispossessed twice and only won three of 11 duels. Gignac has 18 career goals in the Liga MX playoffs and will need to be a prominent figure in this return leg at the Estadio BBVA Bancomer. Francisco Meza With the red card that Hugo Ayala received in the first leg of this matchup, Meza might be the player with the most pressure on him for this game. The Colombian centre-back will surely take Ayala’s place and will have the responsibility of covering the aging Juninho that does push forward. Meza played the second leg of the semifinal matchup against Club America and looked sharp but the pressure will be much more in this final fixture. How to Watch Monterrey vs Tigres UANL The Monterrey vs Tigres UANL match will be broadcast this Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 PM Pacific: TV Schedule: Univision Deportes Watch Live Online: Sling TV (Watch 7 Days Free)This article is over 1 year old Revenue of $8.14bn is down 2% from $8.29bn last year due to lower print advertising revenue and foreign currency fluctuations News Corp posts $817m loss after falls in value of newspaper and pay TV assets Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has posted an $817m financial year loss on the back of dramatic falls in the value of newspapers in the UK and Australia and write downs at Australian pay TV platform Foxtel. Revenue was $8.14bn, down 2% from $8.29bn last year, due to lower print advertising revenue and foreign currency fluctuations, the New York-based company said. The Australian arm of the Murdoch empire should brace itself for another round of cost cutting as the $40m cut from the business in 2017 would be repeated in 2018, the company signalled. Up to 70 News Corp Australia photographers made redundant Read more The disappointing results come after a bruising period of layoffs at the Australian mastheads, including 70 staff photographers in May and the majority of production and sub-editing staff in recent months. However, digital subscriptions at the Australian mastheads are growing steadily from 225,600 in 2014-15 to 271,000 in 2015-16 to 363,000 this financial year. Elsewhere, the Times and the Sunday Times now have a digital-only subscription base of 201,000 and the Wall Street Journal has moved past one million paid subscribers to 1,270,000. Digital advertising revenue is also up and now accounts for 25% – up from 22% last year – of all revenue from the news and information division of the global media and entertainment company. But overall subscription and circulation revenue in the news and information division is down due to foreign currency fluctuations. Although the company is increasingly reliant on its real estate property arm for growth, the REA Group’s net profit was down almost 20% from last year to $206m. News Corp is a 'disgrace' and should not get hands on Ten, former manager says Read more The global company wrote down the value of its 50% stake in pay TV company Foxtel by $290m as well as cut the value of The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun by 40%. News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson told investors the financial year was marked by a fast growing digital real estate services segment, growing digital subscriptions for the premium newspapers and cost cutting. “I think it’s fair to say on the digital advertising front that in the last half of the fiscal year, we didn’t see the growth that we wanted,” Thomson said. “We’re confident there will be an improvement in advertising, coordinated with the improvement in digital audience. “News Corp led the global debate about content value and values, prompting the digital platforms to address a dysfunctional content eco-system, in which the fake and the fraudulent have flourished. We are now in advanced discussions with those platforms over the creation of payment mechanisms for news of verified veracity.” Thomson, the chairman of News Corp, Rupert Murdoch and son Lachlan are this week holding an annual meeting with the company’s editors, including News Corp Australia CEO Michael Miller, in Los Angeles.Today's Incarnation is a poet who established one of the great world religions: Guru Nanak, the 15th century founder of Sikhism. Like the Buddha and Mahavira, the founder of the Jain religion, Nanak was a wanderer. He spent 25 years on the road and is said to have travelled as far as Mecca and the Himalayas. But, unlike his predecessors, when he had achieved enlightenment he returned to his homelands in the Punjab. He taught his disciples that, rather than renouncing the world and retreating from it, they must use their faith to change it from within. Nanak's 'disciplined worldliness' emphasised the importance of work and family. He also instituted an idea which is practised in Sikh temples all over the world. Sunil Khilnani visits the Gurudwara Nanak Piao in Delhi as they serve the langar, a meal provided by volunteers to anyone who comes, regardless of status, sex or religion. Everybody eats together in an equalizing act, a dispelling of the taboos designed to protect caste boundaries. Sunil explores the life of a man whose ideas were polemical and provocative. In announcing that "there is neither Hindu nor Muslim" Nanak wasn't proposing a harmonious blend of religions. Instead, he was rejecting other paths and creating an entirely new religion, one which now has around 30 million followers. Producer: Jeremy Grange Original music composed by Talvin Singh.New Delhi, March 9: The government is thinking of raising the creamy-layer cap for other backward classes to Rs 10 lakh from the existing yearly income limit of Rs 6 lakh in a move that would bring more well-heeled OBCs within the reservation net if implemented. The ceiling separates less privileged OBCs from the well off, who are ineligible for quota benefits. Sources in the ministry of social justice and empowerment, which is working on the limit, said there was pressure from the Prime Minister's Office to take a call as soon as possible. They said there was considerable pressure on the government in the aftermath of the reservation protests by Gujarat's Patidar (Patel) community and Haryana's Jats last month. If approved, the higher ceiling would relax the salary bar for OBC reservations in central government jobs and educational institutions. "There are many aspects that need consideration. One, a higher income ceiling would be welcomed by the OBCs but would also be criticised by the forward castes that are anyway against reservations, especially if it includes people in the high income group," said a ministry official. "Also, including people who earn nearly Rs 1 lakh a month for quotas could invite criticism for alienating the poor and abandoning the creamy layer concept in the Mandal recommendations which were upheld by the Supreme Court," the official added. "So a cautious position needs to be taken." It was such considerations that had in 2013 prompted the then UPA government to fix a uniform creamy-layer ceiling of Rs 6 lakh for OBCs, rejecting the recommendations of the National Commission for Backward Classes. The NCBC had recommended two income ceilings - Rs 9 lakh for rural areas and Rs 12 lakh for urban areas. In March last year, the NCBC had come up with a fresh suggestion, recommending that the ceiling be fixed at Rs 10.5 lakh a year, before revising it to Rs 15 lakh in October after pressure from several quarters. A parliamentary committee on the welfare of OBCs had also proposed that the ceiling be raised - to Rs 20 lakh. "We are doing the maths but, as of now, it is likely to be fixed at Rs 10 lakh," the ministry official said. Opponents of raising the creamy-layer ceiling for higher income groups within the OBCs say those from the urban middle classes would be the main beneficiaries, because of easier access to quality education, negating the Mandal objective of levelling the playing field for the underprivileged. "There is political pressure to raise the income limit. Initially we had pegged it at Rs 8 lakh but, because of the constant pressure from political parties, we were considering (a limit of) Rs 12 lakh. We will have a major crisis on our hands if the limit is raised beyond Rs 10 lakh as the forward castes will oppose such a ceiling," an official said. Once the ministry decides on the final ceiling, it has to be placed before the cabinet for clearance. After the cabinet gives the go-ahead, the HRD ministry and the department of personnel and training will issue orders to central educational institutions and government departments to implement the new criterion. The creamy layer was introduced at Rs 1 lakh in 1993 and then revised several times - to Rs 2.5 lakh in 2004, Rs 4.5 lakh in 2008 and Rs 6 lakh in 2013. In its recommendations, the NCBC had said figures provided by government departments showed that representation of OBCs was not even half the 27 per cent quota they were entitled to. A reply to an RTI query had revealed that as of January 2015, less than 12 per cent of employees of central government ministries, departments and statutory bodies were OBCs.It was time for this fun subject to rear its head again, wasn't it?A new study was just released, so reporters decided to find the most FLAGRANTLY MISLEADING CONCLUSIONS to draw from it possible, so as to make the report newsworthy.Here's CNN's report: "Study: Lack of breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars" Do you know what the reportshowed? It showed that almost 1000 babies die prematurely every year in the US from preventable diseases, and that breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the risk of these diseases. (BY HOW MUCH, the report on CNN does not say.)The babies who die prematurely cost billions of dollars.So, the theory goes, if these 975 babies had been breastfed for the first few months of their lives, they MIGHT not have gotten sick and MIGHT not have died and then MIGHT not have cost so much money.But of course, that's not an interesting finding. So you make it interesting by flipping stuff around and quoting out of context and making this about SCARING the bejeezus out of already terrified new mothers.Let me restate my position on this.I think that this country is totally and completely screwed up when it comes to the notion of pregnancy and birth and breastfeeding AND EVEN (to some extent) child-rearing, not to mention sexuality. All this kid-related stuff is vital to our perpetuation as a species -- you know, kind of basic -- and yet it's all treated as silly, fluffy, too personal, gross, weird, bleh.And we all know: Excessive cleavage on display is perfectly awesome, but god forbid you try to use boobs for the purpose of nourishing your baby in public.Blogging about raising kids is fluff, but writing a review about how fast you can play games on the iPad is Serious Business.Where was I?Oh, right.This country is LOUSY at supporting new moms in general, and moms who want to breastfeed? Forget it. Our companies don't support us, our insurance companies don't support us, and our friends/neighbors/family members who gawk at the very thought of seeing a baby on our boobs don't really support us.Let's fight that fight. Let's change that.Oh, but you know what? Let's not fight that fight while ALSO screaming at moms who formula feed. Just, please stop doing it. You're obfuscating the point and polarizing the issue. It should NOT be about who's doing it wrong or who's doing it better.The real fight is in finding ways to better support moms, period.I humbly request that you to read my first rant on this issue, called OH MY GOD WITH THE BREASTFEEDING. I think it's maybe one of my most measured rants ever.Months after the Seattle Seahawks won the 2014 Super Bowl Championship, Sidney Rice made a surprise announcement, at the age of 27, that he was walking away from the game after seven years in the NFL. Rice is now speaking openly about the health concerns that led him to retire. In an interview with CBS News, Rice said he had experienced several concussions and would sometimes black out after particularly bad hits. As he spent the off season making his decision, Rice said he was particularly struck by the stories of former NFL players Tony Dorsett and Herschel Walker. "You have these guys that have been going to the same house for 25 years. And all of the sudden they get to a certain point on their way home and they have to call their wives to get the directions home. So that is something that really hit home for me after having experienced so many concussions," said Rice. On Monday, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland made a similar decision, retiring after his rookie season at the age of 24. Borland told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" he decided to leave the game because of concerns about head trauma. For Rice, early retirement ended an NFL career that began in 2007 as a second round draft pick followed by four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He exploded on the scene as a 23-year-old in 2009, catching 83 passes for 1,312 yards and "looking like a future superstar," said CBSSports.com senior NFL writer Will Brinson. Rice was voted to the Pro Bowl after the 2009 season, and tied a league record with three receiving touchdowns in the NFC Divisional Playoffs against Dallas in 2010. Rice signed a five-year $41 million contract with the Seahawks in 2011, but was released with two years remaining partly due to his injuries. He re-signed and was reportedly making under $2 million at the time of his retirement in July 2014. Though Rice had no signs of post-concussion disorder when he retired, he said he wanted to leave the game before that changed. "I don't regret any time on the field," Rice said. "I enjoyed every year of my seven years I had a great time, and it's over with. It's time to try to help people out." The NFL is under intense legal pressure to acknowledge and compensate former players for brain trauma suffered on the field. The league is currently negotiating a legal settlement which, some reports say, could approach $1 billion. In an interview this month with WLNY-TV, Rice said he did not join the lawsuit since at this point he shows no signs of brain trauma. Dr. David Grand, a brain trauma specialist who focuses on concussions, said many retired athletes are now realizing how professional sports permanently changed them. "They just can't think and react the same way as they used to," Grand said. "And athletes are people who have tremendous reflexes, tremendous capacity to react. So when theirs is less than the average person, they've gone from a peak to a valley." Repeated concussions can affect a player's thinking, reaction time, ability to focus and recall past events, physical equilibrium and more, Grand said. He called Rice's decision to retire rather than risk further injury "incredible." "He's thinking about the rest of his life," Grand said. "Because there are athletes who have a concussion in the game and they have to take their helmets away from them because they want to go back out. Athletes are wired to play and wired to perform. And athletes are not really taught to protect themselves." Rice agreed that professional athletes live in a culture that discourages them from admitting to a concussion and taking the time needed to heal. "You want to get back out there on the field. You don't want to your opponent to see your hurt. So a lot of people try to rub the doctors off and tell them that they're fine, which they're really not. I've done the same things in games," he said. Protecting his future was Rice's main motivation in quitting the NFL, he said. "I wanted to be able to function," Rice said, and added that he's looking forward to enjoying time with family and friends. Rice hopes parents and kids will learn from his story and understand the risks of contact sports. "They need to educate themselves first," he said. "And then I am pretty sure a lot of them won't let their kids play at such a young age." For the kids, Rice has a message: "Life is more than football," he said. He cautions against the competitive impulse to stay in the game even after injury. "If anything happens, if they experience any problems, they blackout, or seeing stars, anything of that nature, they should tell their coaches or their parents," he said. New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford and former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice announced March 3, 2014 they will donate their brains to science. CBS News Earlier this month, Rice, along with New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford, announced they would donate his brain posthumously to scientific research. "I felt like it was the right thing to do, for the generations to come," said Rice. "If there is a way that I can help, prevent, or protect the kids that are coming along, I'm all for it." Rice acknowledged that by talking about his concerns, he is taking an uncommon step. "My story is unique because I'm willing to talk about it," he said. "A lot of the guys don't talk about it, they don't speak about it. They go, they play, their done and that's that. If we continue along that path then what kind of example are we setting for the youth that's coming along?"CALGARY - A new report has some advice for Canada when it comes to managing its oil wealth — be more like Norway. The study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released Thursday calls for a more hands-on approach both provincially and federally toward developing the resource, divvying up its riches and reducing its environmental impacts. "Right from the beginning in Norway, there was a consensus that the government had to be in the driver's seat, both as an owner and as a regulator and it had to be involved in all aspects of the industry," Bruce Campbell, executive director of the group and the report's author, said in an interview. In Canada, it's been much the opposite, with foreign and domestic private interests more or less in control since the start. (STORY CONTINUES BELOW SLIDESHOW) Photo gallery 10 Facts About Canada's Oil Industry See Gallery Oil Industry Canada: Norway Offers Lessons On How To Manage Resource Wealth, CCPA Says 1 / 10 10 Facts About Canada's Oil Industry 1 / 10 However, the Peter Lougheed government in Alberta did have a more active role in the industry in the 1970s, for example creating incentives for more petrochemical processing to be done in-province. The report acknowledges the inherent differences between Norway and Canada — not the least of which is the decentralized nature of Canada, where provinces have control over resource development. Nonetheless, Campbell said there are lessons to be learned from the Scandinavian country, which owns 80 per cent of its petroleum production and retains about 85 per cent of its net revenues. "It doesn't have to be the way that Canada and Alberta have chosen to go. There are alternatives and Norway points the way," he said. A striking difference between Norway and Alberta is the proportion of their respective oil wealth that has been socked away in savings funds. Norway set up its Government Pension Fund Global in 1990. It is now the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world at $664 billion and continues to grow. By contrast, the Alberta Heritage Savings Fund, set up by the Lougheed government in 1976, contains only about $16 billion. The report calls on the federal government to create a resources saving fund, into which some proceeds from an excess profits tax would be placed. Part of that capital would be invested outside the country as a means to mitigate "Dutch Disease" — when resource development leads to a rise in currency values, harming other parts of the economy that rely on exports. Campbell sees the returns of that fund being used for public infrastructure and social programs, as they are in Norway. Jack Mintz, a tax policy expert at the University of Calgary, said Norway is viewed as the "poster child for good governance" and that the public has largely bought into its "disciplined approach." "The problem with Alberta is it's never really done a good job in managing the natural resource wealth," said Mintz. "The last 10 years is a good example, where government spending went up much faster than growth in the economy, so a lot of costs got built into the government's budget line." Norway had very high taxes before oil was discovered there and, unlike Alberta, has opted to keep them that way. Alberta's taxes are the lowest in Canada and even though there is likely to be a stream of red ink in the March provincial budget, Premier Alison Redford has said not to expect higher taxes. Mintz said he expects low natural gas prices and discounted oilsands crude to persist, so the budget squeeze won't let up any time soon. That leaves three choices — keep running up deficits and hope that things get better eventually, cut spending or raise taxes. "In a way I kind of feel sorry for the politicians right now because I don't think Albertans really know what they want," said Mintz. "The math doesn't add up, so some sort of decision has to be made." The CCPA wants Alberta to bring its income and sales taxes into line with other jurisdictions, so that other provinces aren't forced to compete and weaken their own ability to provide public goods and services. If Canada taxed its citizens the way Norway does, Campbell figures there would be another $200 billion annually flowing into government coffers. Norway, the report says, has one of the lowest levels of income inequality in the world. On the flip side, the gap between rich and poor is growing among Canadians, especially in Alberta. And fiscal disparities have also widened between provinces, something the CCPA wants to see addressed through strengthening the federal equalization program. The report says it's "unacceptable" that in a country so rich in oil, the eastern region relies on crude from abroad. The CCPA supports proposed eastbound pipeline projects as a near-term solution. The group wants to see a surtax based on part of the price difference between cheaper Alberta and pricier foreign crudes that could be invested in renewable energy development. On tackling climate change, the report says, Norway is leaps and bounds ahead of Canada. While Norway has plans to become carbon neutral by 2050, Canada's and Alberta's efforts have been "embarrassingly inadequate." The CCPA wants to slow the pace of bitumen development, toughen environmental regulations and put a "meaningful" price on carbon, among other things. The group is urging Ottawa — not Alberta, as has been the case so far — to take the lead on establishing a national energy strategy to "break the cycle of interminable federal-provincial bickering." "'Letting the market decide will only make inequality worse and bring the looming climate crisis closer," the report said. "Doing nothing, on the ground that Canada is too decentralized and fragmented a federation for such a policy to succeed, is also a cop-out."This is when it began to turn last season for Hassan Whiteside, when purgatory was about to end and a role as franchise anchor about to take hold. It was a year ago, with three games to play in the regular season, when Whiteside returned to the Miami Heat's starting lineup, only injuries preventing him from starting since. Asked, based on where he stands today, if he finds it remarkable that a year ago, in the same spot as Friday's game against the Toronto Raptors, with four games to play, that he was playing off the bench behind Amar'e Stoudemire, Whiteside smiled. "You could say that four years ago, I was trying to make an overseas team," he said. "So that's even more remarkable." Whiteside said in retrospect it was clear that to be a playoff starter it was a spot coach Erik Spoelstra was going to have to earn, a challenge he conquered. CAPTION Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. CAPTION Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. Spoelstra: No need to show anger to appease outsiders. CAPTION Dwyane Wade: Braids a tribute to Iverson Dwyane Wade: Braids a tribute to Iverson CAPTION Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says his team showed grit in loss to the Phoenix Suns. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra says his team showed grit in loss to the Phoenix Suns. CAPTION Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade says his team's loss to the Phoenix Suns hurt his team and their hopes of getting to the playoffs. Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade says his team's loss to the Phoenix Suns hurt his team and their hopes of getting to the playoffs. CAPTION Miami guard Josh Richardson talks about the obstacles that lead hs team's loss to the Phoenix Suns. Miami guard Josh Richardson talks about the obstacles that lead hs team's loss to the Phoenix Suns. "I was still playing starter minutes," he said. "It didn't really matter to me if I came off the bench or not. Coach was telling me at playoff time that he wanted me to start. So I was ready to play as a starter, off the bench, it didn't matter." Stoudemire eventually moved on to play this season in Israel, Dwyane Wade signed with the Chicago Bulls in free agency, and now the landscape on the eve of the playoffs has Whiteside secure in the starting lineup, with a mandate of securing a playoff berth for the Heat. "It's no pressure to me," he said. "It's just basketball at the end of the day. I don't put any pressure on myself. "Last year for me was like this year for us, written off. In this league, you're either written off or you start to get notice." iwinderman@sunsentinel.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.winderman For daily Heat mailbag go to sun-sentinel.com/askiraSome 200 disabled people demonstrated Tuesday evening to raise the disability pension to the same level as minimum wage. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter During the demonstration, which was approved by the police, protestors blocked the exit to the Ayalon Highway from Arlozerov Street, as well as Namir Street in Tel Aviv. At one point, the demonstrators advanced towards the Ayalon freeways, but they were blocked from reaching the main road. (Photo: Itay Blumental) (Photo: Itay Blumental) MK Ilan Gilon (Meretz), who came to support demonstrators, said, "I call on you to be united and go all the way. This is the war of independence for all the disabled. Knesset members have to look here and understand that their chair depends on their support of the bill." The protesters even waved signs and had a mock coffin reading: "The government is burying us alive." (Photo: Yogev Atias) (Photo: Motti Kimchi) One of the demonstrators said, "As a son of two disabled parents, why does my father have to beg? Why do the disabled people have to beg in the State of Israel? We came here and we will go to the home of Finance Minister Kahlon and fight until we win. We
the email is a threat that bombs would be placed in schools, CEGEPS and some school buses as well because they are opposed to the way the teachers in Quebec and Ontario are dealing with the students," said Moreau. "In each and every case, the SQ has come to help the manager of the buildings concerned to make a full search," Moreau added. Meets 'definition of terrorist act': Moreau Even though police have turned up nothing, Moreau said the threats would be investigated as a terrorist act. "Because of the large population that is concerned by the threat, even though there would be nothing found in the search," Moreau said, "I think it would respond to the definition of a terrorist act, according to law." Quebec provincial police have not said whether the threat is credible. "Since this morning several schools in the province of Quebec received bomb threats, so the Sûreté du Québec takes these events very seriously," said provincial police Sgt. Mélanie Dumaresq. "We took all possible actions to protect the population and make sure the students and teachers are safe." Rodrigue Vigneault, president of Commission scolaire du Fer school board in Sept-Îles where 15 schools were affected, told CBC that all students were moved to a safe place. "We received an email this morning. Only one school was named in that email but we don't take any chances and all the schools are closed," Vigneault said. Montreal schools searched Montreal police Const. Jean-Pierre Brabant said officers visited schools in Rivière-des-Prairies, Beaconsfield, Dorval and the Montreal borough of St-Laurent after the schools reported receiving threats. About 40 schools were evacuated or closed for the day. (Marie-Eve Cousineau/Radio-Canada) Lester B. Pearson School Board chairwoman Suanne Stein Day did confirm that the board received a bomb threat note. The English Montreal School Board was not affected. The two largest French-language school boards on the Island of Montreal confirmed that schools were not evacuated. The Commission scolaire Marguerite Bourgeoys said it is collaborating with Montreal police after receiving a note. It would not confirm whether police searched any of its schools, but said schools were not evacuated. The Commission scolaire de Montréal has put an update on its website stating it has not received a threatening note, and it is following the situation closely.'Mother and child parking space signs are SEXIST': MP investigates father's claims the special parking bay signs are not PC Chris Heaton-Harris has said that he will help father of two Ian Taylor, 53 Mr Taylor objects to the parking signs on grounds of sexual equality He has complained to district council and car park operators to no avail Support: Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris has said he will help Ian Taylor to get the signs changed A Tory MP has agreed to help in a father's campaign to rebrand'mother and child' parking spaces to be gender neutral. Ian Taylor, 53, is struggling with his local council in Daventry, Northamptonshire, and the operators of a car park near his home to have the signs changed and achieve'sexual equality'. And Chris Heaton-Harris is now said to be investigating whether the signs, which show the outline of a woman holding hands with a child, could breach laws on sex discrimination. Mr Taylor, who has two children, said : 'When I first noticed the signs had gone up I wrote to the district council thinking they were responsible. 'It turned out they weren’t, but they said they couldn’t see a problem with what the signs say. 'I then wrote to [car park owners] Colliers International three times asking if they could do something about the signs, but I have never heard a response. 'Because of this lack of action I’ve now written to newspapers, the MP, and other interested parties. 'I’ve already had a message back from Chris Heaton-Harris MP saying he’ll look into the matter. Objector: Father of two Ian Taylor, 53, stands next to one of the signs he objects to 'We’re supposed to have sexual equality in this country, and that goes both ways. This is an objective problem - there’s no debate really. 'Everywhere else you see signs that say ‘parent and child’ why can’t they just put them up here?' Mr Heaton-Harris today told MailOnline that the objections were 'a fair point', and that he would raise the issue with the leader of chief executive of Daventry District Council on Mr Taylor's behalf. He sa id:'Is it as important as unemployment or world peace? Probably not. But it is a fair point.' A spokesman for Colliers International last night said the firm did not own the site, but managed it on behalf of a client.A man was shot dead at a burger restaurant in Palmdale late Tuesday. Toni Guinyard reports for Today in LA on Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2015. By Jeff Scharping (Published Wednesday, April 1, 2015) A man was shot dead at a burger joint in Palmdale in what witnesses said was a possible fight over a bike just before closing time Tuesday night. The shooting occurred outside Sky Burgers in the 1800 block of East Palmdale Boulevard at 10 p.m. Tuesday, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said. A burger stand employee, who did not want to be identified, said they saw a gunman and the victim fighting over a bicycle before shots were fired. "I just ran out," said Donna Medina, a Sky Burgers employee. "It happened so fast. I just saw myself next to him on my knees and I just said a prayer and I started crying." 2015 Southern California Images in the News The victim's girlfriend was with him at the time, and according to her sister he had gone outside to stop two males from stealing his bicycle. The 41-year-old victim died at a hospital. Police were searching for the gunman.European Russophobia through the prism of Immortal Regiment The "Immortal Regiment" action has shown that no matter where we live, we, the Russians, are one family that remains eternally grateful to Soviet soldiers for their heroic struggle to liberate the world from fascism. It was unexpected to see the support for this massive event even in the countries, the authorities of which are known for their anti-Russian stance (the Baltic States and Ukraine). Nevertheless, reactions from homegrown Russophobes was not long in coming. AP photo When one reads what those Russophobes write, it is difficult to figure out what can help those people - medicine or guillotine. An example of this libel is an article by Rimvydas Valatka of Lithuania titled "Why the Russian world should be created in Vilnius, but not in Ivanovo? The Lithuanians, too, have something to celebrate." The author does not suffer from complexes or phobias - he executes a certain order, based on many years of hatred for everything Russian and Soviet. "For the third consecutive year, Russia marks Victory Day with its brains overheated with war fumes, - the author writes. - The cries "Crimea is ours!","Let's take Kiev in three days!","Tallinn is a Russian city!","Our MIGs will be in Riga!","Our tanks are in Prague!" have become commonplace in Russia." The question arises: where does the author hear these slogans? Of course, he will not tell, because such slogans do not exist in reality. Yet, Russophobe authors like Valatka lie and manipulate facts. The author demonstrates his brilliant knowledge of statistics, having counted 30 million of those killed in the Great Patriotic War (with losses of "ten Russians per one German"). At the same time, Valetta indicates that the pensions of Russian war veterans are "12 times smaller than those in Germany." Indeed, the losses were enormous, but not in the ratio of ten to one, but two to one. The rest accounts for the civilian population that perished during bombings, hunger and in German concentration camps. Yes, the pensions that war veterans receive in Russia are smaller than the pensions of the average veteran of Wehrmacht, but not 12 times, and is comparable with a fairly good salary in Russia: 24-30 thousand rubles or 320-400 euros. The Germans receive the average pension of 1,000 euros per month. Extra payments to the pension may produce the number of up to 8,000 euros per month. The average salary in Germany, according to the Federal Statistical Office, amounted to EUR 3,450 in 2014 (2,400 after taxes) a month. As they say, judge for yourself. "What is it that the Russians have won in the Second World War, if they celebrate it in an increasingly bellicose way every year?" asks Valatka. What do the French celebrate on the Bastille Day, and the United States of America - on July 4th? May 9th - is a celebration of our Victory. This holiday is bitter for our hearts, but outwardly, we are happy and proud. Yet, for Mr. Valatka, someone else's joy is like a bone in the throat. "You're building your "Russian world" at the time when you are still in your sh," says the author. "The "Russian world" has already been built. This is the Kaliningrad region that was delivered under your temporary administration. Rather, this is what has been left from the erstwhile prosperous half of East Prussia that was feeding all of Germany before the war. Now this is a large dilapidated military base, where nothing is grown and nothing grows. The same goes for Karelia that was taken away from Finland," writes Valatka. Why not look at Lithuania, where Mr. Valatka comes from? "We, the Lithuanians, too, have something to celebrate, - says the author. - The Russians failed to create the Russian world - hell on Earth - in Europe after the war. We did a lot to make it possible. In a nutshell, the author says that Lithuania should be happy about Russia's defeat. It just so happens that the national idea of Lithuania is about hatred of other nations. This is the reason why Lithuania is dying. Also read: To revise results of WWII, the West needs to win WWIII What kind of a country is Lithuania today? This is a state that lives on subsidies from the European Union - about 1.3 billion euros per year, according to the Gazeta.pl. Political analyst Alexander Zapolskis estimated that "if the bad dream of Warsaw, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius becomes a reality and European subsidies end, they will all receive deficits of state balance of payments at 20-25 percent of their budget." EU's so-called equalization program will end in 2019-2020. The program is about the distribution of income from the donor to the recipient. How will those countries continue to exist? According to Eurostat, as of January 1, 2015, the population of Lithuania has decreased by 7.6 percent during the year. During 25 years of independence, the Lithuanian population has decreased by a quarter. One shall assume that in another 20 years, Lithuania will have the population of about 2.5 million of non-productive age. Will they need the natural gas that the country buys from Norway at a sacrifice? Lithuania has forgotten its "heroes" As for your tales of Stalin the "butcher," we made conclusions for ourselves at the XX Congress of the CPSU. You better take care of your own "heroes." What do you celebrate on June 23rd? You celebrate your victory - the June uprising which led to the creation of the provisional government headed by Juozas Ambrazevičius. In 1941, those people approved "Regulations on the Jews." The Jews were required to live in the ghetto, "taking into account the fact that they had been exploiting the Lithuanian people, for centuries, oppressing them morally, and in recent years, under the guise of Bolshevism, they had developed the struggle against the Independence of Lithuania and the Lithuanian people." Lithuanian Nazis were deliberately fighting on Hitler's side, taking part in the mass murder of Jews. One of the brightest documents about it describes the events that took place in October 1941. Also read: Why the West will never either forgive or defeat Russia "Anti-Semitism has not disappeared after the war, nor has it even become marginal," publicist Thomas Venclova wrote in his article in DELFI. "In Lithuania, there is still a latent hatred of the Jews...Multiculturalism has penetrated the academic environment only because of ideological and financial help from the West, but not in the masses and not in the ruling classes that represent the mentality of the masses. Globalization is generally considered evil (in Lithuania), even insidious conspiracy against the nation." As we can see, the Lithuanians still have not crawled out of their own sh, have they? As a Russian proverb goes, "your own sh** doesn't smell." Articles as the one penned by Mr. Valatka are usually abundant with stories of drunken Soviet soldiers raping and burning everything on their way. Valatka also writes a lot about it. All these things are designed to equate Stalinism and Hitlerism to ultimately revise the results of World War II (with all historical and geopolitical consequences). What can such articles do? They can make the Russians unite even stronger. They create the image of Lithuania as a xenophobic country, an heir of Lithuanian Nazis. Yet, Lithuania is home to more than 200,000 Russians, for whom Victory Day is a holy day. Lyuba Lulko Pravda.Ru Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.RuWomen's March: Why I'm rallying against Donald Trump this weekend Posted This Saturday, on January 21, I'll be marking Donald Trump's first day in office by marching in Sydney to stand up against the hatred and bigotry he represents. The Women's March on Washington was organised — predominantly on Facebook — for the day after inauguration day to protest against Mr Trump's politics and the threat he poses to the safety and autonomy of the politically vulnerable: women, religious minorities, racial minorities, LGBTI communities and people with disabilities. "The Women's March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women's rights are human rights," the organisers say on their website. "We stand together, recognising that defending the most marginalised among us is defending all of us." It's expected that more than 200,000 people will walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House the morning after Mr Trump's inauguration. Meanwhile, some estimates suggest an unusually low number of people will be attending Mr Trump's inaugural ceremonies; there are currently more bus parking applications for the women's march than there are for the inauguration itself. Sister marches inspired by the Women's March on Washington have also been organised in cities the world over, including in Australia. In Sydney, the Women's March is teaming up with groups like Grandmothers against Detention of Refugee Children NSW to create an inclusive protest that targets all transgressions of human rights and dignity. Of course, Mr Trump's domestic policies won't directly affect Australians, but organisers of the Sydney march argue it is about more than that. It's about standing with vulnerable groups across the globe to fight bigotry and division. But perhaps more importantly, it's about reminding Australians that some of the ideas we find so offensive in Mr Trump have taken hold in our own politics, too. 'If something needs fixing … do some organising' In his final address as president last week, Barack Obama implored Americans to "show up" and help do the work that needs doing". "If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organising," he said. Michelle Obama issued a similar call to arms back in October, when the world first heard the horrifying tape in which Mr Trump described and condoned sexually assaulting women. She said we need to do what we as women have always done: Roll up our sleeves, and get to work. Which is exactly why I'm marching. I'm marching because electing Mr "grab her by the pussy" sends a message to sexual assault victims that we still aren't listening, and confirms the suspicion of so many women that they are never truly safe. It's a reminder for potential perpetrators of sexual assault that they have no reason to fear concepts like accountability, punishment, and justice. I'm marching because electing a man who wants to punish women who seek abortions restricts every woman's autonomy. Electing a government that seeks to defund women's health services and strip them of their reproductive rights is an insult to the dignity of women everywhere. And we know now that this is not just campaign bluster. Mr Trump has released a shortlist of five predominantly pro-life judges from whom he will nominate the next Supreme Court Justice, one of whom believes the landmark Roe v Wade decision that opened the gate to abortion access for American women is "the worst abomination of constitutional law" in American history. The US is not so different to Australia I'm marching because electing a president who supports transphobic laws sends the message to the LGBTI community that there is no hope of progress. Last July Mr Trump spoke out in support of a North Carolina law barring transgender people from using bathrooms that best match their gender identity, as well as banning local governments from passing LGBT anti-discrimination law. I'm marching because electing a man who forged a presidency from the idea of building a wall to solve immigration issues serves to legitimise our own Government's Pacific island processing camps. Indeed, America is not as different to Australia as we like to tell ourselves; our Government does not shy away from stripping asylum seekers, Indigenous Australians, women, and LGBTI communities of their rights, either. Of course, there are many who believe the march is pointless — that it has no clearly articulated aims and will have no tangible outcomes. For example, some anti-Trump women have said they think the march could potentially further divide Americans, while others believe the effort that goes into attending a march that could "be easily dismissed with a presidential tweet storm" might be better invested elsewhere. But in a democracy, expressions of large-scale public opposition matter because they remind politicians that the groups they demean in order to win elections don't disappear, and they can make the business of governing very difficult if they try. Moments that galvanise people matter, even if it's not immediately clear how When it became clear that Mr Trump would win the election, one of my closest friends sent me a message that said: "I promise to always do my best to keep you safe." She knew that for all the complex political analysis that would follow, when you, as a woman, realise that a man who publicly condones and has possibly committed sexual assault becomes president, in that moment the only things many women felt were isolation and fear. That's why protests matter. Marching alongside hundreds of allies and receiving messages of love and support from friends serve the same purpose: they empower people in remarkably disempowering situations. So yes, I'm marching against Mr Trump. But mostly I'm marching to support the women he has belittled and all the groups his bigoted populism will threaten. And I'm also marching for me. If 2016 has taught me one thing, it is that no progress is permanent. And if we don't get organised, and get to work, we could stand to lose it all. Topics: feminism, lgbt, women, internet-culture, social-media, us-elections, sydney-2000Traditional Password Authentication Transparent Password Verification Registration Your name Your email address The random 16-byte salt used to derive your signing key The public component of your derived Ed25519 keypair Authentication Your email address The nonce that was signed Your signature on the nonce Password-Authenticated Key Exchange A Password-free Future One of Tozny’s primary goals is to reduce the use of passwords for authentication. As a result, requiring a password to register with InnoVault and log in to our new Admin Console has struck a few people as odd. We wanted to take a moment and explain why passwords are being used in this case and pave the way forward towards a password-free future.Traditionally, systems require users to maintain knowledge of both a username and a password. The username is stored in plaintext in a database while the password is hashed using a simple, one-way algorithm and the hash is stored in the database. This system allows for efficient lookups of user identities and provides a relatively simple way to verify a user is who they say they are. When logging in, users provide their username and password to the system. The system then hashes the provided password and compares the hashed output with a known hash from the database. If they match, the user proceeds. If they don’t, the login is rejected. As simple as this sounds, people get it wrong all the time. Some platforms fail to hash passwords at all, storing the plaintext instead. Others forget to add random salts to the passwords while hashing, leading to a lookup table that exposes when two users have the same passwords. Still others implement weak hashing algorithms that can easily be broken with even consumer-grade hardware. In all of these failure conditions, the breach of an authentication database can be tragic. If the platform is ever broken and the database leaked online, outside attackers can use the information it contains to potentially break into other systems as well! Users frequently reuse passwords for many sites, so sometimes knowing only the hash of a password is enough for an attacker to identify an easy-to-abuse target. Tozny has no desire to maintain a password database, hashed or otherwise, so we never transmit your password over the wire. Instead, our Admin Console implements a more transparent password verification scheme.When you first register with InnoVault, the site prompts for both your email address and a strong password. We encourage you to use a long, random password, preferably generated at random through and stored in a password manager to prevent your ever losing it.The Admin Console is a single-page JavaScript application that authenticates directly to our platform. When you register, it creates your account for you, but it never gives us the password you’ve chosen. Instead, the application generates a random salt (a random, 16-byte string) and uses it with a password-based key derivation function (PBKDF2) to produce a static key for your account. The PBKDF2 function is run 1000 times to produce the 32-byte key. The high number of iterations is negligible when you log in, but if someone were to attempt to guess your password by brute force, it will drastically slow them down (and give our system the time it needs to detect and block the attack). Once a key is generated, the application uses that key to seed the creation of an Ed25519 public/private keypair using Libsodium.js. This keypair is used to cryptographically sign (and verify signatures of) arbitrary content using elliptic curves. When you register with InnoVault, the application sends the following information to Tozny:If you sign up for a paid account, your billing information is managed securely through Stripe. Your chosen password is never stored in the browser or sent over the Internet to a third party. All we need is your public key to verify signatures in the future.The next time you visit the Admin Console, you are asked to provide your email address and password once more. Instead of submitting these to the server for verification, the application instead submits your email address and requests an authentication challenge. The server looks up your account (based on your email address) and responds with your original 16-byte salt and an additional 32-byte random challenge nonce. This nonce is stored on the server side, so the authentication challenge can only be used once. If authentication fails, a new challenge must be issued. The application will use your salt and your provided password to regenerate your account’s static key (again using 1000 rounds of PBKDF2). This key will be the exact same as the one generated during initial registration – when supplied to Libsodium.js to seed an Ed25519 keypair, it will generate the same keypair generated during registration. The application will then use the private component of your derived keypair to sign the random nonce. It will then complete the authentication challenge by sending the server:The server uses your stored public key to verify the signature on the nonce and, if it’s valid, establishes a secure session for you.Some developers might recognize this flow and suggest it’s similar to a password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) routine. In practice, it is very similar. In a PAKE routine, two parties that share a known password use their independent knowledge of that password (and specific mathematic operations) to establish a separate key without exchanging that key itself over the Internet. A PAKE routine can be used to negotiate a shared, symmetric encryption key used for communication. It’s also used primarily to mutually verify the identities of the client and the server to one another when the identity of either is suspect. In Tozny’s case, we are relying heavily on the fact that communication always happens with a known party – the Admin Console – and that party’s identity is already established by nature of the SSL certificate it uses for communication. Given that all operations between the client and server occur over HTTPS, there is also no need for an independently negotiated encryption key. All our model hopes to verify is that the client authenticating does, in fact, have knowledge of the password used during registration.The above illustration covers registration and authentication, but there is a similar model underlying the cryptographic operations that take place within the Admin Console. At no time does Tozny ever have knowledge of your password or the signing/cryptographic keys derived from it – you can authenticate and decrypt your data, but we could never do so even if we wanted to. This being said, we are currently working to add extra layers of security on your account with various two-factor implementations. Knowledge of a password plus possession of a physical, independently-identifiable device will make your account even more secure. We are also looking into ways to house the cryptographic operations (i.e. signing challenges) of the Admin Console in a secure mobile app similar to Tozny’s Secure Login. This will drastically simplify account creation, while also cutting down the number of factors required to authenticate – while remaining totally secure – to just one. Regardless, we are living in a world where you can securely use Tozny’s products without us ever being able to know the information you use to authenticate – be that a complex password or a key embedded in a mobile device. Today, InnoVault is completely secure and takes proactive steps to prevent any form of account breach or abuse. In the future, we’ll work to make it even more so. In the present, take some time to proactively protect your customers’ data by signing up for an InnoVault account today"If I do another season, I'm not going to wait five years," David promised at the show's ninth season premiere. For Larry David, there is no such thing as being politically correct. "I don’t think the fans who watch the show want me to be politically correct or do anything differently," the creator and star told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the premiere for the ninth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. "So I haven’t done anything differently. It’s the same." After a six-year hiatus, David makes his return as Larry when the HBO comedy premieres another 10-episode season on Sunday night. Ahead of the highly anticipated launch, HBO feted its most-famous curmudgeon with a New York City premiere event on Wednesday, where attendees were treated to two episodes of the upcoming run. Before the screening, a voiceover from TV Larry beckoned through the speakers at the SVA Theater. "Thanks for coming — actually, you should be the one thanking me. Do you have something better to do on a Wednesday night? Eh, I don't know so," said David in character. He explained the premiere sets up the entire plot and that the second episode of the night would be a stand-alone airing later in the season, in a bid to not give away too much of Curb's master plan. Larry then had two specific requests: Don't spoil the episodes and please keep the hand-shaking to a minimum at the afterparty. "The only thing Larry cares about with doing this premiere in New York is that everyone who is watching the show tonight doesn't tell anybody what happens until Sunday," executive producer Jeff Schaffer told THR ahead of the screening. "He wasn't worried about what to wear or the guest list, all he was saying is, 'Isn't everybody going to tell everybody?'" Of the two episodes — which were greeted to big laughs and several rounds of applause inside the theater, kicking off with the show's signature opening tune — Schaffer said they were methodical when it came to picking which episode to screen after the premiere. To keep the season hush-hush, no screeners will be sent to press after the show launches. "Sometimes in the middle of the season there are some stand-alone ones," he explained of their choice, which is the fifth episode. "We do setup something that's crazy and we didn't want to give more of it away — and when I say we, I mean he." The main returning players — Jeff Garlin, also an executive producer, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman and J.B. Smoove — were all in attendance as celebrities and comedians from Amy Schumer and John Oliver to Aziz Ansari descended upon the theater to see what Larry and the gang had been up to in these last several years. The eighth season ended with Larry and Leon (Smoove) escaping to Paris and although Lauren Graham has been added to the cast as a love interest for Larry, one of the biggest questions heading into the season is whether he and Cheryl will reconcile. But mainly, Larry and the cast are all back to doing what they do best. "Basically, I make a living telling people to go fuck themselves," Essman told THR. "Not only do they pay me, they love me for it! I never planned on this being my life, I just wanted to make people laugh. But Larry gave this part and the rest is history. The first day on set was like we were there yesterday, like we were there last year." Despite the show taking place in current time, her character, Susie Greene, isn't a political person. "She's a Beverly Hills housewife and she's all about her family," she says. "What she really cares about is making sure Jeff Greene (Garlin) keeps his money. Why do you think she stays with him? A lot of women have arrangements." That sentiment, for once, is where David and Susie agree: Trump's election hasn't changed anything. "It doesn't impact the show at all," the creator plainly says. A message to Larry David from Susie Essman at the #CurbYourEnthusiasm premiere pic.twitter.com/WtP0x2JITn — Jackie Strause (@jackiedstrause) September 27, 2017 Essman has seen eight of the 10 episodes and says the finished product is some of David's best work. The season trailer features Larry shushing a crying woman at a funeral, shoving a pushy perfume saleswoman and proudly accepting a comment from Richard Lewis that he is devoid of anything empathetic. "Larry is so funny this season that I think people are just going to be tickled to have him back," she adds. After the screening, guests were shuttled to TAO downtown where Garlin surprised attendees for welcoming photos and the cast, led by David, spent the majority of the night posing for pictures with fans. Though David and his team have remained tight-lipped on what's in store for the remaining episodes, Schaffer has said the finale "goes to this really strange, fun, crazy place" that viewers won't expect. "It is one of the most ambitious things we’ve ever tried — and it worked!" he told THR when recounting his all-time favorite Curb episodes. "It is going to be a classic." The hyped ending begs the question — is a 10th season of Curb already set in motion? "If I do another season, I’m not going to wait five years — that I can tell you," David told THR with a smile.Our third regional GPU Technology Conference in as many weeks reached another packed house today, as NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang unveiled technology that will accelerate the deep learning revolution. “GPU computing is at the beginning of something very, very important, a brand new revolution, what people call the AI revolution, the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution,” Huang told a crowd of 1,600 scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and press, gathered at Amsterdam’s gleaming waterfront music hall. “However you describe it, we think something really big is around the corner.” In the latest stop in a tour that will bring GTC to eight cities around the world, Huang unveiled Xavier, our next-generation system-on-a-chip for powering self-driving cars; announced an agreement with TomTom, the Dutch mapping and navigation group, to use AI to create a cloud-to-car mapping system for self-driving cars; detailed our DriveWorks Alpha 1 release, and highlighted the work we’re doing with some of Europe’s most innovative startups and research labs. In the previous two weeks, Huang spoke at regional GTCs in Beijing and Taiwan that each drew crowds of more than 2,000. He described how GPUs are transforming AI in just five years from an ambitious university research project into a $500 billion industry that touches broad aspects of everyday life. Driving Innovation The biggest news: Xavier, an all-new SoC based on our next-gen Volta GPU, which will be the processor in future self-driving cars. Xavier features unprecedented performance and energy efficiency, while supporting deep-learning features important to the automotive market. A single Xavier-based AI car supercomputer will be able to replace today’s fully configured DRIVE PX 2 with two Parker SoCs and two Pascal GPUs. “This is the greatest SoC endeavor I have ever known, and we have been building chips for a very long time,” Huang said. “Just imagine what an autonomous vehicle can do in the near future with Xavier.” Huang also detailed the Alpha 1 release of our DriveWorks software, which incorporates a number of new modules, including support for free space detection — which helps self-driving cars determine where it’s safe for cars to drive; distance detection; lane detection; and 3D bounding boxes, which determine the size and shape of objects around the car. Huang showed how a new neural network, PilotNet, will enable the handling of more challenging situations, such as construction sites, night driving and foul weather. Another neural network, OpenRoadNet, will enable free space computation and enable the creation of the occupancy grid to help cars determine where they can safely drive. “Together we will work as an industry to move autonomous driving forward, this is going to be an area of research and development for years to come,” Huang said. DriveWorks Alpha 1 will be released to early partners in October. Mapping the Road Ahead Huang also announced global navigation powerhouse TomTom will port and run localization and mapping software on DRIVE PX 2 AutoCruise. In addition, our NVIDIA DriveWorks software will integrate support for TomTom’s HD mapping environment. TomTom is working to create high-definition maps of the world’s driveable roads, and it’s an incredible challenge. “You want to localize your car with a centimeter of accuracy, because you don’t want to miss by 20 centimeters when you have a self driving car,” explained Alain De Taeye, of TomTom’s management board. “People used to believe creating navigable maps was unaffordable, now people believe HD maps, which are very detailed, very accurate is unaffordable — it’s not: you need to be clever about it and use AI and AI platforms to automatically create and maintain them,” De Taeye said. The announcement follows similar news from industry leaders in Taiwan and China that are building their self-driving car efforts around NVIDIA’s technologies. From Research Labs to Startups AI computing is also sweeping through Europe’s world-leading research centers, technology companies and thriving startup scene. Huang announced two of Europe’s top AI research centers will collaborate with NVIDIA to ramp up their efforts in the fast-growing field. The German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Switzerland’s Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence will both be early users of the new NVIDIA DGX-1 AI supercomputer. Huang also announced that software powerhouse SAP is now using DGX-1 AI supercomputers at its operations in Potsdam, Germany, and in Israel, where teams are building machine learning solutions for enterprises. “Now with the partnership of SAP we will soon have applications running on these servers to serve the world’s largest enterprises,” Huang said. Over the last two months, DGX-1 has been adopted by AI labs around the world, including those based at UC Berkeley, Stanford University and OpenAI. DGX-1 packs some 170 teraflops of computing power, equal to 250 conventional servers, into a single box. It uses eight NVIDIA Pascal powered Tesla P100 accelerators, interconnected with high-speed NVIDIA NVLink technology, and includes a range of deep learning frameworks (see “Blood, Sweat, and 120 Billion Transistors: How NVIDIA Built DGX-1”). Huang also called out four European startups — among the more than 1,500 worldwide — that are using GPU-powered AI. BenevolentAI, our first DGX-1 customer in Europe, is using AI to help medical professionals understand the vast amounts of medical research published every year. Smilart is using GPU-powered AI to analyze faces, even if their appearance has changed, or if an image is captured in low light or from a challenging angle. Intelligent Voice uses AI to not only recognize speech, but distinguish between speakers and even detect a speaker’s emotions. Sadako Technologies uses AI to train robots to sort trash. So far it has saved more than 60,000 tons of plastic from going to landfills.Copyright by WCMH - All rights reserved (KRON) KRON - SANTA CLARA (KRON) - It is an only in Silicon Valley kind of story, as police say high-tech thieves were caught stealing thousands of dollars worth of GPS tracking devices from a Santa Clara tech company. "These devices kind of look like cell phone chargers, so they probably thought they had some kind of street value," Roambee Corporation Co-Founder Vidya Subramanian. Subramanian is talking about the hundred or so GPS tracking devices that were stolen recently from the company's Dela Cruz Avenue labs. "The moment we realized they had a box of trackers, we went into recovery mode," Subramanian said. "We notified the police and equipped them to track the devices, and in about 5 or 6 hours, it was done." Before making off with about $18,000 worth of the devices, the thieves grabbed a beer out of the
for arbitration. If an independent arbitrator does not side with the union, the labor group could start an appeal to the US Department of Labor under a federal law meant to protect the collective bargaining rights of public transit workers. At the T, warehouse operations would be the first department to replace public workers with private ones since the Legislature lifted restrictions on outsourcing at the agency. Governor Charlie Baker had pushed hard for lawmakers to make the T the temporary exception to a state law that put hurdles up for privatizing public services. The law is often referred to as the “Pacheco” law, after its sponsor, Senator Marc Pacheco, a Democrat from Taunton. The T’s chief administrator, Brian Shortsleeve, called the request for proposals an “important first step” and said the T will continue to pursue privatization of several other departments, including maintenance of its fare machines, and marketing departments. Advertisement “Every one of these is an opportunity to run more efficiently and streamline operations and work with the private sector,” he said. In its request for proposals, T officials warned bidders that the union would likely contact them to say that federal law protecting collective bargaining rights may require private companies to honor certain union agreements. But officials said in the letter that the agency disagrees with that position. T officials earlier this month blasted the warehouse department for its dysfunction, saying it sometimes takes more than three days for spare parts to arrive after being requested by maintenance workers. The T outlined a plan that would privatize a sprawling department that employs about 38 workers for about $4.2 million annually. The T’s chief procurement officer, Gerald Polcari, said privatizing the department could be a “game-changer” that could speed up maintenance for the T’s aging infrastructure. But Carmen’s Union leaders have said workers should not be punished for the management failures at the T. Advertisement “Recent reports and audits have shown that insufficient oversight, a complete lack of investment, and inefficient management practices have led to the problems facing the MBTA, not the hard-working men and women who have kept the system running,” said O’Brien. Earlier this week, O’Brien publicly laid out a plan that would have cut new workers’ pay and lowered future raises, if the T had pledged not to outsource most of the jobs it had been targeting for privatization. On Thursday, he said he was “disappointed” that management did not work with the unions on such a deal. Who will get the new Youth Pass? Transit advocates cheered the fiscal control board’s approval of a continued Youth Pass program, which will provide steep discounts on monthly passes to young people ages 12 to 25. So who will actually benefit from the Youth Pass, which officials said should be in place by September? The T doesn’t know yet — mostly because the agency still needs several cities to sign on with the program to make it work. The T started a yearlong Youth Pass pilot with Boston, Chelsea, Malden, and Somerville to test the program. Participants had to apply for passes and retrieve them at offices in their cities — a move that shifted the bureaucratic responsibility of approving applications and giving out the passes away from the MBTA. Many heralded the program as a success, which prompted the board to approve a continued Youth Pass program that would include low-income riders up to 25 years old. The passes would now cost $30 a month, the current price for a student pass after Friday’s fare increases. The pass would be available to 12- to-18-year-olds not currently in school, and 19- to-25-year-olds who can prove that they receive public assistance for low-income households or are enrolled in a GED or job-training program. But the T hasn’t yet figured out all the specifics — and thus, hasn’t asked which communities would like to opt into the program. The T says it could offer the new Youth Pass to 17 communities: Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Milton, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, and Watertown. “We are currently working on the eligibility and implementation detail of the full program,” wrote Laurel Paget-Seekins, the director of strategic initiatives, through an e-mail from a spokesman. “Once those are set, we will reach out to other cities to see if they want to partner with us.” The agency said young people who participated in the Youth Pass pilot won’t go through summer without the discounts, though. Those riders will be able to get their discount passes for both July and August, before the full program rolls out in September. Traffic website upgrades debut On a weekend known for mind-blowingly bad traffic jams, the state transportation department has upgraded its live traffic websites to give drivers better real-time information. The site mass511.com includes images from 350 live traffic cameras and includes information on crashes and construction sites that may slow down traffic. You can also get e-mail updates on personalized routes. MassDOT also upgraded its travel information website to become more user-friendly. Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin said in a statement that the initiatives show the agency’s commitment to help drivers make informed decisions about the best routes. Nicole Dungca can be reached at nicole.dungca@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @ndungcaA peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies ISSN 1541-0099 20(1) – March 2009 Abstract Bostrom rejects Nietzsche as an ancestor of the transhumanist movement, as he claims that there were merely some “surface-level similarities with the Nietzschean vision” (Bostrom 2005a, 4). In contrast to Bostrom, I think that significant similarities between the posthuman and the overhuman can be found on a fundamental level. In addition, it seems to me that Nietzsche explained the relevance of the overhuman by referring to a dimension which seems to be lacking in transhumanism. In order to explain my position, I will progress as follows. First, I will compare the concept of the posthuman to that of Nietzsche’s overhuman, focusing more on their similarities than their differences. Second, I will contextualise the overhuman in Nietzsche’s general vision, so that I can point out which dimension seems to me to be lacking in transhumanist thought. Introduction When I first became familiar with the transhumanist movement, I immediately thought that there were many fundamental similarities between transhumanism and Nietzsche’s philosophy, especially concerning the concept of the posthuman and that of Nietzsche’s overhuman. This is what I wish to show in this article. I am employing the term “overhuman instead of “overman,” because in German the term Übermensch can apply to both sexes, which the notion overhuman can, but overman cannot. I discovered, however, that Bostrom, a leading transhumanist, rejects Nietzsche as an ancestor of the transhumanist movement, as he claims that there are merely some “surface-level similarities with the Nietzschean vision” (Bostrom 2005a, 4). In contrast to Bostrom, I think that significant similarities between the posthuman and the overhuman can be found on a fundamental level. Habermas agrees with me in that respect, as he has already referred to the similarities in these two ways of thinking. However, he seems to regard both of them as absurd. At least, he refers to transhumanists as a bunch of mad intellectuals who luckily have not managed to establish support for their elitist views from a bigger group of supporters (Habermas 2001, 43).1 In addition, it seems to me that Nietzsche explained the relevance of the overhuman by referring to a dimension which seems to be lacking in transhumanism. In order to explain my position, I will progress as follows. First, I will compare the concept of the posthuman to that of Nietzsche’s overhuman, focusing more on their similarities then on their differences. Second, I will contextualise the overhuman in Nietzsche’s general vision, so that I can point out which dimension seems to me to be lacking in transhumanist thought. 1 The posthuman and Nietzsche’s overhuman Before, I focus directly on the comparison between posthumans and Nietzsche’s overhuman, I will deal with some fundamental principles of Bostrom’s version of transhumanism, where the concept of the posthuman can be found, and corresponding principles within Nietzsche’s thought. I will give a short comparison of their dynamic views of nature and values, and their positions concerning human nature, enhancement, education, the revaluation of values, and evolution towards a higher species. 1.1 The evolution of human nature, and values First, both transhumanists and Nietzsche hold a dynamic view of nature and values. “Transhumanists view human nature as a work-in-progress,” Bostrom says (2005b, 1). So does Nietzsche. He holds a dynamic will-to-power metaphysics which applies to human and all other beings, and which implies that all things are permanently undergoing some change.2 There is nothing which is eternally fixed. According to Nietzsche, human beings are organisms constituted out of individual power quanta or will-to-power constellations. One can clarify his concept by reference to Leibniz’s monadology.3 A power quantum is a single entity like a monad. In contrast to the monad, it can interact with other power quanta, it can grow, it can nourish itself (which has to be understood metaphorically), and it has a perspective on the world. This perspective enables the quantum to decide what to do next, which depends upon its options and its conception of power whereby it employs an extremely wide and open notion of power. Every state, in which a power quantum is stronger, more capable, than another, and has the potential to dominate the other, represents a state of power. According to Nietzsche, all entities are constituted out of such power constellations. The dynamics of power also underlie the process of evolution, which was responsible for bringing about the human species, animals, and plants. All organisms came into existence because the conditions were such that bringing about the respective organisms was the best possible means for realising the striving for power of the preceding organisms. Eventually, human beings came into existence. However, the species “human being,” like every species, is not eternally fixed and immutable. It came into existence, it can fade out of existence, and it can evolve into a different species. Individual members of a species have only a certain limited potential, which is limited by their belonging to a specific species. Each species represents a species not only because it is a community whose members have the potential to reproduce themselves with one another, but also because its members have certain limits. A human being as a human being has only a limited amount of potential and capacities, as he belongs to the human species, and any species is defined by its limits. It cannot go beyond that limit. If a human being has acquired special capacities, then she cannot pass them on to her descendants, Nietzsche holds. However, a certain kind of Lamarckism can also be found in Nietzsche, as he stresses that certain tendencies can get inherited. If a man likes to eat well, and to enjoy the company of women, then it is advisable for his son not to live a chaste and ascetic life (KSA, 4, 356-68). Given a certain social and individual state, which Nietzsche does not describe in detail, evolution can take place, and the species can evolve – something also maintained by transhumanists. Bostrom points out: “A common understanding is that it would be naive to think that the human condition and human nature will remain pretty much the same for very much longer” (Bostrom 2001). Nietzsche might not be as optimistic as Bostrom: he does not argue that an evolutionary progress in which human beings are involved will take place soon. However, he does agree with transhumanists that it will happen eventually, if the human species does not cease to exist. In addition to the ontological dynamics, which can be found both in transhumanisn and in Nietzsche’s philosophy, the same dynamics also applies to the level of values. Here, Bostrom claims: Transhumanism is a dynamic philosophy, intended to evolve as new information becomes available or challenges emerge. One transhumanist value is therefore to cultivate a questioning attitude and a willingness to revise one’s beliefs and assumptions. (Bostrom 2001.) Nietzsche agrees that values have undergone many changes. He presents his interpretation of the evolution of values in his account of the “Genealogy of Morals” (KSA, 5, 257-89). Values undergo a change on various levels, on a social and cultural level as well as on a personal one. Nietzsche’s concept of power, to which the concept of value is closely related, can change given new experiences and insights. The content of the concept of power is perspectival (Sorgner 2007, 79-83). There are no absolute and unchanging values, as there is no Platonic realm of ideas in which something could remain fixed. 1.2 Science, enhancement, and education Both Nietzsche and transhumanists have an outlook on the world which diverges significantly from the traditional Christian one, or one which has inherited many Christian values. As one can still find many elements of Christian thinking in the value system of many people today, both Nietzsche and transhumanists are in favour of bringing about a revaluation of values. Bostrom emphasizes: “Transhumanists insist that our received moral precepts and intuitions are not in general sufficient to guide policy” (Bostrom 2001). Consequently, he suggests values that take into consideration a dynamic view of the world: We can thus include in our list of transhumanist values that of promoting understanding of where we are and where we are headed. This value encloses others: critical thinking, open-mindedness, scientific inquiry, and open discussion are all important helps for increasing society’s intellectual readiness. (Bostrom 2001.) Nietzsche agrees again. His respect for critical thinking was immense – he is widely regarded as one of the harshest critics of morality and religion. Furthermore, he also values scientific inquiry immensely (Sorgner 2007, 140-45), even though his respect for science has often been underestimated. In various passages, he points out that the future age will be governed by a scientific spirit, which is why he thinks that many future people will regard his philosophy as plausible, as his way of thinking is supposed to appeal to scientifically minded people. Nietzsche’s high regard for the sciences has been recognized by most leading Nietzsche scholars.4 His theory of the eternal recurrence is based upon premises which have been held by many scientists. His will-to-power anthropology bears many similarities to scientific ones. Even though he is critical of Darwin, he also holds a theory of evolution. Nietzsche very often is most critical of thinkers who are closest to his own understanding of things. In Darwin’s case, Nietzsche’s critique is mainly rooted in his concept that human beings strive solely for power. Hence, a concept which implies that a struggle for existence or a will to life was the fundamental human drive is one from which he feels the need to distinguish himself (Sorgner 2007, 62). Human beings strive for power. The struggle for existence represents only a marginal type of expression of the fundamental will-to-power. If you will power, then it is in your interest to enhance yourself. Enhancement, however, is just what transhumanists aim for. Transhumanism is in favour of technologies and other means which could be used for “enhancement of human intellectual, physical, and emotional capacities” (Bostrom 2001) so that posthumans could come into existence. Consequently, Bostrom stresses that transhumanists value a type of liberalism, which implies that people have the right to choose “to live much longer and healthier lives, to enhance their memory and other intellectual faculties, to refine their emotional experiences and subjective sense of well-being, and generally to achieve a greater degree of control over their own lives” (Bostrom 2005b, 1). Bostrom obviously has gone into more detail concerning what all of these demands do and do not imply. However, what is important is that he, in contrast to Habermas, values the option for parents to choose the genetic makeup of their children. Habermas distinguishes between children who simply became who they are and those who were made in a specific manner (Habermas 2001, 41, 45, 80-93), and claims the following. First, the parents’ act of imposition of a genetic makeup is supposed to be immoral, as children are supposed to feel forced into a certain direction, if their genetic makeup was chosen by their parents, more so than if they became who they are by chance (Habermas 2001, 53-55). Second, there is supposed to be a difference between educating one’s children and deciding about their genetic makeup (Habermas 2001, 31, 87-114). Children are supposed to be able to do something against the way they are being educated (Habermas 2001, 100), and education is supposed to bring about only qualities which can get changed again. A genetic makeup, however, cannot get altered again (Habermas 2001, 111). Therefore, according to Habermas, choosing a genetic makeup for one’s children and educating them are, morally-speaking, two different types of acts concerning their moral evaluation. Bostrom points out the following: “Transhumanists also hold that there is no special ethical merit in playing genetic roulette. Letting chance determine the genetic identity of our children may spare us directly from directly confronting some difficult choices” (Bostrom 2001). Accordingly, he simply rejects Habermas’ first point. It seems to be implicit in his position that most parents love their children, from which follows that most parents aim for the good for their children. That good can be something the parents regard as good, or something which they regard as in the interest of the child. No matter which concept of the good the parents favour, it is usually better that parents decide than that the child’s genetic potential is the result of a genetic roulette, or of a chance outcome. Consequently, Bostrom argues, Habermas’ second criticism does not hold either. If the genetic design that parents decide on is better, in most cases, than that which they receive by chance, then obviously it does not matter morally that it cannot get altered, at least not as easily as qualities which one developed as a result of education. One might even be tempted to say that, in most cases, it is even better that these qualities cannot get altered, as they are a good for the child. Here, it also must be noted that it is far from clear whether Habermas’ second point is correct. It might be the case that many qualities one develops on the basis of one’s education are embedded so deeply in one’s personality that they cannot get altered significantly either. Critics of genetic engineering also tend to stress the dangers related to new technological methods: that some things will certainly go wrong in the beginning, and that one must not play around with human beings, or treat them solely as a means. Concerning such worries, Bostrom responds: “Transhumanism tends toward pragmatism […] taking a constructive, problem-solving approach to challenges, favouring methods that experience tells us give good results, and taking the initiative to ‘do something about it’ rather than just sit around complaining” (Bostrom 2001). He is right, as all scientists and technicians who aim for new goals have to be brave as they enter new, potentially dangerous waters. The same applies to researchers in the field of genetic engineering. We would not have discovered America, or developed smallpox vaccination, if there had not been people brave enough to do what was essential for fulfilling these tasks. Courage is a significant virtue within Nietzsche’s favoured morality. In addition, he stresses the importance of science for the forthcoming centuries, and does not reject that development. Given these two premises, I cannot exclude the possibility that Nietzsche would have been in favour of genetic engineering, even though he mainly stresses the importance of education for the occurrence of the evolutionary step towards the overhuman. If genetic engineering, or liberal eugenics, can actually be seen as a special type of education, which is what transhumanists seem to hold, then it is possible that this position would have been held by Nietzsche, too, as education played a significant role in his ethics. He affirmed science, and he was in favour of enhancement, and the bringing about of the overhuman. 1.3 The perspectival view of values, and the Renaissance genius Transhumanists do not intend to impose their values upon other people, as “transhumanists place emphasis on individual freedom and individual choice in the area of enhancement technologies” (Bostrom 2005b). One reason for holding this position is that Bostrom regards it as “a fact that humans differ widely in their conceptions of what their own perfection would consist in” (Bostrom 2001). And: “The second reason for this element of individualism is the poor track record of collective decision-making in the domain of human improvement. The eugenics movement, for example, is thoroughly discredited” (Bostrom 2001). Besides the fact that Bostrom here uses the word “eugenics” but refers to state regulated eugenics only, which I do not regard as a useful way of employing that notion (Sorgner 2006, 201-209), he puts forward a position that can be called a perspectival view of values. Nietzsche also defends such a view. Each power constellation, and hence each human being, according to Nietzsche, has a different perspective on the world and as each individual concept of power depends on who one is and which history one has had, each human being has a unique concept of power, and consequently a unique conception “of what their own perfection would consist in.” Nietzsche himself has a clear concept of power, and what he regards as the highest feeling of power which is directly connected to the classical ideal (Sorgner 2007, 53-58). A similar ideal seems to be upheld by transhumanists, according to Bostrom: Transhumanism imports from secular humanism the ideal of the fully-developed and well-rounded personality. We can’t all be renaissance geniuses, but we can strive to constantly refine ourselves and to broaden our intellectual horizons. (Bostrom 2001.) Not only the aspect of the “fully-developed and well-rounded personality” can be found in Nietzsche, but also the striving “to constantly refine ourselves and to broaden our intellectual horizons.” In Nietzsche, this aspect is called “overcoming” (KSA, 4, 146-49). Higher humans wish to permanently overcome themselves, to become stronger in the various aspects which can get developed in a human being, so that finally the overhuman can come into existence. In transhumanist thought, Nietzsche’s overhuman is being referred to as “posthuman.” 1.4 The posthuman, the transhuman, and Nietzsche’s overhuman Who is a posthuman? Which qualities does he have? I think that the only qualities which all transhumanists can subscribe to are the following: “we lack the capacity to form a realistic intuitive understanding of what it would be like to be posthuman” (Bostrom 2001). However, various transhumanists have tried to describe a posthuman in more detail. According to Bostrom, F.M. Esfandiary held the following concept: “a transhuman is a ‘transitional human’, someone who by virtue of their technology usage, cultural values, and lifestyle constitutes an evolutionary link to the coming era of posthumanity” (Bostrom 2005a, 12). In that case, a transhuman would still belong to the species of human beings which, however, in some aspects has already developed qualities that stretch the concept of a human being, and have the potential to establish themselves as the basis for the evolutionary step to a new species. The new species that represents a further stage of evolution is referred to as the posthumans. Hence, transhumans and human beings have the capacity to reproduce themselves with each other, but posthumans would not, in the same way that we cannot reproduce ourselves with great apes, at least not in a sexual manner. It might even be the case that posthumans need to rely on technological means for reproduction. Bostrom’s concept of the posthuman seems to be slightly different from Esfandiary’s: “By a posthuman capacity, I mean a general central capacity greatly exceeding the maximum attainable by any current human being without recourse to new technological means” (Bostrom forthcoming, 1). It becomes clear that posthuman capacities cannot be identical to the qualities current human beings have. However, Bostrom still thinks that we5 can develop into such a being. He thereby does not refer to us as the species of human beings which can evolve into a new species with capacities which are far more complex than our own, but he thinks that any human being, by means of technology or other methods, might be able to develop into a posthuman. He even claims: “This could make it possible for personal identity to be preserved during the transformation into posthuman” (Bostrom forthcoming, 15). Therefore, he seems to have in mind that both current human beings, as well as posthumans, belong to the species of human beings which implies that they have the potential to reproduce themselves with another by means of sexual reproduction. Posthumans are not a separate species but a particular group of humans with capacities which cannot yet be imagined by us, but which can involve an enhancement in all human aspects including a physiological, emotional, or intellectual enhancement. Bostrom suggests that it is most likely for us to acquire these capacities by technological means.6 Let me clarify some options of general enhancement, according to Bostrom, whereby I will employ the notion of eugenics which he does not, but which I regard as appropriate.7 We have had examples of state regulated and liberal eugenics. State regulated eugenics is the type of eugenics present in the Third Reich, which is morally despicable, and which is regarded as something to avoid today by most, if not all serious, Western ethicists. Liberal eugenics, on the other hand, is being discussed today, as a morally legitimate possibility, and scholars such as Nicholas Agar (1998) are in favour of some acts associated with liberal eugenics. Transhumanists, as mentioned before, also regard liberal eugenics a morally legitimate way of enhancing human beings. Both state regulated and liberal eugenics, however, are heteronomous types of eugenics, which means that people decide about the enhancement of other people. In the case of state regulated eugenics, the state decides, whereas in the case of liberal eugenics, the parents have the right to decide what ought to be done to offspring. Transhumanists seem to identify a further type of eugenics which I suggest could be called autonomous eugenics. People may decide for themselves whether they wish to be transformed into posthumans by technological means. Given the theme in Bostrom’s articles, this even seems to be the dominant way, he expects posthumans, “an exceedingly worthwhile type” (Bostrom forthcoming, 24), to come into existence.8 Given the above analysis of two concepts of the posthuman, I claim that Nietzsche’s concept of higher humans and the overhuman is very similar to Esfandiary’s concepts of the transhuman and the posthuman, but not to Bostrom’s concepts. According to Nietzsche, individual members of the species of human beings have the capacity to develop only certain limited qualities. It is supposed to be characteristic of all species that their respective members can develop only within fixed limits. Given certain conditions, which Nietzsche does not specify, evolution can take place. According to Nietzsche, evolution is not a gradual development from one species to another, but takes place in steps. If the conditions within one species are such that an evolutionary step can take place, various couples at the same time give birth to members of a new species. The couples who give birth to the overhuman must have qualities that Nietzsche would refer to as those of higher humans. One of the conditions necessary for an evolutionary step to occur is that many higher humans exist. Normally, a higher human cannot simply transfer his outstanding capacities to his descendants. However, if there are many higher humans and some other conditions are present too, such an evolutionary step can occur (KSA, 13, 316-317). Higher humans still belong to the human species, but have some special capacities which an overhuman could also have. However, higher humans cannot pass on their special capacities to their descendants by means of sexual reproduction. By chance, higher humans have the potential they have and, in addition, they must put significant effort into developing their various capacities. According to Nietzsche, Goethe represents the best example of a higher human (KSA, 6, 151-152). Nietzsche’s higher humans are based upon a special nature that they have by chance. Their nature enables them to develop into higher humans, if they realise their potential by working hard at enhancing themselves. Hereby, he particularly stresses the development of intellectual capacities, the ability to interpret. Nietzsche does not refer to technological means of improvement – Bostrom is correct in that respect. However, Nietzsche does not exclude the additional possibility of technological enhancement either. The overhuman has a significantly different potential from that of higher humans. So far no overhuman has existed, but the normal capacities of an overhuman are beyond the capacities even of a higher human. Like every species, the species of the overhuman has limits, but their limits are different from the limits of the human species. The overhuman comes about via an evolutionary step which originates from the group of higher humans. Nietzsche does not exclude the possibility that technological means bring about the evolutionary step. His comments concerning the conditions for the evolutionary step toward the overhuman are rather vague in general, but in this respect his attitude is similar to that of transhumanists. However, he thinks that the scientific spirit will govern the forthcoming millennia and that this spirit will bring about the end of the domination of dualist concepts of God and metaphysics, and the beginning of a wider plausibility for his way of thinking. Given this brief characterisation of higher humans and the overhuman, I am bound to conclude that Nietzsche’s higher humans are similar to Esfandiary’s concept of the transhuman and that Nietzsche’s overhuman bears many similarities to Esfandiary’s posthuman. What can we say about Bostrom’s concept of the posthuman in comparison to Nietzsche’s concepts? Bostrom holds: “One might well take an expansive view of what it means to be human, in which case ‘posthuman’ is to be understood as denoting a certain possible type of human mode of being” (Bostrom forthcoming, 24). Accordingly, he also holds that posthumans have capacities that cannot be found in living human beings. As Nietzsche defends that the species of human beings has strict limits, it is rather unlikely that the concept of a type of human being with capacities which have not yet existed is consistent with his philosophy. Consequently, we can conclude that Nietzsche and the transhumanists share many aspects in their general anthropologies and their values, but Nietzsche’s concept of the overhuman does not correspond to the concept of the posthuman of all transhumanists. However, there are transhumanists whose concept of the posthuman bears many significant similarities to that of Nietzsche’s overhuman. 2 The Overhuman, and Nietzsche’s Hope for the Future Transhumanists, at least in the articles which I have consulted, have not explained why they hold the values they have, and why they want to bring about posthumans. Nietzsche, on the other hand, explains the relevance of the overhuman for his philosophy. The overhuman may even be the ultimate foundation for his worldview. Nietzsche sees philosophers as creators of values, which are ultimately founded in personal prejudices.9 He regards his own prejudices as those that they correspond to the spirit which will govern the forthcoming centuries. “Spirit” here does not refer to an immaterial nous in the Platonic sense, or some ghostly spiritual substance. “Spirit” in Nietzsche’s writing refers to a bodily capacity of interpretation by means of language, which is based upon physiological strength. He distinguishes between a religious and a scientific spirit. Weak reactive human beings, who cannot fulfil their wishes in the here and now, incorporate the religious spirit, which makes them long for a good afterlife. This spirit was dominant among human beings for a very long time. However, eventually human beings grew stronger and consequently more and more developed a scientific spirit. The importance of the scientific spirit has increased significantly, particularly since the Renaissance. Nietzsche expects this spirit to become even more dominant in the future. As his worldview is supposed to appeal to the scientific spirit, it is supposed to become more and more attractive to the people of the future. According to Nietzsche, Plato can be seen as a representative of a philosophy based on the religious spirit, Nietzsche as representative of a philosophy based on the scientific one. Christianity which was dominant in Western countries for a very long time has to be regarded as Platonism for the people. It is Nietzsche’s intention and need to turn Platonism upside down. He refers to his own philosophy as inverted Platonism. In the same way, as Christian thought has dominated many centuries, his scientific way of thinking is supposed to govern forthcoming centuries. Consequently, inverted versions of the main elements of Platonic-Christian thinking have to be found in Nietzsche’s thought. One central aspect of Christianity, according to Nietzsche, is the personal afterlife. It is what makes Christian thinking appealing to many people, and gives a sense of meaning to their lives. If my representation of Nietzsche’s thought is correct, then an inverted version of the personal afterlife, or a concept which gives meaning to the life of human beings, also has to be part of Nietzsche’s thought. Here the overhuman comes in, together with another concept, the eternal recurrence – Nietzsche’s theory of this-worldly salvation – with which I will not be concerned here, even though all these concepts are closely related to one another. The overhuman represents the meaning of the earth. The overhuman is supposed to represent the meaning-giving concept within Nietzsche’s worldview which is supposed to replace the basically Christian worldview. It is in the interest of higher humans to permanently overcome themselves. The ultimate kind of overcoming can be seen in the overcoming of the human species, and whoever has been keen on permanently overcoming himself can regard himself as an ancestor of the overhuman. In this way, the overhuman is supposed to give meaning to human beings. It is not a transcendent meaning but an earthy, immanent one which is appropriate for scientifically minded people who have abandoned their belief in an after world. As C. G. Jung stresses: “Man cannot stand a meaningless life.”10 Nietzsche and Plato would agree. I suspect that the transhumanist concept of the posthuman cannot be fully appreciated, if one does not take the meaning-giving aspect into consideration, or if one wishes to exclude all references to quasi-religious concepts. Bostrom in a different context puts forward the following: Many people who hold religious beliefs are already accustomed to the prospect of an extremely radical transformation into a kind of posthuman being, which is expected to take place after the termination of their current physical incarnation. Most of those who hold such a view also hold that the transformation could be very good for the person who is transformed. (Bostrom forthcoming, 16-17.) I suspect that the value of the bringing about of the posthuman cannot be ultimately justified, except to an individual who believes that that the concept makes his life meaningful: “I wish to be the ancestor of a posthuman.” I doubt that Bostrom agrees with this suspicion. He might fear a mixture of scientific and religious categories. I, on the other hand, think that it can make the concept of the posthuman stronger, if one accepts that it also has a meaning-giving function, which, in contrast to the Christian afterlife, is based upon scientific hopes, the importance of the world of the senses, and immanent goals. Nietzsche upheld that the concept of the overhuman is the meaning of the earth. I think that the relevance of the posthuman can only be fully appreciated if one acknowledges that its ultimate foundation is that it gives meaning to scientifically minded people. I do not think there is anything wrong or abominable about that. Acknowledgment: A German version of this article is in preparation: Sorgner, S.L. (2009), “Nietzsche, der Übermensch und Transhumanismus,” in N. Knoepffler and J. Savulescu, ed., Der neue Mensch. Enhancement und Genetik. Feiburg i. B.: Alber Verlag. Notes 1. The British Nietzsche scholar Ansell-Pearson (1997) merely recognizes some similarities between Nietzsche and transhumanism. 2. In the following paragraphs, I summarise my reading of Nietzsche’s metaphysics of the will-to-power (Sorgner, 2007, 39-76). 3. See Sorgner 2007, 50. 4. Compare Babich 1994; Birx 2006, vol. 4, 1741-1745; Moore/Brobjer 2004. 5. “Let us suppose that you were to develop into a being that has posthuman healthspan and posthuman cognitive and emotional capacities” (Bostrom forthcoming, 5). 6. “We may note, however, that it is unlikely that we could in practice become posthuman other than via recourse to advanced technology” (Bostrom forthcoming, 22). 7. Compare Sorgner 2007, 53-58. 8. “It follows trivially from the definition of ‘posthuman’ given in this paper that we are not posthuman at the time of writing. It does not follow, at least not in any obvious way, that a posthuman could not also remain a human being. Whether or not this is so depends on what meaning we assign to the word ‘human’. One might well take an expansive view of what it means to be human, in which case ‘posthuman’ is to be understood as denoting a certain possible type of human mode of being – if I am right, an exceedingly worthwhile type.” (Bostrom forthcoming, 24.) 9. The following paragraphs are a summary of my reading of Nietzsche spelled out in detail in my monograph Metaphysics without Truth (2007). 10. Compare Stevens 1994, 126. References Agar, N. 1998. Liberal eugenics. Public Affairs Quarterly 12(2): 137–55. Ansell-Pearson, K. 1997. Viroid life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the transhuman
injury has in particular. The truth is that ever since that game, Birmingham away, we have not played well. The team have not given 100% and we have bad results." The scene in the away dressing room at Anfield was particularly emotional. "Everyone had their heads down, close to tears. It was very quiet, not a time for anyone to be blaming anybody else. I was devastated. I'm so upset and disappointed. But we have to come back stronger next year. We need a bigger squad, maybe some new players with greater experience, and then we'll be OK." And Almunia, one suspects, will not be heartbroken to know that the bad-tempered German who has been scoffing about his performances all season will not be around to see it.Tinder has accomplished a lot of things since its 2012 launch: It boasts 21 million matches each day, has sparked numerous engagements and recently made its first match in Antarctica. Now, the notorious "hookup app" can add "reuniting long-lost siblings" to that growing list: After having been out of touch for the last 15 years, a brother and sister were reunited by chance after they matched on Tinder this year. Separated 15 years ago: When their parents split in 1999, siblings Erik de Vries and Josephine Egberts were broken apart. De Vries, along with his twin brother Maarten, moved with their father to Belgium, while his little sister remained in the Dutch city of Breda, according to the NL Times. The siblings lost touch over the years, and Erik de Vries was unaware of Egberts' whereabouts. De Vries, now 24, eventually moved back to the Netherlands for school, and in March, like any other young adult, joined Tinder and started swiping. "The first time I swiped her profile I had absolutely no idea," de Vries told Mic. "To be honest, it hasn't been on my mind in the past few years after Maarten, my brother, and I finished a failed search for Josephine a few years ago." And yet he happened to swipe right, assuming Egberts was just a nice stranger. So de Vries started talking to her like anyone else. "In our first conversation, I was actually flirting with her, so the conversation was very superficial," he said. Swiping, then connecting the dots: But after a few exchanges, some details started emerging. "In our next conversation, I started to get some clues and figured she might actually be my sister. This kind of shocked me, so I decided not to contact her for a few days," he said. Curiosity eventually got the best of him, so he confronted his Tinder match about her full identity. The two exchanged stories about their pasts — parents with a rocky divorce, long lost siblings — and soon realized: They were brother and sister. "The fact that we had a lost sister and she had lost her twin brothers did give her suspicion as well," de Vries said. According to the NL Times, the two siblings met up a week later. Sjoerd Zwart, a writer for an online dating review website in the Netherlands called Datingsite Kiezen, got wind of the story from a friend, who also knew de Vries, Zwart told Mic. So earlier this month, he reached out to de Vries and ended up bringing all three siblings together for a family portrait, their first in 15 years. "When I saw him, it was suddenly very clear," Egberts, now 22, told Datingsite Kiezen. "It was so special to see my own blood brother again after 16 years." For all the cynicism over Tinder and the vapid, sex-fueled relationships it breeds, the trio is a striking reminder that apps like Tinder can bring all sorts of people together — even those looking for that other important relationship, siblings. And we bet the three won't be ghosting each other anytime soon. h/t Datingsitekiezen.nl April 22, 2015, 7:58 a.m.: This story has been updated to remove an image.If you think about it, a lot of the ‘best practices’ for using social media can seem completely counterintuitive to companies that are new to these tools. Take linking, for example. On the surface, the process sounds absurd: I’m spending time every day as a social media consultant purposely promoting what OTHER people are writing, doing and saying about social media. And what’s worse, I’m using this as a strategy to increase my OWN exposure! How many companies would balk if you suggested that they promote their competitors, and as a way to promote YOUR company? But funnily enough, it works amazingly well. Here’s why: 1 – As I am sharing valuable links, more people will start paying attention to me, and even following me as a result. They share my links with THEIR networks as well, which means more exposure and followers for me. 2 – This means more people will want to find out more about me, and will check out my site. This means more traffic for me, and more exposure for me. BTW it also means that when I share a link to one of MY posts, that it will get more traffic and exposure! 3 – The people that I am linking to see that I am sending all these RTs and traffic to their site, and they are grateful. That in turn makes them more likely to promote ME in return. Which means more followers and more traffic and more exposure for me. 4 – By sharing valuable content, I can become a TRUSTED source of information. This makes people more likely to promote me to their networks. Which means even more followers and traffic and exposure for me. And now that you’ve gotten to the end, I can give you my REAL reason for adopting this strategy: I want to create value for others. That’s the TOP goal, because I know if I am creating value for others by pointing them toward writings by other people that HELP them with their own social media efforts, I win. Creating value is the DIRECT goal, because I know if I will do that, I will benefit INdirectly. And it works beautifully. More people will follow me because I am sharing valuable links. More people will trust me because I am sharing valuable content that OTHER people are creating. More people will be grateful for those links, and be more likely to link TO ME. More people will be grateful for those links, and want to check out my site. So in the end by promoting OTHER people, even competitors, I get more followers, more links, more traffic, and more exposure. Whole process sounds completely insane, doesn’t it? 😉 PS: I will have data to back up the effectiveness of this strategy in a post on Sunday, be watching for it! BTW if you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing so you can have posts from this blog sent to your reader for free! Or if you would rather have posts emailed to you, please enter your email in the Feedburner email form above. I will never share your email with anyone! Thank you! Like this: Like Loading...(CNN) Mourners gathered for a funeral near Baghdad grappled with even more loss Sunday when a suicide bomber attacked the funeral tent, killing six people, police said. Another 11 people were wounded in the blast in Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad, police said. The funeral was for a member of the Sahwa -- Sunni tribal forces that have fought against al Qaeda. Some members of the Sahwa, also known as the Awakening Council, are now fighting ISIS. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement circulated on social media by supporters of the terror group. Abu Ghraib was also the site of an infamous prison abuse scandal in which 11 U.S. soldiers were convicted of crimes such as conspiracy, dereliction of duty and maltreatment of detainees.The House GOP budget draft paves the way for a potential $203 billion rollback of financial industry regulations, federal employee benefits, welfare spending and more. Here's what you need to know about the plan. (Elyse Samuels,Monica Akhtar,Osman Malik/The Washington Post) The House budget proposal released Tuesday continues Republican efforts to cut federal employees’ compensation by making them pay more for retirement benefits. Saying they seek “reforms to civil service pensions to put them on a better fiscal path,” the spending plan released by the House Budget Committee calls on staffers “to make greater contributions to their own defined benefit retirement plans.” While the Republican’s “Plan for Fiscal Responsibility” did not provide details, it echoes previous proposals, including one offered by President Trump this year. He proposed increasing individual out-of-pocket payments toward retirement by 1 percentage point each year until they equal the government’s contribution for those in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). Over a six-year period, this would result in increased payments of about 6 percent. With no increase in benefits, that would equal a 6 percent drop in pay. The budget “blueprint” assumes that the main panel overseeing federal employment in the House will take those steps to find the $32 billion in savings over 10 years that the blueprint would require. The budget plan released by Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) also would end the “special retirement supplement,” which pays FERS employees “the equivalent of their Social Security benefit at an earlier age.” “These plans put the ownership, flexibility, and portfolio risk on the employee as opposed to the employer,” the GOP document says. “Similarly, federal employees would have more control over their own retirement security under this option.” Federal employee leaders sharply disagree. “Slashing the pay and benefits of America’s civil servants while lining the pockets of the wealthiest of the wealthy is a shameful way to govern the country and is emblematic of everything that’s wrong with this horrible budget,” said J. David Cox Sr., president of the American Federation of Government Employees. Unlike Trump’s proposals, the House plan does not mention basing federal pensions on the average of the high five years of salary, instead of the high three, which is now the case. Using more years in the calculation would lead to lower pensions. There also is no mention of Trump’s plan to reduce or eliminate cost-of-living adjustments for those in FERS or the Civil Service Retirement System. That’s not enough to make the Republican plan acceptable to Cox. “The budget is a slap in the face to all of the workers who care for our veterans, guard our borders, support our military and keep our air and water clean,” he said. “Taking away retirement income from our law enforcement officers, many of whom are veterans, is particularly venomous.” That House budget is the latest in a series of proposals from Republicans in recent years to increase required retirement contributions, which had resulted in two increases in recent years, although both applying only to employees hired after a future date. Federal employees under the FERS system are covered by Social Security, for which they pay the standard 6.2 percent of salary contribution, plus a civil service annuity. Most pay 0.8 percent of salary toward that benefit, although those first hired in 2013 must pay 3.1 percent and those hired afterward pay 4.4 percent. The White House budget plan would not require higher contributions by those covered under the other main federal retirement system, the Civil Service Retirement System. That program, generally applying only to those hired before 1984, now covers less than a tenth of the federal workforce. The budget estimated that its formula would yield $72 billion in savings, more than twice what the Oversight and Government Reform Committee would have to produce under the pending House plan. The retirement supplement mirrors Social Security benefits for those who retire before 62 and is paid until they turn that age and can begin collecting those benefits. That also has been the subject of numerous repeal proposals over the years. The Obama administration also proposed increasing required retirement contributions several times, although only by 1.2 percentage points, and ending the supplement. However, it then dropped those proposals. Read more: GOP House members hit Trump plan to break retirement promise to feds on moral, ethical grounds Trump’s budget shows feds little love despite pay hike Trump’s budget calls for hits on federal employee retirement programsStory highlights A group of Islamic organizations in Myanmar has canceled Eid al-Adha celebrations There have been violent clashes this week between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims Dozens of people have been killed, and thousands of homes have been burnt down Following a volatile week in Myanmar that has seen a surge in deadly sectarian violence, a group of Islamic organizations in the country announced that it had canceled all celebrations for Eid al-Adha, the four-day religious holiday observed by many Muslims. No reason was given in the announcement from the All Myanmar Islam Association, a collaboration of five major Islamic organizations there. But locals are seeing it as a precautionary measure after the violence in recent days. Clashes between Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims have flared this week, killing dozens of people and burning thousands of homes to the ground in the western state of Rakhine. There has been tension between the two ethnic groups since May, when violence began after three Muslim men were arrested on suspicion of raping and killing a Buddhist woman. New satellite imagery obtained by Human Rights Watch shows what it said was extensive destruction of buildings in a predominantly Rohingya area of the coastal town of Kyauk Pyu. The swath of arson, the group said, stretched over 35 acres and included houseboats and floating barges. New satellite imagery shows what Human Rights Watch says is extensive destruction in a Rohingya area of Kyauk Pyu. The government in Myanmar "urgently needs to provide security for the Rohingya... who are under vicious attack," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "Unless the authorities also start addressing the root causes of the violence, it is only likely to get worse." The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority who say they have been persecuted by the Myanmar military during its decades of authoritarian rule. Myanmar doesn't recognize them as citizens. Unrest between the Rohingya and majority Buddhists has tested President Thein Sein's administration, which is trying to seek reconciliation with Myanmar's different ethnic groups and move the country toward more democratic governance. Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A woman prays during Eid prayers at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, on Saturday, October 27. Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and honors the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, on the order of God, who according to the religion then provided a lamb in the boy's place. More than 2 million Muslims make the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Hide Caption 1 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A goat vendor waits for customers to buy animals for the sacrificial festival in New Delhi on Saturday. Hide Caption 2 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Arab Israeli children roll inside air balls floating on a pool at an amusement park on Saturday in the northern Israeli city of Acre. Hide Caption 3 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – An Arab Israeli woman walks with an inflatable giraffe on her back during a festival on the second day of Eid al-Adha Sturday in Acre. Hide Caption 4 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A boy poses for a photograph as Indian Muslims gather for Eid al-Adha prayers at the Jama Masjid mosque in New Delhi on Saturday. Hide Caption 5 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Indian Muslims gather for Saturday's prayers at the Jama Masjid mosque in New Delhi. Hide Caption 6 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – An boy climbs on the back of a praying adult in Srinagar, India, on Saturday. Hide Caption 7 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Pakistani Muslims guide camels on the road in Lahore, Pakistan, on Friday, October 26. Hide Caption 8 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A man loads a sheep in a slaughterhouse in La Courneuve, France, on Friday. Hide Caption 9 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – An Iraqi woman sits next to the grave of a relative on Friday at the al-Ghazali cemetery in Baghdad. Hide Caption 10 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Muslim pilgrims throw pebbles at pillars during the Jamarat ritual in Mina near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Friday. During the stoning of Satan ritual, pilgrims pelt pillars symbolizing the devil with stones to show their defiance. Hide Caption 11 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A man shaves the head of a Muslim pilgrim after the Jamarat ritual in Mina. Hide Caption 12 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Javanese woman picks vegetables from the Gunungan, a structure in the shape of a mountain, during the Grebeg ritual as part of celebrations for Eid al-Adha on Friday in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. People offer vegetables, peppers, eggs, and other items at the Grand Mosque and receive part of the Gunungan to be blessed in the year ahead. Hide Caption 13 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Pakistani vendor sharpens knives at a stall ahead of the Muslim sacrificial festival in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday, October 25. Hide Caption 14 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Muslim pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the holiday of Eid al-Adha on Thursday, October 25. Hide Caption 15 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Crowds of Muslim pilgrims dressed in white flocked to Mount Arafat in the west of Saudi Arabia to take part in the main rituals of the annual Hajj on Thursday morning. Hide Caption 16 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Pakistani men wait for customers at a livestock market ahead on Thursday in Lahore. Hide Caption 17 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Pakistani men carry animals for the sacrificial festival on a motorcycle in Lahore on Thursday. Hide Caption 18 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Palestinian woman buys sweets in preparation for Eid al-Adha in Gaza City on Thursday. Hide Caption 19 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Pilgrims rest outside near Mount Arafat on Wednesday night. Hide Caption 20 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Palestinian boy looks at goats at a local cattle market in the West Bank village of Qabatiya on Wednesday, October 24. Hide Caption 21 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Palestinian pilgrim prays near the Haram Sharif Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, October 23. Hide Caption 22 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Bosnian Muslim pilgrim Senad Hadzic, 47, who left December on a pilgrimage to Mecca by foot, walks in the holy city on Tuesday. Hadzic said he had walked through Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and Jordan with a backpack weighing 20 kilograms, or 44 pounds. Hide Caption 23 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Pakistani youth stands with a goat at a livestock market in Quetta on Tuesday ahead of the Muslim sacrificial festival of Eid al-Adha. Hide Caption 24 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims prepare for Eid al-Adha – A flock of sheep feeds at an animal market in the southern Turkish city of Kilis on Tuesday. Hide Caption 25 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Yemeni boy carries a goat at an animal market in the capital, Sanaa, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 26 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A child looks on as Muslim pilgrims perform evening prayers along a street close to the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on Tuesday. Hide Caption 27 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Muslim pilgrims perform their evening prayers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca on Monday, October 22. Hide Caption 28 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Blacksmiths sharpen various tools and knives to be used to sacrifice animals on Monday in Peshawar, Pakistan. Hide Caption 29 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Palestinian children gather around a makeshift cube representing the holy Kaaba in Gaza City on Monday in a training sesson for children on how to celebrate the hajj pilgrimage. Hide Caption 30 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Pakistani livestock trader shows the teeth of his camel at one of the main animal markets in Islamabad on Friday, October 19. Hide Caption 31 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – A Pakistani livestock trader takes a bath beside camels at one of the main animal markets in Islamabad on Friday. Hide Caption 32 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Palestinians gather at a sheep market Wednesday in Bethlehem, West Bank. Hide Caption 33 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – An Afghan man sells dried fruits on a roadside in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, October 24. Hide Caption 34 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – An Afghan man gestures toward a sheep at an animal market as he waits for customers in the outskirts of Jalalabad on Saturday, October 20. Hide Caption 35 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Muslim pilgrims walk up Jabal al-Noor, the "Mountain of Light," overlooking the holy city of Mecca, on Sunday, October 21. Hide Caption 36 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Muslim pilgrims wait for the start of prayers at the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca on Monday. Hide Caption 37 of 38 Photos: Photos: Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha – Pakistani farmers bathe their bull near an animal market in Islamabad on Friday. Hide Caption 38 of 38 The government has sent extra security into the troubled region and declared a state of emergency. The president's office warned Thursday that "manipulators" behind the violence can expect to be found and prosecuted. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, speaking in Parliament on Friday, called for a greater security presence and urged authorities to investigate suspected human rights offenses.Reddit is donating 10% of its 2014 revenue to 10 charities chosen by its users. The online social community and self-proclaimed "front page of the internet" made nearly $8.3 million last year from advertising. This means whatever charities are selected will receive about $83,000 each, according to a Reddit blog post. Reddit users can only vote for non-profits listed on Charity Navigator, a database of donation-driven organizations. Voters can vote for as many charities as they want, but they can only vote once for each. Only accounts created before 10 a.m. today can participate, "in order to reduce any potential shenanigans," Reddit writes. Voting on the Reddit Donate campaign will end next Wednesday, February 25 at 10 a.m. PST. The winners will be announced within 48 hours. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Internet Archive, NPR, and the Wikimedia Foundation are the most discussed charities at the time of this publishing, according to information posted on the site. Correction: An earlier version of this story said the charities had received the most votes; in fact, they have just been the most discussed.AFI's 100 Most Inspirational Movies June 16, 2006 \| The American Film Institute announces its latest list "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies" will count down America's 100 most inspiring films, as chosen by experts of the motion picture community, in a three-hour television event on the CBS Television Network in June 2006. "Over the years, the movies have given us something to cheer about," stated Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI's Director and CEO. "The past few years have not been easy in America--from September 11th to the devastation of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers will celebrate the films that inspire us, encourage us to make a difference and send us from the theatre with a greater sense of possibility and hope for the future." Advertisement -- from an American Film Institute Press Release Here are links to Roger Ebert's reviews of films on the AFI 100 list of Most Inspiring Movies: 1. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) 2. "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) 3. "Schindler's List" (1993) 4. "Rocky" (1976) 5. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939) 6. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) 7. "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) 8. "Breaking Away" (1979) 9. "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) 10. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) 11. "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) 12. "Apollo 13" (1995) 13. "Hoosiers" (1986) 14. "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) 15. "The Miracle Worker" (1962) 16. "Norma Rae" (1979) 17. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) 18. "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959) 19. "The Right Stuff" (1983) 20. "Philadelphia" (1993) 21. "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) 22. "The Pride of the Yankees" (1942) 23. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) 24. "National Velvet" (1944) 25. "Sullivan's Travels" (1941) 26. "The Wizard of Oz" (1939) 27. "High Noon" (1952) 28. "Field of Dreams" (1989) 29. "Gandhi" (1982) 30. "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) 31. "Glory" (1989) 32. "Casablanca" (1942) 33. "City Lights" (1931) 34. "All the President's Men" (1976) 35. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967) 36. "On the Waterfront" (1954) 37. "Forrest Gump" (1994) 38. "Pinocchio" (1940) 39. "Star Wars" (1977) 40. "Mrs. Miniver" (1942) 41. "The Sound of Music" (1965) 42. "12 Angry Men" (1957) 43. "Gone With the Wind" (1939) 44. "Spartacus" (1960) 45. "On Golden Pond" (1981) 46. "Lilies of the Field" (1963) 47. "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) 48. "The African Queen" (1951) Advertisement 49. "Meet John Doe" (1941) 50. "Seabiscuit" (2003) 51. "The Color Purple" (1985) 52. "Dead Poets Society" (1989) 53. "Shane" (1953) 54. "Rudy" (1993) 55. "The Defiant Ones" (1958) 56. "Ben-Hur" (1959) 57. "Sergeant York" (1941) 58. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977) 59. "Dances with Wolves" (1990) 60. "The Killing Fields" (1984) 61. "Sounder" (1972) 62. "Braveheart" (1995) 63. "Rain Man" (1988) 64. "The Black Stallion" (1979) 65. "A Raisin in the Sun" (1961) 66. "Silkwood" (1983) 67. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) 68. "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982) 69. "The Spirit of St. Louis" (1957) 70. "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980) 71. "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) 72. "Dark Victory" (1939) 73. "Erin Brockovich" (2000) 74. "Gunga Din" (1939) 75. "The Verdict" (1982) 76. "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962) 77. "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989) 78. "Thelma and Louise" (1991) 79. "The Ten Commandments" (1956) 80. "Babe" (1995) 81. "Boys Town" (1938) 82. "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971) 83. "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" (1936) 84. "Serpico" (1973) 85. "What's Love Got to Do with It" (1993) 86. "Stand and Deliver" (1988) 87. "Working Girl" (1988) 88. "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) 89. "Harold and Maude" (1972) 90. "Hotel Rwanda" (2004) 91. "The Paper Chase" (1973) 92. "Fame" (1980) 93. "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) 94. "Captains Courageous" (1937) 95. "Places in the Heart" (1984) 96. "Searching for Bobby Fischer" (1993) 97. "Madame Curie" (1943) 98. "The Karate Kid" (1984) 99. "Ray" (2004) 100. "Chariots of Fire" (1981) Next Article: Superheroes: Men in tights Previous Article: Once more into the valley Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus0 11-year-old girl recovering after being hit by stray bullet during drive-by ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - An 11-year-old girl is recovering Monday after she was hit inside her Apopka home in an apparent drive-by shooting. More than two dozen bullets were fired at the home on 13th Street near Apopka where Jasada Barrette was sleeping when she was hit by a stray bullet. She was flown to the hospital after one of the bullets went through her back and into her stomach. Jasada's family remains hopeful that she will make a full recovery after being shot inside the home that was riddled with bullets. "She got shot in her back. It came out through her stomach. The nurse told me it just missed her spine," said Jasada's sister, Latoyia Moton. Police said they counted 25 bullet casings at the home. The shots came from an AK-47 assault rifle, authorities said. A source told WFTV the crime may have been in retaliation for another shooting nearby on Saturday. "Detectives are following up on some fairly significant leads right now. They're following all detailed investigative leads and we would love to have someone in custody soon for this crime," said Jeff Williamson of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Jasada's family said she had multiple surgeries to repair severe internal injuries. "She's stable right now, you know, she has a lot of tubes," said Moton. Neighbors said it was the second shooting in the Apopka area this weekend. "I am especially troubled that this time it involves an innocent child," said Pastor Michael Warren of the Pleasant View Baptist Church. Moton said her sister was adopted several years ago and was in the care of her adoptive mother. "I’ve seen miracles happen before, so I believe she’s going to be alright," Moton said. The Department of Children and Families is also investigating the shooting. They've launched an investigation after receiving a call this weekend, regarding the girl's adoptive mother. "Now she won't be in this terrible situation anymore," said Moton. "Of all places, you end up in a house that's disgusting where people know in the neighborhood it's the bad house."On Git's Shortcomings Git receives a lot of positive press. There are countless websites, articles, and blog posts dedicated to the adulation of Git. It’s plenty easy to find a list of reasons to use Git. It’s much harder to find a list of substantial reasons not to use Git. That’s not surprising. There’s an obvious selection bias at play. Those who spend more time with Git understand it better and are more likely to extol its virtues. Conversely, those who are turned off by Git early are unlikely to make well informed arguments against it. Unable to find a complete list of Git’s weaknesses, I have attempted to compile a list myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proponent of Git (this site is on GitHub after all), but we must be truthful about Git’s limitations. This list (with a few exceptions) is about Git alone. I will avoid making comparisons to other version control systems unless relevant. Ease of Use Let’s get this one out of the way first. Almost all of the complaints that I could find fell into this category. I don’t have much to add to this subject that hasn’t already been said. In brief, Git has a complex information model and it doesn’t really abstract that from the user. Git’s model is comprised of directed acyclic graphs, commits, trees, blobs, branches, tags, and remotes. Git has a staging area, a stash, and a reflog. All in all, Git has 145 commands, but there’s no git undo. Sure, you don’t need to know all of them, but you do need to know at least 13 to be minimally productive ( add, branch, checkout, clone, commit, diff, fetch, help, init, log, merge, push, status ). Even specifying Git revisions needs its own manpage. Git is complicated. I welcome the complexity because it brings powerful features along with it. However, if I wasn’t a professional software developer, I might look elsewhere. Access Control Git doesn’t concern itself with access control. It defers that job to the file system or ssh. Because of this, the ability to restrict access to Git repositories is severely limited. Read Access - You cannot restrict read access to specific files, directories, or branches within a single repository with Git. You can either clone the entire repository or none of it. You need to arrange things such that setting read permissions per-repository is sufficient. Write Access - Options for restricting write access aren’t quite as limited. While Git doesn’t support write access control out of the box, it does provide hooks that can reject pushes. So, third party tools can add write access control to Git. gitolite, for example, can restrict write access to files, directories, or branches. It can also restrict force pushes. Unfortunately, this option ties you to a particular third party tool. Want to migrate your gitolite access control to GitHub? Too bad. Obliterate Some version control tools have a way of completely removing files from the repository, sometimes called obliterate. Obliterate is more than just delete. It must purge the data from the repository and its history completely, as if it was never there in the first place. There are two reasons you might want to do this: Confidential Information - If confidential information is ever committed to a repository, deleting it isn’t enough. It will remain recoverable to anyone with read access to the repository; that’s the point of version control. Depending upon the level of confidentiality and the level of exposure of the repository, obliterate may be necessary. Large (Measured in Bytes) Mistakes - If a file is accidentally committed to a Git repository and then removed by a later commit, a snapshots of that file will forever live in the repository. If that file was both added by mistake and very large, this could be a problem. Obliterate could remove it for good. I think Git excels in preventing these problems by having multiple steps to catch and correct a mistake before it ends up in the central repository. You need to add, commit, and push (compared to just commit with SVN) before your mistake ends up public. On the other hand, once it’s public, it’s public for good. Git makes
stage that we discover – exceptions. And when you learned to read, George, we were concerned about your mind pattern. Certain peculiarities were reported even then by the doctor in charge.” “Can’t you try Educating me? You haven’t even tried. I’m willing to take the risk.” “The law forbids us to do that, George. But look, it will not be bad. We will explain matters to your family so they will not be hurt. At the place to which you’ll be taken, you’ll be allowed privileges. We’ll get you books and you can learn what you will.” “Dab knowledge in by hand,” said George bitterly. “Shred by shred. Then, when I die I’ll know enough to be a Registered Junior Office Boy, Paper-Clip Division.” “Yet I understand you’ve already been studying books.” George froze. He was struck devastatingly by sudden understanding. “That’s it” “What is?” “That fellow Antonelli. He’s knifing me.” “No, George. You’re quite wrong.” “Don’t tell me that.” George was in an ecstasy of fury. “That lousy bastard is selling me out because he thought I was a little too wise for him. I read books and tried to get a head start toward programming. Well, what do you want to square things? Money? You won’t get it. I’m getting out of here and when I finish broadcasting this – ” He was screaming. Ellenford shook his head and touched a contact. Two men entered on catfeet and got on either side of George. They pinned his arms to his sides. One of them used an air-spray hypodermic in the hollow of his right elbow and the hypnotic entered his vein and had an almost immediate effect. His screams cut off and his head fell forward. His knees buckled and only the men on either side kept him erect as he slept. They took care of George as they said they would; they were good to him and unfailingly kind – about the way, George thought, he himself would be to a sick kitten he had taken pity on. They told him that he should sit up and take some interest in life; and then told him that most people who came there had the same attitude of despair at the beginning and that he would snap out of it. He didn’t even hear them. Dr Ellenford himself visited him to tell him that his parents had been informed that he was away on special assignment. George muttered, “Do they know – ” Ellenford assured him at once,“We gave no details.” At first George had refused to eat. They fed him intravenously. They hid sharp objects and kept him under guard. Hali Omani came to be his roommate and his stolidity had a calming effect. One day, out of sheer desperate boredom, George asked for a book. Omani, who himself read books constantly, looked up, smiling broadly. George almost withdrew the request then, rather than give any of them satisfaction, then thought: What do I care? He didn’t specify the book and Omani brought one on chemistry. It was in big print, with small words and many illustrations. It was for teenagers. He threw the book violently against the wall. That’s what he would be always. A teenager all his life. A pre-Educate forever and special books would have to be written for him. He lay smoldering in bed, staring at the ceiling, and after an hour had passed, he got up sulkily, picked up the book, and began reading. It took him a week to finish it and then he asked for another. “Do you want me to take the first one back?” asked Omani. George frowned. There were things in the book he had not understood, yet he was not so lost to shame as to say so. But Omani said, “Come to think of it, you’d better keep it. Books are meant to be read and reread.” It was that same day that he finally yielded to Omani’s invitation that he tour the place. He dogged at the Nigerian’s feet and took in his surroundings with quick hostile glances. The place was no prison certainly. There were no walls, no locked doors, no guards. But it was a prison in that the inmates had no place to go outside. It was somehow good to see others like himself by the dozen. It was so easy to believe himself to be the only one in the world so – maimed. He mumbled, “How many people here anyway?” “Two hundred and five, George, and this isn’t the only place of the sort in the world. There are thousands.” Men looked up as he passed, wherever he went; in the gymnasium, along the tennis courts; through the library (he had never in his life imagined books could exist in such numbers; they were stacked, actually stacked, along long shelves). They stared at him curiously and he returned the looks savagely. At least they were no better than he; no call for them to look at him as though he were some son of curiosity. Most of them were in their twenties. George said suddenly, “What happens to the older ones?” Omani said, “This place specializes in the younger ones.” Then, as though he suddenly recognized an implication in George’s question that he had missed earlier, he shook his head gravely and said, “They’re not put out of the way, if that’s what you mean. There are other Houses for older ones.” “Who cares?” mumbled George, who felt he was sounding too interested and in danger of slipping into surrender. “You might. As you grow older, you will find yourself in a House with occupants of both sexes.” That surprised George somehow. “Women, too?” “Of course. Do you suppose women are immune to this sort of thing?” George thought of that with more interest and excitement than he had felt for anything since before that day when – He forced his thought away from that. Omani stopped at the doorway of a room that contained a small closed-circuit television set and a desk computer. Five or six men sat about the television. Omani said, “This is a classroom.” George said, “What’s that?” “The young men in there are being educated. Not,” he added, quickly, “in the usual way.” “You mean they’re cramming it in bit by bit.” “That’s right. This is the way everyone did it in ancient times.” This was what they kept telling him since he had come to the House but what of it? Suppose there had been a day when mankind had not known the diatherm-oven. Did that mean he should be satisfied to eat meat raw in a world where others ate it cooked? He said, “Why do they want to go through that bit-by-bit stuff?” “To pass the time, George, and because they’re curious.” “What good does it do them?” “It makes them happier.” George carried that thought to bed with him. The next day he said to Omani ungraciously, “Can you get me into a classroom where I can find out something about programming?” Omani replied heartily, “Sure.” It was slow and he resented it. Why should someone have to explain something and explain it again? Why should he have to read and reread a passage, then stare at a mathematical relationship and not understand it at once? That wasn’t how other people had to be. Over and over again, he gave up. Once he refused to attend classes for a week. But always he returned. The official in charge, who assigned reading, conducted the television demonstrations, and even explained difficult passages and concepts, never commented on the matter. George was finally given a regular task in the gardens and took his turn in the various kitchen and cleaning details. This was represented to him as being an advance, but he wasn’t fooled. The place might have been far more mechanized than it was, but they deliberately made work for the young men in order to give them the illusion of worth-while occupation, of usefulness. George wasn’t fooled. They were even paid small sums of money out of which they could buy certain specified luxuries or which they could put aside for a problematical use in a problematical old age. George kept his money in an open jar, which he kept on a closet shelf. He had no idea how much he had accumulated. Nor did he care. He made no real friends though he reached the stage where a civil good day was in order. He even stopped brooding (or almost stopped) on the miscarriage of justice that had placed him there. He would go weeks without dreaming of Antonelli, of his gross nose and wattled neck, of the leer with which he would push George into a boiling quicksand and hold him under, till he woke screaming with Omani bending over him in concern. Omani said to him on a snowy day in February, “It’s amazing how you’re adjusting.” But that was February, the thirteenth to be exact, his nineteenth birthday. March came, then April, and with the approach of May he realized he hadn’t adjusted at all. The previous May had passed unregarded while George was still in his bed, drooping and ambitionless. This May was different. All over Earth, George knew, Olympics would be taking place and young men would be competing, matching their skills against one another in the fight for a place on a new world. There would be the holiday atmosphere, the excitement, the news reports, the self-contained recruiting agents from the worlds beyond space, the glory of victory or the consolations of defeat. How much of fiction dealt with these motifs, how much of his own boyhood excitement lay in following the events of Olympics from year to year; how many of his own plans – George Platen could not conceal the longing in his voice. It was too much to suppress. He said, “Tomorrow’s the first of May. Olympics!” And that led to his first quarrel with Omani and to Omani’s bitter enunciation of the exact name of the institution in which George found himself. Omani gazed fixedly at George and said distinctly, “A House for the Feeble-minded.” George Platen flushed. Feeble-minded! He rejected it desperately. He said in a monotone, “I’m leaving.” He said it on impulse. His conscious mind learned it first from the statement as he uttered it. Omani, who had returned to his book, looked up. “What?” George knew what he was saying now. He said it fiercely, “I’m leaving.” “That’s ridiculous. Sit down, George, calm yourself.” “Oh, no. I’m here on a frame-up, I tell you. This doctor, Antonelli, took a dislike to me. It’s the sense of power these petty bureaucrats have. Cross them and they wipe out your life with a stylus mark on some card file.” “Are you back to that?” “And staying there till it’s all straightened out. I’m going to get to Antonelli somehow, break him, force the truth out of him.” George was breathing heavily and he felt feverish. Olympics month was here and he couldn’t let it pass. If he did, it would be the final surrender and he would be lost for all time. Omani threw his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. He was nearly six feet tall and the expression on his face gave him the look of a concerned Saint Bernard. He put his arm about George’s shoulder, “If I hurt your feelings –” George shrugged him off. “You just said what you thought was the truth, and I’m going to prove it isn’t the truth, that’s all. Why not? The door’s open. There aren’t any locks. No one ever said I couldn’t leave. I’ll just walk out.” “All right, but where will you go?” “To the nearest air terminal, then to the nearest Olympics center. I’ve got money.” He seized the open jar that held the wages he had put away. Some of the coins jangled to the floor. “That will last you a week maybe. Then what?” “By then I’ll have things settled.” “By then you’ll come crawling back here,” said Omani earnestly, “with all the progress you’ve made to do over again. You’re mad, George.” “Feeble-minded is the word you used before.” “Well, I’m sorry I did. Stay here, will you?” “Are you going to try to stop me?” Omani compressed his full lips. “No, I guess I won’t. This is your business. If the only way you can learn is to buck the world and come back with blood on your face, go ahead. – Well, go ahead.” George was in the doorway now, looking back over his shoulder. “I’m going” – he came back to pick up his pocket grooming set slowly – “I hope you don’t object to my taking a few personal belongings.” Omani shrugged. He was in bed again reading, indifferent. George lingered at the door again, but Omani didn’t look up. George gritted his teeth, turned and walked rapidly down the empty corridor and out into the night-shrouded grounds. He had expected to be stopped before leaving the grounds. He wasn’t. He had stopped at an all-night diner to ask directions to an air terminal and expected the proprietor to call the police. That didn’t happen. He summoned a skimmer to take him to the airport and the driver asked no questions. Yet he felt no lift at that. He arrived at the airport sick at heart. He had not realized how the outer world would be. He was surrounded by professionals. The diner’s proprietor had had his name inscribed on the plastic shell over the cash register. So and so, Registered Cook. The man in the skimmer had his license up, Registered Chauffeur. George felt the bareness of his name and experienced a kind of nakedness because of it worse, he felt skinned. But no one challenged him. No one studied him suspiciously and demanded proof of professional rating. George thought bitterly: Who would imagine any human being without one? He bought a ticket to San Francisco on the 3 a.m. plane. No other plane for a sizable Olympics center was leaving before morning and he wanted to wait as little as possible. As it was, he sat huddled in the waiting room, watching for the police. They did not come. He was in San Francisco before noon and the noise of the city struck him like a blow. This was the largest city he had ever seen and he had been used to silence and calm for a year and a half now. Worse, it was Olympics month. He almost forgot his own predicament in his sudden awareness that some of the noise, excitement, confusion was due to that. The Olympics boards were up at the airport for the benefit of the incoming travelers, and crowds jostled around each one. Each major profession had its own board. Each listed directions to the Olympics Hall where the contest for that day for that profession would be given; the individuals competing and their city of birth; the Outworld (if any) sponsoring it. It was a completely stylized thing. George had read descriptions often enough in the newsprints and films, watched matches on television, and even witnessed a small Olympics in the Registered Butcher classification at the county seat. Even that, which had no conceivable Galactic implication (there was no Outworlder in attendance, of course) aroused excitement enough. Partly, the excitement was caused simply by the fact of competition, partly by the spur of local pride (oh, when there was a home-town boy to cheer for, though he might be a complete stranger), and, of course, partly by betting. There was no way of stopping the last. George found it difficult to approach the board. He found himself looking at the scurrying, avid onlookers in a new way. There must have been a time when they themselves were Olympic material. What had they done? Nothing! If they had been winners, they would be far out in the Galaxy somewhere, not stuck here on Earth. Whatever they were, their professions must have made them Earth-bait from the beginning; or else they had made themselves Earth-bait by inefficiency at whatever high-specialized professions they had had. Now these failures stood about and speculated on the chances of newer and younger men. Vultures! How he wished they were speculating on him. He moved down the line of boards blankly, clinging to the outskirts of the groups about them. He had eaten breakfast on the strato and he wasn’t hungry. He was afraid, though. He was in a big city during the confusion of the beginning of Olympics competition. That was protection, sure. The city was full of strangers. No one would question George. No one would care about George. No one would care. Not even the House, thought George bitterly. They cared for him like a sick kitten, but if a sick kitten up and wanders off, well too bad, what can you do? And now that he was in San Francisco, what did he do? His thoughts struck blankly against a wall. See someone? Whom? How? Where would he even stay? The money he had left seemed pitiful. The first shamefaced thought of going back came to him. He could go to the police – He shook his head violently as though arguing with a material adversary. A word caught his eye on one of the boards, gleaming there: Metallurgist. In smaller letters, nonferrous. At the bottom of a long list of names, in flowing script, sponsored by Novia. It induced painful memories: himself arguing with Trevelyan, so certain that he himself would be a Programmer, so certain that a Programmer was superior to a Metallurgist, so certain that he was following the right course, so certain that he was clever – So clever that he had to boast to that small-minded, vindictive Antonelli. He had been so sure of himself that moment when he had been called and had left the nervous Trevelyan standing there, so cocksure. George cried out in a short, incoherent high-pitched gasp. Someone turned to look at him, then hurried on. People brushed past impatiently pushing him this way and that. He remained staring at the board, openmouthed. It was as though the board had answered his thought. He was thinking ‘Trevelyan’ so hard that it had seemed for a moment that of course the board would say ‘Trevelyan’ back at him. But that was Trevelyan, up there. And Armand Trevelyan (Stubby’s hated first name: up in lights for everyone to see) and the right home town. What’s more, Trev had wanted Novia, aimed for Novia, insisted on Novia; and this competition was sponsored by Novia. This had to be Trev; good old Trev. Almost without thinking he noted the directions for getting to the place of competition and took his place in line for a skimmer. Then he thought somberly: Trev made it! He wanted to be a Metallurgist, and he made it! George felt colder, more alone than ever. There was a line waiting to enter the hall. Apparently, Metallurgy Olympics was to be an exciting and closely fought one. At least, the illuminated sky sign above the ball said so, and the jostling crowd seemed to think so. It would have been a rainy day, George thought, from the color of the sky, but San Francisco had drawn the shield across its breadth from bay to ocean. It was an expense to do so, of course, but all expenses were warranted where the comfort of Outworlders was concerned. They would be in town for the Olympics. They were heavy spenders. And for each recruit taken, there would be a fee both to Earth, and to the local government from the planet sponsoring the Olympics. It paid to keep Outworlders in mind of a particular city as a pleasant place in which to spend Olympics time. San Francisco knew what it was doing. George, lost in thought, was suddenly aware of a gentle pressure on his shoulder blade and a voice saving, “Are you in line here, young man?” The line had moved up without George’s having noticed the widening gap. He stepped forward hastily and muttered, “Sorry, sir.” There was the touch of two fingers on the elbow of his jacket and he looked about furtively. The man behind him nodded cheerfully. He had iron-gray hair, and under his jacket he wore an old-fashioned sweater that buttoned down the front. He said, “I didn’t mean to sound sarcastic.” “No offense.” “All right, then.” He sounded cozily talkative. “I wasn’t sure you might not simply be standing there, entangled with the line, so to speak. Only by accident. I thought you might be a – ” “A what?” said George sharply. “Why, a contestant, of course. You look young.” George turned away. He felt neither cozy nor talkative, and bitterly impatient with busybodies. A thought struck him. Had an alarm been sent out for him? Was his description known, or his picture? Was Gray-hair behind him trying to get a good look at his face? He hadn’t seen any news reports. He craned his neck to see the moving strip of news headlines parading across one section of the city shield, somewhat lackluster against the gray of the cloudy afternoon sky. It was no use. He gave up at once. The headlines would never concern themselves with him. This was Olympics time and the only news worth headlining was the comparative scores of the winners and the trophies won by continents, nations, and cities. It would go on like that for weeks, with scores calculated on a per capita basis and every city finding some way of calculating itself into a position of honor. His own town had once placed third in an Olympics covering Wiring Technician; third in the whole state. There was still a plaque saying so in Town Hall. George hunched his head between his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pocket and decided that made him more noticeable. He relaxed and tried to look unconcerned, and felt no safer. He was in the lobby now, and no authoritative hand had yet been laid on his shoulder. He filed into the hall itself and moved as far forward as he could. It was with an unpleasant shock that he noticed Gray-hair next to him. He looked away quickly and tried reasoning with himself. The man had been right behind him in line after all. Gray-hair, beyond a brief and tentative smile, paid no attention to him and, besides, the Olympics was about to start. George rose in his seat to see if he could make out the position assigned to Trevelyan and at the moment that was all his concern. The hall was moderate in size and shaped in the classical long oval with the spectators in the two balconies running completely about the rim and the contestants in the linear trough down the center. The machines were set up, the progress boards above each bench were dark, except for the name and contest number of each man. The contestants themselves were on the scene, reading, talking together; one was checking his fingernails minutely. (It was, of course, considered bad form for any contestant to pay any attention to the problem before him until the instant of the starting signal.) George studied the program sheet he found in the appropriate slot in the arm of his chair and found Trevelyan’s name. His number was twelve and, to George’s chagrin, that was at the wrong end of the hall. He could make out the figure of Contestant Twelve, standing with his hands in his pockets, back to his machine, and staring at the audience as though he were counting the house. George couldn’t make out the face. Still that was Trev. George sank back in his seat. He wondered if Trev would do well. He hoped, as a matter of conscious duty, that he would, and yet there was something within him that felt rebelliously resentful. George, professionless, here, watching. Trevelyan, Registered Metallurgist, Nonferrous, there, competing. George wondered if Trevelyan had competed in his first year. Sometimes men did, if they felt particularly confident – or hurried. It involved a certain risk. However efficient the Educative process, a preliminary year on Earth (‘oiling the stiff knowledge,’ as the expression went) insured a higher score. If Trevelyan was repeating, maybe he wasn’t doing so well. George felt ashamed that the thought pleased him just a bit. He looked about. The stands were almost full. This would be a well-attended Olympics, which meant greater strain on the contestants – or greater drive, perhaps, depending on the individual. Why Olympics, he thought suddenly? He had never known. Why was bread called bread? Once he had asked his father: “Why do they call it Olympics, Dad?” And his father had said: “Olympics means competition.” George had said: “Is when Stubby and I fight an Olympics, Dad?” Platen, Senior, had said: “No. Olympics is a special kind of competition and don’t ask silly questions. You’ll know all you have to know when you get Educated.” George, back in the present, sighed and crowded down into his seat. All you have to know! Funny that the memory should be so clear now. “When you get Educated.” No one ever said, “If you get Educated.” He always had asked silly questions, it seemed to him now. It was as though his mind had some instinctive foreknowledge of its inability to be Educated and had gone about asking questions in order to pick up scraps here and there as best it could. And at the House they encouraged him to do so because They agreed with his mind’s instinct. It was the only way. He sat up suddenly. What the devil was he doing? Falling for that lie? Was it because Trev was there before him, an Educee, competing in the Olympics that he himself was surrendering? He wasn’t feeble-minded! No! And the shout of denial in his mind was echoed by the sudden clamor in the audience as everyone got to his feet. The box seat in the very center of one long side of the oval was filling with an entourage wearing the colors of Novia, and the word ‘Novia’ went up above them on the main board. Novia was a Grade A world with a large population and a thoroughly developed civilization, perhaps the best in the Galaxy. It was the kind of world that every Earthman wanted to live in someday; or, failing that to see his children live in. (George remembered Trevelyan’s insistence on Novia as a goal – and there he was competing for it.) The lights went out in that section of the ceiling above the audience and so did the wall lights. The central trough, in which the contestants waited, became floodlit. Again George tried to make out Trevelyan. Too far. The clear, polished voice of the announcer sounded. “Distinguished Novian sponsors. Ladies. Gentlemen. The Olympics competition for Metallurgist, Nonferrous, is about to begin. The contestants are – ” Carefully and conscientiously, he read off the list in the program. Names. Home towns. Educative years. Each name received its cheers, the San Franciscans among them receiving the loudest. When Trevelyan’s name was reached, George surprised himself by shouting and waving madly. The gray-haired man next to him surprised him even more by cheering likewise. George could not help but stare in astonishment and his neighbor leaned over to say (speaking loudly in order to be heard over the hubbub), “No one here from my home town; I’ll root for yours. Someone you know?” George shrank back. “No.” “I noticed you looking in that direction. Would you like to borrow my glasses?” “No. Thank you.” (Why didn’t the old fool mind his own business?) The announcer went on with other formal details concerning the serial number of the competition, the method of timing and scoring and so on. Finally, he approached the meat of the matter and the audience grew silent as it listened. “Each contestant will be supplied with a bar of nonferrous alloy of unspecified composition. He will be required to sample and assay the bar, reporting all results correctly to four decimals in per cent. All will utilize for this purpose a Beeman Microspectrograph Model FX-2, each of which is, at the moment, not in working order.” There was an appreciative shout from the audience. “Each contestant will be required to analyze the fault of his machine and correct it. Tools and spare parts are supplied. The spare part necessary may not be present, in which case it must be asked for, and time of delivery thereof will be deducted from final time. Are all contestants ready?” The board above Contestant Five flashed a frantic red signal. Contestant Five ran off the floor and returned a moment later. The audience laughed good-naturedly. “Are all contestants ready?” The boards remained blank. “Any questions” Still blank. “You may begin.” There was, of course, no way anyone in the audience could tell how any contestant was progressing except for whatever notations went up on the notice board. But then, that didn’t matter. Except for what professional Metallurgists there might be in the audience, none would understand anything about the contest professionally in any case. What was important was who won, who was second, who was third. For those who had bets on the standings (illegal but unpreventable) that was all-important. Everything else might go hang. George watched as eagerly as the rest, glancing from one contestant to the next, observing how this one had removed the cover from his microspectrograph with deft strokes of a small instrument; how that one was peering into the face of the thing; how still a third was setting his alloy bar into its holder; and how a fourth adjusted a vernier with such small touches that he seemed momentarily frozen. Trevelyan was as absorbed as the rest. George had no way of telling how he was doing. The notice board over Contestant Seventeen flashed: Focus plate out of adjustment. The audience cheered wildly. Contestant Seventeen might be right and he might, of course, be wrong. If the latter, he would have to correct his diagnosis later and lose time. Or he might never correct his diagnosis and be unable to complete his analysis or, worse still, end with a completely wrong analysis. Never mind. For the moment, the audience cheered. Other boards lit up. George watched for Board Twelve. That came on finally: ‘Sample holder off-center. New clamp depresser needed.’ An attendant went running to him with a new pan. If Trevelyan was wrong, it would mean useless delay. Nor would the time elapsed in waiting for the pan be deducted. George found himself holding his breath. Results were beginning to go up on Board Seventeen, in gleaming letters: aluminum, 41.2649; magnesium, 22.1914; copper, 10.1001. Here and there, other boards began sprouting figures. The audience was in bedlam. George wondered how the contestants could work in such pandemonium, then wondered if that were not even a good thing. A first-class technician should work best under pressure. Seventeen rose from his place as his board went red-rimmed to signify completion. Four was only two seconds behind him. Another, then another. Trevelyan was still working, the minor constituents of his alloy bar still unreported. With nearly all contestants standing, Trevelyan finally rose, also. Then, tailing off, Five rose, and received an ironic cheer. It wasn’t over. Official announcements were naturally delayed. Time elapsed was something, but accuracy was just as important. And not all diagnoses were of equal difficulty. A dozen factors had to be weighed. Finally, the announcer’s voice sounded, “Winner in the time of four minutes and twelve seconds, diagnosis correct, analysis correct within an average of zero point seven parts per hundred thousand, Contestant Number – Seventeen, Henry Anton Schrnidt of – ” What followed was drowned in the screaming. Number Eight was next and then Four, whose good time was spoiled by a five part in ten thousand error in the niobium figure. Twelve was never mentioned. He was an also-ran. George made his way through the crowd to the Contestant’s Door and found a large clot of humanity ahead of him. There would be weeping relatives (joy or sorrow, depending) to greet them, newsmen to interview the top-scorers, or the home-town boys, autograph hounds, publicity seekers and the just plain curious. Girls, too, who might hope to catch the eye of a top-scorer, almost certainly headed for Novia (or perhaps a low-scorer who needed consolation and had the cash to afford it). George hung back. He saw no one he knew. With San Francisco so far from home, it seemed pretty safe to assume that there would be no relatives to condole with Trev on the spot. Contestants emerged, smiling weakly, nodding at shouts of approval. Policemen kept the crowds far enough away to allow a lane for walking. Each high-scorer drew a portion of the crowd off with him, like a magnet pushing through a mound of iron filings. When Trevelyan walked out, scarcely anyone was left. (George felt somehow that he had delayed coming out until just that had come to pass.) There was a cigarette in his dour mouth and he turned, eyes downcast, to walk off. It was the first hint of home George had had in what was almost a year and a half and seemed almost a decade and a half. He was almost amazed that Trevelyan hadn’t aged, that he was the same Trev he had last seen. George sprang forward. “Trev!” Trevelyan spun about, astonished. He stared at George and then his hand shot out. “George Platen, what the devil – ” And almost as soon as the look of pleasure had crossed his face, it left. His hand dropped before George had quite the chance of seizing it. “Were you in there?’ A curt jerk of Trev’s head indicated the hall. “I was.” “To see me?” “Yes.” “Didn’t do so well did I?” He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it, staring off to the street, where the emerging crowd was slowly eddying and finding its way into skimmers, while new lines were forming for the next scheduled Olympics. Trevelyan said heavily, “So what? It’s only the second time I missed. Novia can go shove after the deal I got today. There are planets that would jump at me fast enough – But, listen, I haven’t seen you since Education Day. Where did you go? Your folks said you were on special assignment but gave no details and you never wrote. You might have written.” “I should have,” said George uneasily. “Anyway, I came to say I was sorry the way things went just now.” “Don’t be,” said Trevelyan. “I told you. Novia can go shove – At that I should have known. They’ve been saying for weeks that the Beeman machine would be used. All the wise money was on Beeman machines. The damned Education tapes they ran through me were for Henslers and who uses Henslers? The worlds in the Goman Cluster if you want to call them worlds. Wasn’t that a nice deal they gave me?” “Can’t you complain to – ” “Don’t be a fool. They’ll tell me my brain was built for Henslers. Go argue. Everything went wrong. I was the only one who had to send out for a piece of equipment. Notice that?” “They deducted the time for that, though.” “Sure, but I lost time wondering if I could be right in my diagnosis when I noticed there wasn’t any clamp depresser in the parts they had supplied. They don’t deduct for that. If it had been a Hensler, I would have known I was right. How could I match up then? The top winner was a San Franciscan. So were three of the next four. And the fifth guy was from Los Angeles. They get big-city Educational tapes. The best available. Beeman spectrographs and all. How do I compete with them? I came all the way out here just to get a chance at a Novian-sponsored Olympics in my classification and I might just as well have stayed home. I knew it, I tell you, and that settles it. Novia isn’t the only chunk of rock in space. Of all the damned –” He wasn’t speaking to George. He wasn’t speaking to anyone. He was just uncorked and frothing. George realized that. George said, “If you knew in advance that the Beemans were going to be used, couldn’t you have studied up on them?” “They weren’t in my tapes, I tell you.” “You could have read – books.” The last word had tailed off under Trevelyan’s suddenly sharp look. Trevelyan said, “Are you trying to make a big laugh out of this? You think this is funny? How do you expect me to read some book and try to memorize enough to match someone else who knows.” “I thought – ” “You try it. You try – ” Then, suddenly, “What’s your profession, by the way?” He sounded thoroughly hostile. “Well – ” “Come on, now. If you’re going to be a wise guy with me, let’s see what you’ve done. You’re still on Earth, I notice, so you’re not a Computer Programmer and your special assignment can’t be much.” George said, “Listen, Trev, I’m late for an appointment.” He backed away, trying to smile. “No, you don’t.” Trevelyan reached out fiercely, catching hold of George’s jacket. “You answer my question. Why are you afraid to tell me? What is it with you? Don’t come here rubbing a bad showing in my face, George, unless you can take it, too. Do you hear me?” He was shaking George in frenzy and they were struggling and swaying across the floor, when the Voice of Doom struck George’s ear in the form of a policeman’s outraged call. “All right now. All right. Break it up.” George’s heart turned to lead and lurched sickeningly. The policeman would be taking names, asking to see identity cards, and George lacked one. He would be questioned and his lack of profession would show at once; and before Trevelyan, too, who ached with the pain of the drubbing he had taken and would spread the news back home as a salve for his own hurt feelings. George couldn’t stand that. He broke away from Trevelyan and made to run, but the policeman’s heavy hand was on his shoulder. “Hold on there. Let’s see your identity card.” “Tre
studio weren’t worried about the series continuing its financial downslide, they wouldn’t have changed the third film’s title from the innocuous (but Tolkien-penned) There and Back Again to the slam-bang Battle of the Five Armies; that switch foreshadows this new “45 minutes of battles” narrative, a blatant ploy to lure in action movie fans who’ve otherwise had it with this Middle-Earth nonsense. And that is probably also a fair description of the people who would see one movie for a trailer for a Batman movie, though it also presumes that it’s still 1989 and they haven’t heard of trailers on the Internet. And this may all be preemptive grousing and premature dismissal — who knows, maybe the third Hobbit movie will turn out to be a masterpiece that matches the original films, penetrates the culture, makes a bazillion dollars, and proves the destination was worth the protracted journey. But based on the evidence thus far, I kinda doubt it.FILE PHOTO: A marijuana plant is seen at Tweed Marijuana Inc in Smith's Falls, Ontario, Canada, March 19, 2014. REUTERS/Blair Gable/File Photo OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians consumed an estimated C$5 billion ($3.8 billion) to C$6.2 billion worth of cannabis in 2015, a study by Statistics Canada showed on Monday, ahead of the nationwide legalization of recreational use of the drug next year. Using existing data sources, the study estimated there were 4.9 million medical and recreational users of cannabis aged 15 and older in 2015. Medical marijuana is already legal in Canada, and the country plans to allow recreational cannabis federally by July 2018, making it the first Group of Seven country to do so. The study estimated Canadians used 697.5 tonnes of cannabis in 2015. Using a price range of C$7.14 to C$8.84 per gram, that puts the value of marijuana sales at C$5 billion and up. That would make the cannabis market about one-half to two-thirds the size of the C$9.2 billion beer market, the study said, though it noted there is “considerable uncertainty” around the level of cannabis consumption because of methodological difficulties and missing information. Consulting firm Deloitte has estimated sales of recreational marijuana could be as high as C$8.7 billion a year once legalized. The study also found that the demographics of marijuana use have changed in recent decades. While cannabis was predominantly used by young people in the 1960s and 1970s, two-thirds of users were over the age of 25 by 2015. The study is part of Statistics Canada’s efforts to measure the economic and social impacts of legalized cannabis. The agency said last month it will begin incorporating marijuana consumption and spending estimates into economic growth figures in November 2019. The provinces and the federal government came to an agreement last week on how to divide an estimated C$400 million in annual tax revenue from cannabis sales for the first two years.Taxi drivers, food vendors, and garbage recyclers are essential elements in cities like Bangkok. But these workers rarely appear on payrolls or qualify for state benefits. In most developing countries, they feed into a vast informal economy that generates more jobs than the formal economy. Thailand is now taking steps to extend state protection to informal workers, setting an example for other countries grappling with rising social demands. More than 2 million workers have been offered the chance to join a new social insurance program that provides sick pay, life insurance, and a pension. Taxi drivers can also apply for state bank loans to buy their vehicles. Eventually the benefits may be extended to 24 million Thais, or 60 percent of the total workforce, who lack formal employment. Proponents say that providing a safety net for these workers is a way to share economic spoils and ease social tensions in a politically polarized nation, as Tens of thousands of antigovernment demonstrators rallied in Bangkok Sunday, following bloody clashes with security forces in April and May of 2010. “People outside the formal economy get no access to social security. Now we’re giving it to them,” says Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, an economics professor and adviser on the plan. A pro-poor political move? Critics say the policy smacks of electioneering as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva prepares to call polls by year-end. His government faces a strong challenge from allies of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who wooed Thai workers with microcredit, subsidized health care, and other pro-poor policies. He was ousted by a military coup in 2006. Among the groups targeted by Mr. Abhisit are motorbike taxi drivers, who ferry passengers through Bangkok’s notorious traffic snarls. The job is dangerous but can be lucrative in busy locations, with some drivers earning over $15 a day, significantly higher than unskilled factory jobs. To join the new insurance program, workers must pay a minimum of just over $3 a month. Wichian Chunchuen, who has ridden a motorbike taxi for 26 years, says this is affordable for most drivers. But he complains that the government should also protect drivers from shadowy bosses that demand monthly bribes. Street vendors voice similar complaints. “We pay ‘taxes’ every day and we don’t see the benefits,” says Mr. Wichian, referring to the shakedowns. Experts say corrupt cops usually run these rackets and are rarely caught because workers have few avenues of complaint. Mr. Thaksin tried to stamp out the practice by registering drivers as part of a campaign against mafia organizations. The current government has said it plans to reregister drivers and their bikes, estimated to number around 200,000. Formal vs. informal Much of Bangkok’s informal workforce is drawn from the rural hinterland. Professor Sungsidh, who has written several books on the informal economy, says it is difficult to extend social insurance plans to rural workers because their income is seasonal. Some farmers migrate to cities between crops to earn extra income. For decades, labor experts have debated the role of the informal economy and asked whether governments should promote formal employment and get tougher on unregulated jobs. Others argue that the informal economy generates opportunities for the poor and should be supported by donors, while governments try to lower barriers for entrepreneurs. The UN has shifted toward a “staircase” approach that recognizes that there are many steps between informal and formal employment, says Celine Felix, a regional expert at the International Labor Organization in Bangkok. By providing social insurance, governments can provide a safety net for informal workers, even if it falls short of the benefits enjoyed by other workers. Banding together Informal workers can also help themselves by banding together. Under the Thai policy, taxi and motorbike drivers who apply for loans as groups receive preferential rates. Ms. Felix says that a group of taxi drivers in Senegal agreed to hand over their insurance contributions to the lunchtime cook at their garage so that they wouldn’t fritter away their earnings. The cook then collects their contributions and pays into the state system. Last year, Mr. Wichian cofounded a motorbike taxi drivers’ association, a first in Bangkok. He says that many drivers are unsure about the benefits of paying into the new insurance program, which includes a government copayment. He complains that it is less comprehensive than welfare programs for government employees. Nor is he convinced by Mr. Abhisit’s election year outreach to his members. “They start by ignoring us. Now suddenly they notice us. Is it politics that makes us visible?”The first ever EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions has been agreed today by the Finance Ministers of EU Member States during their meeting in Brussels. In total, ministers have listed 17 countries for failing to meet agreed tax good governance standards. In addition, 47 countries have committed to addressing deficiencies in their tax systems and to meet the required criteria, following contacts with the EU. This unprecedented exercise should raise the level of tax good governance globally and help prevent the large-scale tax abuse exposed in recent scandals such as the "Paradise Papers". Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: "The adoption of the first ever EU blacklist of tax havens marks a key victory for transparency and fairness. But the process does not stop here. We must intensify the pressure on listed countries to change their ways. Blacklisted jurisdictions must face consequences in the form of dissuasive sanctions, while those that have made commitments must follow up on them quickly and credibly. There must be no naivety: promises must be turned into actions. No one must get a free pass." The idea of an EU list was originally conceived by the Commission and subsequently taken forward by Member States. Compilation of the list has prompted active engagement from many of the EU's international partners. However, work must now continue as 47 more countries should meet EU criteria by the end of 2018, or 2019 for developing countries without financial centres, to avoid being listed. The Commission also expects Member States to continue towards strong and dissuasive countermeasures for listed jurisdictions which can complement the existing EU-level defensive measures related to funding. Next Steps The EU listing process is a dynamic one, which will continue into 2018: As a first step, a letter will be sent to all jurisdictions on the EU list, explaining the decision and what they can do to be de-listed. The Commission and Member States (in the Code of Conduct Group) will continue to monitor all jurisdictions closely, to ensure that commitments are fulfilled and to determine whether any other countries should be listed in the future. A first interim progress report should be published by mid-2018. The EU list will be updated at least once a year. For more information see: MEMO on the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions FACTSHEET on the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictionsSuicide barriers on bridges might not reduce overall suicide rates by jumping from heights, as people may change location for their suicide attempt, according to a new study published online in the British Medical Journal. Researchers from Canada found that the overall suicide rate (by any means) in Toronto reduced after a barrier was erected at one particular bridge known for a high suicide rate, but suicides from jumping remained the same. Restricting peoples' access to a means of suicide can delay and prevent suicide such as in the UK where switching to carbon monoxide-free sources of gas was successful in reducing suicide numbers. Suicide barriers erected to prevent jumping have been established at the Empire State Building in the USA, the Eiffel Tower in France, and bridges worldwide. No study so far, however, has shown that a suicide barrier has led to a statistically significant drop in overall suicide rates in an area. Researchers from Toronto studied the impact of the erection of a suicide barrier at the Bloor Street Viaduct, the bridge with the world's second highest annual rate of suicide by jumping after Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The barrier was constructed between April 2002 and June 2003. Prior to that, there was an average of 10 suicides a year by jumping from the bridge between 1992 and 2002. The researchers studied data covering all suicides in Ontario during the period 1 January 1993 to 30 June 2007. They classified the nine years from 1993 to 2001 as being before the barrier and the four years from July 1 2003 to June 30 2007 as being after the barrier. Results showed that suicide deaths at the Bloor Street Viaduct fell from 9.3 per year before the barrier to zero after it was constructed. However, there was no impact on suicide by jumping in the region as a whole. Toronto's overall yearly suicide rate by jumping was almost unchanged when comparing the pre and post barrier periods at 56.4 per year compared to 56.6 per year. It was also noted that, post-barrier in Toronto, there was a statistically significant increase in suicides by jumping from bridges other than the Bloor Street Viaduct (8.7 suicide rate per year rising to 14.2 per year). There was, however, a decrease in both the overall rate of suicides in Toronto and the rate of suicides by means other than jumping in the post-barrier period. The researchers conclude: "This research shows that constructing a barrier on a bridge with a high rate of suicide by jumping is likely to reduce or eliminate suicides at that bridge but it may not alter absolute suicide rates by jumping when there are comparable bridges nearby." "This study reminds us that means restriction may not work everywhere, and that we have much to learn about the determinants of the choice of method in suicidal acts," writes David Gunnell from the University of Bristol and Matthew Miller from Harvard School of Public Health, in an accompanying editorial. "Yet, where and when means restriction works, it may save more lives than other suicide prevention strategies, especially in children and young adults, who tend to act impulsively in fleeting suicidal crisis," they conclude.It is that time of the week again. Time to look around your leagues and cover your injured players, bye weeks and, possibly some deep bench support. Our IDP team will offer up a few players you should be targeting. It kills me when I see zero scores in lineups or just starting a guy because you drafted him with high hopes. Pressed for time? Relax, we have your back! Good luck and happy hunting. Week 7 bye weeks – Detroit and Houston Matt Judon, LB, Baltimore Ravens – He’s no longer just a pure pass rusher as he has become more of an all-around player in his 2nd season. Don’t go expecting multi-sack games now! He managed a monster game against the Bears, but that will not be the norm. Holding his own in pass pro (most of the time) and capable of stuffing the run game, you’re good for a couple of tackles a week. In a pinch, you have an option who just might blow up for you. The next three weeks he is facing, Minnesota, Miami, and Tennessee. All three games bring a TE matchup that will give him a chance at tackles and pass breakups. With all three opponents looking to run, I also think a five-tackle floor awaits. Jimmie Ward, S, San Francisco – Are you looking for some points this week? Jimmie lines up at corner (occasionally) and safety which gives him plenty of opportunities for your fantasy squad. He’s playing with determination and heart. He was all over the field last week and made some nice plays. Now, how about plugging a bye week or injury with a ball hawk? Dallas, Philadelphia, and Arizona oh MY! I’m liking his chances for a couple of nice games heading into these games. Denico Autry, DE, Oakland Raiders – With his push he gets in the interior, he is capable of getting a tackle for a loss any given week. I know, he only has a single TFL right now. With week 8 (Buffalo) and week 9 (Miami), I like him to add to that total. The Buffalo Bills are 22nd for their offensive line in run blocking. They will and need to get the run game going; it’s a Good matchup. Coming up this week is Kansas City, and they do run block well. I’d be adding more for the next two weeks but, he could help this week if you’re in a pinch. This is not a sack guy. You are adding a player who will get some tackles and possibly a batted pass. Seems like whenever I watch a Raider game, he puts his hands up and knocks a ball down. Ray-Ray Armstrong, LB, San Francisco 49ers – He’s been playing like an LB1 with 30 solos on the year, a forced fumble, 2 INTs and a sack. While most of the attention will be on Reuben Foster in the middle, Ray-Ray filled in for Foster on the weak side and had played well. Bowman being released means more playing time going forward for Foster and Armstrong. (Check out my reaction to the Bowman signing with the Raiders) Adrian Amos, S, Chicago Bears – In case you missed it, Amos has been playing very well the past three weeks along with the Bears defensive unit. Amos in three weeks has amassed 21 solo tackles and had the big pick-six off of Flacco this past week. So, pick him up as the 3rd-year safety looks like he is a dynasty steal off the wire. Besides, I grabbed him Sunday morning and loved the results. Alex Okafor, DE, New Orleans Saints – Okafor was overshadowed by a fantastic game by Cameron Jordan, but he has been a very solid DE for the owners that have him. He’s nothing flashy, but a solid floor from your DE can help get you through the bye weeks. 16 solo tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks on the season aren’t too bad, and you have to think that teams are going to start scheming to block Jordan which could lead to an increase for Okafor. Michael Pierce, DT, Baltimore Ravens – This guy is the 4th leading tackler at the DT position. He is barely owned. At a position where getting a decent floor and an occasional sack is considered to be a stud, pick this guy up. Unless you’re starting Buckner, Harrison or Brockers this guy can be your starter. K’Waun Williams, CB, San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers defense is on the field a lot. K’Waun Williams has gotten a lot of opportunities for tackles, which I love for a CB. He has yet to get an INT but has 2 forced fumbles to go along with his 24 tackles making him a decent option in a start 2 CB format. Linval Joseph, DT, Minnesota Vikings – He’s a player that gets overlooked more than a player with his production should. Through the first six games, he has recorded 28 total tackles, 19 solo, and 1.5 sacks. That’s outstanding production from an interior defensive lineman. Also, over the course of the next two weeks, he has a couple of terrific matchups versus the Ravens and Browns. Surprisingly he is only owned in 7% of Yahoo leagues. A must own in DT required leagues. Blake Martinez, LB, Green Bay Packers – The next big defensive star for the Packers franchise. Only owned in 17% of Yahoo leagues, you need to grab this guy while you can. He is as solid and consistent play as you can find in IDP, right now. For leagues that score tackles heavily, this is a must add. He has recorded 11+ tackles in three of last four games and had seven in the other. An already good play, will be even better with the loss of QB Aaron Rodgers. Also with Rodgers out, the offense will struggle, which means the defense will be on field more. That means plenty more opportunities for Martinez to rack up tackles. Jason McCourty, CB, Cleveland Browns – The Titans cut (horrible decision) McCourty in the off-season due to they thought he was washed up. Clearly he has a lot left in the tank and the Browns are the lucky winners. He is off to one the best starts of his career and no signs of slowing down. So far he has recorded 24 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumbles recovered, 3 ints, 9 pass breakups and a TD. He’s doing a little bit of everything and should be owned in all leagues. He’s a top 10 scoring DB in Yahoo leagues but only owned in 9% of leagues. Good luck with your waivers this week! Hope we helped you make waiver adds easy choices. Then, let us know how we’re doing. Leave a comment below or find us on Twitter.Dear Hasbro: A Letter Addressing a Poor Decision Dear Hasbro, I was very impressed when I heard that a cat would be joining the Monopoly token family. Granted you didn’t choose it; fans voted for it in an online contest, but I was glad to see it was added nonetheless. I saw it as a tiny step toward the country ending perpetual, negative cat stereotypes. By adding a cat as a token, Americans around the nation were saying “We want this!” — or at least they saw a cat as a better choice than a robot, diamond ring, helicopter or guitar. Which may or may not be saying a lot. Anyway, I wanted to write to you today to say thanks, but no thanks. Thanksgiving Day I saw your commercial that “promotes” your new cat token. The potential was great, the execution was an offensive disaster. Throughout the commercial cats are portrayed as stupid, threatening and dangerous. I can’t believe the lengths the commercial goes to in order to make the point that there’s an “easier way to play Monopoly with a cat.” I can’t decide which was worse: Making the black cat come across as a vicious creature (they have a hard enough time getting adopted), or making a cat disappear in a puff of smoke only to be replaced by a cat token. Yes, if only we could get replace our cats, life would be more enjoyable. Right. Great idea. I felt it was a smack in the face of the thousands of amazing people around the country who are trying to break those disparaging stereotypes in order to help place great pets in homes that deserve them. Here’s the irony: Hasbro was working with Petfinder to help homeless pets. From November 4 through 30, Hasbro was showing its support for Petfinder adoption groups by giving $1 for every purchase of the Monopoly Classic Game. Hasbro said it would donate up to $10,000. What I don’t get is this: If Hasbro was essentially trying to help organizations that adopt out cats, how on earth did they think it would be a good idea to portray cats the way they did? There were so many other ways you could have shown cats interfering with a game, instead of making them come across as jerks. I know it was all intended as a “joke”, but this joke just cost you a customer.You might remember them from your high school’s chemistry and physics lectures. Van der Waals interactions are one of the weakest interactions known to our world. Nevertheless, they are very important and you can find them literally everywhere around you. They influence the way molecules behave, how they interact with each other and create highly ordered complicated structures. Therefore, they can also affect the functionality of such complicated structures. Scientists from the Swiss Nanoscience Institute and the University of Basel managed to measure these interactions between individual atoms — something that has never been done before. Their results were published in the highly prestigious journal Nature Communications. Everywhere around us Van der Waals interactions are weaker than any other type of chemical bond. Inspite of being so weak they influence the three dimensional structure of proteins or even the overall shape of polymer structures. They can be found between water molecules, or individual sheets of graphite, which are really soft thanks to very low strength of these interactions. Van der Waals interactions are literally everywhere around us. Source — Martina Ribar Hestericová All these examples might be quite hard to imagine. However, Van der Waals forces can be seen on a bigger scale too. One of the most common examples is the gecko — a lizard which is able to climb on very smooth surfaces. The gecko owes its Spiderman-like abilities to nothing else than van der Waals interactions. Combined strength of these interactions between the surface and microscopic hair on its legs allow the gecko to climb even on glass. The amount of hair is quite astonishing too; each square centimeter of a gecko’s foot contains about 150'000 of them. Noble gases In order to measure the van der Waals forces between individual atoms, Basel scientists had to choose an adequate material for measurements. They decided to measure atoms of inert gases. According to Shikegi Kawai, former postdoc at the University of Basel and leading author of the study, “the inert gases have a closed shell. If we would have used a different type of atom, another interactions could be formed, like covalent bonds. Then we could not directly measure van der Waals interactions only. This is the reason why we chose them.”The US Army has gaping holes in its information security infrastructure and operates an environment of vulnerability reporting fear, according to current and former members of the department's cyber wing. Captain Michael Weigand and Captain Rock Stevens make the comments in an academic piece on the Cyber Defense Review, a joint project between the Army Cyber Institute and the US Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. In it they say most of the Army's systems are underpinned by information technology but are exposed by an absence of centralised patch management and full bug remediation oversight, along with a "ban" on penetration testing. They call for various changes including the introduction of bug bounties. Vulture South understands similar informal calls for a bug bounty have been made within information security types in Australia's Department of Defence. The US Army men say internal staff who find vulnerabilities have no incentive to report bugs they find and face no repercussions for keeping silent, which amounts to a "do nothing" culture. Moreover Defence vulnerability researchers work in an atmosphere "fraught with danger and much trepidation" where disclosure is weighed against risk of "reprisal". Those risks could include revocation of security clearances, loss of access to IT systems, and "punitive action" under the Uniform Code of Military Justice which they describe as "viable outcomes" for those who "casually stumble" on bugs. "The most unfortunate outcome is that service members who become aware of vulnerabilities feel helpless to positively affect the situation. Meanwhile, those who wish to do harm to our nation are free from such worries," the duo say. Here's some of their findings: Additionally, no US Government program exists that permits active security assessments of networks or software solutions using custom tools or techniques. Most importantly, the Army does not have a single entity that tracks discovered issues from initial report through the remediation process to ensure vulnerability resolution in a timely manner. Most of the Army’s critical systems are underpinned by networked software — from tanks and missile launchers to battle command and communication systems. The Army does not have one central location for responsibly disclosing software vulnerabilities across all of its systems. Without a means to report vulnerabilities in Army software or networks, vulnerabilities go unreported and leave our information systems exposed to adversarial attacks. They propose platforms to enable service people to report bugs free of risk of retribution, and say penetration tests should be promoted as vulnerability scans are inadequate. If a bug bounty is too hard, external programs should be sought such as the Zero Day Initiative or Bug Crowd. Patches should be applied according to strict guidelines and timeframes, with verification made after to ensure systems are protected Some parts of their proposed Army Vulnerability Response Program could be implemented immediately, while many others would require policy, oversight, and infrastructure changes. ®Spy Photos May Reveal a KTM 690 Adventure in the Works  Spy photos show an LC4 690 with features designed for long-distance touring. Could this spy photo reveal a 2016 KTM 690 'Adventure' disguised as the new 690 Enduro R? (Photo courtesy VisorDown) It’s been eight long years since the KTM 640 Adventure last appeared on showroom floors. Since 1998, the 640 Adventure was beloved for its light weight, 300+ mile fuel range and long-travel suspension that made it a highly capable long-distance off-road travel machine. There was much to love about the 640 Adventure but also a few shortcomings, like the vibey motor, rock hard seat and a tippy toe seat height even for six-footers. With the release of the KTM 690 Enduro R in 2009, fans of the 640 Adventure expected a 690 Adventure to follow shortly, with more power, better fuel efficiency and improved highway manners. KTM offered both the Enduro and Adventure models in the LC4 640 platform from 1998 to 2005, so it seemed logical that they would continue to do the same with the new 690 platform. Years passed with no talk from KTM about the development of a 690 Adventure. Most of the hold outs eventually grew tired of waiting and settled for options that were less than ideal. Some moved up to the heavier and more expensive 990 or 1190 Adventure, while others resorted to customizing the 690 Enduro R to make it suitable for long-distance touring. However, even when significantly modified, the 690 Enduro R has drawbacks for touring that can’t easily be removed, like the short-ratio motocross-style transmission and lack of a rear subframe for carrying luggage. ADVERTISEMENT For the first time in years, there may be solid hope for those still waiting for a factory built KTM 690 Adventure. A series of recent spy photos from VisorDown and Cycle World offer evidence that KTM may in fact be planning a return of the “Adventure” model in the LC4 platform. At first glance, the spy photos appear to show a redesigned 2016 690 Enduro R being tested, but a closer inspection reveals a few details that seem inconsistent with an “Enduro” design. One inconsistency that stands out is a low sweeping exhaust pipe that is routed under the engine. Enduro bikes haven’t had this low-style exhaust for decades and for good reason, the exhaust can easily be crushed by rocks while riding off-road. The only off-road motorcycles today with a low hanging exhaust pipe are Rally Race Bikes and some Adventure Bikes that require room for large front fuel tanks to allow them to go hundreds of miles between fuel stops. Most likely, the low exhaust pipe on this prototype is designed to make room for the installation of a large-capacity front fuel tank. A new beefy rear subframe seen in the photos offers further evidence of a long-distance adventure touring design. The current KTM 690 Enduro R has no rear subframe, only a rear fuel tank; a weak point that has been known to fail under stress of heavy loads. The new rear subframe design would allow this prototype 690 to carry heavy top loads and mount hard panniers without the need for a more elaborate exoskeleton style rack required to mount hard luggage on the current KTM 690 Enduro R. Also visible in the photos, is what looks like a longer non-linkage type swingarm that is similar in design to the now discontinued KTM 990 Adventure’s swingarm. The bike also seems to sit a little lower than the current KTM 690 Enduro R. A longer linkage-free swingarm and lower suspension point toward a design that is optimized for better stability at highway speeds and a more manageable seat height; new features that are unlikely to be released on an off-road focused bike like the KTM 690 Enduro R. Spy photos show a new KTM 690 being tested alongside a BMW F800GS. It would be unusual for KTM to bother comparing their 690 Enduro R to a bike in a completely different category, but if this is in fact the new KTM 690 Adventure being developed, the middleweight class leading F800GS would be an obvious choice to use as a measuring stick. KTM test pilots seen hear benchmarking the LC4 690 prototype against the top middleweight adventure bike, the BMW F800GS. (Photo courtesy Cycle World) If weight differences between the previous KTM 640 Enduro and 640 Adventure models remain consistent, a factory built KTM 690 Adventure would likely weigh at least 100 pounds less than the BMW F800GS and offer far better off-road performance. With improved fuel and luggage carrying capacity, a highway friendly wide-ratio transmission and smooth fuel-injected motor, the KTM 690 Adventure would be an excellent long-distance travel bike with the same “Go Anywhere” capability of the previous 640 Adventure model. So where is the windscreen and large fuel tank? It’s possible KTM is disguising the bike as an Enduro model or the final bodywork may still be under development. The photos show a large amount of space between the seat and steering tube that could easily accommodate a large front fuel tank. We’d expect the final version to have rally-styled fuel tanks, cowling, windscreen and front fender to go with the rally-style pipe. A close up look shows a small temporary aluminum front fuel tank being used for testing. (Photo courtesy VisorDown) With a resurging economy, we are beginning to see more variety in Adventure Bike models and competition appears to be heating up in the previously dull middleweight category. Triumph is now providing four different models of their middleweight Tiger 800 and Honda seems to be close to releasing the much awaited Africa Twin KTM has been noticeably absent from the middleweight adventure bike category for some time now, and the move up from 990cc to 1050cc and larger adventure bikes has made the void even larger. Recently, KTM has made it clear that they are developing a new range of middleweight V-twins, but these could still be several years away. KTM’s quickest path to getting back into the middleweight category is to adapt their existing LC4 690 platform and build what so many have been longing for, a successor to the KTM 640 Adventure.David Brooks took time out of his busy pretending-to-be-Mitt-Romney schedule to bash green energy. The piece is here; you can read it if you want, I guess. But reading it will probably count against your monthly limit of free Times articles, so, you know. Here’s how Ezra Klein at the Washington Post outlines Brooks’ argument: Addressing climate change by pricing carbon — an idea Brooks supported then and supports now — was a bipartisan project in 2003. It became a partisan project because Al Gore thought it was important enough to make a documentary about. Republicans began opposing efforts to price carbon, in part because they hate Al Gore. That left funding renewables research as the only avenue for those worried about climate change. Funding renewables research means funding some projects that won’t work out, and some that might make Al Gore rich. This led to bad publicity that tarnished the whole program. And here’s how Klein dismisses it: The passivity of Brooks’s conclusion is astonishing. This isn’t a story of overreach, misjudgements, and disappointment. It’s a story of Republicans putting raw partisanship and a dislike for Al Gore in front of the planet’s best interests. It’s a story, though Brooks doesn’t mention this, of conservatives building an alternative reality in which the science is unsettled, and no one really knows whether the planet is warming and, even if it is, whether humans have anything to do with it. It’s a story of Democrats being forced into a second and third-best policies that Republicans then use to press their political advantage. It’s a story, to put it simply, of Democrats doing everything they can to address a problem Brooks says is real in the way Brooks says is best, and Republicans doing everything they can to stop them. And it’s a story that ends with Democrats and Republicans receiving roughly equal blame from Brooks. Here’s how Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research dismisses it (though the full post has a lot more numbers to chew on): David Brooks is trying to do his best to help the Romney campaign, but apparently he hasn’t been getting the memos. Brooks’ column today is a diatribe against measures to promote clean energy. … The long and short is that Obama’s investments in green energy have in fact been modest. They have produced some real dividends as Brooks inadvertently highlights with his complaint about the plunging price of solar panels. They have not revolutionized energy production, but what would we expect from an amount of loans and grants that is equal to 0.15 percent of GDP over the last four years and less than one fifth of what we spend each year on oil and gas exploration? Here’s how Media Matters dismisses it: [W]e can’t trust Brooks’ unnamed media reports that stimulus grants for clean energy cost “$2 million per job created.” These calculations are problematic because they often count loans as if they are grants, and assume that all the money has been spent, development is complete and no new workers will be hired. A more accurate accounting of the jobs impact of clean energy investments might note that a Brookings Institution study found clean energy jobs grew at an average annual rate of 11.1 percent between 2003 and 2010, “more than twice as fast as the rest of the economy.” And Slate: Sometimes columnists write columns that are wrong in some way or another, and others feel compelled to earnestly and respectfully point out exactly where and how they’re wrong. Other times columns are so wrong that the only way to really capture just how wrong they are is through satire. Finally, there are columns like the one the New York Times’ David Brooks penned today, lamenting the government’s inability to pass meaningful bipartisan legislation to address climate change. Brooks’ argument is so absurd on its face that satire would be redundant. The Awl has a nice stream-of-conscious take on the weird political argument: It is Gore’s fault, for being so highly partisan earlier in his career, that Republican congressman refuse, on partisan grounds, to support legislation that Gore supports and that David Brooks supports, too. Democrat Gore backed the poor Republicans into a corner by raising awareness of this issue that David Brooks thinks is important, by promoting good, important legislation like a carbon tax that David Brooks wishes had been able to pass. What were the poor Republican congressman supposed to do? Put aside partisan politics and support good important legislation after Gore had been so highly partisan earlier in his career? That would not be fair, Brooks argues, I guess along the lines of, “but he started it.” This line of argument was clearly the most fun thing to bash. @drgrist It’s like the old Southern arg that they were planning to end racism/segregation, but objected to Fed Gov telling them what to do. — Jesse Lansner (@Jesselansner) October 19, 2012 The anti-slavery cause was going so well until Harriet Beecher Stowe turned it partisan with her rabble-rousing book. — Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 19, 2012 Our David Roberts wins the day with this assessment, though. if the internet yelling at David Brooks was going to work, it would’ve worked by now, right? — David Roberts (@drgrist) October 19, 2012 Indeed.Please enable Javascript to watch this video JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Governor Jay Nixon commuted the sentence for Missouri's only man serving life in prison for non-violent marijuana-related offenses. Jeff Mizanskey, now 62, was arrested during an undercover drug bust in Sedalia in 1993. He was sentenced in 1996 under the state's Prior and Persistent Drug Offender Law, which is a three-strike system. FOX 2 Now reports that at the time of Mizanskey's arrest, police were after a drug dealer who hired two men to smuggled more
done by way of internal mobilisation of resources.Key railway projects are being monitored by the PMO, with Gujarat cadre IAS officer AK Sharma keeping a close watch.Senior railway officials said there was pressure to speed up projects with “visible results.” Among the projects that Modi is said to be especially keen on is the high-speed train service.“The feasibility and survey report of the Mumbai-Ahmadabad high-speed corridor was submitted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in July but railways have not taken any further action,” said the official, who didn’t want to be named. Movement on the redevelopment project for 400 stations has also been slow.“The cabinet cleared the decision in mid-July but the Railway Board has been unable to finalise the documents,” the official said.NEW DELHI: Cash-strapped Railways will save about Rs 10,000 crore annually as it will no longer have to pay dividend if the separate Rail Budget is scrapped, which is likely to happen from next fiscal.A joint committee, set up to finalize the modalities for the merger of Rail Budget with the General Budget, has submitted its report to the finance ministry recommending various changes, including waiving off of payment of dividend by railways though the practice of getting gross budgetary support (GBS) from the exchequer, will continue.The Railways pays about Rs 10,000 crore as dividend a year after getting about Rs 40,000 crore.The General Budget, to be presented by the finance minister, will also have a separate annexure with details of plan and non-plan expenditures to be incurred by the national transporter, according to the recommendations of the joint committee comprising senior officials from railways and finance ministry.The recommendations will be placed before the Cabinet which has to decide on the subject, the sources said, adding till then, nothing is final.The report on merger of Rail Budget and General Budget, which was to be submitted by August 31, was delayed due to some "unavoidable reasons" and it was finally submitted to the finance ministry on September 8, sources in the railways said.Though the sources declined to divulge the committee's recommendations on the ground that the "report is now in the finance ministry's domain", it is believed that a detailed framework for a way forward has been worked out for merger of two budgets.The panel is understood to have advocated that the General Budget should have a separate annexure for the rail budget detailing the grant, expenditure and new projects for the next fiscal.The Seattle Seahawks have emerged as perhaps the greatest threat to the San Francisco 49ers' hopes of continued NFC supremacy in 2013. Pete Carroll's team made several moves in the offseason to fortify an already strong roster, highlighted by the acquisition of dynamic wide receiver Percy Harvin. Vernon Davis has taken notice. "They're building a dynasty over there," the Niners tight end told NFL.com's Jeff Darlington on Tuesday at the NFL Rookie Symposium in Ohio. "These guys are coming to take us out. I respect them, but we want to win, too. We have to... play each game like it's our last game." Darlington asked Davis if he would see time at wide receiver this season. Davis practiced exclusively with the wide receivers during minicamp, leading to speculation he will take on a different role with Michael Crabtree sidelined by an Achilles injury. "If coaches want to line me up there, we'll see," he said. "I'll do whatever the coaches ask me to do. If statistics come, it's cool. But... My true identity is within the team. I never doubt myself. That's how I live." Davis' production dipped for the fourth straight season in 2012, but it hasn't been about an erosion of physical skills. Davis remains one of the most dangerous playmakers in the league -- finding more ways to get him the ball is never a bad idea. Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.Mr. McClellan said the number of diplomats — currently about 2,000 — was also “subject to adjustment as appropriate.” To make the cuts, he said the embassy was “hiring Iraqi staff and sourcing more goods and services to the local economy.” After the American troops departed in December, life became more difficult for the thousands of diplomats and contractors left behind. Convoys of food that had been escorted by the United States military from Kuwait were delayed at border crossings as Iraqis demanded documentation that the Americans were unaccustomed to providing. Within days, the salad bar at the embassy dining hall ran low. Sometimes there was no sugar or Splenda for coffee. On chicken-wing night, wings were rationed at six per person. Over the holidays, housing units were stocked with Meals Ready to Eat, the prepared food for soldiers in the field. At every turn, the Americans say, the Iraqi government has interfered with the activities of the diplomatic mission, one they grant that the Iraqis never asked for or agreed upon. Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki ’s office — and sometimes even the prime minister himself — now must approve visas for all Americans, resulting in lengthy delays. American diplomats have had trouble setting up meetings with Iraqi officials. For their part, the Iraqis say they are simply enforcing their laws and protecting their sovereignty in the absence of a working agreement with the Americans on the embassy. “The main issue between Iraqis and the U.S. Embassy is that we have not seen, and do not know anything about, an agreement between the Iraqi government and the U.S.,” said Nahida al-Dayni, a lawmaker and member of Iraqiya, a largely Sunni bloc in Parliament. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Expressing a common sentiment among Iraqis, she added: “The U.S. had something on their mind when they made it so big. Perhaps they want to run the Middle East from Iraq, and their embassy will be a base for them here.” Those suspicions have been reinforced by two murky episodes, one involving four armed Americans on the streets of Baghdad that Iraqi officials believe were Central Intelligence Agency operatives and another when an American helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing because of an unspecified mechanical failure on the outskirts of the capital on the banks of the Tigris River. “The aircraft that broke down raised many questions about the role of Americans here,” said Ammar al-Hakim, the leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a leading Shiite political party and social organization. “So what is the relationship? We’re still waiting for more information.” The current configuration of the embassy, a 104-acre campus with adobe-colored buildings, is actually smaller than the original plans that were drawn up at a time when officials believed that a residual American military presence would remain in Iraq beyond 2011. For instance, officials once planned for a 700-person consulate in the northern city of Mosul, but it was scrapped for budgetary reasons. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met with Mr. Jeffrey last week to discuss, among other things, the size of the American presence here. “The problem is with the contractors, with the security arrangements,” Mr. Zebari said. Mr. Jeffrey will leave the task of whittling down the embassy to his successor, as officials said he is expected to step down in the coming weeks. “We always knew that what they were planning to do didn’t make sense,” said Kenneth M. Pollack, of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. “It’s increasingly becoming clear that they are horribly overstaffed given what they are able to accomplish.” Mr. Pollack described as unrealistic the State Department’s belief that it could handle many of the tasks previously performed by the military, such as monitoring security in northern areas disputed by Arabs and Kurds, where checkpoints are jointly manned by Iraqi and Kurdish security forces, and visiting projects overseen by the United States Agency for International Development. Americans are also still being shot at regularly in Iraq. At the Kirkuk airport, an Office of Security Cooperation, which handles weapons sales to the Iraqis and where a number of diplomats work, is frequently attacked by rockets fired by, officials believe, members of Men of the Army of Al Naqshbandi Order, a Sunni insurgent group. American officials believed that Iraqi officials would be far more cooperative than they have been in smoothing the transition from a military operation to a diplomatic mission led by American civilians. The expansion has exacted a toll on Iraqi ministries, which are keen to exert their sovereignty after nearly nine years of war and occupation, and aggravated long-running tensions between the two countries. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The size of the embassy staff is even more remarkable when compared with those of other countries. Turkey, for instance, which is Iraq’s largest trading partner and wields more economic influence here than the United States, employs roughly 55 people at its embassy, and the number of actual diplomats is in the single digits. “It’s really been an overload for us, for the Foreign Ministry,” Mr. Zebari said of the American mission. The problems with the supply convoys, as well as a wide crackdown on security contractors that included detentions and the confiscation of documents, computers and weapons, prompted the embassy to post a notice on its Web site warning Americans working here that “the government of Iraq is strictly enforcing immigration and customs procedures, to include visas and stamps for entry and exit, vehicle registration, and authorizations for weapons, convoys, logistics and other matters.” The considerations to reduce the number of embassy personnel, American officials here said, reflect a belief that a quieter and humbler diplomatic presence could actually result in greater leverage over Iraqi affairs, particularly in mediating a political crisis that flared just as the troops were leaving. Having fewer burly, bearded and tattooed security men — who are currently the face of America to many Iraqis and evoke memories of abuses like the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in a Baghdad square in 2007 by private contractors — could help build trust with Iraqis, these officials believe. “Iraqis, as individuals, have had bad experiences with these security firms,” said Latif Rashid, a senior adviser to President Jalal Talabani. One State Department program that is likely to be scrutinized is an ambitious program to train the Iraqi police, which is costing about $500 million this year — far less than the nearly $1 billion that the embassy originally intended to spend. The program has generated considerable skepticism within the State Department — one of the officials interviewed predicted that the program could be scrapped later this year — because of the high cost of the support staff, the inability of police advisers to leave their bases because of the volatile security situation and a lack of support by the Iraqi government. In an interview late last year with the American Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, a senior official at the Interior Ministry said the United States should use the money it planned to spend on the police program “for something that can benefit the people of the United States.” The official, Adnan al-Asadi, predicted the Iraqis would receive “very little benefit” from the program. Reducing the size of the embassy might have the added benefit of quieting the anti-Americanism of those who violently opposed the military occupation. Moktada al-Sadr, the Shiite cleric who has steadfastly railed against American influence here and whose militia fought the American military, has recently told his followers that the United States has failed to “disarm.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Mr. Sadr recently posted a statement on his Web site that read, “I ask the competent authorities in Iraq to open an embassy in Washington, equivalent to the size of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, in order to maintain the prestige of Iraq.”Gareth Bale has scored two hat-tricks in La Liga this season Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hopes Gareth Bale can maintain his fine goalscoring form - but not at the expense of his defensive duties. Wales forward Bale scored a hat-trick as Real beat Deportivo La Coruna in Zidane's first match in charge. The 26-year-old has now netted eight goals in his past four league games. "I am happy with his contribution. It isn't easy to score three goals and we hope he continues like that," said Zidane, who succeeded Rafael Benitez. "Gareth has to do the same as everyone else. When we don't have the ball he has to defend, then when we have it he can open the game up and play on the wing. "That is what he did today." Bale scored a 41-minute hat-trick either side of half-time before receiving a standing ovation from the home fans at the Bernabeu when he was substituted. It was Bale's 50th league victory since arriving in the Spanish capital from Tottenham for a world record £85.3m in September 2013. Asked about his new manager, Bale said: "Everybody knows that Zidane was a great player and I'm sure he'll be the same as a manager. "We've only trained a few times but we're professionals and we work hard to try to win games and all of the titles available. "We have to carry on the same way, like we were doing before. Nothing has changed." Real, who were expelled from this season's Copa del Rey for fielding a suspended player, have not won La Liga since 2011-12. They are two points behind Barcelona, who started Sunday on top of the table, but have played one game more. Real have been drawn against Roma in the last 16 of the Champions League.CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada’s oil-rich province of Alberta is on the cusp of electing a left-wing government that can make life harder for the energy industry with its plans to raise taxes, end support for key pipeline projects and seek a bigger cut of oil revenues. Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley meets with Mayor Naheed Nenshi in his office in Calgary, Alberta, April 30, 2015. REUTERS/Todd Korol Polls suggest Tuesday’s election is set to end the Conservative’s 44-year reign in the province that boasts the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves and now faces recession because of the slide in crude prices. Surveys have proven wrong in Canadian provincial elections before and voters may end up merely downgrading the Conservatives’ grip on power to a minority government. Yet the meteoric rise of the New Democratic Party and the way it already challenges the status-quo of close ties between the industry and the ruling establishment has alarmed oil executives. The proposed review of royalties oil and gas companies pay the government for using natural resources and which could lead to higher levies, is a matter of particular concern. “Now is not the time for a review of oil and natural gas royalties,” Tim McMillan, president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, the country’s top oil lobby, said in a statement. A 2007 increase in the levy was rolled back when the global financial crisis struck and oil executives say today the time is equally bad to try it again. Yet the left’s leader Rachel Notley, a former union activist and law school graduate, has shot up in popularity ratings in the past months advocating policies that have been anathema for many conservative administrations. She says she would not lobby on behalf of TransCanada Corp’s controversial Keystone XL pipeline or support building of Enbridge Inc’s Northern Gateway pipeline to link the province’s oil sands with a Pacific port in British Columbia. Citing heavy resistance from aboriginal groups to the Enbridge line, Notley says Alberta should back those that are more realistic such as TransCanada’s Energy East pipeline to the Atlantic ocean. PACKING UP? Notley also advocates a 2 percentage point rise in Alberta’s corporate tax rate to 12 percent to shore up its budget that is expected to swing from a surplus to a C$5 billion deficit in 2015/2016 as energy-related royalty payments and tax revenues shrink. Even with the proposed corporate tax hike Alberta’s overall taxes would remain the lowest nationally. Oil executives warn, however, that any new burdens at a time when the industry is in a downturn, shedding jobs and cutting spending, could prompt firms to move corporate head offices out of the province. “Business is mobile,” said Adam Legge, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Calgary where most of Canada’s oil industry is based. “Capital, people and companies move.” Ironically, the challenge the oil industry and the Conservatives face is in part a by-product of Alberta’s rapid growth fueled by the oil-sands boom. The influx of immigrants from other parts of Canada and overseas has changed the once overwhelmingly white and rural province. Today Alberta is one of the youngest provinces and polls show younger and more diverse population is more likely to support left-wing causes such as environment and education and more critical of big business. The New Democratic Party still only got 10 percent of the votes in the 2012 vote, but an election of a Muslim politician as a mayor of Calgary in 2010 served as an early sign of the changing political landscape. The Conservatives themselves and their gaffe-prone leader Premier Jim Prentice also share the blame for the reversal of fortunes with one poll showing them trailing the left by 21 percent to 44 percent. Prentice angered voters when he told Albertans to “look in the mirror” to find reasons for the province’s fiscal woes and then passed a budget in March that raised individual taxes and fees for government services but spared corporations. Scandals - Prentice’ s predecessor left last year because of a controversy over lavish spending - and blunders added to the party’s woes. The NDP vaulted to the top of the polls after Notley’s strong performance in an April 23 televised debate, when Prentice, former investment banker, drew fire for suggesting his rival struggled with math. Alberta Premier Jim Prentice speaks at a political event in Ottawa March 6, 2015. REUTERS/Blair Gable Then there is voter fatigue with a party seen as too comfortable and scandal-prone after decades in power. “It’s still the same gang, the same policy, same procedures, the same concept of entitlement,” said one executive at a large oil and gas producer who declined to be named because he is not authorized to talk to the media. “I know some extremely neo-conservative guys who have said enough is enough.”Earlier this week, I wrote about the most interesting liberal case for campus policies — embraced voluntarily in some cases, and recently imposed by the state government in California — that require so-called “affirmative consent” as a condition for licit undergraduate sex relations … thus lowering, perhaps dramatically, the burden of proof required to expel a student for sexual assault. Today I want to quote from a couple of conservative arguments for the new standard’s virtues. (You may ask: Am I deliberately avoiding writing about the ongoing events in Rome? For now, yes. But only for now.) These arguments overlap in certain ways with the Ezra Klein piece that I took up earlier, in that they stress the value of instilling a certain amount of fear in young men contemplating a drunken hook-up. But they treat that fear not (or not just) as a means of shifting of some burdens in casual encounters from young women to young men, but as a potential spur to a remoralization of some kind … or at least a form of pressure against promiscuity and in favor of monogamy. First, here is Conn Carroll: Will this put more college men at risk of being expelled or suspended from school for sexual activity with women? Yes … I do, however, believe that men in committed relationships will face far, far less risk of false accusation than men who sleep around … if you are in a committed relationship there is very little chance each new amorous encounter with your partner will result in hard feelings either way. But if you are constantly switching partners, each new pairing is a roll of the dice. You have no idea how each woman will react the next morning. If you sleep around there are simply way more opportunities for things to blow up in your face. And here is Heather MacDonald, wrapping up a provocative Weekly Standard essay on “neo-Victorianism” on campus: [Conservatives should] leave laments about the inhibition of campus sex to Reason magazine … To be sure, the new campus sex regime puts boys in danger of trumped-up assault charges heard before kangaroo courts. But the solution is not more complex procedural protections cobbled over a sordid culture, the solution is to reject that culture entirely. Just as girls can avoid the risk of what the feminists call “rape” by not getting drunk and getting into bed with a guy whom they barely know, boys, too, can radically reduce the risk of a rape accusation by themselves not getting drunk and having sex with a girl whom they barely know. Mothers worried that their college-bound sons will be hauled before a biased campus sex tribunal by a vindictive female should tell them: “Wait. Find a girlfriend and smother her with affection and respect. Write her love letters in the middle of the night. Escort her home after a date and then go home yourself.” If one-sided litigation risk results in boys taking a vow of celibacy until graduation, there is simply no loss whatsoever to society and only gain to individual character. Such efforts at self-control were made before, and can be made again. … Society has no interest in preserving the collegiate bacchanal. Should college fornication become a rare event preceded by contract signing and notarization, maybe students would actually do some studying instead … Maybe colleges should assign and grade some real homework instead of wasting faculty and administrator time drafting cringingly lurid consent scenarios … Parents might get some value out of their extortionate tuition payments, and boys might catch up to girls’ graduation rates. There are no sympathetic victims in the campus sex wars. While few boys are guilty of what most people understand as rape, many are guilty of acting as boorishly as they can get away with. Sexual liberation and radical feminism unleashed the current mess by misunderstanding male and female nature. Feminists may now be unwittingly accomplishing what they would never allow conservatives to do: restoring sexual decorum. I think this is a compelling description of how campus culture could respond to these policies, and of course I think the “be monogamous; be a gentlemen; don’t get blackout drunk” advice that Carroll and MacDonald offer to young men confronted with such rules is excellent counsel. But as I noted in my last post, there are a lot of forces (beyond just the ideological ones that conservatives tend to stress) pressing campus culture in a pro-bacchanalian direction, and I’m doubtful that this policy will somehow be influential enough, or contradiction-heightening enough, to really represent the “breakdown” for sexual liberation that MacDonald discerns. And while it might theoretically encourage a modest (so to speak) return to decorum in courtship and coupling, that hope might also be the socially conservative version of the wishful thinking that leads some feminists to speculate about collegiate men becoming more awesome bed-mates under the influence of Yes Means Yes. Let me tell a somewhat different, less hopeful story about how young men might respond to these kind of rules and procedures. Based on what we know about both the incidence and the reporting of rape, it seems very unlikely that any campus policy is suddenly going to make assault allegations commonplace, in a way that would have them intruding frequently into the social life of the typical college-going male. Instead, “yes means yes” will create a kind of black swan situation, where only every once in a while a man gets expelled for rape under highly ambiguous circumstances. And because the injustices or possible injustices will be rare, that “every once in while” will not actually have much of a deterrent effect on men confronted with an opportunity for a drunken hook-up, in the same way that other very occasional disastrous consequences of binge drinking (e.g., death) seem remote to young men (or young women) who head out to get hammered on a typical Saturday night. Which is not to say that the new policy won’t have a cultural impact. But its impact, in the scenario I’m sketching, will be akin to the impact of the stories that Fox or MSNBC fasten on to whip up their respective audiences: It will be a distant-seeming outrage that mostly feeds a sense of grievance and persecution among the men who might (but mostly won’t) suffer unjust treatment at the university’s hands. Which means that rather than being a spur to some sort of reborn chivalry or new-model code of male decency, it will mostly encourage the kind of toxic persecution fantasies that already circulate in the more misogynistic reaches of male culture. See, the feminazis really are out to get us, the argument will go, and in bro lore the stories of men railroaded off campus won’t be seen as cautionary tales; they’ll be seen as war stories, martyrologies (in which even actual, clear-as-day predators are given the benefit of the doubt), the latest battle in the endless struggle between the Animal House gang and Dean Wormer … reincarnated now, in our more egalitarian feminist era, as a castrating Nurse Ratched. The new standard of consent, in this scenario, will be neither reasonable enough to be embraced as a model nor consistently punitive enough to scare men away from drunken wooing. Instead, it will be have a randomness, an arbitrariness, and an occasional absurdity that will encourage a mix of resentment and resistance. And as such, it will lock in an aspect of contemporary sexual culture that social conservatives probably don’t talk enough about: The kind of toxic misogyny that feminists rightly call out and critique, but that also exists in a kind of twisted symbiosis with certain aspects of feminist ideology – answering overzealous political correctness with reactionary transgressiveness, bureaucratic pieties with deliberate blasphemy, ideologies of gender with performative machismo. In James Poulos’s vision of the “pink police state,” which I’ve cited before in these discussions, our emerging cultural-political regime has two features, two distinctive elements. The first is the official administrative element — a regulatory system that claims sweeping and invasive powers in order to make the world safe for individualism, because only such powers can effectively domesticate, make safe and fun and hygienic, what would have once been considered transgressive or anti-social behavior, be it sexual or pharmacological or what-have-you. That’s clearly part of the dynamic driving Yes Means Yes: When consent is the only standard, when the cultural ideal is a world where almost anything goes, it takes what even some of the policy’s defenders concede is an extraordinarily invasive legal code to police the remaining gray zones. But the second element of the pink-police-state culture, Poulos writes, is the inevitable reaction to what happens in the official realm. The system may seek to “domesticate and incorporate new choices, new practices, and new identities, sublimating once-transgressive lifestyles into cosmetic virtues understood to aid the health and safety of the regime.” But that process of domestication will never be complete, because it will “always propagate zones of transgression against health and safety as defined by officialdom.” That is part of what we see at work, I think, in the explicit misogyny of frat provocations, online harassment, “Gamergate”-style culture wars … a kind of twisted macho transgressiveness that flourishes in symbiosis with the very forces seeking to bring a restrained masculinity fully into the “health and safety” matrix. The goal of social conservatism – and not only social conservatism, of course – should be to find ways to break this cycle, to replace the symbiosis of overreach and reaction with a more humane synthesis, founded on norms and codes that don’t require star chambers to enforce, and don’t ask people to choose between Antioch College rules and the boys of Phi Delta Theta. Those goals are not obviously attainable in the present cultural dispensation, and the path to them can seem extremely obscure. But I’m very doubtful that embracing the pink police state is the right first step to take.Microsoft has come under fire from its fans for not adding any major user-facing features in its GDR line of updates, but it seems like that may change with GDR3. We’ve previously heard that the last Windows Phone update for this year might include more important features, even going as far as including a Notification Center. Now WPDang reiterates those claims, thanks to some unnamed sources, but they also mention that separate volume controls and something called Quick Settings may also be part of GDR3. Individual volume controls have been a much requested feature ever since the launch of WP7, alongside an orientation lock and easy access to basic settings such as Wi-fi and Bluetooth. And if this rumor turns out to be true we might see all of them show up in GDR3 later this year. Of course this is still just a rumor for now, and even the original source says that GDR3 is still being worked on with features being added and removed constantly, so you shouldn’t get too excited just yet. Source: WPDangThey are cynical about human rights. They don’t like immigrants or the European Union. They want the state to be strong and “defence”, generally, to mean attack. They are, basically, the racist grandad who is going to spoil your Christmas. These are the people pollsters have labelled “authoritarian populists” and according to YouGov there’s a lot of them. Forty eight per cent of Brits surveyed exhibit some or all of these traits, according to evidence presented by the YouGov Centre Cambridge last week. As a framing device for what’s happening – with Trump, Brexit and Le Pen in France – the idea is seductive. When Reagan and Thatcher came to power, “authoritarian populism” was a term academics used to describe their politics. Now it’s a phenomenon, growing rapidly, cutting across old definitions of left and right, goes the argument. But it’s not so simple and the phenomenon is not new. The term “authoritarian populist” is a construct that, if we are not careful, could blind us to the real roots of centrism’s sudden crisis – and to the answers. We have been here before. As soon as they understood the personality types dragged towards the political extremes in the late 1920s, social scientists tried to understand the reasons for this new “desire to be dominated”. Erich Fromm, the leftwing psychologist, observed in both the leaders and the led: “The inability to rely on one’s self, to be independent, to put it in other words: to endure freedom.” The power of this intuition can’t be overestimated. Surrounded by explanations that blamed fascism on economic depression, class struggle and the Treaty of Versailles, Fromm located its origins in a fear of freedom. Trump and Farage are not fascists. Britain, with near full employment, is not Weimar Germany. And according to YouGov, most “authoritarian populists” remain centrist. Only 19% of the UK electorate exhibit hard-right reactionary attitudes, compared with the pro-EU, internationalist, liberal leftists who – on 37% – form the biggest group. Yet, if you look at the emotions, memes and prejudices driving rightwing populism, many of them do fit with the observations made by studying fascism in the 1930s. For the big-mouthed racist right, theirs is a rebellion in favour of order. For them, as in the 1930s, all variations – of gender, race or sexuality – have to be interpreted as the strong versus the weak. They love the theatre of the mass rally, where the charismatic leader – the magic helper, as Fromm called him – can browbeat them so hard with illogic, that when “experts” confront them with the facts it does not matter. But there’s a big difference between today and the 1930s, and it becomes clear when you dig into YouGov’s stats. In Britain, the No 1 predictor of becoming an “authoritarian populist” is your age. Thirty-eight per cent of them are over 60; a further 21% aged between 50 and 60. Low educational achievement is another big predictor, though not as strong. The rightwing populist masses of the 1930s were mostly drawn from the economically ruined lower middle class. Though there were workers who supported Hitler, the majority opposed him, albeit ineffectively. The clearest divide was class. Today, the clearest divide is by age and education. We have lived through the greatest technological advance in 500 years, and the greatest surge of individual freedom – above all for women. That’s why human rights laws are the ultimate wind-up for this group: they are seen as “rights for other people”, undermining what has survived of the old hierarchies, be it white, male, straight or based on place. It’s fairly easy to see how you could have stopped Nazism between 1930 and 1933. Drop German war debts; end the policies of austerity that put 25% out of work; and convince big business that it is the right, not the left, that could destroy democracy. And at critical moments, unite the left and centre to face down the populist right in their chosen venue: the streets. The guiding principle is: remove the thing that creates the insecurity. Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Ukip supporter: the No 1 predictor of becoming an “authoritarian populist” is your age. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Today, paradoxically, that is a harder task. It would be impossible to reverse out of 30 years of freedom – not least because it is indelibly etched into the lifestyles and psychology of the young. YouGov’s figures show just 25% of the anti-authoritarian, pro-globalist group is over 60; among the under-40s the ultra-right is outnumbered two to one by liberal globalists. This underlines the problem for those on the left who want to find something progressive in the attitudes that blame migrants for low pay and – that charming internet meme beloved in Ukip-land - “Rothschild bankers” for the financial crisis. Numerous journalists, myself included, have done enough realtime anthropology with the smalltown racist pensioner to understand: it is modernity they dislike, and the freedom that comes with it. And we cannot let it go. At the centre of the fightback has to be a break with neoliberal economics. Raise wages, end job insecurity, build homes and, before you do any of it, promise all of it loudly. You’d think it would be a no-brainer – until you remember how much energy Labour politicians and commentators poured into opposing such policies over the summer. But there’s more. Fromm explained the failure of the German centre-left to resist Hitler in terms of “a state of inner tiredness and resignation”. They no longer believed in their own leaders, their own ideology: “deep within themselves many had given up any hope in the effectiveness of political action”. That’s not true today. To observe the school walkouts against Trump, the Hamilton cast’s protest, the stoic resistance of Native Americans against the Dakota pipeline, is to see the opposite of tiredness and resignation. Here too, the most significant mass response to Brexit was that 180,000 people joined the Labour party and 15,000 the Lib Dems. Only one thing can make this most educated and liberated generation succumb to tiredness and resignation: if the centrist middle classes and the liberal media give up on freedom.Getty Images You know who enjoyed the hell out of Jerry Seinfeld's opening monologue at the 40th anniversary bash for "Saturday Night Live"? Adam Sandler, that's who. I know this because I sat about 10 feet away from him and watched him the entire time. A new virtual reality offering from Samsung's Gear VR and Oculus allows users to sit in the actual center of the action at the show and experience Seinfeld's bit from the live show, complete with celebrity audience questions. If you watched the show from home last month, here's what it looked like: If you watch from the vantage point that I did in the new virtual reality experience, you're perched atop a camera in the center of the studio. All angles were shot from the spot during the monologue, meaning you can not only watch Seinfeld deliver his jokes and audience members like Dakota Johnson ask questions, you can also watch Dakota Johnson in the moment before the cameras turn to her so she can ask her question. You can also watch the cue card team rushing around below you, the monitors playing the show back in the monitors high above the stage, a tuxedoed gentleman who may or may not be Lorne Michaels lurking in the shadows, watching -- anything. It's a 360 view, and you could go through the experience dozens of times, focusing on something different and seeing something new every time. Adam Sandler, seated next to Larry David in the audience, looked like he had a blast, sitting literally on the edge of his seat throughout the monologue and grinning non-stop. Now, having rocked Samsung's Gear VR and watched a piece of comedy and TV history from the center of it all, I can say that I felt the exact same way. Seinfeld's monologue is the first piece of the "SNL 40" virtual reality experience to be released, but more segments will be added to the roster. The experience will be available on the VSRE app and in the Oculus VR Store for Samsung Gear VR.Curled up in the spare bed in the wee hours of morning, Star staff photographer David Cooper’s wife Peggi-jean, cracked open the new Peter Robinson murder mystery she got from the public library Tuesday afternoon. Half an hour in, a brown bug the size of an apple seed skittered across the page. She squished it into a smear of what looked like blood. “I’m pretty intuitive and I immediately thought bedbug. And then I thought no, that’s not possible,” she said. She continued reading. Then another appeared. She killed it, and immediately sealed the book inside a Ziploc bag. In the morning, a third bedbug emerged from the pages, crawling slowly around the bag and over the hardcover copy of Watching the Dark. Like movie theatres, hospital waiting rooms and subways, the Toronto public library system — which operates 98 branches with 1.2 million members and an annual circulation of 31 million items — is no exception to the bedbug scourge plaguing urban areas across North America. “They go with us everywhere,” says entomologist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann at Cornell University. “But I don’t think libraries are big players (in transferring bedbugs). The reason that bedbugs show up in libraries is their use as a place for the community.” In 2010, bedbugs were reported at the Toronto Reference library and at the Yorkville and Parliament branches. The first live
as they posed for pictures in between races. All cowered from the trainers. The tiny riders are kept to a painful pace. As soon as they finish one race, they are pulled from the camels, tossed in vans, and saddled up for the next, which starts within minutes. Jockeys wear the colors of their owners, jogging suits of blue, white, red and green, topped with tiny helmets or headgear. Many are equipped with small radios, so the trainers can signal every swing of the riding crop. The children scream loudly at the starting line, shrieks of pure terror. This is part of the plan. Their startled cries excite the camels, pushing them to top speeds. Trainers say it is impossible to find Arab children who will scream with such fright at the camels. As the camels lurch around the sandy track, a convoy of vans follow on a ring road. Video cameras catch the action, which is replayed on television screens mounted on poles in front of the viewing stands. There are several segregated sections. Sheiks and sultans claim the luxury boxes in the middle, while common folk sit off to the right. The last section is for western guests and gawking tourists. Tea and tiny sandwiches are served in an environment that reeks of colonialism, all the more startling since Dubai and the other emirates tossed out the British in the 1960s. Still, relations remain close. British nationals are the only visitors who can move with even a mockery of freedom about the UAE. All other visitors must obtain sponsors for visas, even the baby jockeys. Yet, when child-selling gangs have been busted in India, the investigation never goes beyond the local buyers and sellers. Nobody questions how the kids can clear immigration so easily, when even the global jetset is grounded. "We believe that the trade can only be stopped if the authorities in the receiving countries take steps to control the issuing of entry visas to children under 18," says Anne Marie Sharman, a spokesperson for Anti-Slavery International, in London. She adds that the group has protested through British diplomatic channels and received assurances that UAE law prohibits children under the age of 11 from racing. Indeed, Dubai officials, when queried for this story, responded with written statements that the tracks are closely monitored to ensure no children under the age of 11 are involved. However, no riders over the age of eight could be found during several spot checks of the track. "They become too heavy," confided a trainer. Middle East Watch, the human rights group, has been considering an investigation of violations in the UAE, including those reported in the camel pits. Anti-Slavery International worries about what happens when these children grow too old to race. Local reporters are afraid to probe that matter, as well. "We're not allowed to print news stories on the races, on what goes on behind the scenes," says one local reporter, blaming strict state control of UAE media. "It's simply too controversial. We can't print anything critical of the government. It's not allowed." Nor are race officials willing to lift the veil of secrecy for foreign reporters. Repeatedly denied access to the young riders, this reporter walked among them and was immediately accosted by a muscular guard. He twisted my camera gear and threatened arrest until a roll of film of the baby jockeys was surrendered - the first I've lost to a goon anywhere in over a decade of snooping. "We've had problems before with reporters," explains my guide, apologizing for the rudeness. Not of the races themselves, but my rough treatment. "They just wouldn't understand in the West," he adds. But in Dubai, the situation is condoned at every level, including the government, from immigration authorities to police. It's more than status quo, it's what happens when society standards are set by the state. In a kingdom ruled by oil, where the media is muffled and everyone sets aside ethics to placate the sheiks and sultans. Locals accept the races, even if they don't participate. Arabs hold to the heritage line. Those of Indian descent, who might be expected to express outrage, especially since they outnumber Dubai natives by three to one, accept the situation as just another ugly condition of wealth. And westerners are noticeably nervous to broach the subject, especially when notepads are present. "Besides, this may sound like bad taste," says one western worker, "but the kids probably have a better life here than at home." Then, he waits for the taste of the statement to settle, and adds: "We all do." Ron Gluckman is an American reporter based in Hong Kong, who researched this story during a trip to Dubai and several other states of the United Arab Emirates in 1992. This report was soundly criticized by officials in Dubai and across the UAE, as was a widely-shown BBC documentary that followed this report. However, the facts in the story were never repudiated. In 1993, the UAE announced a ban on child jockeys, but the law is widely ignored. In mid-1999, authorities rescued many children from the camel racing circuit, including one tyke who became a baby jockey after being smuggled in from Pakistan as a 5-year-old. Finally, responding to intense international pressure, Dubai and the rest of the Emirates began clearing the camel-tracks of children, replacing them with robot jockeys. Utilizing tiny robotic riders developed in Japan, they began strapping in remote-controlled jockeys in 2007. Partly because the robot riders are expensive, and prestigious, they became widely accepted. To return to the opening page and index push here [right.htm]CHATHAM, Va. — In a landscape of rolling pastures and grazing cattle, Stewart East stepped from his pickup truck with a Geiger counter. He pointed it at a puddle filled by recent rains, and the instrument erupted in scratchy feedback. “This is the top of the deposit,” said Mr. East, an employee of a company that wants to mine one of the largest lodes of uranium in the United States, which happens to be found here in southern Virginia. A fight over whether to drill beneath the oak hedgerows, an undertaking that would yield 1,000 jobs and a bounty of tax revenue in addition to nuclear fuel, has divided the region. The bitterness is reflected in competing lawn signs that read “No Uranium Mining” and, on the other side of the road, “Stop whining. Start mining.” Now, after years of government reports and hundreds of thousands of dollars in political donations that included a trip to France for state lawmakers, the issue has reached the crucible of Virginia’s General Assembly.MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT Rev. Bill Talen leads a protest at Monsanto world headquarters on Thanksgiving (Photo:Erik McGregor) Led by the indefatigable minister of anti-consumerism Billy Talen, protesters assembled at the Monsanto world headquarters in St. Louis on Thanksgiving. Talen pointed out that Monsanto represents ruinous global domination of agricultural toxic chemicals and products that contribute to global warming. It is a company that symbolizes what people in the US and around the world should not be thankful for, according to a news release by Talen and his Stop Shopping Choir: Known by millions as the most environmentally destructive corporation on the planet, Monsanto, for nearly two decades, has been controlling political campaigns and affecting the regulatory process of agricultural systems all over the world. In the U.S. alone, more than 90 percent of soybeans and 80 percent of corn are grown with seeds containing Monsanto-patented genetics. "Monsanto must be stopped," said Reverend Billy, who has been jailed more than 50 times protesting social and environmental injustices. "Monsanto is the devil and what better day than Thanksgiving to remind the world that eating local, organic food is one way to stop this profit-mongering, biodiversity-destroying monopoly." Industrial agriculture and the entire globalized food system, which is becoming more large-scale and centralized every day, destroys biodiversity, soils and local food systems, and is responsible for accelerating climate change by contributing more than 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The protesters, many dressed as Pilgrims, partook of an organic meal near the Monsanto complex. Additional non-GMO food was prepared to share with community members in nearby Ferguson, where Michael Brown was killed by police officer Darren Wilson (now resigned). Joining Talen and his followers at Monsanto were the Organic Consumers Association, GMO Free Midwest, Gateway Garlic Farms and The Greenhorns, among other opponents of the company's policies of environmental destruction, toxic products and thuggish efforts to privatize seeds. Talen, who occasionally writes commentaries for BuzzFlash at Truthout, understands the importance of highlighting the values that benefit humans as a community through the use of spectacle. There is an inherent irony in his creation of an anti-consumer and anti-predatory corporation movement that mimics an evangelical church model, right down to the rousing choir. It was refreshing and inspiring that on a day most people in the US obliviously feasted on corporate agricultural food and watched football, Rev. Billy donned his pastoral white collar to minister the gospel of a nation and planet where people and the environment - not noxious corporations - come first. Talen has created a secular "religion" worth believing in. As he said after the Monsanto protesters joined with residents of Ferguson for a joint Thanksgiving celebration: "The conversations there brought human rights and earth rights together in such a groundbreaking way. Our social movements become a revolution from what we put into our bodies. Earthalujah!" In the midst of an avalanche of dreadful news, Talen gives us all something to celebrate and enjoy. Copyright Truthout. May Not Be Reprinted Without Permission.The Grateful Dead folktales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 505 edited by D. L. Ashliman © 2008 folktexts Russia But Chotei said, "My dear son, you are still young, and not used to the difficulties of traveling; remain at home, and think no more of this fancy you have taken." But Sila Tsarevich had a great longing to see foreign lands, and entreated his father so much that at length the tsar consented, and gave him a ship likewise. As soon as the three brothers embarked, each on board his ship, they all gave orders to set sail. And when they were out on the open sea, the eldest brother's ship sailed first, the second brother's next, and Sila Tsarevich sailed last. On the third day of the voyage they saw a coffin with iron bands floating on the waves. The two eldest brothers sailed past without heeding it, but as soon as Sila Tsarevich saw the coffin, he ordered the sailors to pick it up, lay it on board his ship, and carry it to land. The next day a violent storm arose, by which Sila's ship was driven out of its course, and cast upon a steep shore in an unknown country. Then Sila ordered his sailors to take the coffin and to carry it on shore, whither he himself followed, and buried it in the earth. Thereupon Sila Tsarevich ordered the captain to remain upon the spot where the ship was stranded, and await his return for three years; but adding that, should he not come back in that time, he should be free to set sail and return home. So saying, Sila took leave of his captain and his crew, and went forthwith, journeying on and on. He wandered about for a long while, without seeing anyone; at length he heard a man running after him, dressed all in white. Then Sila Tsarevich turned round and saw the man following him; whereupon he instantly drew his sword to be upon his guard. But no sooner did the man come up to him than he fell on his knees and thanked Sila for having saved him. And Sila asked the man what he had done to deserve his thanks. Then the stranger stood up and answered, "Ah, Sila Tsarevich, how can I thank you enough? There I lay in the coffin, which you picked up at sea and buried; and had it not been for you I might have remained floating about for a hundred years." "But how did you get into the coffin?" asked Sila. "Listen, and I will tell you the whole story," replied Ivashka. "I was a great magician; my mother was told that I did great mischief to mankind by my arts, and therefore ordered me to be put into the coffin and set adrift on the open sea. For more than a hundred years I have been floating about, and no one has ever picked me up; but to you I owe my rescue, and I will therefore serve you, and render you all the help in my power. Let me ask you whether you have not a wish to marry. I know the beautiful Queen Truda, who is worthy of being your wife." Sila replied that if this queen were indeed beautiful, he was willing to marry her; and Ivashka told him she was the most beautiful woman in the world. When Sila heard this, he begged Ivashka to accompany him to her kingdom. So they set out and traveled on and on till they reached that country. Now, Queen Truda's kingdom was surrounded by a palisade; and upon every stake was stuck a man's head, except one, which had no head. When Sila saw this, he was terrified, and asked Ivashka what it meant; and Ivashka told him that these were the heads of heroes who had been suitors to Queen Truda. Sila shuddered on hearing this, and wished to return home without showing himself to the father of Truda. But Ivashka told him to fear nothing and go with him boldly, so Sila went on. When they entered the kingdom, Ivashka said, "Hearken Sila Tsarevich, I will be your servant, and when you enter the royal halls, salute King Salom humbly. Then he will ask you whence you came, and whose son you are, what is your name and business. Tell him everything and conceal nothing; but say that you are come to sue for his daughter's hand. He will give her to you with great joy." So Sila Tsarevich went into the palace, and, as soon as Prince Salom saw him, he went himself to meet him, took him by his white hands, led him into the marble halls, and asked him, "Fair youth, from what country do you come, whose son are you, what is your name, and what is your business?" "I am from the kingdom of my father the Tsar Chotei," replied Sila. "My name is Sila Tsarevich, and I am come to sue for your daughter, the beautiful Queen Truda." King Salom was overjoyed that the son of such a renowned tsar should be his son-in-law, and immediately ordered his daughter to prepare for the wedding. And when the day for the marriage came, the king commanded all his princes and boyars to assemble in the palace; and they all went in procession to the church, and Sila Tsarevich was married to the fair Queen Truda. Then they returned to the palace, seated themselves at table, and feasted and made merry. When the time came to retire to rest, Ivashka took Sila aside and whispered to him, "Hark, ye, Sila Tsarevich, when you go to rest, beware lest you speak a word to your bride or you will not remain alive, and your head will be stuck on the last stake. She will in every way try to make you embrace her, but attend to what I say." Then Sila Tsarevich enquired why he warned him thus, and Ivashka replied, "She is in league with an evil spirit, who comes to her every night in the shape of a man, but flies through the air in the shape of a six-headed dragon. Now, if she lays her hand upon your breast and presses it, jump up and beat her with a stick until all her strength is gone. I will meanwhile remain on watch at the door of your apartment." When Sila Tsarevich heard this, he went with his wife to rest, and Queen Truda tried in every way to get him to kiss her, but Sila lay quite still and spoke not a word. Then Truda laid her hand upon his breast and pressed him so hard that he could scarcely breathe. But up jumped Sila Tsarevich and seized the stick which Ivashka had laid there ready for him, and fell to beating her as hard as he could. On a sudden there arose a storm, and a six-headed dragon came flying into the room and was going to devour Sila Tsarevich, but Ivashka seized a sharp sword and attacked the dragon, and they fought three hours, and Ivashka struck off two of the dragon's heads, whereupon the monster flew away. Then Ivashka desired Sila Tsarevich to go to sleep and fear nothing. Sila obeyed him, laid himself down, and fell asleep. Early in the morning King Salom went to be informed whether his dear son still lived, and when he heard that Sila was alive and well, the king rejoiced, since he was the first who had been saved from his daughter; and he instantly ordered Sila to be called, and the whole day was spent in merrymaking. The following night Ivashka gave Sila Tsarevich the same caution as before, not to speak a word to his wife, and he placed himself on watch at the door. Then it fell out as before, and when Sila Tsarevich began to beat the queen, on a sudden the dragon came flying in, and was going to devour Sila Tsarevich. But Ivashka rushed from behind the door, sword in hand, and fought with the dragon and struck off two more of his heads. Then the dragon flew away, and Sila Tsarevich lay down to sleep. Early in the morning the king commanded Sila to be invited, and they spent this day in the same pleasures as before. The third night the same happened again, and Ivashka cut off the last two heads of the dragon, and he burnt all the heads and strewed the ashes in the fields. Thus time passed on, and Sila Tsarevich lived with his father-in-law a whole year, without speaking to his wife or gaining her love. Then Ivashka told him one day to go to King Salom and ask permission to return to his native country. So Sila went to the king, who dismissed him, and gave him two squadrons of his army to accompany him as an escort. Then Sila took leave of his father-in-law, and set out with his wife on their journey to his own country. When they had gone half way, Ivashka told Sila Tsarevich to halt and pitch his tent. So Sila obeyed and ordered the tent to be put up. The next day Ivashka laid pieces of wood in front of Sila's tent and set fire to them. Then he led Queen Truda out of the tent, unsheathed his sword, and cut her in twain. Sila Tsarevich shuddered with terror and began to weep; but Ivashka said, "Weep not, she will come to life again." And presently all sorts of evil things came forth from the body, and Ivashka threw them all into the fire. Then he said to Sila Tsarevich, "See you not the evil spirits which troubled your wife? She is now relieved from them." And, so saying, he laid the parts of Truda's body together, sprinkled them with the water of life, and the queen was instantly sound and whole as before. Then said Ivashka, "Now, farewell, Sila Tsarevich, you will find that your wife loves you truly, but you will never see me more." And so saying he vanished. Sila Tsarevich ordered the tent to be struck, and journeyed on to his native country. And when he came to the place where his ship was waiting for him, he went onboard with the fair Queen Truda, dismissed the escort which accompanied him, and set sail. And on arriving at his own kingdom, he was welcomed with salvos of cannon, and Tsar Chotei came out of his palace and took him and the beautiful Queen Truda by their lily-white hands, led them into the marble halls, placed them at table, and they feasted and made merry. Sila Tsarevich lived with his father two years. Then he returned to the kingdom of King Salom, received from him the crown, and ruled over the country with his Queen Truda in great love and happiness. Source: Robert Steele, The Russian Garland of Fairy Tales: Being Russian Folk Legends Translated from a Collection of Chapbooks Made in Moscow (New York: Robert M. McBride and Co., 1916), pp. 194-201. (New York: Robert M. McBride and Co., 1916), pp. 194-201. Return to the table of contents. Denmark The soldier stopped, looked at them, and said, "Where are you going?" "I will tell you," answered one of them. "Today there was buried a man who owed each of us one penny, and now we will dig him up, since we are determined upon getting our dues." "What an idea!" returned the soldier. "You had better leave the dead man alone. At any rate, he is at present unable to pay you even one penny, so don't disturb his peace!" "It is all very fine for you to talk," answered the man. "But we must have the money, and up he must come." When the soldier felt that his fair words could not settle the matter, he said, "Here, I have two pennies. Will you take them and promise to leave the dead man undisturbed?" "Two pennies are not to be refused," said the man again, "but they will pay only two of us. What can you give the third one, since he is bent upon having his share?" As the soldier saw that there was no dealing with these three wretches, he resumed, "Since you are so desperately determined, here is my third and last penny. Take it, and be content." Now all three were well satisfied, so they pursued their way with the three pennies in their pockets. When the soldier had advanced a distance, a stranger came walking along. He looked rather pale, but saluted the soldier in a very civil manner, and followed him along the road without uttering a single sound. At last they reached a church, and here the stranger turned to his companion, saying, "Let us walk in!" The soldier looked wistfully at him, and answered, "That would not do. What business have we in the church at midnight?" "I tell you," replied the stranger, "we must walk in!" Upon this they entered the church and walked straight up to the altar. There was an old woman sitting with a burning light in her hand. "Take a hair from her head, and smell at it!" commanded the stranger. The soldier complied, but nothing remarkable happened. The stranger asked him to repeat the action, which he did; but there was no effect. The third time, however, when he tore a whole tuft of hair from the woman's head, she became so furious that she darted off, out above the church, carrying the whole leaden vault with her. The two men went out of the church and down to the beach, where they found the whole leaden vault. Turning to the soldier, the stranger said, "Sit up. We will put to sea!" "Is that so?" remarked the soldier, who understood nothing of all this. "I see no ship, however." "Let me manage it all," says the stranger. "Just seat yourself by me on the vault! Beyond the sea there is a princess of whom it was predicted that she would be married only to a man who should come across the sea in a leaden ship. Here you will be able to make your fortune." The leaden vault now floated out upon the open sea, and landed them safely on the other side. Great was the joy and happiness throughout the country, and the marriage between the soldier and the princess was celebrated with such pomp and splendor as was never seen, before or after. When the ceremony had been performed, and the carriage was standing in front of the church door, bride and groom entered, with the stranger who had followed the soldier all along. The coachman asked to what place he might drive them. "Drive away, as fast as you can, towards the side where the sun will rise," said the stranger, and in a little while they were carried along at a furious rate. Somewhere they saw a large herd of cattle. They stopped, and the soldier called the herdsman to the carriage door, asking who he was. "I am the Count of Ravensburg," answered the shepherd, "and yonder is my castle." The stranger again bid the coachman drive as fast as possible. In a little while they rushed up to Ravensburg Castle. As they were ready to alight from the carriage, there was someone who knocked hard at the gate. It was the herdsman, who was anxious to come in. The stranger walked to the gate, inquiring what, he could do for him. He wished to come into the castle, he said, for it belonged to him, and he had a right to demand admittance. The stranger meditated a little, whereupon he told the herdsman, who was a conjurer, that he might be allowed to come in, but first he must suffer the whole fate of the rye. "The fate of the rye!" repeated the conjurer. "What do you mean by that?" "I mean," answered the stranger, "that next fall you must be sown deep in the ground, and towards spring, when you come up, you must ripen in the sunshine and grow in the rain until you are ready for the harvest. Then you will be mowed and dried, and kept in the barn, until at length you will be threshed." "How is that!" cried the conjurer. "Am I to be threshed?" "Of course you are," replied the stranger. "First you will be threshed, and then taken to the mill and ground." "Ground, too!" shouted the conjurer. "Will I be ground also?" "Yes, both ground and sifted," answered the stranger. But the conjurer, hearing this, became so furious that he burst all into flint-stones. The stranger now bid good-bye to the princess and the soldier, shook hands with them, and said, "Now I have seen you married to the princess. The troll of Ravensburg is dead and gone, and his castle, with all its treasures, is yours. I was as good to you as you were to me when you gave away your three pennies for my sake!" "What do you say?" exclaimed the soldier. "I never thought of those three pennies again!" "I know that," answered the stranger, "and otherwise I would not have been able to help you. However, I bid farewell to you and your, wife, for I must return to the place where I belong." Links open in new windows. Most links lead to volumes in the digital library books.google.com. folktexts Revised March 19, 2013.Home Heroes Blog What You Need To Know Before Flash Season 3 What You Need To Know Before Flash Season 3 We've waited what seems like forever for the return of the CW/DC superhero family of shows. This year will be even stronger than ever with the welcomed addition of Supergirl into the official universe. Tonight we kick off with Flash season 3 and Hero Within will be live tweeting it starting at 8pm pst. But before all the time jumping fun begins, here are a few things you need to know: If you remember from season 2, Wally West and Jesse Wells survived the particle accelerator explosion and will no doubt suffer super powered side effects. We've already seen promo pics of Wally as Kid Flash al though it's unclear if he will be a permanent part of the super team or if it is temporary. explosion and will no doubt suffer super powered side effects. Kid Flash al At the end of last season, Barry once again decides to mess with time. This 'Flashpoint' moment will bring Nora back to life. As a result, we can assume that Barry never grew up as a part of the West family. Hmmm. Sadly, Zoon gave Henry Allen the ole 'vibro-death hand' treatment so his involvement in this season is unclear. But John Wesley Shipp will at least return as Earth-3's Jay Garrick at some point. Messing with time and the multiverse has not gone well for the Scarlet Speedster. No doubt the evil dopplergangers Reverb, Killer Frost and Black Siren will return in some capacity. For you'shippers' out there, Barry did declare his love for Iris- although it got spoiled by the time altering events. However, we are sure this is not the last of this story and they will find each other again soon. Lastly, in a brief speed experiment, Flash jumped universes to land on CBS's Supergirl. We don't know how the universes will collide but they hit it off well and will surely have some great adventures this season together. It looks like this season of The Flash will be the best yet. Follow along with us on Twitter and chat with us on your thoughts live during the show. Let us know what your theories are by leaving us a comment. See you tonight! 1 Response Leave a comment Comments will be approved before showing up.This is the second post from our contributor Dan. Check out his previous post here. Thanks for reading! What a year 2013 was for Miley Cyrus. She went from almost falling off the face of the planet through sheer irrelevance to becoming the biggest pop culture phenomenon of the year. Following all her ridiculous/attention-getting antics at the VMAs, Miley released her first album in 3 years. Bangerz is exactly what it wants to be – an over the top pop album with synth-beats on almost every track and some big names in the Rap game (Big Sean, Future, etc). I will be giving my overall grade (on a scale of 1 – 10; 10 being the best) of the album at the end, but instead of reordering the songs into ‘best to worst’ order I will be using colors to visually demonstrate which songs I like the most, least, and the songs I am apathetic about. If a song is green – I like it more than others; if a song is blue – It’s listenable; if a song is red – I don’t really like it. I will be adding purple to the list as well; purple will be for my favorite song on the album. I have written a short review of every song and highlighted it based upon the scale above. Track List 1. Adore You 2. We Can’t Stop 3. SMS (Bangerz) feat. Britney Spears 4. 4×4 feat. Nelly 5. My Darlin’ feat. Future 6. Wrecking Ball 7. Love, Money, Party feat. Big Sean 8. Get it Right 9. Drive 10. FU feat. French Montana 11. Do My Thang 12. Maybe You’re Right 13. Someone Else Track reviews 1. Adore You This was the opening song on the album, and it quickly bored me. Not a great way to start an album, but lucky for Miley she was able to pull the rest of this album out of the rubble. 2. We Can’t Stop Not a bad song. Initially I did not like this song when I heard over the summer because it was not Party in the USA but it has eventually grown on me. It’s green because as hard as you try to avoid this song, hearing it is inevitable. Very catchy, very Miley. This was the first everyone saw of Nu-Miley. 3. SMS (Bangerz) feat. Britney Spears The first really cool sounding song on the album. Very cool feature of Brittney Spears. Still pretty repetitive. First time I’ve listened to a Miley Cyrus song that she said a swear word. She is no longer Hannah Montana and that’s okay. 4. 4×4 feat. Nelly There is a very interesting instrumental track for this song. Almost sounds a bit country at times, which makes the Nelly feature make so much sense. You really get to hear the Southern roots of Miley in her vocals for this track. Nelly continues to do Nelly things, makes me miss ‘Country Grammar.’ 5. My Darlin’ feat. Future There is a lot of emotion put into the first lines Miley has in the song, but then Future comes in and ruins it. Honestly, any other feature would make this an okay song. The lyrics shift from pretty emotional and heart broken at the start, to “we gon’ make a movie, its gon’ be in 3d.” This song had potential, but it just couldn’t keep me interested. 6. Wrecking Ball Everybody and their mother knows this song and video. There really isn’t anything I can say about this song that hasn’t already been said. Pretty good lyrically, pretty catchy. 7. Love, Money, Party feat. Big Sean Miley is channeling her inner Ke$ha on this song. The words “Love”, “Money”, and ”Party” are repeated over and over and over. Kind of gives me a headache. If it wasn’t for Big Sean’s verse on this song I think this would have been a red song. 8. #GETITRIGHT This song reminds me of a Robin Thicke song, with Miley playing the role of Thicke. When you think of the song like that it is pretty interesting. The similarities to this song and ‘Blurred Lines’ are apparent. 9. Drive Miley opens this song showing off her impressive vocal range. I am a big fan of the instrumental track used. It made me want to freestyle at times, which is always a good thing. Lyrics follow the heartbreak of most of the album. After listening to the whole album, I have decided that this song is my favorite. This song is good summary for the album. It is very catchy at times, but it’s coming from a place of pain. Miley is weak, confused, and scared. To me, this song shows that. 10. FU feat. French Montana This is another pretty cool song. French Montana is another poor feature, but he doesn’t do a whole lot, so it doesn’t affect the track a whole lot. The vocals are grandiose over a very dub-by instrumental – which sounds like a weird combination – but it ends up working for the song. The lyrics are slightly goofy at times and don’t really go with her vocals, but it still ends up working. 11. Do My Thang Stop trying to rap on trap beats Miley; I don’t think it works for you as much as you think. A lot of “bitch rhymes with bitch” rhyme patterns… Weak. 12. Maybe You’re Right Meh. The whole ‘every song is about Thor’s Brother’ thing is getting a little boring at this point in the album. 13. Someone Else I enjoyed this song. I couldn’t tell you what I really enjoyed about it, but I know that I liked it. Overall: 2013 was Miley Cyrus’ year as far as popularity goes, but it also has been a year full of heartbreak and self-destruction for the young pop star. She dealt with the end of a marriage proposal, which is never an easy thing for anyone to do. She came back from all that to release an album that was nothing like anything she had done before. Personally, I enjoyed a chunk of the album. Miley has amazing talent when it comes to singing. There are times when I see her have the vocal range of someone like Christina Aguilera, which is amazing, but there are also times where she feels that she would rather rap. I was not a fan of the latter. The album was filled with “Bangerz” that you would typically hear at a college party or a club, but if that is not your scene then this album is not for you. Final Grade : 7/10 Too much of the CD was boring, or repetitive, to the point where I couldn’t see myself giving a much higher rating, but overall the CD was not terrible. Miley is still young, so I can see her making many more albums following this; lets just hope the next one isn’t all about Thor’s Brother. It’d be great if you followed the blog on Twitter and Facebook, and if you became a follower on WordPress. It’d be wonderful if you told your friends about us too!CAIRO -- Egyptians began voting today in a historic election to replace deposed leader Hosni Mubarak with a new president to free the nation from military rule, economic turmoil, rising crime and frustrations that the uprising that inspired rebellions across the Arab world has not lived up to its ideals. Long lines stretched from polling stations in Alexandria, Cairo, Suez and in the vast southern deserts. Egyptians were choosing among 13 candidates to move beyond the authoritarian rule that most of the population of 82 million was born into. Umbrellas popped up to block the sun as voters waited to cast ballots amid soldiers and police. PHOTOS: Egypt votes for a new president "This is a great responsibility for every Egyptian," said Ahmed Rashid, a market worker who traveled two hours to vote on Cairo's southern outskirts. "Each vote counts. This is the freedom we've been aspiring toward. I was so excited I nearly sunk all my finger into the ink after I voted." Poll figures are unreliable, but the leading candidates appear to be two Islamists and two officials connected to the Mubarak era. Muslim Brotherhood contender Mohamed Morsi is battling Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh for the Islamist vote, while former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik is challenging former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa for secular support. After a late surge, nationalist Hamdeen Sabahi was expected to do well among liberals and leftists. The election marks an end to three decades of Mubarak's corrupt police state. The 84-year-old toppled leader -- standing trial for conspiracy to commit murder -- epitomized the Arab strongman who over the last
- an area the size of Texas. “What you had was a slow indoctrination of their beliefs. It wasn’t just a 10-month brainwashing — it had been going on for years,” said Rudy Atallah, a former senior U.S. counter terrorism official focused on Africa. “It wasn’t the bulk of the population but they reached out to some people, no doubt.” Fighting alongside and then hijacking a Tuareg separatist rebellion launched early last year, the Islamists stitched together a patchwork of groups mixing ideology and criminality that then carved up northern Mali. France’s liberation of Timbuktu and Gao in late January was greeted with jubilation by flag-waving residents, who had been forced to endure months of strict sharia Islamic law, including whippings and amputations of limbs for certain crimes. Residents are now enthusiastically helping security forces identify fighters and collaborators. But elders in Timbuktu and Gao paint a more complex picture of life under the Islamists. Arab communities in both towns, who had a history of collaborating with AQIM, helped to engineer the Islamist takeover and backed the occupation, partly in order to protect their own interests. When Islamists seized power, sidelining the unpopular and ill-disciplined Tuareg separatists who had looted and pillaged, they also enjoyed a degree of popularity with the broader black African population that channeled in recruits. Abdelmalek Droukdel, the Algerian emir of AQIM, urged his fighters last year to integrate with local tribes and cautioned against imposing sharia too abruptly. For a while, it seems, they followed his advice. Mahamane Qoye Tandina, a senior member of Timbuktu’s crisis committee that met regularly with Abou Zeid, said Islamists successfully played on conservative strains in society. “Some people appreciated that they wanted to change girls’ behavior and cut back on alcohol and tobacco,” he said. “But when they started to chop off hands, they went too far.” In Gao, Soumeylou Maiga, head of programming at Radio Aadar Koima, said the Islamists tricked residents, promising to replace a distant government that had abandoned them and to respect their moderate form of Islam. “This helped them get recruits. They went to the madarassas and recruited people without jobs. They took aid and got recruits in return,” he added. “For some it was about religion. For others, it was about the money.” New York-based Human Rights Watch documented the recruitment of hundreds of children in the Gao and Timbuktu region. A young recruit could earn about $300 per month, residents said, a huge sum for the desert north’s stagnant economy. In both towns, Islamists made locals the face of the occupation — though foreign fighters retained leadership. In Timbuktu, it was Sandou Ould Boumana, a Malian Arab from the trading town. Although an established member of AQIM, he spoke in the name of Ansar Dine, a Malian Islamist group. In Gao, Aliou Toure, a Songhai, went from trading animal skins in the towns market to head the feared Islamic police. MUJWA One of the starkest changes was the rise of MUJWA, whose name - the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa - reflected its aim of breaking with AQIM leadership dominated by veterans of the Algerian civil war. The mix of black Africans from Mali and neighboring countries recruited in the MUJWA’s fiefdom of Gao pointed to a degree of success. A Malian intelligence officer said Islamists’ identity cards seized in Gao came from countries including Togo, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Niger. Seid Abdoulaye Toure, a senior local imam in Gao, said the MUJWA cleverly targeted the region’s poor who had been exposed to some Islamic education in Koranic schools but lacked the ability to question the form of Islam being imposed. “The reality of the problem is here. We should not look too far,” he said. Many in Gao look just across slow-moving, brown waters of the Niger River to a small town called Kadji. The village contains one of the pockets of ultra conservative Wahhabist Islam that have existed in Mali for decades, fed by an influx of foreign preachers. “All the youth from there were with MUJWA,” said Zouhairou Kowa, a Kadji resident, referring to the Dar es Salaam neighborhood. “They took them into the hills, they trained them and they came back.” GROWING REACH Before the offensive, which Paris says has killed hundreds of rebels, it was estimated there were 2,500-3,000 Islamist fighters in Mali. The U.S. military estimated 800-1,200 of these were hardcore jihadist. Prisoners captured during the French-led offensive highlight the increasingly broad make-up of the Islamist ranks. A Reuters reporter travelling with Chadian forces in Tessalit earlier this month saw eight captured Islamist fighters from Morocco, Tunisia, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. For years, intelligence sources have said militants from Nigeria’s Boko Haram have linked up with Islamists in Mali for training, though the group has remained largely focused on its fight to impose sharia law in northern Nigeria. In recent weeks, however, Boko Haram statements point to some factions becoming more ideologically aligned with international jihadists. Gunmen claiming to be from Boko Haram cited France’s military offensive in Mali as justification for their kidnapping of a French family of seven in Cameroon last month. Ansaru, a Boko Haram splinter group which said it executed 7 hostages last weekend, has also directly allied itself with international jihad. January’s mass hostage taking at Algeria’s In Amenas gas plant, masterminded by Belmokhtar, showed the ease with which militants can glide across regional borders. Andrew Lebovich, a Sahel analyst, said the make-up of Belmokhtar’s group and the routes used in the attack pointed to cooperation between militants in Mali and Libya. This challenges the perception of Mali’s conflict as principally threatening the Sahel - a 5,400-km band running east-west across Africa, south of the Sahara desert. Islamist activities fanning north and south from Mali to Nigeria, Algeria and Libya have raised concern among British officials. “We don’t see it as a threat to London or Birmingham but we have a lot of interests in that region,” said one. For now, France and its African allies are still finding out if the Islamists’ new recruits and foreign links will allow them to survive the unprecedented offensive on their positions. Slideshow (2 Images) “Will they have had the time to become hardliners? I don’t know,” said one senior West African official, who has had direct contact with the armed groups in recent years. For now, the battle appears far from over. “If the Islamists are able to keep moving, hiding, it will be endless war - like Afghanistan,” said one Western security official with years of experience in the region.Buy Photo The Grind Coffee Shop is part of the downtown shopping area, which city officials have named as one of the priorities on their strategic plan. (Photo: Tracie Sullivan / The Spectrum and Daily News)Buy Photo For nearly a year Cedar City officials have been working to develop a strategic plan that outlines the city’s future goals and priorities. Now they want to hear from the public. “During this last year, the council has categorized the top areas where they felt our focus needed to be now we want to know what the community feels is most important to our community,” said Mayor Maile Wilson. Officials have invited the public to share thoughts on the draft strategic plan today at 6 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, 10 N. Main St. “This is a chance for us to listen and to get feedback from the community,” Wilson said. “We want as much input as possible, and then we’ll review and revise where necessary.” The meeting with the public is part of the strategic planning process and is an organizational management tool used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations and ensure employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals. “This puts us all on the same page and will be a guiding document, a road map, that tells us where we as a city want to be in the future,” Wilson said. The draft plan being discussed includes a mission statement and the city’s vision for the future. “This plan is educational as well as directional,” said City Manager Rick Holman. Once completed, it is meant to provide direction for the city council as well as staff in various areas such as economic growth, quality of life, public infrastructure and financial security. The final plan will be used by city officials to better meet the needs of the community while working within budgetary restraints. “This document will help us identify our goals, and after we do that then we’ll sit down with the departments and work through how each department can carry out the goals we’ve listed in the plan,” Wilson said. The plan will undergo a major review every four to five years to make sure it is still in line with where the city wants to go, Holman said. “While many strategic plans are designed around 10 to 15 years, the council felt five years was a more realistic time frame with so many changes happening,” Holman said. There is a copy of the current draft of the Cedar City Strategic Plan on the Cedar City website, cedarcity.org. Residents can also email comments, questions or concerns to strategicplan@cedarcity.org. Follow Tracie on Twitter @tracie_sullivan and Facebook at www.faceboook.com/traciesullivan IF YOU GO •What: Cedar City strategic plan discussion. •Where: City Council Chambers, 10 N. Main St. •When: Today at 6 p.m. Read or Share this story: http://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/cedar-city/2014/12/01/cedar-city-seeks-feedback-strategic-plan/19766267/OwnPush Demo Applications RSS Demo OTP Demo Hello All,We are happy to provide some more information about OwnPush todayEveryone involved with OwnPush has been hard at work getting the service to a level that we can demonstrate to the world, this has ended in the creation of two demo applications that we have published over the weekend.These demo apps are as follows :-An RSS web service and corresponding android application, the webservice checks the RSS feed (BBC World News) rapidly and when a new item becomes available it is pushed with a link to the android application over OwnPush. The android application then shows the notification to the user. This demo shows the power savings that can be gained by using OwnPush.This demo is constructed from a simple web service and its android application counterpart. This makes use of the secure nature of OwnPush to send fast, safe, and secure passwords to an Android device. After the apk is installed & registered on the android device the user is shown a short, unique device ID that they can enter on a simple web form. On submission of this form the OTP is randomly generated and sent to the device securely.For both of these demo applications we have published APKs for you to install and the code for the web services and android app (allowing any developers an insight into how they can implement OwnPush when it is fully available)To find out more about these demo applications please visit our website demo.ownpush.comSuperannuation group warns consumers could lose out if employers choose retirement fund Posted A superannuation group has warned that consumers could lose out if employers are allowed more leeway to choose their default workplace retirement fund. The Federal Government's Productivity Commission is reviewing the default superannuation fund system, MySuper, for workers who have not selected a workplace super fund. There are more than 100 authorised MySuper products on the market, which are licensed by the banking regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). The Commission is examining what it calls "alternative default models" including a system to increase competition where funds would bid to be the default fund for employees. The Financial Services Council said it would welcome such a change as "the barriers to competition in the superannuation industry are well known and long overdue for reform". But Tom Garcia, chief executive of the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees, told The World Today that the current system, where a default product is chosen from a super fund named in industry awards, works well. "We believe the current system is very good. It serves almost two thirds of the working population of Australia now successfully," he said. "If it was carte blanche, open slather, you would have employers having to choose from 116 super funds, so I don't think they'd be that excited." Workers already have the right to choose their own super fund but most stick with the default fund selected by their employers. All of the options put forward by the Productivity Commission have to be considered on whether they leave ordinary people better or worse off than if they had been forced to choose their own fund. It said the existing default fund system could be more efficient and competitive. "There are issues around conflicts of interest or deals and bank bundling which is undertaken, which is a cause for concern," said Matt Linden, director of public affairs at Industry Super Australia. "It is imperative that there's an efficient, merit-based process for the identification and selection of default funds," he told the World Today. The Federal Government is opposed to industry super funds because of their links to the union movement. Topics: business-economics-and-finance, consumer-finance, consumer-protection, superannuation, australiaIn the wee hours of Thursday (19th November 2015), near Gharonda in Karnal on National Highway-1, a freshly minted Maruti Baleno hit a truck at speed, jumped the divider and rolled over, completely totaling itself in the process. Three of the occupants died on the spot, while another one succumbed to injuries later on. The truck driver, who fled the scene, has been arrested and booked under an act of negligent driving. Now, before anyone points any fingers at Maruti, let’s get one thing straight. The circumstances of the fatal accident are pretty murky at the moment. What we do know is the car hit a truck; rolled over and completely crumpled itself like a piece of paper inside a fist. The velocities are unknown, and so is the exact point of impact. We also know that the car was carrying 6 people, 1 higher than the stipulated occupant limit, while truck was carrying potatoes, which is pretty immaterial in this discussion. It’s also not clear if seatbelts were fastened. Related – New Maruti Suzuki Baleno Alpha 1.3 Diesel Review: Living Twice With due respect to the deceased, the car was overloaded, making chances of survival pretty bleak in the event of a high speed impact, or worse, a rollover – even assuming the dual front airbags, which come as standard with the new Baleno, deployed in time. Even with all the occupants, barring the sixth one, fastening their belts, it would have been difficult to expect a safe escape for occupants. However, why did the Baleno crumple like a tin can? At 865 kg (Petrol-MT), the Baleno is significantly lighter than competition. For reference, the VW Polo, the second lightest in line, weighs 1033 kg. This is where the case starts tilting against Maruti. Now, we’re at no position to conclude that the Baleno is structurally feeble, just by the virtue of being underweight. Only a proper crash test can attest to that, and Euro NCAP crash test results of the Baleno are still awaited – these still won’t reflect the crash worthiness of the India spec model, mind. In Maruti’s defense, a more rigid, well-engineered construction can actually be lightweight and safer too. But when India’s leading automobile manufacturer says that their Baleno’s body is made from carbon and alloy laced high tensile steel, which accounts for enhanced strength and crash absorption, there has to be some explanation from their side as to why the body has been smashed to smithereens, like the barfed remains of a car crusher. Judging by the extent of the damage, the crash was definitely a high speed one. The point of impact with the truck must have been one, but why did it leave the whole car in complete tatters, even if a rollover was involved later? Tensile strength of steel is measured in MegaPascals (MP), and high strength steels used in the auto industry typically have tensile strengths in the range of 300-400 MP. And although this is kind of an old reference, Peter Hodgson, Director, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University Australia, on his India visit in 2013 to discuss possibilities to improve metallurgical properties of vehicles manufactured in India, has been quoted saying “The majority of steels used in the Indian auto industry is of a lower grade in terms of tensile strengths of 200-300 megapascals”. (Commercial Vehicle; 01 Dec, 2013). The game must have moved on in two years, but we’re quite sure that the margins are still the same. Last, but not the least, Maruti’s track record with safety hasn’t been the best, with the India-made Swift and Celerio failing miserably in independently conducted crash tests at Euro NCAP, questioning their structural strength. It’s a no-brainer that high tensile steel is expensive to produce, and the Maruti Baleno, which starts at a measly INR 4.99 lakh, doesn’t seem to charge a premium for this critical safety feature. So there, the equations don’t really add up, and Maruti needs to answer some questions. Will it? We don’t know, as they are doing everything by the law. Though we really believe, being the market leader, the onus is on the brand to make our roads safer and make the industry take a step further towards passenger safety. Equipping its entire lineup with dual front airbags, and ensuring that the even the most economical models perform reasonably in international crash tests can be a good point to start from. Is a car crumbling like a piece of paper a common happening, and should we take it as just another crash? Or is it high time some steps were taken towards making the cars sold in India safer? What’s your opinion? Do let us know… Update: According to a report by The Tribune, the accident took place when the car in question was overtaking a truck. After overtaking the truck, the car was hit by the same truck from behind. The car went on the other side of the road, and was hit by another truck coming from the opposite direction. In such a case, it’s quite possible for a car to sustain heavy damages. While the extent of damage to the car’s body depends on its structural soundness and can be debated, it would have been difficult for most the occupants to survive such a mishap in most, if not all cars. News Source: Hindustan TimesCapt. Blake Sellers for Rolling Stone I got the email from Rolling Stone about a week before my wedding, asking if I could photograph some portraits of a nuclear missileer; the person who takes direct orders from the President of the United States to launch irreversible nuclear missiles capable of reaching the other side of the planet in 30 minutes or less. Of course I gladly accepted the assignment! Rolling Stone explained that the shoot would be for their first ever long form online feature, for a story about Air Force officers at America’s nuke sites working 24 hour shifts in antique underground capsules. Capt. Blake Sellers spoke with Rolling Stone about his experience during his time as a nuclear missileer, so I knew the images I was shooting had to portray his feeling about the job. I wanted to show Capt. Sellers in a solitary state, so I kept the composition and lighting pretty loose while centering him in the frame throughout most of the shoot. We worked through a number of different ideas, with my favorite from the shoot being a shot of Capt. Sellers yelling at the top of his lungs, in a wide open space with what looked like mushroom clouds behind him. As far as lighting went I knew I wanted to only use one light. The sun was setting and sometimes getting into using two, three, or four lights means you’re spending a lot of time adjusting flash levels and moving light stands instead of just shooting. I was working alone so I prioritized golden hour light over adding a bunch of flashes to the shoot. My choice of flash for this was a Paul C. Buff Alienbees B800, with a 46” Photek Softlighter II. I’ve been using Paul C. Buff’s Einstein flash as much as possible lately, but since I knew I’d be working in the sun I wanted to be able to shoot faster than the Canon 5D III’s native sync speed of 1/200th. This is possible in a number of ways, but I prefer to use PocketWizard’s HyperSync feature when I’m shooting with strobes. The downside is that the Einstein and HyperSync don’t seem to play very nicely with each other aside from the Einstein being at full power, whereas the B800 will pop with HyperSync at any power level. Given what I knew I was using for gear, I also knew I wanted to keep it at a fairly shallow depth of field, putting the emphasis on the subject. I decided on f/4 at ISO 100, since I knew that would give me enough sharpness on the subject and a bit in front/behind him relative to our distance from each other, but would also fall out of focus nicely elsewhere. I wanted to underexpose the ambient a bit too so I wouldn’t blow out the sky or the clouds happening behind him, as well as for the sake of not making things look too bright or cheery given the subject matter. All of these factors combined meant I was sitting somewhere around the 1/250 - 1/400 range for my shutter speed, hence the need to use PocketWizard’s HyperSync feature. For reference, here’s a shot straight out of my camera with zero editing, along with that same shot edited/cropped for delivery to Rolling Stone. Shot with a Canon 5D III & Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/2 ZE lens >>> 1/250 at f/4 ISO 100. For the full feature on RollingStone.com, click here Feel free to leave any questions or comments you have below. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.If the New York Knicks are looking for a perimeter star in the 2017 NBA Draft, could Louisville Cardinals shooting guard Donovan Mitchell be the answer? The New York Knicks are beginning to work out prospects to target in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft. That’s an intriguing process that must be closely monitored, but the primary focus is on what will transpire at No. 8 overall. Although a number of names have been discussed as options for the Knicks in the first round, it’s possible that one is being overlooked: Donovan Mitchell. For those unfamiliar, Mitchell is a shooting guard who starred for Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals. He’s ranked at No. 11 in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress and No. 22 by Chad Ford of ESPN Insider. If the Knicks are planning to acquire a second first-round draft pick, then Mitchell could fall into their laps as a wise selection. It stands to reason that Mitchell would be a reach at No. 8 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. New York could get exceptional value for Mitchell outside of the Top 10, however, and that’s a possibility worth exploring if Phil Jackson is willing to acquire a second first-round draft pick—something he proved willing to do in 2015. The question is: why should the New York Knicks be giving legitimate consideration to selecting Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 NBA Draft?When Ajmal Faqiri arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Afghanistan nearly two years ago with his wife, two young children and only as much personal belongings as they could fit in their suitcases, no one was there to meet them, and they had no idea where to go. Like many other Afghan and Iraqi interpreters who have served alongside U.S. troops fighting the Taliban, Faqiri and his family were in danger if they remained in their native country. To help the interpreters resettle, the U.S. has expanded a special immigrant visa program. A provision included in the 2016 defense authorization bill, now awaiting President Obama's signature, would further expand the number of special immigrant visas for Afghan interpreters to 7,000 a year, up from 4,000, to address the backlog of those seeking refuge. The U.S. government's expectation is that these immigrants will be self-sufficient within three months, even though they arrive with little money, according to the organization No One Left Behind, founded to help such immigrants land on their feet financially. But some have struggled to feed their families, and some have found themselves homeless. No One Left Behind is the only nonprofit helping these interpreters and their families as they resettle in the U.S., according to the organization. Faqiri had served for nine years as an interpreter with coalition forces fighting the Taliban, including fighting right alongside those forces. At one point, he also served as interpreter for then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates when he visited Afghanistan. On a short timeline because his visa was set to expire just two days after he received it on Dec. 29, 2013, Faqiri scrambled to get himself and his family on the only available flight to the U.S., which was going to San Francisco. He had to borrow $16,000 to pay for the flights because of the short notice. When they arrived, he realized there was no one to help them, much less meet them in their new country. He finally found an Afghan family who took them to their home. But he also soon learned that he couldn't get a job without a Social Security number, a green card and other requirements. × Fear of missing out? Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter: Sign up for the Early Bird Brief He considered taking his wife and children back to Afghanistan, telling family back home, "If I die, I die. I don't want to be homeless." Then on Facebook he found his friend Janis Shinwari, who had arrived in the U.S. a few months before, with the help of Matt Zeller, an Army captain now in the Reserve. Zeller had fought for five years to get Shinwari to America and to raise awareness of the plight of these interpreters left behind and in danger. Shinwari served as Zeller's interpreter in Afghanistan in 2008, and Zeller credits Shinwari with saving his life in a firefight. Zeller said he considers these interpreters to be his brothers and fellow veterans, but the treatment they receive when coming to the U.S. is sadly different from other veterans. The interpreters have different expectations when they arrive, said Shinwari, who co-founded No One Left Behind with Zeller. "They think because they served, someone will meet them at the airport, welcome them and take them to their new home where everything is waiting," Shinwari said at a recent fundraising event for No One Left Behind in northern Virginia, attended by members of various churches, mosques and synagogues. The vast majority of the interpreters resettle in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. The organization paid for Faqiri's family's flights to Virginia, where they stayed with Shinwari's family for two months. No One Left Behind gave him money for a car and for rent. Faqiri, now working for an auto dealership, said he is so grateful for the help he has received that he volunteers one day a week for the organization, to help other interpreters from Iraq and Afghanistan who are resettling here. "If you have anything to give for the new arrivals, you'll see my face with the truck when I arrive," he said at the fundraising event. "I'm happy to take it and deliver it to new arrivals." Zeller said that to date, No One Left Behind has helped about 700 people, including family members, resettle here. But the organization doesn't have the resources to fully support the families, he said. Estimates are that by the end of 2014, about 30,000 Afghan and Iraqi interpreters and family members were resettled in the U.S. Zeller said his organization estimates that about 10,000 need some level of basic assistance, with No One Left Behind coming in direct contact with about 1,500 confirmed cases in need of basic assistance. By the end of this year, he expects the organization, which has tax-exempt status, to have raised about $480,000 since its founding in October 2013. In addition, they expect to have received about $55,000 in in-kind donations, mostly in the form of furniture and household items, as well as a few cars. By the end of this year, they expect to have provided $280,000 in assistance to families. More interpreters and their families are coming, Zeller said, estimating that another 14,000 had submitted applications. "Our goal is to be out of business in 10 years," Zeller said, noting that when the need is no longer there to help resettled families, the organization will put whatever money is left into a fund for scholarships for the interpreters' children. Shinwari said that when he arrived with his family and their few belongings, Zeller met him at the airport and took them to a hotel, after they realized there was no other assistance. On the third day, Zeller co-signed for him on an apartment lease. He sent some emails about Shinwari's family's plight — no furniture, no mattresses, no dishes or utensils. Zeller left to buy some food. By the time he returned a couple of hours later, so many people had come to the door with donations, that Shinwari told Zeller "the apartment is fully furnished, and they're still coming. Dishes, everything. We don't have enough room for everything." When Zeller tried to give him $35,000 that had been donated, Shinwari refused to take it. "I said, let's start a nonprofit organization to help others who don't have a Matt Zeller to help them," Shinwari said. The organization also has launched efforts to welcome the interpreters and their families to the U.S. when they arrive at airports, Zeller said. He showed a film clip of some of these arrivals, and one interpreter arriving in California who was taken to see the ocean. As the sun was setting over the ocean, he asked, "So I don't have to carry my weapon anymore?"Insecurity continues to take its toll in the DRC. After 20 years of successive conflicts, an estimated 1.5 million people in the DRC have been displaced from their homes. One advocate urges humanitarian organizations to teach displaced girls the basic trades so they can earn money and avoid resorting to survival sex. KANYABAYONGA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Afisa Kanyere Kamate, seated in front of her tiny 16-square-meter (172-square-foot) house made entirely of tar-coated wooden planks, is focused on one worry: ensuring that her six younger siblings have food. At 19, she is their only caretaker. To feed them, she has made a difficult choice. INSIDE THE STORY: GPJ reporter Merveille Kavira Luneghe finds that sometimes people make tough, if not despicable, choices when they have no one to turn to. Read the blog. “Most of the boys pay me 2,000 Congolese francs [about $1.50] for one quickie, and I ask 5,000 Congolese francs [nearly $4] per night,” Kanyere says. In a week, she says, she can make 5,000 to 10,000 Congolese francs (nearly $4 to $8), enabling her to afford 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) of cassava flour, a bottle of cooking oil and beans. Kanyere and her brothers and sisters are among the estimated 1.5 million displaced from their homes in the DRC. Many come from conflict-torn areas in Lubero and Rutshuru territories seeking refuge here in Kanyabayonga, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of North Kivu’s provincial capital of Goma. Kanyere and her siblings fled from her village of Kibirizi in Rutshuru, about 143 kilometers (nearly 89 miles) away, after her father’s body was found decapitated in September 2015. Misfortune never comes alone. A few months later, her mother died of malaria, leaving behind four younger brothers and two younger sisters for Kanyere to care for. “We’re seven children, and all of us live in a small, poorly maintained room,” Kanyere says. When it rains, she says, they squeeze themselves into one corner, because the roof leaks. Kanyere laments the turn her life has taken, and she tries to protect her siblings from her work. Most of the boys pay me 2,000 Congolese francs [about $1.50] for one quickie, and I ask 5,000 Congolese francs [nearly $4] per night. “There is nothing more embarrassing than working as a prostitute at home when I live with my younger siblings,” she says. “They stay with me the whole time. I’m obliged to sneak away for sex when a man solicits sexual services from me. When I have a client at night, I have to wait until the children fall deep asleep.” Kanyere says men don’t want to marry her because they’re afraid of taking on the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. “I feel like my life is a total mess. Worse still, my life is a living death. I am no different from a dead person,” she says. An estimated 1.5 million people, like Kanyere and her brothers and sisters, who are internally displaced in the DRC are among almost 38 million internally displaced worldwide, according to Jose Barahona, Oxfam’s country director for DRC. Women and children make up about 80 percent of refugees and are vulnerable to violence during times of migration and displacement, specifically where social structures are disintegrated by war, according a survey conducted by the Howard University School of Social Work. Such has been the case in the DRC, which has seen 20 years of successive conflicts. Maurice Muyayalo Kisolu, commander in charge of child protection and the fight against sexual violence for the Kirumba Police Department, says Kanyere is not alone in resorting to sex work for survival. Kisolu estimates that as many as 70 percent of displaced girls living in the town of Kirumba in North Kivu Province are trapped into making similar choices because incoming humanitarian aid is just not enough. He says his unit was set up specifically to defend women and children, because they are often the hardest hit when conflicts and wars break out. “War-displaced people need to enjoy all the fundamental rights. And so, they have the right to life, protection, security, assistance, asylum [when fleeing from one country to another], housing and comfort,” he says. Vaghen Masika, 24, a Kanyabayonga resident, says that the state of internally displaced girls is deplorable, especially for those who have lost their parents. “As a result, they have to fend for themselves in many ways to survive,” she says. She says a neighbor has chosen to turn to sex work to afford to eat and has forced her children into the sex trade as well. But even so, she says, “the proceeds were still not enough for survival.” Kahindo Sikuli, a displaced girl, says some make desperate choices: “We’re spending our days roaming around aimlessly in camps. Some of us have managed to land jobs that help them cover their needs. Here, we’re faced with unemployment, leading us to turn to banditry and prostitution,” she says. Here, we’re faced with unemployment, leading us to turn to banditry and prostitution. Kahindo Mwandu, leader of Mumaluk (Muungano Wa WAMAMA wa Lubero ya Kusini), an association of Congolese women who advocate for women and girls, calls on humanitarian organizations to teach displaced girls the basic trades, such as weaving, braiding and knitting, so that they can avoid resorting to sex work. Currently, there is no group in Kirumba offering these services to help the displaced, she says. “There is a need for displaced girls to have centers to go to with their problems, to recount their challenges and be listened to for a solution,” Mwandu says. Kanyere’s only wish is to be able to return home and find enough food for her siblings. “I call on the government to restore peace throughout the territories of Rutshuru and Lubero, so that we can return home and dig our fields,” she says.FORT LAUDERDALE — As masked robbers smashed jewelry cases with hammers, screaming shoppers, confusing breaking glass for gunshots, ran for safety inside the Galleria Mall on Sunday. The chaotic scene unfolded about 3:30 p.m. at the Mayors jewelry store inside the mall on Sunrise Boulevard. The five robbers fled with the loot and led police on a chase to Miami-Dade County, authorities said. On Monday, authorities said the investigation of the incident is now being handled by the FBI. The agency identified two men who were arrested in Miami-Dade County following a pursuit from Broward as Malcolm Anwar Williams, 37, and Zavier Mcgee, 34. Both are facing federal charges, the FBI said. According to the FBI, at least three other people connected to the robbery remain at large. On Sunday, police initially indicated that three people had been taken into custody. The reason for the discrepency could not immediately be clarified. Lauderhill Police Department/Courtesy Surveillance footage shows the robbery of Immanuel Jewelry, 1315 N. State Road 7 in Lauderhill. Surveillance footage shows the robbery of Immanuel Jewelry, 1315 N. State Road 7 in Lauderhill. (Lauderhill Police Department/Courtesy) (Lauderhill Police Department/Courtesy) "They came in broad daylight on a busy Sunday afternoon, just came in demanding, yelling, telling everybody to get down and just started smashing all the glass," Fort Lauderdale Detective Tracy Figone said. Although there were initial reports of shots fired at the mall because of the sound of shattering glass, no
directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and guided by Marvel uber-producer Kevin Feige -- has the edge because of its relevance, convincing action, and suspenseful drama. With $260 million at the domestic box office, it's the second biggest movie of the year, behind Guardians. Its $715 million worldwide box office taking will top Guardians, trailing a few others, but is nearly twice what the first Cap film did. It's all a big step forward for a film character and franchise that debuted with an impressive and moving origin story in 2011. I'm not sure yet where this movie would rank on my all-time favorites list -- which runs to the likes of Chinatown, Apocalypse Now, All the President's Men, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Skyfall, North by Northwest, They Were Expendable, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Candidate... -- but this latest tale of a '40s guy finding his way in the 21st century is awfully good. A lot of hard men heading to Administration and Records join Steve Rogers for an eventful elevator ride at SHIELD headquarters. Scarlett Johansson has become Black Widow aka Natasha Romanov. I'll admit it, I was resistant to her casting as Black Widow. She's not Russian, she's rather petite, and she hadn't done action. And, the real reason, she was then being jammed into the culture on a wave of media hype as the hottest woman on the planet, which I didn't buy. Then her role in Iron Man 2 seemed shoe-horned into the picture for future franchise building, distracting from the intriguing main story pitting Tony Stark against Mickey Rourke's Ivan Vanko, a might-have-been Stark reduced to working his way up from a Russian gulag. Duly annoyed, I wrote that Johansson was only the third hottest woman in Iron Man 2, behind Lesley Bibbs's leggy journalist and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts. It wasn't that I disliked Johansson as an actress, far from it. I was taken with her first big role at age 13 opposite, yes, Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer and intrigued by her big breakthrough in Lost In Translation. I just didn't like having her jammed on me. Fortunately, when The Avengers rolled around, it all worked very well. And in Winter Soldier, Johansson is practically perfect. Her Black Widow is smart and witty, quick with the banter and telling one-liners and even quicker with the assured martial arts moves. Not to mention very hot. She and Chris Evans have great chemistry together and, teaming up as they do in Cap 2, make a great team. Bring on the Black Widow movie. Robert Redford was perfectly cast against type. "Oh, Renata, I wish you'd knocked." The audience gasps when Redford's former Secretary of State Alexander Pierce shoots his housekeeper to death when, returning to retrieve her forgotten phone, she sees him with his shadowy assassin, the Winter Soldier. Ironically, there had been some big clues before that moment of definition. Nick Fury tells his old mentor, now his boss as head of the World Security Council, something he doesn't want to hear. Boom! Next thing we see, Fury is attacked by a huge hit team. Steve Rogers withholds information from Pierce after Fury's death. Boom! Captain America is attacked by a gang of his tough guy colleagues, a sequence which includes the best elevator fight scene you'll ever see. But the super-villain of the movie simply can't be Robert Redford. He's one of the greatest cinematic symbols of liberal integrity of all time. And he never plays bad guys. Where Warren Beatty would play a bad guy, albeit with all the surface charm and oddball sincerity of a good guy -- Bugsy Siegel, what a great guy! Aside from the psychopath thing... -- Redford never went beyond ambivalent and ambiguous types. And in the great '70s conspiracy thrillers which inspired Winter Soldier, Redford was the shining hero figure out to thwart the incipient fascism threatening America. Yet here he is playing an even more monstrous character than those he struggled against in the day. His ruthless, brutal treatment of his star assassin demonstrates what an effective cover his liberal wit provides. Redford's Pierce isn't possessed by the nefarious Red Skull, as some fan boys had guessed. He is a deeply committed ideologue, in essence, a 21st century Nazi, hiding in plain sight. Also hiding in plain sight, in Pierce's refrigerator? A bottle of Newman's Own, a delicious reference to Redford's classic films with Paul Newman. Steve, Natasha (codename Black Widow), and a STRIKE commando team assault a hijacked ship on the Indian Ocean. Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury comes into deep focus. Late in the movie, Nick Fury, now revealed to have survived the Pierce-ordered assassination, holds what looks exactly like a publicity still of Redford from All the President's Men and discusses some of his emotional issues. "This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said that peace is not an achievement, but a responsibility. It's stuff like this that gives me trust issues." In Jackson's commanding hands, Fury has long been a flavorful if sometimes ambiguous figure in the Marvelverse. Here he comes into much deeper and sharper focus, as a sardonic man of action and thought, whose thoughts and actions are uncomfortably close to being the antithesis of what he believes he stands for. Like Redford, Jackson brings tremendous iconic clout to his role. The difference is his doesn't go against the established grain. When at last, with Hydra defeated but SHIELD in shards, Cap, Falcon, and Black Widow meet with Fury at his grave site to go over next steps, the famous Biblical passage from Pulp Fiction -- "The path of the righteous man: Ezekiel 25: 17" -- seems foreordained. It's easily the best action movie of the year, leavened with just enough humor. Considering that the directors are best known for comedy, it's striking how strong the action scenes are in Cap 2. The best of them are the non-CGI fight and battle scenes centering on Chris Evans, who has taken a page from Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding guides and has evidently learned quite a bit of karate, boxing, and Brazilian jig-jitsu, with what looks like some Israeli krav maga thrown into the bargain. His parkour and track and field training come into play in a big way as well. Where Cap was more of a Jack Johnson-style boxer in his '40s First Avenger mode, and was just beginning to learn more Eastern martial arts in The Avengers, here he is a convincingly crunching and very fast master of combined arts. The others are no slouches, either. Scarlett Johansson no longer looks like she is playing out choreography. And as Cap ally-revealed-to-be-chief Hydra henchman Brock Rumlow, Frank Grillo brings some serious opposition. Nick Fury expresses his concerns about a big new SHIELD program to Alexander Pierce. The film has an excellent supporting cast. Anthony Mackie is a revelation as Cap's post-9/11 wars vet pal who becomes the Falcon. Cobie Smulders is a credible deputy to Fury as the cool and intrepid Maria Hill. Frank Grillo as Cap associate/Pierce chief henchman Brock Rumlow is memorable in what could easily be a stereotypical baddie role, ending well established for his future as the nefarious CrossBones. Toby Jones again impresses as Hydra scientist Arnim Zola, brought to America as part of the true life secret Nazi brain drain, only to become an artificial intelligence and creator of "the Zola algorithm" allowing Hydra-within-SHIELD to read the digital records and find opponents to be eliminated. Maximiliano Hernndez does well again as the familiar Agent Sitwell, with a big secret. And of course there is Hayley Atwell, the spirited leading lady of the first Cap film, now seen here in a moving scene late in her life with returned lost love Steve. No wonder the second Marvel TV series, Agent Carter, will feature her. Emily Van Camp doesn't fare as well as as Atwell (who plays her aged aunt) as the young Agent 13/Sharon Carter. She comes off very young. Which may be intentional. The film has the right musical score. This is a controversial point. The first Cap movie had a wonderful Americana-inflected orchestral score from Alan Silvestri. Many fans, including me, loved it. Little of it is heard here, aside from fleeting references to the great Captain America theme. Instead we get a rather harsh, mostly electronic score from Henry Jackman. Cue after cue is full of tension, with little room for warmth or a lot of uplift. The reality is that it works very well in the film. Where the first film was a superhero film as World War II movie, this is a superhero film as conspiracy thriller. And the classic '70s conspiracy thrillers tended to have generally ambient scores. Not always fun to listen to in isolation from the film, but fitted to the suspenseful, twisty proceedings. It elevated Captain America to the first rank of superheroes. Just a few years ago, not many were all that familiar with Captain America. A comic book character far past his World War II heyday, even the name ws more than a little embarrassing. Captain America: The First Avenger provided a touching origin story. But it required special handling, both in providing a bridge to the present for all audiences and with international sensitivity about America in the wake of the post-9/11 wars, so Marvel and Disney offered international distributors the option to call it simply The First Avenger. Only a few did. Flash forward to this summer, when rival DC and Warner Bros., which had scheduled the launch of the their sequel to last year's Superman reboot -- which also features Batman -- on the same 2016 weekend as Captain America 3, blinked and decided to move their picture to another weekend. Only Avengers partner Iron Man, Batman, and Spider-Man, among individual superheroes, have ever done better at the box office than Captain America with this year's picture. And in the present day, Cap has passed the famous web-slinger by. Captain America: The Winter Soldier title credits, with score. Cap 2 is a big game-changer in the Marvelverse. The destruction of SHIELD, at the hands of Captain America, is a massive shift for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. SHIELD has been the connective tissue giving rise to the Avengers. Now that it's gone as a coherent agency, for having so exceeded its reason for being as to prove the Nazis of Hydra with a perfect stalking horse for their takeover strategy, it's not clear what comes next. All our heroes are on their own, with only each other to look to for support. Thus perfectly setting up the search for order and the chaos to come in next May's new Avengers picture. It saved Marvel's big new TV show, Agents of SHIELD, and prompted its second series, Agent Carter. The revelation that Clark Gregg's stalwart Agent Phil Coulsen, whose murder by Loki in The Avengers spurs the quarreling superheroes into getting their act together, provided the launch point for a new team of non-superpowered operatives in the ABC TV series last fall. But the show was only pleasant, with scintillating moments few and far between. One watched out of a sense of completes. Until Captain America: The Winter Soldier upset the apple cart of seeming routine. With SHIELD down, Hydra, still in powerful remnant form, revealed, and big boss Nick Fury officially dead, Coulsen's pleasant, too young and too pretty crew had to become scruffy survivors. The show instantly became highly watchable, even gripping at times. The revelation that one of their stalwarts was actually a cold Hydra killer -- and that Coulsen's old buddy, Bill Paxton's flavorful John Garrett, was really a top Hydra leader -- upped the ante further. This is where we'll see the post-Cap 2 world in the run-up to next spring's second Avengers team-up. In addition to saving Marvel's first big TV series, Cap 2 also set up the second show, Agent Carter. Steve's reunion with his lost love, the now aged Peggy Carter, following his viewing of the telling Captain America exhibit at the Smithsonian -- which points him on his course in the film -- joined with the Arnim Zola sequence to set up the new series. How does the Strategic Scientific Reserve, which took repeated little World War II reject Steve Rogers and turned him into super-soldier Captain America, turn into SHIELD? Along with Col. Chester Philips (Tommy Lee Jones in the first movie) and Tony Stark's dad Howard (Dominic Cooper in the young version, Mad Men's John Slattery in the older), Peggy Carter is a co-founder of SHIELD. Agent Carter will shed a lot of light on the origins of our favorite shady spook shop. Cap makes the sacrifice play with the Hydra jet en route to New York City, to Agent Carter's grave dismay, in Captain America: The First Avenger. Steve Rogers is an unabashed, unironic, straight-up hero, unafraid to live his ideals. In an era of cynicism and shallowness, with anti-heroes predominating in television drama's golden age (as discussed in this essay on the Emmy triumphs of Breaking Bad and Sherlock), Steve Rogers aka Captain America is something very different. He challenges those around him to be their best, to live up to the words they mouth in their oaths of office. Once they get past the "corniness" of it all, audiences respond very enthusiastically. The Winter Soldier, concept and character. Before the movie came out, I wrote about the dual meaning of its title. Because the Winter Soldier isn't just the mysterious super-powered assassin who pops up with an eerily ominous Joker-like electronic theme to mark the mayhem to come, the Winter Soldier is a metaphor, dating back to Tom Paine and the American Revolution, a promise of steadfast patriotism when the going gets tough. It resurfaced as the name for anti-war hearings conducted by Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and it is there that Marvel author Ed Brubaker says he found the name for the shadowy assassin, who tragically turns out to be Steve Rogers's childhood friend he'd believed lost in World War II, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. We could do with a lot more of Sebastian Stan's Bucky-turned-Winter Soldier. He was fine in the first film as Steve's cool friend who looks out for him when he's weak and allies with him when he's strong. He even literally begins Steve's journey into the future, taking him -- and his own smashing date, played by the luminous Doctor Who co-star Jenna-Louise Coleman -- to the Stark Expo of 1943. There they see an (almost) flying car invented by showman playboy Howard Stark -- the chip that is Tony Stark didn't fall far off that block -- Steve meets the man who will make him the first super-soldier. Stan is even better in this movie as the fearsome Winter Soldier, victim of fascist conditioning and futuristic experimentation, now ruthlessly hyper-efficient in combat and more than a match for Captain America, with just enough residual doubt and humanity poking through. And it's a good thing that he's good, since Marvel has signed him up for nine pictures. Cap 2 is an outstanding conspiracy thriller. The conspiracy thriller flourished in the 1970s, a time of profound distrust of government and other major institutions, so it makes sense that there is an audience for it now. But this is a different time, in the sense that a knowing cynicism is part of the zeitgeist, even on the part of those who don't really know. The conspiracy thriller works best with an audience which still has enough idealism to be shocked. After all, if you think that everything is fixed, the suspense, mystery, and shock elements of the conspiracy thriller aren't going to do much for you. As cynicism and nihilism go hand in hand, it won't matter. So it makes particular sense that it's the least cynical hero figure around who is at the center of the biggest conspiracy thriller in years. Clever plotting and cleverer casting -- Robert Redford was in something like the Steve Rogers position in the classic '70s conspiracy thrillers like All the President's Men and Three Days of the Condor -- move Winter Soldier through its paces from its opening in an exciting yet odd commando raid to shattering realizations about the perversion of trust before our protagonists regroup and head off to tie up the loose ends of the struggle. Cap 2 is the most subversive blockbuster in years. Well, at least since 2013's Iron Man 3, which revealed its showy bin Laden-esque big bad to be a drunken British actor fronting a Pentagon contractor out to both cover up his defective product and spin up the war on terror. Subversive as that Marvel blockbuster is, I'd say Winter Soldier goes well beyond. For the shattering perversion of trust I mentioned above is more monstrous still. The institution Steve Rogers has devoted his talents and energy to, the institution we rely on for searing our lives and liberty, turns out to be hewing so close to a deeply fascist agenda that its members don't even perceive the Nazis all around them. And at their very top. Captain America: The First Avenger title credits, with Alan Silvestri's classic Captain America March. Chris Evans is a moving Steve Rogers and a crunchingly convincing Captain America. "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime.... This isn't freedom, this is fear." When we first met Steve in the first Cap film, a bit of cinematic trickery and his own fine performance presents him a a small, scrawny, weak, yet brave man with heart and compassion. He is, as Stanley Tucci's Dr. Abraham Erskine, the doomed genius of the super-soldier program, point out, a very good man. But he's not a commanding figurem bit sineibe capable of passing judgment as he does in this film. Evans takes Steve Rogers through an arc of development in the two films, from little loser to celebrity superhero, yet he retains his essential goodness throughout. His internal north star is true. The character grows but always remains true to himself and his ideals and is believable throughout. Evans brings great conviction to a role that could be corny. More than that, he makes Cap cool, with humor and with a non-arrogant sort of assurance. And in so doing, he's played the critical role in turning what looked a few years ago like a cornball afterthought from World War II into the most relevant superhero around.Following in the footsteps of Morgan Spurlock, who ate only McDonald’s food for one month in the film Super Size Me, an Australian man has undergone a sugar-heavy diet for 60 days to explore the ingredient’s impact on his health. In the upcoming That Sugar Film, Damon Gameau, a filmmaker and TV actor, vows to follow a strict diet of “healthy,” low-fat food with high sugar content, News.com.au reported. Within three weeks, the formerly healthy Gameau became moody and sluggish. A doctor gave him the shocking diagnosis: He was beginning to develop fatty liver disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most severe outcome for fatty liver disease is liver failure. “I had no soft drink, chocolate, ice cream or confectionery,” Gameau told Yahoo. “All the sugars that I was eating were found in perceived healthy foods, so low-fat yogurts, and muesli bars, and cereals, and fruit juices, sports drinks... these kind of things that often parents would give their kids thinking they’re doing the right thing.” RELATED: Family goes for a year without sugar Gameau reportedly consumed 40 teaspoons of sugar per day, or slightly more than the average teenager worldwide, according to News.com.au. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the average American consumes 20 teaspoons of sugar daily. The AHA’s daily recommendations for sugar consumption are 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. In That Sugar Film, Gameau observed that the additive impacted his physical and mental health. Doctors called his mental functioning “unstable,” and the father-to-be reportedly put on nearly four inches of visceral fat around his waist. He was on the fast track to obesity. Gameau said his sugar-laden diet left him feeling hungry, no matter how much he ate. His final meal— which consisted of a juice, a jam sandwich, a bar, and a handful of other snacks— is similar to an ordinary child’s school lunchbox. “Sadly, it was very easy to do and fitted comfortably into the small plastic container,” Gameau wrote on his blog documenting his experiment. “The last meal was for all the people out there, especially parents, who are led to believe they are doing the right and healthy thing for their children. They are making an effort yet are horribly let down by the lack of integrity in marketing and packaging strategies.” Gameau told News.com.au that the experiment’s findings don’t suggest a need to completely cut sugar— but rather a need for more awareness about how much sugar has been added to perceptibly healthy food. “Sugar’s now in 80 percent of the processed food we’re eating,” he said. “If we can remove that, that’s the first step towards making a change.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population, have diabetes. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed diabetes cases. Research has shown that sugary drinks are linked to the disease. Consuming excess added sugar is also associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the CDC. Heart disease accounts for one in four deaths in the United States, or about 600,000 annual deaths. That Sugar Film will be released in Australian movie theaters in February 2015. A U.S. release date has not been listed on the film’s website. Click for more from News.com.au.Guests: Dave Shumka Dave Shumka Guests: Graham Clark Graham Clark Do you live in Portland (Maine), Boston, Turners Falls, Brooklyn, Philadelphia or London? Do you have a dispute you'd like to try before Judge John Hodgman LIVE? Submit your case at maximumfun.org/jjho! No case too big or too small! Stephanie files suit against her friend Sewit. They are both members of a Las Vegas community service group that often uses raffles for fundraising. Stephanie thinks members of their group should be prohibited from entering the raffles, but Sewit has no problem with it. With Guest Bailiffs Dave Shumka and Graham Clark of Stop Podcasting Yourself! EVIDENCE SUBMITTED BY STEPHANIE: “This is a photo of our most recent raffle items. Items included San Diego Comic Con exclusives/swag plus a signed photo of Flash Gordon star Sam Jones. He donated it to us at the Las Vegas convention we were holding the raffle at because he is a total sweetheart.” Affidavit from Very Awesome Girls member Crystella: "I believe members should not be able to enter our own raffles because it could cause others who enter to lose trust on our group. We know we are being fair but if someone in our group wins people may feel it's unfair and lose faith in our group." SUBMITTED BY SEWIT: Affidavit from Very Awesome Girls member Desiree: "I'm pro members entering our own raffles because our raffles are always intended to help a needy cause in our community. Why not get as much help as you can get? I understand that it may look bad for one of our own members to win the raffle, but I've been told the alternative is to enter in someone else's name. Isn't being deceitful to our supporters worse? Also, then if I do win the raffle, I have to make sure none of the prizes are ever showing in the pics I post on social media, I can't live with this paranoia!" -- To donate to any of the causes mentioned in this episode, here's the information: Street Teens Street Teens is a volunteer based, non-profit organization dedicated to assisting homeless, abandoned, and at risk youth, ages 12-21, in the Las Vegas Valley. Our primary goal is to meet the survival needs of our youth by providing basic necessities in a safe, compassionate environment. The Very Awesome Girls are currently collecting school supplies for their next meeting for Street Teens. Palomacy (Pigeon Rescue) Palomacy (a project of Community Initiatives) is a network of volunteers working together to save the lives of domestic, unreleasable pigeons and doves that would otherwise be killed in shelters for lack of adopters. Palomacy is Bay Area based but the founder, Elizabeth Young, is helping with the new Vegas based pigeon rescue, which is still applying for non-profit status. So donations go through Palomacy. WERU Community Radio Judge Hodgman has been recording most of the summer from WERU Community Radio with huge help from Joel Mann. WERU is a listener supported, non-commercial radio station serving Midcoast, Downeast and Central Maine. The station was recently struck by lightning and is in the process of repairing many radio station elements that were effected. Thank you to Ian Brodie for suggesting this week's title! To suggest a title for a future episode, like Judge John Hodgman on Facebook. We regularly put a call for submissions. -- You can still buy tickets for the Judge John Hodgman Live Justice tour! Check out the right side of this page or JohnHodgman.com/Tour for links and more information! SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PODCAST in ITUNES or the RSS FEEDShare. Hobbit franchise star Armitage playing the sadistic Francis Dolarhyde Hobbit franchise star Armitage playing the sadistic Francis Dolarhyde One of the Hannibal-verse's most famous killers (along with, of course, The Silence of the Lambs' "Buffalo Bill") is headed to Hannibal: Season 3. Yes, the role of Francis Dolarhyde - aka the "Tooth Fairy" - will be played by Hobbit franchise star Richard Armitage, reports The Wrap. Francis Dolarhyde is going to be a real Thorin Hannibal's side. Ok... we'll stop. — Hannibal (@NBCHannibal) January 13, 2015 The sadistic Dolarhyde serial killer character comes from Thomas Harris' Red Dragon novel, and has been portrayed on screen before by actors Tom Noonan (in Michael Mann's Manhunter) and by Ralph Fiennes (in 2002's Red Dragon). While Season 3 isn't meant to play out as the the Hannibal TV series' "Red Dragon" season (that would be Season 4, if all goes according to creator Bryan Fuller's plan), Dolarhyde will be introduced in person this year. I write "in person," because Fuller has already stated (on Twitter) that the home invasion Marlowe murders that Will Graham was using as a teaching tool in the pilot episode were actually committed by Dolarhyde. So Dolarhyde coming in allows the show to circle back to that, for those wondering if that loose thread would ever get snipped. Last summer, at the San Diego Comic Con, Fuller mentioned that Dolarhyde was coming in Season 3, and that he'd debut in Episode 8. Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/Showrenity.Not to be outdone by China in the space race, India is set to flex its muscles on the world stage, planning a mission to Mars late next year. K Radhakrishnan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters on Saturday that there will be a definitive announcement on the scientific research-based project by the government soon. "A lot of studies have been done on the possible mission to Mars. We have come to the last phase of approvals," he said, according to Times of India. The proposed Mars mission will apparently be focussed on the Red Planet’s origins and evolution, its climate and geography and whether life can be sustained there. The project is unlikely to be on the same scale as NASA’s Mars rover missions, however. The ISRO is aiming to launch an orbiter at the planet, loaded with 25kg of scientific kit, using tried-and-tested ‘workhorse’ the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It will then be placed into an orbit of 500 x 80,000 km around the planet. November 2013 is being touted as the preliminary launch date. India has already achieved some success in space with its lunar orbiter, Chandrayaan-1, which was the first to discover the presence of water molecules on the Moon. It aims to follow this up with Chandrayaan-2, a joint project with the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), which will aim to land a rover vehicle on the surface of the planet in 2014. The ISRO will be hoping its mission to Mars is more successful than China’s brush with the Red Planet recently. Its Yinghuo-1 satellite never reached Mars and was destroyed earlier this year, having been stranded in orbit after the Russian Fobos-Grunt spacecraft it was travelling with failed soon after launch. ®Posted April 24, 2017 at 1:01 am - Detecting / Hiding from other immortals (Third comic in this page of Question Mark comics) Moving through plot at the speed of sound... Okay, maybe not that fast, but by EGS standards, we're barreling towards Friday at the speed of a runaway train. Wait, is a runaway train faster than a... not runaway train? A train doing what it's supposed to do is already fast, and it's still got the driver in control. That said, do I even want the faster train in this instance? It's not like we skipped all of Wednesday or anything. Maybe I want the train that's pretty fast, but not the maximum speed a train might achieve? It's possible I'm overthinking this. Tiny New Jerry New Jerry was originally going to be normal sized in this comic, but I really wanted him and Susan visible in most of the panels together. With Susan sleeping, that was problematic. Then I remembered New Jerry could be any size I wanted on the spirit plane, and every problem was solved forever. Granted, his not casting a shadow onto Susan's blanket makes this look a bit odd, but that's what would happen, so we all have to just sorta deal with that oddness. - EGS:NPThe private Medicare Advantage plans compete not only with one another but also against the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program, through which two-thirds of beneficiaries still receive care, Mr. Bertolini said. One of the more remarkable moments of the hearing came when Mr. Blumenthal criticized the mergers, even though Aetna, which was founded in Hartford in the 1850s and still has its headquarters there, is a pillar of the state’s economy. Mr. Blumenthal said he was “deeply troubled” by evidence suggesting that consumers and health care providers would not benefit from the insurance company mergers. He rejected arguments by Mr. Bertolini and Mr. Swedish that new insurance companies were entering the market and creating new competition. In fact, Mr. Blumenthal said, “there are powerful barriers to entry” for new insurers. After the hearing, Mr. Blumenthal said that Aetna was “a part of Connecticut’s economic DNA,” a source of jobs and corporate philanthropy. But, he said, “the antitrust analysis is separate and apart” from the company’s role as an employer in Connecticut. He said the merger could adversely affect consumers in Connecticut and other states. Senator Mike Lee, Republican of Utah, who called the hearing as chairman of the antitrust subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, said he was determined to find out why “the insurance industry is rapidly consolidating.” Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee, said she wanted to know “whether the claims of consumer benefits, corporate efficiency and lower costs are realistic.” Mr. Swedish said his company’s merger with Cigna would “uniquely benefit consumers” by expanding access to care through a more extensive network of doctors and hospitals. He said that the combined company would face “robust competition” in many geographic markets and product lines, including health insurance for individuals and small and midsize employers, and administrative services for big businesses that insure themselves.The current outbreak is caused by a single-cell parasite known as Cyclospora. Budget hinders food-parasite probe Federal authorities are struggling to explain why 600 people in 22 states have fallen ill from a foodborne parasite rarely seen in the United States. But some officials are ready to finger one culprit that has hindered their investigation: the sequester. Story Continued Below The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has had to slash $285 million at a time when food and health experts say disease detection needs more funding as these type of food outbreak cases become more complex and widespread. The current outbreak, caused by a single-cell parasite known as Cyclospora, is a case in point. About 250 consumers in Nebraska and Iowa got sick after eating at Red Lobster and Olive Garden, and their illnesses were linked to a salad mix produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico. But another 250 Texas residents who are sick with the same bug have no link to the product. On top of that, about 100 consumers are reportedly ill in 19 other states and there is no clear link between them. The investigation has been dragging on for two months, and frustration is building. Further confounding officials is the extensive nine-day on-farm investigation conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at Taylor Farms’ operations in central Mexico. The FDA — which works with states and the CDC to solve foodborne illness outbreaks — reported finding no trace of the parasite and noted that the farm was operating “in accordance with known food safety protocols” — unusual praise after an on-site investigation for an outbreak. The agency said this week it does not know how Cyclospora might have contaminated the salad mix blamed for some of the illnesses. Taylor Farms, which is the largest supplier of leafy greens in the U.S., said its operation has undergone more than 1,800 tests, and every single one of which has come back negative for the parasite. After voluntarily suspending operations for two weeks, the company has resumed operations and instated regular testing for Cyclospora. Meanwhile, CDC officials are circling around another possible explanation. “We’re coming to the conclusion that this may be two separate outbreaks,” said Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. “It’s very difficult to come up with any explanation that connects the two.” Significantly hindering the CDC is that it does not have the technology it needs to conduct the “genetic fingerprinting” that would tell investigators which illnesses are linked to a common source, Tauxe said. The Obama administration is seeking $40 million in additional funding for CDC in fiscal year 2014 to address the issue, with an Advanced Molecular Detection initiative, but the continued focus on cutting discretionary spending in Washington makes boosting funding at any agency a challenge. The tests the feds are currently using are “very, very primitive,” said Tauxe, who noted Cyclospora has not received the same funding and attention as more common foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella and E. coli. There hasn’t been a major Cyclospora outbreak in the U.S. since 1997. “Budget priorities have played a role here,” he said. “We’re trying to do real detective work without fingerprints because we don’t have the technology to do it,” said CDC spokesperson Barbara Reynolds. “It’s really exciting technology, but there has to be an investment in software, hardware, and training.” Meanwhile, she said, “we’re falling more and more behind.” Pressure building The lack of a smoking gun at Taylor Farms and growing concerns about a lack of adequate technology are just the latest twist in what has been a long and controversial outbreak investigation. Earlier this summer, federal health officials were criticized for taking several weeks to find the source for hundreds of illness in Nebraska and Iowa, which cropped up earlier than those in Texas, and then again for not immediately naming the restaurants and suppliers involved. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) shot a letter to both the FDA and CDC in early August that “demanded answers” about how the investigation unfolded and asked why the agencies were not being forthright with American consumers. These latest developments are adding fuel to speculation that public health officials may have botched the investigation. “I would be really surprised if this is not from one source somewhere and it is looking like Taylor may not be the original source,” said David Acheson, a consultant at Leavitt Partners who served as FDA’s associate commissioner for foods during the Bush administration. Michael Osterholm, a leading foodborne disease expert at the University of Minnesota, agrees. “Iowa and Nebraska might have missed the real cause,” said Osterholm, who has been a vocal critic of the Cyclospora investigation. “It might not be leafy greens.” Officials at both CDC and FDA said they are confident in their conclusions for illnesses in Nebraska and Iowa, but admitted they are not close to nailing down a source for the rest of the cases, if they are in fact linked. The debate over the cause of the outbreak is reminiscent of a 2008 debacle in which FDA mistakenly warned consumers in certain states to avoid tomatoes during a Salmonella outbreak. The agency eventually determined the culprit was raw peppers grown in Mexico. Tomato growers in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina — who lost hundreds of millions of dollars as demand dropped — sued the federal government this month seeking $40 million in compensation for the mix up.The Japanese exclusive add-on to the Nintendo Famicom known as the Disk System allowed the 8-bit console to load games from a re-writable source. Although anything but floppy, the yellow cased disks worked exactly like a standard 3.5” equivalent. Instead of writing games onto disk yourself, you’d either buy them brand new or head to a Nintendo FDS Kiosk and select your game of choice - very much like a vending machine. As of today though, the format itself is very clunky and the hardware often suffers from degradation. This, however, is no longer an issue thanks to an all new solution, the FDSStick. For those unfamiliar with the Famicom Disk System, many of the units out there are now in need of repair due to the belt which
prevent the proliferation of these very sensitive weapons outside of Syria’s border," one administration official said. "It’s an exponentially more dangerous program than Libya. We are talking about legitimate WMDs here — this isn’t Iraq. The administration is really concerned about loose WMDs. It’s one of the few things you could put on the agenda and do something about without planning the fall of the regime." The administration is also working closely with the Jordanians on the issue. A Jordanian military delegation was at the Pentagon Thursday to meet with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. In addition to the danger of proliferation, there is a concern that Assad could actually use his WMDs if his situation becomes desperate. "The WMD program is in play now, and that’s important because it highlights the innate danger that the existence of this regime poses to U.S. security and regional interests," the administration official said. "[The demarche] puts Syria’s neighbors on notice and it reflects the recognition that a dangerous Assad regime is willing to do anything to save its own skin. If they are willing to kill the country to save the regime, they might be willing to do a great deal more damage throughout the region." Some officials inside and outside the administration see the WMD activity as helpful, but lament that such a high degree of planning is not taking place on the issue of how to precipitate the downfall of the Assad regime as quickly and as safely as possible. Over 70 countries met in Tunis today to develop a unified message on the transition of power in Syria and urge the Assad regime to allow humanitarian access. The Saudi delegation actually walked out of the meeting, complaining of "inactivity" and urging the international community to arm the Syrian opposition. The Obama administration has consistently rejected calls by the Syrian National Council and others to prepare for a military intervention in Syria and no real strategy exists internally to force Assad from power, another administration official said. "Our strategic calculus can’t be solely about what comes after Assad without taking a hard look at how to bring about Assad’s downfall as safely as possible," said this official. "The reality is, at some point, there will be a recognition you can’t plan for a post-Assad scenario without planning how to shape the downfall itself. You can’t separate the two." Concern about a gap in planning for how to oust the Assad regime is shared by some in Congress, including Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who issued a statement today urging the administration to start directly aiding the Syrian rebels and protecting Syrian civilians. "Unfortunately, speeches and meetings by themselves will do nothing to stop the unacceptable slaughter in Syria, which is growing worse by the day," the senators said. "We remain deeply concerned that our international diplomacy risks becoming divorced from the reality on the ground in Syria, which is now an armed conflict between Assad’s forces and the people of Syria who are struggling to defend themselves against indiscriminate attacks." In her prepared remarks in Tunis, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she supported more sanctions on the Assad regime but she declined to endorse any direct help to the Syrian opposition without the consent of the Syrian government, saying only, "We all need to look hard at what more we can do."By Senabri Silvestre SANTO DOMINGO, Dom. Rep. The Venezuelan government has reached an agreement with the United Nations to expand cooperation in the supply of medicines to the cash-strapped South American country, according to authorities. "We have even addressed others mechanisms such as the search for medicines at really affordable prices and how Venezuela has made use of them," Minister of Foreign Affairs Delcy Rodriguez said in a meeting Thursday with UN representatives. Rodriguez said the administration of Nicolas Maduro is looking at measures to strengthen its food policies and defeat the “false media that tries to sell a humanitarian crisis”. “We work for the country and for not to succumb to the pressures of the imperial centers of power that pretend to take back the rights of the people”, she added. Venezuela is struggling in the face of an economic and political bottleneck as citizens complain of a lack of basic supplies and medicine, fueling calls for a recall of Maduro. The lack of supply in hospitals is of such magnitude that only three percent of the needs are fulfilled, the president of the Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) Douglas Leon Natera said Thursday. The situation has caused a sharp deterioration in the quality and safety of healthcare in the past two years, but Maduro has made limited efforts to obtain international humanitarian assistance, according to the Human Rights Watch (HRW).House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014. Boehner said Thursday it will be difficult to pass immigration legislation this year, dimming prospects for one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) The Associated Press By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner said Thursday it will be difficult to pass immigration legislation this year, dimming prospects for one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities. "Listen, there's widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. And it's going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes," Boehner told reporters at his weekly news conference. While Boehner called on Obama to restore that trust, he made no mention of his rank-and-file Republicans who were unenthusiastic about a set of broad principles circulated by the leadership last week. The principles included legal status but no special path for citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants who live in the country illegally as well as tougher border and interior security. Republicans are wary of tackling the divisive issue in a midterm election year and angering their core conservative voters who equate any legal status for those who entered the country illegally to amnesty. White House spokesman Jay Carney conceded that passing immigration reform could take time. "Nothing like this, nothing as important, nothing as comprehensive ever comes fast or easy in Washington, so this won't be any different," he told reporters, stressing that 2014 still presents the best opportunity. Conservatives have said they distrust Obama will enforce any new law, citing his waivers and suspensions of provisions on the health care law and his pronouncement in his State of the Union address that he would bypass Congress if lawmakers fail to act on specific issues. "The president's going to have to rebuild the trust that the American people and my colleagues can trust him to enforce the law in the way it's written," Boehner said. Carney dismissed Boehner's argument. "The challenges within the Republican Party on this issue are well-known, and they certainly don't have anything to do with the president," he said. A group of conservative Republicans said Wednesday that Congress should wait until next year when the GOP may control the Senate and would have greater leverage in any immigration negotiations. Democrats have a 55-45 advantage but are defending more seats this year, including several in Republican-leaning states. "I think it's a mistake for us to have an internal battle in the Republican Party this year about immigration reform," Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, told reporters at a gathering of conservatives. "I think when we take back the Senate in 2014, one of the first things we should do next year, after we do certain economic issues, I think we should address the immigration issue." Labrador's comments were noteworthy as he was one of eight House members working on bipartisan immigration legislation last year. He later abandoned the negotiations. "This is not an issue that's ready for prime time to move legislatively," said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who said Republicans should use the principles to begin a dialogue with Hispanics. It's unclear, however, whether the year leading up to the 2016 presidential election will produce immigration legislation. The Senate last June passed a bipartisan bill that would tighten border security, provide enforcement measures and offer a path to citizenship for immigrants living here without government authorization. The measure has stalled in the House where Boehner and other leaders have rejected a comprehensive approach in favor of a bill-by-bill process. Supporters were optimistic that legislation could move ahead this year when House GOP leaders unveiled their principles last week and Obama indicated that he was willing to consider legalization. Within days, however, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he didn't think legislation could get done, blaming Obama and a lack of trust. Boehner's pessimistic comments came just two days after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters that differences between the Senate's comprehensive approach and the House's piecemeal strategy were an "irresolvable conflict." "I don't see how you get to an outcome this year with the two bodies in such a different place," McConnell told reporters. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday, "don't blame Boehner alone. Because the Senate Republican leader threw cold water on this," a reference to McConnell's comments. Yet Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who worked to ensure passage of the Senate bill, said "I'm still optimistic that we'll get this done." Though Obama has threatened to act on his own if Congress did not move on some of his other priorities, Carney signaled that Obama was not prepared to do that on immigration. "There's no alternative to comprehensive immigration reform passing through Congress. It requires legislation. And the president's made that clear in the past, and that continues to be his view," he said. ___ Associated Press writers David Espo and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.The government's handling of the economic crisis has come under fire again after the International Monetary Fund warned that the UK will suffer a longer recession than other major countries. The latest economic forecasts from the IMF, which come as unemployment today surged through the 2 million mark, show that the UK economy will contract by 3.8% this year - a much more severe slump than the government has admitted. The IMF also predicted that Britain will be the only country to keep shrinking through 2010. Shadow chancellor George Osborne seized on the forecast, saying that it showed that the recession in Britain will be longer and deeper because of Labour's economic policies. "These IMF forecasts show that Britain is set to have the longest recession of all the major economies," said Osborne. "It is further evidence that Gordon Brown's economic model is fundamentally broken and his policies on the recession aren't working." If the IMF's figures are correct, they could shatter Labour's chances of winning a fourth consecutive term in office. A Guardian/ICM opinion poll published today shows that if it can show that the economy is recovering by May 2010 - the likely date of the next election. The figures were not expected to be officially published until April, but they were released yesterday by Teresa Ter-Minassian, an adviser to IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn. They show that the US economy is expected to contract by 2.6% this year, the eurozone by 3.2%, and Japan by 5%. The overall world economy is forecast to shrink by 0.6% this year - the first annual global contraction since the second world war. 2 million, and counting The government faces more criticism after it was confirmed this morning that unemployment smashed through the 2 million mark to reach its highest level since 1997. Analysts said the grim figures reinforce fears that the grinding economic crisis will send unemployment above 3 million within two years. Howard Archer of Global Insight predicted that unemployment will peak at 3.3 million on the ILO measure around the end of 2010. Accountancy firm BDO Story Hayward warned on Monday that it expects 36,000 business to fail in 2009, and another 39,000 in 2010 - which would help to send the jobless figures soaring. One of the main contributors to the jump in unemployment in January was the collapse of high street chain Woolworths, which had employed around 30,000 people. But jobs were also lost across the economy, including 400 IT staff at Barclays, 450 at Jaguar Land Rover, and several hundred at Land of Leather. Unemployment has been rising steadily since January 2008, with the pace increasing as retailers, manufacturers and banks all suffering from the downturn. There are now 10 jobseekers chasing every vacancy, putting pressure on job centres around the country. As this interactive graphic shows, parliamentary constituencies across the country have been hit by the increase in unemployment. The picture is just as bleak across the Atlantic, where unemployment has hit a 28-year high. More than 600,000 jobs are being lost each month - the highest figure since the end of the second world war. Even those who manage to cling onto their jobs are suffering a drop in income. Engineering firm Renishaw has asked staff to accept a 20% cut in pay, while carworkers at Toyota have agreed a 10% wage cut. Some government ministers are concerned that women will bear the brunt of the impending job cuts, while economist Danny Blanchflower is very concerned about the impact of youth unemployment. Blanchflower, who sits on the Bank of England's rate-setting committee, has warned that losing a job early in one's career can have a devastating long-term impact.On my previous few days of diving into iPhone development, found some promising environments for the iphone development. 1. unity ( http://unity3d.com/unity/features/iphone-publishing ) This is an IDE,for 3d Graphical Object authoring which has compelling capabilities regarding the content creation. Pros : With in-built events handlers(behaviours) and native iphone support looks very promising as far as the content creation and delivery are concerned. Full light,shadow and materials in a 3d environment is just a full fledged game development environment. The IDE can be used in both Windows and MAC. Cons : A very high price tag. 2. torque2d ( http://www.garagegames.com/products/torque-2d/iphone ) This is an IDE for 2D Graphical Object authoring. WYSIWYG 2D editor at iPhone screen resolution. Has got a 3d IDE (http://www.garagegames.com/products/tge/iphone) for iphone. Pros : Makes a complete game development environment as the Objects are visual and a custom scripting environment for the obejcts, same kind as Unity but 2D environment. Option to divide the 2D and 3D games as per requirement. This IDE can be used in both Windows and Mac. Cons : Still a high price tag and not a clear Licensing model. 3. ston3d ( http://www.stonetrip.com/shiva/publish-3d-game-on-iphone.html ) This is an IDE(http://www.stonetrip.com/) for 3D authoring as Unity and Torque. Pros : Makes a complete game development environment as the Objects are visual and a custom scripting environment for the obejcts, same kind as Unity and Torque. Runs on both Windows and Mac. Cons : Still a high price tag (http://www.stonetrip.com/platform/view-all-products.html) the iphone exporter only works in Mac. The IDEs are too good for a complete game development environment,where the developers and designers work in the same IDE.Graphics can be done and kept as library items and then developers can take those to add the desired behaviour. This will be much like developing the Flash IDE with actionscript. But then all of the people invloved in the development must have teh clear knowledge of the environment and the developers must learn the new languages specific to the IDEs. 4. nui ( http://libnui.net/pages/about.php ) A C++ framework designed to build multiplatform applications on top 3D rendered dynamic layouts. Pros : platforms supported are iPhone, MacOSX, Win32, Linux Cons : High price tag, only coding and no graphics IDE will increase the complexity of development. 5. HAXE (http://ncannasse.fr/blog/haxe_for_iphone) A language to create projects in multiple platforms. Pros : An actionscript like language,with which flash developers can get upto speed very fast. Publish the application in different environment(Haxe publishes to SWF,Javascript,PHP and C++ now) Complete Opensource development. Cons : The present support for iPhone is a JailBreak one. 6. PyObjC (http://pyobjc.sourceforge.net/) A python language derivative to create ObjecticveC applications Pros : Can use Python knowledge to develop. Opensource development. Cons : Does not make any sense for a flash developer,anyway has to study a new language. At (http://www.saurik.com/id/5) it says one still need to know ObjectiveC. 7. alcheMo-for-iPhone (http://innaworks.com/alcheMo-for-iPhone.html) pros : Use java to develop iphone applications. Seems its the only one which does not require Jailbreak or any other tweeks to develop for iPhone in Java. cons : Neither Download norLicensing are clear. 8. QuickConnect (http://quickconnect.sourceforge.net/browser/index.html) A javascript framework to develop iphone apps. pros : will be easy and fast develoopement as it is in javascript. Multiple platform deployment.Since it is open source and liberally licenced you can use it to develop for your open source, free projects or closed source, for-cost projects. cons : still a Release candidate.(http://sourceforge.net/projects/quickconnect/) 9. XMLVM (http://www.xmlvm.org/iphone/) An XML driven iphone application development. pros : Simple and fast as its all XML. Opensource. cons : Needs Jail-break (http://plum.sfsu.edu/xml11-external/java4iphone-google.pdf,page 28) 10. The Cocotron (http://www.cocotron.org/) This is an open source project which aims to implement a cross-platform Objective-C API similar to that described by Apple Inc.’s Cocoa documentation. pros : Cross platform developement,so can be developed on windows. cons : Need to learn ObjectiveC. Still seems premature. While all of the programming environments either seem under heavy development or missing tutorials,its a good idea to keep an eye on them as all of them seem promising. Same with the graphical IDEs. Would like to see HAXE coming up as my personal favorite from a flash developers point of view. :)There will be a live webcast of Governor Schwarzenegger's comments here on the new budget that his office says includes "absolutely terrible cuts". From the LA Times: Schwarzenegger's revised budget plan is expected to eliminate health programs Administration officials declined to reveal which specific programs the governor would eliminate. But officials involved in the budget process, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said they would probably include home healthcare for the elderly and disabled, a nearly $2-billion program that serves 440,000 Californians. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will revive a plan to house 15,000 nonviolent felons in county jails instead of state prisons, a cost-cutting move that likely would result in some inmates leaving jail early.... His office warned earlier this week that the package will contain "absolutely terrible cuts" to shrink a nearly $20 billion deficit. From the SacBee: Schwarzenegger's prison plan would move nonviolent felons to county jails The cutbacks and layoffs continue for many state and local governments.British oil giant BP wants a federal judge to rule that the roughly 800,000 barrels of oil that the government says was collected at the head of its runaway undersea Gulf of Mexico well in 2010 should not be counted in determining the company’s civil fine for Clean Water Act violations. Such a ruling could reduce BP’s fine by as much as $3.4 billion if the court were to rule that BP acted with gross negligence when its Macondo well blew out 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana, leading to the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Eleven rig workers were killed when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, which BP had been leasing from Transocean, exploded and sank. The U.S. government has asserted that the well discharged 4.9 million barrels of oil, or 206 million gallons. BP stated again in its filing Friday that it believes the spill was significantly smaller, though it hasn’t publicly provided its own estimate. With a finding of gross negligence, the 4.9-million-barrel figure would carry a maximum Clean Water Act fine of more than $21 billion. The law allows for a fine based simply on the amount of oil discharged. BP points out in its motion that some courts have interpreted the law in the past to mean that oil has to be discharged into water or the environment to count. Before it capped the well in July 2010, BP used various systems to capture some of the gushing oil before it spilled into the water a mile below the Gulf surface. The government concluded in August 2010 that some 800,000 barrels of oil was collected at the wellhead, the assemblage of equipment that is attached to the opening of an oil or gas well. For months after the finding, Interior Department officials refused to say whether the government believed none of that oil first touched the water before being collected. It has never said otherwise, either. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the BP filing. A civil trial over the oil spill is set to begin Feb. 25 in New Orleans. The first phase of the trial will deal with apportioning blame among BP and the other companies involved in the disaster. The second phase will deal with the amount of oil that spilled. BP donated $22 million from the sale of oil recovered from the spill to the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects that benefit wildlife in the Gulf, according to the company.With tomato prices increasing by the day, Navi Mumbaikars have switched to using tomato sauce and puree while cooking. They claim using sauces and purees in vegetables is cheaper than using tomatoes. “I am personally fond of tomatoes and make it a point to add it to almost all vegetables I prepare at home. But since past couple of days, thanks to the increasing prices, I am finding it tough to purchase them. Although these alternatives do not give out the exact flavour, we are left with no option but to use them,” Vashi resident Preeti Gore said, adding that while her husband and kids complain about the missing tomatoes, they are compromising. Gore said that a one kg bottle of tomato sauce is available for less than Rs100, while a kg of tomatoes is being sold at more than Rs60, Not only homemakers, but hoteliers too are feeling the pinch of increased rates. They have also started adding sauces and purees in their dishes like pav bhaji. Tomatoes have become dearer by around Rs10-12 within a week. Traders are citing shortage of supply as the main reason behind such a steep hike in rates “We are receiving very limited crop from major tomato-producing districts of the state such as Nashik, Sangli, Satara, Solapur, besides Sangamner. Normally, we get tomatoes from the neighbouring state of Gujarat during this time of the year, but this year the arrival of stock from there might be delayed as the state (Gujarat) experienced unseasonal rainfall recently which damaged the crop. Due to this, the arrival of the stock has been less and we are experiencing shortage of the produce which resulted in the increase of rates,” deputy secretary of APMC, Avinash Patil said. He added that instead of getting the crop from Gujarat, the state is supplying tomato stock to that state, which also affected the supply in the APMC market. “As on November 7, the best quality of tomatoes (No 1) is being sold between Rs340-400 per 10 kg while the other quality of the crop (No 2) is fetching a rate of Rs180-200 per 10 kg in the wholesale market,” Patil said and added that in the retail market, the tomatoes are being sold for not less than Rs60 per kg thereby pinching the pockets of common man. Potatoes get costlier, albeit marginallyNot only tomatoes, but the rates of potatoes have also increased in the wholesale market. According to APMC director Ashok Walunj, potatoes are currently being sold for no less than Rs20 per kg in the wholesale market; a fortnight ago it was being sold between Rs15-17 per kg. “The reason behind this marginal hike is because we are not getting enough supply from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, to name a few. Normally, we receive around 80 trucks of potatoes in the market, but since the last 15 days, the number of trucks have reduced to 70, resulting in shortage of the vegetable,” Walunj said. When asked as to when the rates of onions will reduce, he said the current rate of onion is Rs40-50 per kg in the wholesale market and it will reduce within next eight days, bringing a relief to the people who are reeling under steep hike of the rates of vegetables since the past one month.I’ve had a Dropcam for the last six months or so, mostly to keep an eye on my house and pets when we’re gone. It has a couple monitoring features where it records video loops when it detects motion and takes photos when it detects motion as well. You have to pay a monthly fee to get access to both, but you still get periodic emails when the camera senses activity and it’ll send a medium sized low-res picture several times a day embedded in the message.I never thought much of this until I opened an email to see a photo of me completely naked walking by the camera, on my way to grab from a pile of recently folded clean clothes after I took a shower.Obviously, that’s a bit of a shock, but I was home alone and I’m the only one that opens my email, so I wasn’t too disturbed by it. But then I realized that image is on Dropcam’s system. And Google bought Dropcam so my photo is somewhere in Google’s cloud. There’s a web-accessible photo of my naked ass (with no black bar added above) somewhere and I have no idea where it is or how easy it is for anyone to find. Wonderful.It’s at this point you ask yourself if having a net-connected camera for monitoring your house was a good idea after all.POLICE were ordered to meet quotas for the number of arrests, drink driving reports, traffic and drug offences in a five-week period, an internal police email shows. The Advertiser has obtained the email, from Holden Hill Senior Sergeant Andrew McCracken to patrol officers on July 28, which listed five benchmark categories including the number of fines, reports and arrests each officer must obtain over five weeks. Officers who did not meet the benchmarks would be required to provide "an explanation" to Sen-Sgt McCracken and their immediate supervisor. Senior police now say the email's directions were "outside of SAPOL's guidelines and policies" and it had been rescinded. The five-week targets required each officer to: MAKE five arrests and reports. ARREST or report two drink-drivers. MAKE nine traffic contacts, including on-the-spot fines, using mobile breath tests. ISSUE one drug-related fine or diversion (for minor illegal drug possession). The email also said "a minority" of officers at the station had failed to reach the targets during the previous 12 months because they had "coasted" in executing their duty. "It is clear some of you are really great workers and there are some (the minority) that have coasted," the email said. "Those who cannot or choose not to reach these benchmarks will need to provide an explanation to their sergeant and me. "As stated, though, this is not hard and easily able to be reached and maintained - 99 per cent of you will have no difficulty reaching the standard and blitzing it." The email was rescinded on August 2 when local police management were advised. Police initially told The Advertiser it was rescinded within 24 hours of being sent. Opposition police spokesman David Ridgway said the email showed contradictions in the messages coming from SA Police. "It flies in the face of what we've been told - that there aren't quotas for a whole range of activities. If police are putting these things in emails, then clearly there is a view within SA Police at certain levels that they do have quotas and that's why this person has published that," he said. "It's certainly mixed messages coming out of SA Police." Mr Ridgway said setting benchmarks or quotas could compromise police duties. "I would've thought it would distract them from making sure they are providing a whole community policing approach when they are having to focus on particular benchmarks," he said. "If they need a drug bust and they haven't had one, do they forget about every other offence and just go and look for a drug issue? "We have record numbers of police - they should just be out in the community doing the work and there shouldn't be any expectation on the number of pinches they do." Holden Hill local service area officer-in-charge Superintendent James Blandford said the email was a mistake. "It is important to note the email was sent to operational staff within the Holden Hill LSA only," he said. "The original email was sent by an officer who was relieving in a higher position. The directions given were outside of SAPOL's guidelines and policies. "As soon as local management became aware of the email, it was rescinded." He said SA Police made no secret of the fact benchmarks were set for traffic contacts but this was in no way linked to revenue. He said almost 30 per cent of traffic contacts ended in a caution. Police would not elaborate on exactly what other areas had set quotas. "Benchmarks exist across SAPOL for a number policing duties, including responses to emergency calls and requests for police assistance," Supt Blandford said. Police Association of South Australia president Mark Carroll said any confusion on quotas had to be addressed immediately. "SAPOL management has expressed publicly that it does not have, nor does government expect, booking quotas," he said.Yes, Windows 10 for PCs and tablets is coming out on July 29. And, yes, Windows 10 Mobile, the smartphone version, won't be released until later this year. But, if you can't wait, a Chinese Xiamoi smartphone user group, in partnership with Microsoft, has just released a Windows 10 Mobile ROM for the Xiaomi Mi4 Android handset for a select group of power-users. While you may not have heard of Xiaomi the company is China's largest smartphone vendor. The company has also recently started sales in Brazil and India. Before this deal, Xiaomi had been exclusively using MIUI, an Android-based operating system, which had been accused of blatantly copying Apple's iOS 7 look. Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive VP of operating systems, announced in March that "a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to help test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year. These power users will have the opportunity to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview - installing it and providing their feedback to Microsoft." Like most of the world, Microsoft needs all the help it can get to put Windows into Chinese smartphones. According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Windows Phone has only 0.8 percent share of the Chinese smartphone market. This new offer isn't likely to immediately help Microsoft's Chinese mobile marketshare, but it does show Microsoft reaching out to the country's power users. In addition, it makes it clear that Microsoft still wants a slice of the Android marketshare pie for Windows. Related Stories:The Democratic Party is in free-fall. Their supporters offer daily reminders that they have no interest in learning from the mistakes of the past. What’s this all about? Tammy Bruce explains in a recent column for the Washington Times: Why the liberal establishment is collapsing I didn’t watch the Academy Awards, but I sure enjoyed them — via Twitter. The collection of world-famous and super-rich liberals and leftists had one job, and they failed. The spectacular screwup of announcing the wrong winner for Best Picture wasn’t even the issue, or about one person making a mistake. Mistakes are made all the time. Trending: CNN Told By South Korean Official: “Clearly Credit Goes To President Trump” (VIDEO) In reality, this vignette of fools is a perfect illustration of why the liberal establishment is in collapse: hate-obsessing on something that contradicts their own self-reverential worldview, condemning them to perpetual distraction. The result is the inevitable crashing and burning. In other words, Democrats and liberals have been driving drunk while texting for eight years. Swerving into the wrong lane, they crashed into oncoming traffic and sit, dazed and confused, wondering what happened. The few survivors crawl out of the clown car screaming at the innocent people they’ve harmed. After all, it’s never their fault, you see, it’s everyone else’s for daring to get in their way. There’s more, read the rest here. Will Democrats ever reverse course and do the things they need to in order to win back voters? Time will tell but it doesn’t look good right now.(CNN) -- Police officers in central Taiwan arrested a man for stealing a bicycle this week and originally planned to lock him up for theft charges. However, the police later discovered that the man was so poor that they not only did not prosecute him but instead decided to donate a bike to him. According to police officers in central Taiwan's Chiayi County, the man stole the bicycle from a high school near his home in order to help save his daughter time in walking from her vocational school to the hospital. His daughter usually walked 10 kilometers (6 miles) to take care of him in the hospital. The man has often been ill and has had to be hospitalized, police said. Police said that the man originally told his daughter that he had bought the bicycle second-hand. However, later the former owner of the bike recognized it. Both father and daughter were taken in by the police. Police officers learned that the man was living in desperate conditions, with no access to water or electricity and was living in an empty shipping container beside a graveyard. Chiayi police officers not only did not press charges against the old man but jointly bought a new bike for the girl.In its pursuit of audience-grabbing event programming, NBC is said to be eyeing a live staging of Aaron Sorkin’s play “A Few Good Men.” The Peacock is in the early stages of working out an agreement with Sorkin to mount a live telecast of the play that put him on the map as a writer when it hit Broadway in 1989. The 1992 feature starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore was a hit for TriStar Pictures. The story revolves around the court-martial case against two Marines accused of killing another serviceman. The film helmed by Rob Reiner earned four Oscar nominations, including best picture and supporting actor for Nicholson. Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are involved with the NBC effort, as is Sony’s TV division. The idea is that Sorkin would do another pass on the play to tailor it for the TV staging. It’s understood that Zadan and Meron suggested the possibility of doing “Few Good Men” to NBC Entertainment chief Bob Greenblatt, who got the ball rolling over the summer with Sorkin. The sides are still hammering out the basic details so there’s no word yet on casting or a director or a target premiere date. The interest in “Few Good Men” is a sign that NBC is looking at properties beyond musicals for live events that have the potential to draw big crowds — and premium advertising dollars. Zadan and Meron were the producers behind the Peacock’s stunning success last year with “The Sound of Music Live,” and the pair are shepherding this year’s tuner, “Peter Pan,” set to air Dec. 4. Sony TV is involved through its association with Zadan and Meron and also because it has certain rights to “Few Good Men” stemming from the original feature deal. Sorkin sold the film rights to the play even before it became a hit on the Main Stem. Feature-length live dramas were a staple of television in the 1950s and ’60s. The most recent effort was the staging of Cold War thriller “Fail Safe” for CBS in April 2000 that was driven by star George Clooney’s enthusiasm for an ambitious live experiment. “Fail Safe,” which was directed by Stephen Frears, marked the first such telecast on network TV in 39 years.Loop High Fidelity Earplugs for Music, Concerts, Events and Musicians Loop High Fidelity Earplugs Loop High Fidelity Earplugs came onto my radar and I was immediately attracted to the sleek design: nothing like the neon foam plugs I had seen before. I was given a chance to check these out while attending 3LAU at The Fillmore in Denver. 3LAU is one of my favorite live acts, so I couldnt wait to take Loops out for a spin. Each nuance of the sound came through clearly; not muffled and dull like with traditional ear plugs. I was able to discern the textures of the beats at a safer volume level. My expectations were exceeded by Loops. I think it’s safe to say I will pack these along for all future shows, whether I am there to shoot or to dance. Check out https://www.loopearplugs.com and give them a try. Sitting down with Pegboard Nerds Pegboard Nerds is a Scandinavian duo comprised of Alex Odden and Michael Parsberg. They’ve made their mark on the dance music scene with releases that push the boundaries of genres, in bass heavy 8-bit style. Their high intensity sound shows no signs of slowing down with a busy tour schedule and huge releases such as “Hero ft. Elizaveta” and “Try This”. It was so exciting to have the duo return to Colorado for this year’s Global Dance Festival. We had the chance to sit down and talk with Alex and Michael after the madness of their amazing set. It’s so great to have you guys back here at Red Rocks. I know you’ve played here before, and we truly love you here in Colorado. What are some of your favorite venues? M) I think the Gorge (Amphitheater), in Washington. That’s probably the second best. The Gorge is beautiful, and it kinda depends on what you’re looking for. Foundation (Nightclub) in Seattle is also great. A) Seattle and Denver are turning out to be our favorite cities. The way the crowd turns up! They’re not as big as other cities, but it’s not about how big a city is, but how they turn up, and how they get crazy. What kind of preparations do you do before your performance? Any sorts of of rituals? A) We have one, we didn’t do it today, but I will let Michael tell the story. M) We will take a bottle of Grey Goose and we would pour out huge shots, and pour the
antucket's public school district is Nantucket Public Schools. The Nantucket school system had 1,289 students and 117 teachers in 2011.[50] Schools on the island include: Nantucket Elementary School (Public) Nantucket Intermediate School (Public) Cyrus Peirce Middle School (Public) Nantucket High School (Public) Nantucket Community School (Public, Extracurricular) Nantucket Lighthouse School (Private) [51] Nantucket New School (Private)[52] Nantucket Public Schools District information and meetings are broadcast on Nantucket Community Television (Channel 18) in Nantucket.[53] A major museum association, the Maria Mitchell Association, offers educational programs to the Nantucket Public Schools, as well as the Nantucket Historical Association, though the two are not affiliated. The University of Massachusetts Boston operates a field station on Nantucket. The Massachusetts College of Art & Design is affiliated with the Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts, which offers summer courses for teens, youth, postgraduate, and undergraduate programs. Arts and culture [ edit ] Nantucket has several noted museums and galleries, including the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Nantucket is home to both visual and performing arts.The island has been an art colony since the 1920s, whose artists have come to capture the natural beauty of the island's landscapes and seascapes, including its flora and the fauna. Noted artists who have lived on or painted in Nantucket include Frank Swift Chase and Theodore Robinson. Artist Rodney Charman was commissioned to create a series of paintings depicting the marine history of Nantucket, which were collected in the book Portrait of Nantucket, 1659–1890: The Paintings of Rodney Charman in 1989.[54] Noted authors, including Herman Melville and Nathaniel Philbrick, have visited or lived there. Internationally famous pop star Meghan Trainor hails from Nantucket. The island is the site of a number of festivals, including a book festival, wine and food festival, comedy festival, and a cranberry festival.[55] Popular culture [ edit ] Several literary and dramatic works involve people from, or living on, Nantucket. These include: Transportation [ edit ] From 1900 to 1918, Nantucket was one of few jurisdictions in the United States that banned automobiles.[58] Nantucket can be reached by sea from the mainland by The Steamship Authority, Hy-Line Cruises, or Freedom Cruise Line, or by private boat.[59] A task force was formed in 2002 to consider limiting the number of vehicles on the island, in an effort to combat heavy traffic during the summer months.[60] Nantucket is served by Nantucket Memorial Airport (IATA airport code ACK), a three-runway airport on the south side of the island. The airport is one of the busiest in Massachusetts and often logs more take-offs and landings on a summer day than Boston's Logan Airport. This is due in part to the large number of private planes used by wealthy summer inhabitants, and in part to the 10-seat Cessna 402s used by several commercial air carriers to serve the island community. Nantucket Regional Transit Authority operates seasonal island-wide shuttle buses to many destinations including Surfside Beach, Siasconset, and the airport. Until 1917, Nantucket was served by the narrow-gauge Nantucket Railroad. Transportation disasters [ edit ] Argo Merchant ran aground on December 15, 1976. A silvery oil slick can be seen coming from the center holds in the foreground. Theran aground on December 15, 1976. A silvery oil slick can be seen coming from the center holds in the foreground. Nantucket waters were the site of several noted transportation disasters: National Register of Historic Places [ edit ] The following Nantucket places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[61] Notable people [ edit ] While many notable people own property or regularly visit the island, the following have been residents of the island: See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] Notes [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ] Media related to Nantucket at Wikimedia Commons Nantucket travel guide from WikivoyageSHARE Virginia’s McCarthy Has Back Surgery Third-ranked Virginia announced Thursday that star outfielder Joe McCarthy will be sidelined approximately 12 weeks after having back surgery. That timeline would put McCarthy back in the lineup in late April, if all goes well, allowing him to help the Cavaliers down the stretch and help himself make an impression on scouts leading up to the draft in June. Before the injury, McCarthy was widely regarded by scouts as a top two-rounds pick with a chance to go in the first round. Physical and athletic, McCarthy is a plus runner underway with emerging power in his 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame, and many pro clubs love the way he controls the strike zone and uses all fields. He has 89 walks and just 66 strikeouts in his two-year college career, making him one of college baseball’s tougher outs. McCarthy is also a solid defender with a fringe-average arm, and the Cavaliers were planning to move him from right field to center for his junior year this spring. This marks the second straight year that the Cavaliers have lost an ultra-talented outfielder for an extended stretch in the first half of the season. Last year Derek Fisher was sidelined in early March with a broken hamate bone, but the 2014 Cavaliers had enough depth of marquee offensive talent that they hardly missed a beat. This year, McCarthy is the clear centerpiece of the lineup, and his loss is a huge blow to a team with national title aspirations. Blue-chip freshman Adam Haseley is a plus runner who should be able to handle center field in McCarthy’s absence. For the first couple of months of the season until McCarthy gets back, the Cavaliers might wind up playing three freshmen in the outfield, as marquee recruit Pavin Smith and versatile utilityman Ernie Clement could man the corners. Gritty senior Thomas Woodruff, who appeared in 11 games last year off the bench, could also get more playing time. Virginia should be good enough on the mound to win enough games to stay afloat in the ACC without McCarthy. This team will be in the postseason regardless, so ultimately if McCarthy is back to 100 percent by the time regionals start, that’s what really matters for the Cavs. But for McCarthy, this injury will almost certainly depress his draft stock, as Fisher’s injury did for him last summer. By late April, many important player-evaluation decisions have already made, and teams might be hesitant to take McCarthy with a first-round pick without having a full junior season upon which to evaluate him. Of course, Fisher wound up being a steal for the Astros with the 37th overall pick, and he stood out as one of the best bats in the short-season New York-Penn League in his pro debut.LOCKPORT - Matthew W. Jurado, the former North Tonawanda firefighter who confessed to setting a fire in the home of that city's only African-American firefighter, was offered a plea agreement last week. Niagara County Assistant District Attorney Doreen M. Hoffmann said that Jurado, 40, has been offered a chance to plead guilty to a Class C violent felony. Assistant Public Defender A. Joseph Catalano said the charge would be third-degree arson, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. It's a one-step reduction of the original charge, second-degree arson. The maximum sentence for that is 25 years. Catalano asked for an adjournment to review the evidence has been given by the District Attorney's Office and the notes Jurado made in response. Judge Matthew J. Murphy III put off the case until Feb. 14. If the case is not resolved, a hearing will be required on the legal admissibility of Jurado's confession. Jurado, 40, told North Tonawanda police that he poured lighter fluid on the couch in the apartment of Kenneth D. Walker and lit it Aug. 3, two days after Walker received a racist, threatening note. No one ever has been charged with sending that note. Jurado told police he was angry over being kicked out of one North Tonawanda fire company and Walker's inability to get Jurado into another fire company. The two men lived across Oliver Street from each other.MONROVIA, Liberia — Soldiers and police officers in riot gear blocked the roads. Even the waterfront was cordoned off, with the coast guard stopping residents from setting out in canoes. The entire neighborhood, a sprawling slum with tens of thousands of people, awoke Wednesday morning to find that it was under strict quarantine in the government’s halting fight against Ebola. The reaction was swift and violent. Angry young men hurled rocks and stormed barbed-wire barricades, trying to break out. Soldiers repelled the surging crowd with live rounds, driving back hundreds of young men. One teenager in the crowd, Shakie Kamara, 15, lay on the ground near the barricade, his right leg apparently wounded by a bullet from the melee. “Help me,” he pleaded, barefoot and wearing a green Philadelphia Eagles T-shirt. “This is messed up,” said Lt. Col. Abraham Kromah, the head of operations for the national police, looking at the teenager and complaining about the crowd. “They injured one of my police officers. That’s not cool. It’s a group of criminals that did this. Look at this child. God in heaven help us.”By Ivan Watson and Yesim Comert Turkey's foreign ministry condemned Texas Gov. Rick Perry Tuesday for saying that Turkey was a "country that is being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists." Perry made the statement during a spirited debated between Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina Monday night. Most of Turkey was fast asleep during the live broadcast, and Turkish newspapers had already gone to print by the time Perry declared that Turkey had moved "far away from the country I lived in back in the 1970s United States Air Force. That was our ally that worked with us, but today we don't see that." The Texas governor also argued that it was time for Washington to cut foreign aid to Ankara. A spokesman for Turkey's foreign ministry fired back Tuesday, accusing Perry of making "baseless and improper claims." In a statement e-mailed to CNN, Selcuk Unal said presidential candidates should "be more informed about the world and be more careful their statements." "The unfortunate views of Perry are not shared in any case by Republican party supporters, considering the weak support he has received in public polls and primary elections," Unal concluded. Top Turkish government officials were unavailable for comment Tuesday, with many of them in Northern Cyprus for the funeral of veteran Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, but the country's largely-tabloid press wasted no time in responding to the comments on websites early Tuesday morning. "The debate that the Republican candidate Rick Perry attended on American Fox TV turned into a scandal that contained very ugly statements about Turkey," announced TRT state television. "Rick Perry: what an idiot," tweeted Mustafa Akyol, a columnist with the English-language Hurriyet Daily news. The Hurriyet newspaper also posted a video on its website of Perry drawing a blank in the middle of a prior debate, forgetting in mid-sentence which was the third of three government departments he would cut if elected president. Perry's remarks came on the same day a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman announced that a new NATO radar station, manned by Turkish and American military personnel, went online this month in the Turkish province of Malatya. The radar station is part of a controversial U.S.-led missile defense shield that both Russia and Iran have publicly opposed. For more than 50 years, Turkey has been the only Muslim member of the NATO military alliance. Ankara's relationship with Washington has been turbulent over the last decade, with sharp divisions emerging after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. But that relationship has improved dramatically over the last several years. Turkey has commanded the NATO mission in Afghanistan four times over the last decade, and the United States shares real-time intelligence from aerial drones for the Turkish military's ongoing war with rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party, who operate along the mountainous border between Turkey and Iraq.Just over a week ago, Spanish newspaper El Confidencial caused a great big fuss when they claimed Jose Mourinho had already signed some sort of agreement to become Manchester United manager. It created waves because El Confidencial are one of the more reliable European media outlets and have got a lot of stories first previously. They followed the story up by releasing what they claimed were details of Mourinho's contract at Manchester United, a deal which would see him paid €20m per year over a three year period. It was pretty obvious the leaks weren't coming from Manchester United and therefore many fans assumed it was the Mourinho camp, and his agents at Gestifute, encouraging the stories. It's widely assumed Mourinho has a slight obsession with getting the Manchester United job, and of course that pleases many fans of the club. Following yet another poor display and a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, El Confidencial pile it on Louis van Gaal, going with a headline saying: 'Van Gaal's Manchester United continues its relentless fall into hell' El Confidencial don't often cover Premier League matches, and certainly don't often make a song and dance about them, but they're really sticking the boot into Van Gaal. They reiterate Mourinho is all set to take over at Old Trafford and say his shadow is looming over the current situation.People are often looking for ways to feel better knowing their trove of emails is safe. I’ve found a simple method that works reliably for me, and anyone can do! First, install the Thunderbird mail client. It’s a free email tool that has a lot of settings for mail providers entered in to it already. If it doesn’t have settings for your email, it’s very similar to setting up a phone. I recommend setting up your email account as IMAP, because POP can sometimes erase messages from the server, and you may not intend to do that. Anyway, once Thunderbird is installed and set up, to sync folders other than your inbox, simply click on them on the left hand side and give it some time for the folder to synchronize. It’s impossible to know how long this will take, due to variables like your internet connection or the size of your folder. Just watch the status bar in the bottom right to know when the sync is finished. Once completed, create a folder where you would like your messages in that folder to be backed up. If you want, you could for instance create a folder on your desktop, and then create subfolders to match each and every one of your folders in your email account, and back them up one at a time. Once the folder is created locally, simply highlight and drag emails from the Thunderbird client window to your local folder. To bring everything in the folder over at once, you can use Control A to “Select All,” or hold Shift and click the top, then bottom email. Once you drag everything to the local folder, you will see it create “.eml” files of every individual piece of mail. These are standard email files and are compatible with other email clients, like Outlook and the native Windows 10 Mail client. If you wanted to move those emails into a new account, you could simply set up that account in Thunderbird, and drag files back to the folder in the other direction!MELBOURNE, Australia — A café in Melbourne, Australia, is giving its male customers a side of gender equity with their lattes. At Handsome Her, men are asked to pay an 18% premium to “reflect the gender pay gap.” Men earn an average 17.7% more than women for full-time work in Australia, a government report found. The difference is roughly the same in the United States. The café, which opened its doors for the first time Thursday, is hoping to shine a spotlight on the issue. “All we really wanted was to raise awareness and start conversations about the gender gap,” Belle Ngien, the café’s manager, told CNN. The voluntary donations are collected during one week every month and given to women’s charities, Ngien said. But it didn’t take long for the Internet to go crazy over the scheme, with some calling Handsome Her’s “gender tax” discriminatory. Others implied the café would run out of money because it wouldn’t attract a wealthy clientele. Some had constructive criticism, calling the idea divisive despite its good intentions. But Ngien is unfazed: “Men have their own spaces that we’re not allowed in to, so why not have that space for women?” No one has declined paying the extra 18%, she said. In fact, a few customers — men and women — have donated more. “Eighteen percent is actually not a lot. Our coffee is $4, and 18% of that is 72 cents,” Ngien said. Indeed, men have come from across town to support the cause, owner Alex O’Brien said in a Facebook post. “We’ve had men travel across town to visit us and pay ‘the man tax’ and throw some extra in the donation jar,” O’Brien wrote, adding, “Guys, you’re pretty neat.” In the end, Ngien said, no one is turned away based on whether they pay extra. “Sometimes it’s hard for people to change their minds,” she said. “We’re not in the business of changing people’s minds. They are welcome to go elsewhere if they don’t want to pay a voluntary donation.” So far, Handsome Her has collected a couple hundred dollars for Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service. And it’s definitely fueled a conversation.California Attorney General Jerry Brown, who has asked that the courts overturn Proposition 8, writes in the Huffington Post on the eve of the hearing. The case touches the heart of our democracy and poses a profound question: can a bare majority of voters strip away an inalienable right through the initiative process? If so, what possible meaning does the word inalienable have? … Fundamental rights in California are recognized and protected by our constitution, which declares in Article I, Section 1 that “all people are by nature free and independent and have inalienable rights” and “among these are enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining safety, happiness, and privacy.” These fundamental premises of a free people were declared when the constitution was first adopted. The initiative process came much later in 1911, when the immediate concern was to give the people power over the railroads, which were seen as having a stranglehold over the legislature. In creating this initiative process, there was no discussion or any evidence of intent to permit a simple majority of voters to take away the pre-existing rights deemed inalienable by Article I. In 2008, the California Supreme Court was faced with the question of how the values enshrined in Article I apply to same sex marriages. It concluded that the concept of “liberty” includes the right to form the enduring relationship called marriage and that no compelling interest justified denying this right to same sex couples. Just like the right to be free from discrimination in housing, citizens have the right to be free from discrimination in state-granted marriage licenses. With this Supreme Court decision, same sex marriage has the protection of Article 1 and, like other inalienable rights, cannot be taken away by a popular vote — whether it be 52% (as was the case in Proposition 8 ) or 65% (as it was for Proposition 14). I believe, therefore, the Court must conclude as I have that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional and should be stricken.Boys Like You — When September slipped effortlessly into October, the weather followed suit. Hot days eased into comfortably cool days that eagerly colored canopies in shades of warmth. And when October– with all its orange and gold and carved squashes and chilled mornings– became November, Judy panicked. Everything's fine, Judy thought, I'm not panicking. Pursing her lips, she traced the grain of the wood in her desk with the eraser of her pencil. Really, she wasn't. She was the picture of calm. "Calm" was her middle name. "Calm" was the breath in her lungs, the blood in her veins, the– The bell rang and Judy launched herself out of her seat, book bag swinging over her shoulder, ready to make a beeline for her house to get ready (not to "calm herself down" or "talk down her nerves" or something because, really, she was fine) for the night ahead. But instead, she flew straight into Nick, who was already standing by her desk with his arms folded and head cocked, concern pressing his eyebrows together. "You alright, Carrots?" He asked like he'd already filled in the answer, and Judy should've known better than to hide those kinds of things from him because as soon as his teeth clicked on the "T" of alright, she blurted out, "I'm so nervous!" The worry on his face turned to a softness reserved just for her, and the look made her heart slow. Her own face must've lightened because Nick immediately grinned down at her. "Better?" She returned his grin with a small one of her own, squeezing the straps of her book bag. "A little." "Good. You had calculus-eyes. Nobody should have to deal with that but me." Whatever sweet moment Judy had anticipated died a swift death, and she shook her head at him, amused. "Whatever you say, Slick." She pressed her paw against the push-to-cross button, expecting Nick to turn and head in his usual direction. Instead, he lingered by her side, crossing with her when the light flashed, tail waving behind him. She didn't ask, but her eyes flickered up to him every so often. His own face was laid-back and unworried. "I'm going to give you the pep-talk that you're planning to give yourself in the mirror. Save you some embarrassment." Flushing, Judy pinched at his side. Nick dodged easily, gracing her with a wide, pointy smile before grabbing her paw. "You're perfect, sweetheart. She'll love you. Especially if you bring in your transcript." "Nick!" He laughed, hopping up ahead of her as she stomped towards him. — The bus had been predictably cramped as families packed themselves and their suitcases into every possible cranny of the vehicle. When Nick and Judy finally stepped off, they inhaled greedily, reveling in the fresh, cool air. After readjusting the aluminum foil covering her precious pie, Judy cradled it gently to her chest and fell into distracted step beside Nick. He'd told her that home would be five blocks from the stop, and that meant five blocks of getting to know where Nick grew up. He'd frequently regaled her with his childhood adventures, but had always managed to avoid actually describing the neighborhood he'd grown up in. But looking around revealed nothing more than a humble street littered with a variety of kempt and unkempt little houses, some with sprawling yards that looked as though they hadn't been maintained in several years (perhaps hadn't even been lived in for several years), and others with facades so well-kept, it was hard to believe that there wasn't a PTA mom involved in the decor. Every so often, they'd pass a brightly colored house, and every other so often, they'd pass a yard with kits tumbling around in the grass, all of whom would stop to call Nick out and wave as he passed by. Judy, meanwhile, did her best not to look too ecstatic with all of the new information. Five blocks ended at a cozy-looking, two-story home with a clean, white exterior. The yard was small– tiny, even, and more than a little cluttered– but the picket fence wrapped around the enclosure was crawling with vines and blooms Judy's parents would have approved of. It wasn't yard of the year, but it was cozy and definitely the kind of yard a mother who hung up her son's kindergarten paw-paintings and macaroni art on the fridge and who still sent pies to her husband, wherever he might be. Judy balanced her own warm pie tray in one paw and tugged at the waist of her sundress with the other, occasionally glancing up at her perpetually cool-faced boyfriend. "You're sure this is ok?" "Yupp, I'm positive. But if you'd like to spin again, I'm not going to protest." He grinned down at her as he lead her up the stone pathway, nudging pumpkins back into their respective piles of black-eyed susans. The pale, yellow door opened as soon as they crossed the last step, and Judy was greeted through the glass with the sight of a vixen who looked a little worse for wear but still excited and bright-eyed in a way that made her unmistakably Nick's mother. "Uh oh," Nick murmured, pulling Judy back as Mrs. Wilde swung the glass door with a vengeance, missing Judy by a margin. A slight dusting of flour expelled itself from the vixen's paws and apron. "I've waited so long to meet you," Mrs. Wilde said, not missing a beat as she beckoned the two of them in and took Judy's pie from her hands. "Nick has told me all about you. All good things. Oh, mind the flour, we'll sweep that up in a bit." The closer to the kitchen Judy walked, the headier the smell of butter, until she was convinced she was back at Bunnyburrow, three years old and crouching as she watched her own mother pull out the vegetable pot pie with its flaky, golden crust from the oven. "I'm a little behind schedule. I hope you won't mind helping me out?" "No, of course not," Judy answered in a rush, stepping up to the kitchen island. "I love this, my mom and I used to do it all the time, I even told her I wanted to bake pies for the rest of my life–" "What's all this for?" Nick asked, a little bewildered. He hovered uncertainly over the array of cooked food on the table. "There's only three of us, mom. This is enough for an army." Abashed, Mrs. Wilde looked away, shrugging. "I might have gotten a little carried away and ran my mouth at a few people." Judy rarely saw Nick at a loss for words. She tried not to laugh. "You act like I'm never home!" "You're never home with a girlfriend," Mrs. Wilde answered smartly, looking smug. "Of course I got excited." His mouth gaped open and closed for a minute, forcing Judy to duck her head and laugh as silently as she could. Finally, weakly, Nick managed to ask, "Who?" "The Renardos," Mrs. Wilde ticked off, looking up to the ceiling for inspiration. "All of them?" Nick hissed. His eyes flickered uncertainly towards Judy, who smiled reassuringly at him. "Yes, you won't have to babysit, don't worry," Mrs. Wilde said absent-mindedly, "The Redds"– "What!" Nick exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "The Redds?! Why?! I thought they stole your paintings!" "Oh, it'll just be this once"– "That's what you said last time!" "Oh," his mother wave Nick's comments off. "You worry too much. The Porcmans and the Pinesons. I think that's all." She turned to face Judy, smiling brightly. "You'll get to meet the neighborhood!" Lifting her shoulders and clasped hands, Judy returned the smile. "I'm ok with that!" She turned to Nick and gave another silent giggle, shrugging good-naturedly. "20 still isn't 275." "This was a terrible idea," Nick groaned, slumping into a seat by the dining table. "You silly buzzkill," his mother chirped. She handed a rolling pin to Judy and motioned towards the foyer. "Go sweep the floor, my wayward, un-fun son! I have embarrassing stories of you to share!" Sighing dramatically, Nick picked himself up. "You're welcome to forget I'm here." Laughing, Mrs. Wilde sent her son off with a kiss to the forehead before returning to work with Judy and narrating story after story of Nick's childhood shenanigans, broken up by frequent questions of Judy's own background and side comments from Nick. Four hours could have passed and Judy would have been none-the-wiser. When the oven timer went off, the doorbell also rang, interrupting Judy's explanation of family dynamics with 274 siblings and shocking her straight into the air, ears shooting up so fast they almost broke the sound barrier. Mrs. Wilde, ears flickering, segued from one task to another, hooking her apron up in the pantry, rinsing off her hands, and heading towards the door. As she stepped behind Judy, she patted a hand on the small of her back. "Help yourself!" "Thank you," she answered self-consciously, minding the effort Nick's mother had put into everything. Mrs. Wilde smiled warmly. "Of course." Nick came out of the living room and into the kitchen as his mother waltzed out. Seeing Judy, he smirked, leaning onto the broom he was carrying. "How's it going, fluff? Tired?" Smiling, she seated herself at the dining table, laying her head onto her arms and carefully avoiding the array of dishes. "A bit." "You've got a long night ahead of you," Nick teased, balancing the broom against a counter before heading towards Judy. She scooted to the side, patting the open area she'd made and laying her head on Nick once he'd seated himself. "You're mom's amazing, Nick." He nodded, patting Judy's paws and avoiding her eyes. For all the chatter going on in the foyer that happened to drift into the kitchen, this space with Judy felt oddly silent. Peaceful, even. "She really talked your ear off, huh?" "I enjoyed it," Judy murmured before playfully adding, "nothing I'm not used to! Like mother like son, huh?" Grinning, Nick squeezed her side, eliciting a squeak from the unsuspecting bunny who returned the squeeze before hopping out of the seat to check on the last pan roasting in the oven. As she plated the vegetables and rinsed the pan off to stick in the dishwasher, the chatter from the foyer grew closer. She looked at Nick, who was already watching her. His mouth quirked into a sideways smile that she found oddly comforting. — As Judy wiped down the table one last time, she found herself thinking that the night had felt oddly short. That wasn't much of a surprise, though, considering how good a hostess Mrs. Wilde was: patient, engaged, and such a good conversationalist that Judy had realized midway through the event that Nick was really just a slyer version of his mother. "Ready to go home?" Nick asked, emptying the dust pan into the trash bag he'd lugged around for all the leftover paper plates and cups. "Mhm," Judy straightened up, admiring her work. Nick tied up the bag and cocked his head towards the door, waiting for Judy to lead. "Don't forget your pie pan," Mrs. Wilde called from the living room, hurrying to the kitchen to hand the dish to Judy. "Oh! Almost forget about that. Thank you!" Nick's mother laughed loudly. "Ha, thank me? I dragged you into preparing for a party. Thank you. I'm sorry my big mouth turned that into an event. I'll be sure to keep quiet the next time you visit," she winked at Judy, whose tentative smile grew wider. They gave their last goodbyes as they stepped out onto the porch, Mrs. Wilde warning her son to avoid dark alleys on the way to and back ("And really, if it gets to be too late, you might as well just go wherever it is you go when you don't come home for days without bothering to call me," she said a little sourly, Nick looking sheepish. Her stern expression melted into its usual lively twinkle though, and she kissed her son on the forehead) and thanking Judy again profusely with the bunny's paws in her own, squeezing every other syllable. This time it was five blocks past dim, flickering street lamps. What had looked a little wild but certainly friendly before in daylight had become unfamiliar and eerie, and Judy thought for a brief moment that maybe Nick had never shared his neighborhood because this was his overall impression of it. She didn't say anything though, content to let the quiet hang over them until they reached the bus stop. "Sorry about that," Nick finally managed. "About what? About the party? About your mother?" Judy nudged him in the side, looking up at him happily. "I loved all of it." Nick looked at her dubiously. "You're not exhausted?" "I am," she said. "But it kind of took the pressure off of having to make conversation with your mother the whole time. And I like your neighbors," Judy shrugged. "I almost think your mom did it on purpose." Nick chuckled. "I think so, too." He shoved his hands into his pockets. The bus huffed up to the waiting area, wheezing and coughing to a stop. When they sat down, Nick pulled Judy up to himself, turning so that his back rested against the window and Judy slipped between his legs. "Thanks. I'm glad you like her." "She's hard not to like. She's like a version of you that isn't trying to trick everybody," Judy added sneakily, turning so she could lean more comfortably against Nick. He laughed into the spot between her ears, and she felt her insides warm. "I think she's lonely," he murmured after a pause. Judy turned her head up, watching Nick contemplate. His muzzle rested on her forehead, moving as he spoke. "Dad's the only one who can really keep up with her." "I'm sorry," Judy answered softly, threading her paws through Nick's. "We'll fix it," she said hopefully, craning her neck further to kiss the underside of his muzzle. He managed a smile. "Thanks, Carrots," then he kissed her on her nose, which she wrinkled as he pulled away. They fell into silence again for the rest of the ride, Judy succumbing to her exhaustion and falling asleep against Nick's arm while Nick watched out the window, alert and waiting for the little row of shops that meant they were nearing her stop. He shook her gently when the bus passed her flower shop, and she woke blearily, one eye opening before the other. "Up and at 'em, sunshine," Nick crowed into the empty bus, effectively jolting the bunny into wakefulness and earning himself a dirty look. He smiled toothily at her. The five minute walk was spent exchanging babysitting stories, brought on by Judy's sleepy and harmless mention of Kristie's adorable little brothers ("Ha!" Nick barked. "They're vicious."). When they reached her apartment, Nick flopped onto the couch, stretching and yawning. "I'm just gonna take a 5 minute break," he groaned, popping a few joints as he stretched against the cushions. He sunk deeper and deeper into the couch with every deliberate stretch, looking as comfortable as any fox could, his eyes fighting to stay open. Judy sat down at his feet. "You're welcome to stay," she said shyly. "It is kind of late." Nick smirked down at her, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. "No!" Judy exclaimed, beet-red and horrified. He continued to watch her smugly. "It's ok if you were thinking it." "Well I wasn't"– "It's ok to want to sleep with me," Nick said confidently over her frantic protests, eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'd sleep with me if I could." She cracked, breaking into laughter mid-explanation. Nick's paws settled on her shaking sides. When she finally stopped, she looked up at him, eyes bright and amused. Naturally, he sat up just enough so that he could grab her and pull her down with him, kissing her soundly on the mouth. "I'm just kidding, fluff." He said as he pulled away, taking stock of her pleased expression and rubbing a finger against her cheek. Judy hummed in response, pressing her ear against his chest and listening for the familiar, steady drumbeat. "Thanks for introducing me to your mom." "No problem. My turn next, huh?" "Mhm." He said nothing. He didn't need to. His sleepy heart stuttered into wakefulness and Judy smiled into the ruff of his neck. "Nervous?" "No," Nick murmured, swallowing. "Don't be." "I'm not," he said stubbornly, then cleared his throat and added, "think they'll like me?" Judy pulled herself up while laughing openly. "I'm sure most of them will. And anybody who doesn't will come around to it." "Your dad, right? Is it cause I'm– y'know," he swept a hand over himself. Judy frowned a little. "Maybe. I doubt it." She shrugged and then threaded her paw through his. "I think it's just because I'll always be a kit in his eyes, you being a fox is just more convenient than saying it's hard to watch me grow up. But that's actually the least of his concerns, anyways." Judy flopped back down against his chest, staring at their reflection in the TV. What she said settled in the silence between them, begging for attention, but they both let it hover there until Judy drew in a breath. "I told them I'm applying as a criminal justice major." His paw, which had been smoothing patterns into her back, stilled. He patted her uncertainly. "This is you telling me, isn't it?" "I… yeah. I was going to tell you sooner. But I was… nervous." "Nervous?" Judy sat up again, folding her hands in her lap and pursing her lips. Finally, she looked up at Nick, who'd sat up as well. "I'm not really sure what you want with your future, Nick. Which is ok," she added hastily. "I just don't know what that means for us. But I've met your mom now, and at least that makes it feel like this is worth talking over." Nick took his turn looking pensive. "I'm probably not going to make it into UCZ," he said thoughtfully without a trace of resentment. Quietly, Judy said, "You could transfer from
bedroom to let us know, “hey, it’s bedtime, let’s go people!” If he didn’t use my friends as trampolines when they slept on the air mattress after a long party of drinking, he ran around the house looking for trouble. Open cupboards and closets, newspapers and cables, nothing was going to stop his furry butt. I do not have any siblings so when Bunny arrived he was the first creature I had to take care of. He was my sole responsibility. My companion through the best and worst times, my little brother (selfish and annoying), my baby fuzzy, and my friend. His presence signified home. He was smart, well read (hello The Economist, I like eating you), loving, funny, and even self centered and a show-off. Our house is empty without him. A family of three is rendered to a couple. Our hearts feel a terrible weight of grief that will never completely go away. We will always hear his pitter-patters and see the remains of destroyed books, clothes, boxes, and shoes in our home. Bunny, you are in heaven with other little pets. We believe you are there to take of the animals who were less fortunate than you. Be good to them as we were to you. We love you Bunny. -Sapphire & Þorbjörn what is daddy doing?!!! Mmmm…rubs… thanks for huggieMeireles joined Chelsea in a £12m deal on 31 August New Chelsea signing Raul Meireles has accused former club Liverpool of a broken promise and forcing him to submit a transfer request. The Portugal midfielder swapped Anfield for Stamford Bridge in a £12m deadline-day move, just a year after joining the Reds from FC Porto. And the 28-year-old explained: "All I have to say is I had one promise at Liverpool which wasn't fulfilled. "Liverpool asked me to hand in a transfer request, that's normal." Rumours have circulated that Liverpool promised Meireles a 100% pay rise if he impressed in his first season in the Premier League, a rise that was never forthcoming despite the playmaker making 35 appearances and scoring five goals. I felt that there's the same mentality here as there was at Porto - the desire to win competitions and trophies Raul Meireles Meireles said upon signing for Chelsea that he had never wanted to leave Anfield and that he would eventually explain why he had done so. But even at his official Chelsea unveiling on Monday, the Portugal international was reluctant to reveal details. Referring to his claim of a broken promise, Meireles said: "It's not the only thing to blame. But that's why fans are unsure why I left." Refusing to discuss his relationship with Reds boss Kenny Dalglish, he added: "I was aware that Liverpool wanted to sell me in the summer, which was a bit surprising to me. "There's no point touching this subject any more. RAUL MEIRELES FACTFILE Made Portuguese first division debut in 2003 for Boavista Won four consecutive Portuguese league titles with Porto from 2005-06 onwards Has won 47 caps for Portugal and scored in 2010 World Cup finals v North Korea Voted PFA Fans' Player of the Year in 2010/11 season "I was a bit surprised, but now I'm just concentrating on my present and future, and that's with Chelsea." Meireles - who has been reunited with former Porto boss Andre Villas-Boas - was delighted to have ended up at Stamford Bridge, telling the press conference: "When Chelsea showed interest, it was like a golden opportunity. "I'm here now, it's a new adventure, and I want to do well here. "I worked under Andre for one month at Porto, so I felt that there's the same mentality here as there was at Porto - the desire to win competitions and trophies. With Andre, we can do that. "In one month, it was enough to see how he works and his desire to win things. So it wasn't hard to make the decision to come to Chelsea."Very respectable numbers and don’t forget this kid is just 24 years old. Remember, Tom Brady had not even thrown a pass in the NFL at 24 years old.. In less surprising news, the overnight ratings for Monday Night Football paint a bleak picture, too. The game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints was an absolute barn burner and a good one for the gamblers and fantasy GMs of the world, but it was going up against the first presidential debate, so a ratings drop was to be expected. Also announced Gate hosted by Glynn Washington of nhl jerseys for sale Judgment will launch. The show is a 10 part series taking an unconventional look at mass suicide. The Vikings have always bought into the London game experience and will be welcomed back warmly in 2017. The team certainly rolled out the big brass on Monday as we interviewed team owner Mark Wilf, general manager Rick Spielman, the man behind the stadium project in executive vice president Lester Bagley, head coach Mike Zimmer, quarterback Sam Bradford and a pair of Pro Bowlers in tight end Kyle Rudolph and defensive end Everson Griffen.. The group includes Dont Hightower, David Harris, Jonathan Freeny, Shea McClellin, Elandon Roberts, Kyle Van Noy, Harvey Langi, Brooks Ellis and now Flowers. Saturday.. So it’s impossible. As far as the roots and the crops, they’re not as much. With so much that can still go better, Arizona has still managed to rank among the best defenses in fantasy. This group thrives by making life miserable on opposing quarterbacks, an effort that has taken a step forward with an improved cheap mlb jerseys pass rush. Patriots ( 7) at Saints: Conventional wisdom points to a New England victory. The Patriots are 7 point favorites and have had a four day advantage in preparation thanks to their Thursday night opener against Kansas City. I felt very humbled and proud to be an American. I thanked her and said, “God bless you,. The football game started with a massive kick to the opposing team, replica hockey jerseys and a line of 250 pound plus men with murder in their eyes started charging after the poor slob who caught the ball. After a few seconds he was crushed by his pursuers, becoming the bottom man in a very scary adult male pig pile. In fact, I hadn even seen the final mix yet. They showed it to the whole stadium right away it was already all over YouTube, too. The junior looked like the worst version of his freshman self when he rolled out to his right and tried to throw a pass back across his body in the third quarter. He missed an open receiver who would have had the first down. “It’s unfortunate that the President decided to use his immense platform to make divisive and offensive statements about our players and the NFL,” he said in a statement. “We believe it is important to support any of our players who choose to peacefully express themselves with the hope of change for good. Athletes can be so dazzled by the money coming that they don’t consider the day when it will stop, Dickerson says. Also consider that what an NFL player is promised in a contract is often far more than he actually earns, Dickerson says, as careers may be shortened by injuries or getting cut from a team.. Step 3Pull the washed jersey out of the washer and hang it outside to dry. If you don’t have a clothesline, hang it over your shower curtain rod just make sure it’s flat, so it doesn’t get more wrinkles. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Gene J. The key to a successful training program, says sports trainer Ken Croner, is to work movement patterns rather than muscle groups. “As we go through our day, we’re constantly carrying and reaching for bulky, unbalanced stuff in different planes of motion,” he says. If he isn signed before Oct. 1, three days before the season opens, then Oilers fans can become concerned. We still have a lot of racial profiling going on. Vegas police deny race played a role in either case.. When he died, that was devastating to me. And I started to ask all the questions about what is the role, the meaning, the purpose of life. Found a fractured football team, Taggart says, and then explains: didn think our football team liked each other. You talk to some of the guys, they tell you they weren close, there was a lot of division from within, which kind of tells in how the season went. It’s savvy. And it’s perfectly fair. Williams can do one, too. Whether he’ll actually score a touchdown this year to prove it is beside the point. “Today’s announcements confirm what most Hoosiers already knew: Obamacare is broken beyond repair. Now, tens of thousands of Hoosiers will be left with few options on the exchange, and some counties may be left with no options at all. It’s tough for him, I would imagine. We’ll see. This rises to $820 in 2015. The 2017 season adds another $50 raise for rookies, increasing pay to $870 per game. Kerley, despite receiving $3.5 million guaranteed upon re signing in free agency, proved expendable as the 49ers found other options not only at slot receiver but as return specialists. Kerley signed March 9, and then came the flood of wide receivers who actually made this roster: free agents Pierre Gar Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson; fifth round draft pick Trent Taylor, and then undrafted rookies Bolden and Bourne.. Each state has unique regulations for sports agents, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association has regulations as to when an athlete can negotiate with an agent. Since agents often have to write legally binding contracts and study state and organizational regulations, many agents acquire a law degree beforehand.Apply for certification with professional sports organizations. Average Full Time Clown SalaryThe average salary for advertised clown positions is $38,000, according to Simply Hired, while State Universtiy reports average earnings of $51,000 a year. These positions are for clowns who work a full schedule in a stable entertainment setting such as an amusement park. Andersen kicked a game winning field goal in the 1998 NFC Championship game to send the Falcons to their first Superbowl and was elected to the Pro Bowl seven times. The Danish born kicker then played for the Giants, Chiefs and Vikings before returning to Atlanta in 2006. Communication has improved. FEMA, which was seen as nonresponsive in New Orleans, now embeds someone with local emergency response teams that act as a go between.. At the time of the report’s release, officials said a number of NFL teams were being looked at for ticket pricing policies related to price floors, though they declined to identify the teams. On the first page of today’s settlement agreement, several of the teams, including the Bills, are identified as among the teams that state attorneys general were looking at for “certain ticket practices.”. The Bills had the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL this season but still missed the playoffs. The salary for a title insurance agent depends on his experience level and the type of property he deals with. Was $52,490 as of May 2010, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A number of times, we had him on the run and he escaped or made great throws. We’ve got to do a better job.”. If they wanted to get people’s attention, they did. Network television cameras, which routinely overlook the anthem outside of the biggest of games, made it a point to carrying pre game ceremonies live this past weekend, lingering on the sidelines to capture images of NFL players including about a dozen New Orleans Saints who opted to sit on the bench or take a knee as the anthem played.. “Brady will probably be playing. 13, 2017” > >Panarin, Blue Jackets Rally To Beat Rangers, 3 1Associated PressCOLUMBUS, Ohio Artemi Panarin and Seth Jones scored to rally the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3 1 win over the New York Rangers on Friday night. Vick signed with Philadelphia on Aug. 13 and played in two preseason games. The couple cruised St. But this was also big news: I didn find out until after the game that they played my commercial right before the start of it. I mean, this was no ordinary game was the divisional playoffs. I hope he figures it out somehow, some way because I want to see him play again. I feel like soon enough he will be somewhere playing. Geno Smith, the franchise’s former starter, also is scheduled to be a free agent and is coming off a torn knee ligament. Bryce Petty is recovering from shoulder surgery on his non throwing arm, while Christian Hackenberg, a second round draft pick, spent his entire rookie season on the sideline and is considered a project.. Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison gets his “revenge” game a week after McDermott (OK, maybe revenge is a stretch). nba basketball kits The Broncos will have cool custom basketball jerseys a new look under new coach Vance Joseph. Levy admits he at a point where the damage is potentially already done, so now it about the next generation. “If I have kids, I damn sure not signing them up for football,” he says. Lankford’s account is the latest sign that Russians are using social media to raise tensions in the United States. Earlier this month, Facebook acknowledged hundreds of fake http://www.cheapjerseysupplyforyou.com/ accounts, probably run from Russia, spent about $100,000 on ads aimed at stoking divisive issues such as gun control and race relations during the election.. No one guessed the Falcons to go as far as they did, even their fans. As the NFC Championship game drew closer, Falcons fans did anything they could to boost their team. 9, 2017″ > >Dolphins sign linebacker Neville Hewitt to practice squadA familiar face strolled through the Miami Dolphins locker room on Monday and announced he was returning to the team. Neville Hewitt, a linebacker who has played in 32 games and started seven of them the past two seasons for Miami, was at the team facility following his physical, and got signed.. Thing is, these piss poor pork places aren’t really fringe weird anymore, they happen with an insane regularity. Nearly 60 percent of people in 2004 admitted to having sex outdoors; it’s like the coolest thing since Pogs. The Chicago Bears are the only NFL team without a state player, at least temporarily. Former Auburn defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff is one of three state players suspended for the opening weekend. With time the popularity of the sports memorabilia display cases are going up. They are worth the price and add to the value and look of the memorabilia.. A Minnesota native and son of ex wrestler Larry “The Axe” Hennig, Curt Hennig made his professional debut in 1980. His first claim to fame came in 1987 when Hennig became champion of the now defunct American Wrestling Alliance. People might stop and say, “Well, Alabama always has great linebackers,” but Foster was evaluated and picked apart by scouts, coaches and GMs in every way imaginable in the leadup to the draft. Where he goes has much more to do with that than just the fact that he played linebacker for the Crimson Tide.. All of the survivors that have been located are receiving medical care.Colin Kaepernick Files Grievance Against NFLMcManus said early Sunday morning police were called after a passenger in the truck asked a Walmart employee for water. The employee then saw a number of people in the back of the truck and called for help.. In 2006, the NFL Competition Committee turned down Reggie Bush’s plea to wear number 5, insisting that the running back must make your own basketball jersey design wear a number in the 20s, 30s or 40s. football outfits Currently only quarterbacks, placekickers and punters are allowed to wear single digit numbers.. The Cowboys have seven sacks in two games since Greg Hardy debuted in Week 5, which gives this group a fighting chance against Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed more sacks (31) than any team in the NFL, and they’re in bad company with Cleveland, Kansas City and San Francisco in those standings. I still talk to Jeffrey [Lurie] and Howie [Roseman] and Doug [Pederson] and a lot of the people there. You don stay some place for 14 years and not have a fondness for a place. Now I needed to eat right, too. The team at EXOS helped me put together a nutrition plan that allowed me to still have my favorite meals to an extent, just with a few tweaks.. Activities include swimming, volleyball and a fishing pier. Restrooms with showers, concessions, cabanas and umbrella rentals are available at beaches. Heather Somers, R Groton, co chair of the public health committee, who has already called for hearings. Good for her.. In the National Basketball Association, franchises hire general managers to oversee business decisions ranging from player contracts to stadium issues. Because the position occurs at the highest level of the game, salaries are high usually in seven figures. “He’s got a unique knack about him,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “He’s got quickness. To the chagrin of their fans, the Giants did not go out and get that starting left tackle to replace Ereck Flowers. That means he’ll probably, but not definitely, be back at his old spot. “I obviously think he should be a quarterback somewhere,” Wilson said. ” His family and my family are still close from his time at Nevada. Yards ranked 2nd with 85 catches in 2016. Had 100+ rec. “I’m feeling good,” Ragland said while watching the Chiefs’ final preseason game on Thursday. “I played in a couple of preseason games when I was with the Bills. “The bottom line is that the district court had no basis to act at all, let alone to deem procedural rulings firmly grounded in the parties’ CBA fundamentally unfair,” the reply brief stated. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Friday requested a ruling by Sept. The Giants decided to give Aldrick Rosas some competition for the kicking job. Growing up my entire life, “you’ll never play football, go play baseball,” and I played baseball, and really I did that until I couldn’t play baseball because of another injury, and football was what I wanted to try. And at that time in my life I needed something like football. Kansas City Chiefs $250,0009,. Cincinnati Bengals $138,96010. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization, not a government agency. Our programs, services and entertainment tours are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.. Of the 102 in 2014 who declared early, 37 weren’t selected (36.2%). In 2015, it was 24 of 84 (28.6%), and in 2016, 30 of the 96 went undrafted (31.3%). The panel started to notice a higher rate of injuries on the new turf in evaluating the data the NFL compiles each season, Hershman said. Once enough games had been real nhl jerseys played on the newer surfaces to do a scientific analysis, the panel found that ACL injuries and a more serious type of ankle sprain occurred at a higher rate that is statistically significant.. Most analysts predict that the Colts will get rid of Manning and draft Andrew Luck. However, in my opinion I think this would be a bad decision. The Eagles in fact made it to the Super Bowl. For Eagles devotees, this was certainly a development. 2 overall in the draft. Every draft guy out there said he would have gained a lot by coming back, and I trust their judgment. The Vikings certainly looked it while lighting up the Saints. Dalvin Cook set a club rookie record by running for 127 yards in his debut. Marine Corps expired June 30. Unlike Napolean McCallum and his season with the Los Angeles Raiders, Meyers only chance to play football since graduating from the Naval Academy came during his annual 30 day leave, which he always spent in training camp.. The injury is a major blow for the Seahawks and Fant, who was expected to start at left tackle this season. Left guard Luke Joeckel moved to left tackle and Rees Odhiambo was inserted at left guard The Seahawks lead 7 3.. While ESPN took no formal action against Hill over the Trump comment, she did apologize to the network for the trouble her remarks had caused while standing by the tweets. ESPN cited that apology in announcing Hill’s suspension Monday, saying in a statement that ESPN employees had been “reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences.”. I thought this was the NFL, seems more like high school to me. I am sure Goodell will be swift with his punishments and hopefully put an end to it.. Peterson is traditionally a slow starter, and it’s the NFL, where he could be one injury away from an increased workload. There’s nothing to say Peterson couldn’t go for 800 yards this season if he stays healthy, but not if it’s like Monday. I mean, every kid faces some sort of challenge growing up. Every kid. Have left. Vikings 24, Saints 17.. Lions safety Glover Quin left the game against New Orleans to be evaluated for a head injury in the second half. Offensive tackle Greg Robinson limped off the field in the third quarter. The receiver did a great job of (positioning) him so the the goal posts could be in play. It was just unfortunate that he ran into it. Don think they have changed at all, that former personnel executive for multiple NFL teams said of Kaepernick job prospects. He was trying to spark a conversation about has been muted. On the wall of the cell were several drawings and “John 3:16” written in what appeared to be blood. Under the drawings was a Bible open to John 3:16, with the verse marked in blood. In conclusion, the Lions proved this year that they are a big threat in the NFC and will be in the playoffs again next year. The Saints knocked them out this year, but the Saints were a formidable team as well. EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ SEPTEMBER 24: Will Tye 82, Matt Forte 22 and Neal Sterling 85 of the New York Jets stand in cheap basketball jerseys unison during the National Anthem prior to an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2017 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images). 9 NFL game in which Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler took a knee to run out the clock. That knee subtracted one yard from every fantasy player who was using Cutler as his quarterback and that one lost yard knocked one player out of first place in his contest, dropping his winnings from $50,000 to $30,000.. Perhaps the most famous quote commonly attributed to Lombardi wasn’t even his own. Legendary actor John Wayne uttered the phrase “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing!” in a 1953 film called Trouble Along the Way. “If you watch the film from last year, you saw a lot of confusion, a lot of not communicating and guys not giving effort,” Reed said. “So with that in mind, there couldn’t have been too much communicating out there. Vermeil saw something in Warner he didn’t know exactly what but made the decision to keep Warner over Furrer in ’98. And then a year later, he named Warner the starter after Green went down despite sentiment from some at Rams Park for veterans Jeff George or Jeff Hostetler.. It’s harnessed through slots in the back with a karate belt I got a garage sale years ago (thinking I’d use it for tote bag straps someday). It just so happened to be green and blue and wrap around my waist 3 times perfectly, so I stitched on a strip of velcro at the ends to secure it and viola! I finally achieved a comfortable fit!. EntertainmentEntertainment NewsThe SceneGeorge to the Rescue1st LookOpen HouseBreakfast With Open HouseCOZI TVTalk StoopWorth The TripB. ON professional football jerseys TOPSeattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws a pass to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett during the second half of an NFL wild card football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Jan. On the field was there, and the next thing you know the whole sideline was pinning me up against the wall, Heinicke said. Was fun. Unless you’re in a weekly pool that requires you to pick every game, there are certain games you should avoid. This is one of them. There are no guarantees of a career in the NFL, though, far from it. The Falcons currently boast a squad of more than 90 players, which must be cut to 53 before the start of the season in September. Mowins has worked for ESPN since 1994, calling everything from women’s basketball, softball and soccer, to college football, men’s college basketball and college football. Since 2015, she has called preseason Oakland Raiders games on Bay Area TV. Fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu has a hamstring injury and sounds more in question. But the larger point is the Dolphins go back on the road for the fourth time in five games and Atlanta comes off a rested week. Talked about all the reasons he cannot be a good quarterback in an NFL offense, how he cannot function as a drop back passer in a real pro system, Polian said. If you are in a situation where you lose both your quarterbacks to injury and you have a good team, something like Minnesota last year before they got 1/8Sam3/8 Bradford, if you have a playoff quality team and catastrophe strikes with your quarterback situation, these points are moot because now he your starter. But expect Mike Zimmer and the Vikings defense to send various exotic blitzes, confusing the rookie into turnovers. Even with uncertainty at quarterback, the Vikings are built to go win this game on the road. During his campaign, Trump often expressed nostalgia for the “old days” claiming, for example, that protesters at his rallies would have been carried out on stretchers back then. He recently suggested police officers should be rougher with suspects they take into custody and shouldn’t protect their heads when pushing them into squad cars.. Door opened for Urbik to returnGase justified Saturday’s release of offensive lineman Kraig Urbik by saying that his surgically repaired right knee wasn’t going to be healed in time for him to contribute in the first month of the season. The Dolphins could re sign Urbik in October if the team has a need, and Gase acknowledged that it was a possibility.. But selecting Butt in the fifth round was a risk worth taking for the Broncos, who have struggled to find consistent production at the tight end position since Julius Thomas left for free agency three seasons ago. Butt is a big target who averaged 49 catches during his final two seasons at Michigan. That was when doctors told him it was time to hang up his helmet. “They said, ‘There’s a chance you’ll never get over these headaches,’ ” Morey says. Data began to emerge in September foreshadowing the growing boycotts to come. On Sept. I clearing that one up. Cowboys always stand for the anthem while lined up on the sideline. “We want to create experiences in which beer drinkers become our media outlets. If you have a good time consuming our products all football teams jerseys and experiences, you share it.”. Of course if Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, or Dez Bryant are still on the board then pick them up. Aside from Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning you can wait until the later rounds or after you’ve filled your skilled positions to choose a QB. I can’t claim that ‘X’ will happen. I just want to live a long healthy life, and I don’t want to have any neurological diseases or die younger than I would otherwise.”. For a starting agent without a marquee client, the Payscale website lists an average starting salary of $56,000 annually.Other fee structuresAgents charge in different ways besides their commission. Like an attorney, an agent can charge an hourly fee for negotiations and other services. “I am bothered and saddened that there is a need for a rule to do what is right and what is smart,” Trask, now a CBS analyst and working the Super Bowl, told The Associated Press. “I had the privilege and pleasure of working for a man who needed no rule to evaluate people without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and other such characteristics.”. Does your team’s owner want to deal with that? That’s the conundrum. That’s the hard part.”. Indianapolis. 4 days ago Ben Lamers from SB Nation’s Stampede Blue joins us to discuss the Indianapolis Colts who come to town this Sunday to open the season.. Penn State also has a replenished senior class of 10 to 12 starters, several of whom could turn themselves into prospects (as defensive end Carl Nassib did two years ago). Receiver Saeed Blacknall might make the biggest move with a breakthrough season. As many of you know, how passionate he is about Jesus Christ. Tebow’s nfljerseys favorite biblical verse is John 3:16. If he catches the ball you better get him on the ground because he can make guys miss. He reminds me of Jarvis Landry, who I was with in Miami last year, but with more speed. Yards in franchise history. Ranks 2nd in career receptions (1,096) rec. Rundown: The Hokies’ first class after being invited to the ACC was a strong one. Flowers, one of several players to come through Hargrave from this group, was the marquee find, a first team All American who’d be a second round NFL draft pick, going on to have a lengthy and successful pro career.A Southwest Airlines pilot was forced to declare an emergency on Saturday after a passenger repeatedly told a flight attendant she would “kill everybody" on the plane. The trouble started after the female passenger disabled a smoke detector aboard Southwest Flight 2943 from Portland, Ore., to Sacramento, and proceeded to smoke onboard, Southwest confirmed to Fox News. After she was caught, the woman created a “disturbance” which was captured on video by a fellow passenger. “I have a destination for this, I have a destination for myself, and I need to go there,” the woman can be heard saying in footage provided to KOIN 6. "I swear, if you … land, I will kill everybody on this [expletive deleted] plane,” she shouted. “I will kill everybody on this [expletive deleted] plane!” A man can then be seen stepping into the frame to confront the irate passenger. INSTANCES OF 'AIR RAGE' ROSE 50 PERCENT IN 2017, STUDY FINDS The woman, who was later identified as 24-year-old Valerie Curbelo of Sandy, Ore., was physically restrained for the remainder of the flight, according to KOVR, although Southwest has not confirmed those details. “Our Crew in command of Flight 2943 traveling from Portland on Saturday afternoon safely landed on-time in Sacramento following an inflight disturbance,” said Southwest in a statement. “Our reports from Flight Attendants indicate a customer violated federal laws by both smoking onboard an aircraft and by tampering with a smoke detector in an aircraft restroom. Our Crew enforced the regulation and that was followed by the passenger outburst.” “The safety of our Crew and Passengers is our top priority and we take all threats seriously. The pilots declared an emergency to receive priority handling from air traffic controllers, and our crew handled the situation onboard until the plane landed and local authorities stepped in.” THIS AIRLINE HAS THE WORST FOOD, STUDY SAYS Curbelo is currently booked in the Sacramento county jail for making criminal threats, KOVR adds. She cited “anxiety” as the reason she lit up a cigarette aboard the flight.Six animal rights crusaders from Shanghai were brought to court in Pudong recently under the rare charge of trying to make their victims eat cat feces, to make matters even worse they didn’t even pick the right guys. The fact that the four women and two men came from academic backgrounds makes this case even harder to swallow. 6 animal crusaders were brought to court recently when it was discovered that they forced the wrong guys to eat cat feces over a controversial video depicting the abuse of cats. The crime dates back to September 30th when furious over a controversial video posted online depicting feline abuse, the six animal lovers carried out a bizarre plan of revenge. One of the six defendants lured the two suspected animal abusers into a meeting by posing as someone interested in adopting a pet. Once inside, the other five surrounded their victims and promptly threatened them to eat kitty excrement at knife point. Apart from the forcing people to dine on shit charge, the district attorney has also accused the group of beating and forcibly cutting the hair of the two victims. In court, the six defendants defended their misguided actions by expressing their love for animals. However, the district attorney revealed that they were made aware their victims were likely not the ones they were looking for, but went ahead with the torture anyway, just to be sure. One of the defendants, surnamed Xu, claimed that they were convinced that the two men were lying, while another defendant, surnamed Cao, explained that they had hoped to make an example of the two as a way to deter others from abusing animals. The guilty party has expressed regret and has confessed to their crimes. Xu is reported to have told the court that although animals have rights, so too do people, and that their actions were inexcusable. The prosecutor, noting that the defendants had confessed and expressed regret, in addition to the fact that the victims were only lightly injured, has pressed the court to be lenient in its sentencing, we have no idea what that means in this case, have to check the case law. China has suffered from a less than clean record when it comes to animal rights, where abuse of domestic animals is all too common. Recently a medical school in Xi’an came under scrutiny when it was discovered that faculty had experimented on dogs and left them to die on the school’s roof. In Anhui, hundreds of dog pelts were discovered mysteriously under a bridge. While it’s not clear how exactly the crusaders administered the torture, we think it probably went something like this: By Stanley Yu Share this: Pocket Telegram PrintHow to Make $80,000 Per Month on the Apple App Store It’s far easier than you think. No luck or perseverance necessary. Johnny Lin Blocked Unblock Follow Following Jun 9, 2017 At WWDC, Apple reported that they’ve paid out $70 billion to developers, with 30% of that ($21 billion!) in the last year. That’s a huge spike, and surprising to me because it didn’t seem like my friends and I were spending more on apps last year. But that’s anecdotal, so I wondered: Where are these revenues coming from? I opened App Store to browse the top grossing apps. Step 1: Follow The Money I scrolled down the list in the Productivity category and saw apps from well-known companies like Dropbox, Evernote, and Microsoft. That was to be expected. But what’s this? The #10 Top Grossing Productivity app (as of June 7th, 2017) was an app called “Mobile protection :Clean & Security VPN”. Given the terrible title of this app (inconsistent capitalization, misplaced colon, and grammatically nonsensical “Clean & Security VPN?”), I was sure this was a bug in the rankings algorithm. So I check Sensor Tower for an estimate of the app’s revenue, which showed… $80,000 per month?? That couldn’t possibly be right. Now I was really curious. I tap into the app details to see that the developer is “Ngan Vo Thi Thuy”. Wait so, this is a VPN service offered by an independent developer who didn’t even bother to incorporate a company? That’s a huge red flag. For those of you who don’t know why this is bad, a VPN basically routes all your internet traffic through a third party server. So in this case, a random person who couldn’t piece together a grammatically correct title, who also didn’t bother to incorporate a company, wants access to all your internet traffic. Another red flag was this comically terrible app description: Direct screenshot from the “Mobile protection :Clean & Security VPN” app description. According to this, “Mobile protection :Clean & Security VPN” is “Full of features” — well, it’s certainly full of something. Apparently, “Mobile protection” includes protecting you from “dupplicate” contacts. And these “scans” are what the screenshots claim as “Quick & Full Scan Internet Security”. Five internets to anyone who can figure out the relationship between Internet Security and duplicate contacts. All these red flags — and I haven’t even downloaded the app yet. I check the Reviews tab to find some vague, fake-looking 5-star reviews: Seeing the dates on these reviews brought up another question. How long has this app been up? Well, according to Sensor Tower, “Mobile protection :Clean & Security VPN” has been a top 20 grossing Productivity app since at least April 20th (almost 2 months now). Step 2: Duplicitous Behavior Out of curiosity about this supposedly top grossing app, I download it. Here’s what happens when I open it for the first time: Yes, “This app need to cccess to your Contact to scan your Contact first.” The only option here is to tap Agree, and then iOS asks me if I want to give this app “cccess” to my contacts. Uhm, no thank you? After skipping that, the app tells me my device is at risk. Of course it is. It‘s also ready to “Device Analyze”, Quick and Full Scan, and secure my internet (I can’t wait!). Tapping “Device Analyze” shows my iPhone’s free memory and storage — a useless and irrelevant feature. Tapping both Quick Scan and Full Scan shows: “Your contact is cleaned. No dupplicated found.” Oh good — no duplicates, except for the extra “p” in “dupplicated”, I guess? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Okay, so let me finally secure my internet by tapping “Secure Internet”. Hmm, what’s this—? play WITHOUT installing? oh boy! Up comes this incredibly generous offer to play a bubble shooter game without installing! Not sure what I did to deserve this amazing free gift, but it will have to wait. I tap the “X” to return to securing my internet. Here’s the next screen: Such generous. Much design. Very scam. And obviously, I jump at the opportunity to “Instantly use full of smart anti-virus” by tapping “FREE TRIAL”. It’s free, after all. Touch ID? Okay! Wait
MP (Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Labour) 19:42:01 Nigel Adams MP (Selby and Ainsty, Conservative) 19:44:17 James Berry MP (Kingston and Surbiton, Conservative) 19:51:07 Adjournment: Re-opening of Dean Quarry, St. KeverneRead about Oregon’s distracted driving laws and the costs of a violation. Oregon’s distracted driving law generally bans all text messaging and other mobile electronic device use while driving. Here’s an overview of what the law prohibits and the penalties you’ll face for a violation. What’s Prohibited An Oregon driver commits the offense of “driving a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device” by driving on a highway or premises open to the public while: holding a mobile electronic device in a hand, or using a mobile electronic device for any purpose. In other words, you can get ticketed for talking on a cellphone, text messaging, or just holding your device. Driving. For purposes of the distracted driving law, “driving” means operating a motor vehicle on a highway or any other location open to the public. And this definition isn’t limited to when the vehicle is actually in motion—it also includes momentary stops such as when a driver is waiting in traffic or at a traffic signal. However, it’s okay for a driver to use a mobile device after pulling over to a safe spot at the side of or off the road or parking in a designated space. Mobile electronic devices. The distracted driving law defines “mobile electronic device” as any electronic device that’s not installed in the vehicle. This definition includes devices like cellphones and tablets that are capable of text messaging, voice communication, entertainment, navigation, or accessing the Internet or email. Exempted persons. Oregon’s distracted driving law contains a number of exemptions. Two of the more common exemptions are for persons who: just activate or deactivate a device or function of the device, or are employed as a commercial or school bus driver and use a device within the scope of that employment. Affirmative defenses. Motorists who are caught using a mobile device can establish a defense by proving they were: using a hands-free accessory (and at least 18 years old) using the device to communicate with emergency services personnel such as police or an ambulance driving an emergency vehicle (ambulance, firetrucks, and police cruisers included) and using the device within the scope of that employment, or using a medical device. With all these defenses, it’s the driver who has the burden of proof. In other words, the driver must present evidence in court and convince the judge that the defense applies. Enforcement and Penalties Oregon’s distracted driving statute is considered a “primary” law—meaning an officer who spots a violation can stop the driver without having another reason for doing so. The consequences of a violation depend on the circumstances. But generally, the possible penalties are: First offense. A first distracted driving violation is generally a class B traffic violation and carries a presumptive fine of $265 (maximum fine of $1,000). However, a first violation that contributes to an accident is a class A traffic violation, which results in a $440 presumptive fine (maximum fine of $2,000). A first distracted driving violation is generally a class B traffic violation and carries a presumptive fine of $265 (maximum fine of $1,000). However, a first violation that contributes to an accident is a class A traffic violation, which results in a $440 presumptive fine (maximum fine of $2,000). Second offense. A second distracted driving violation within a ten-year period is a class A traffic violation and carries a $440 presumptive fine (maximum fine of $2,000). . A second distracted driving violation within a ten-year period is a class A traffic violation and carries a $440 presumptive fine (maximum fine of $2,000). Third offense. A third or subsequent distracted driving violation within is a ten-year period is a class B misdemeanor. Convicted motorists face a fine of $2,000 to $2,500 and up to six months in jail. For a first violation, a judge has the option of suspending the fine for 120 days and allowing the driver to complete a “distracted driving avoidance course.” Once the driver provides proof of completion, the judge dismisses the fine. The driver, however, must pay the cost of the course.This post is a special shout out to my husband. So far, I’ve written about actors and actresses that I admire who display incredible talent and have left traces of their humanity to be discovered in the wake of their celebrity reputation. Now it’s time to talk about Bruce. And really, truly, if we’re going to look for the “regular guy” in Hollywood, or the guy who has managed to keep his $10,000 shoes firmly on the ground amidst a cult following, it doesn’t get much better than Bruce. I didn’t know much about Bruce until oh, say, five minutes ago. My husband has tortured me (and my 6-year-old daughter) through a viewing or two of Army of Darkness and, after that, even convinced me to sit through Evil Dead. Just so you know, my apparent reluctance to watch these movies is not so much related to the quality of the movies. It’s more about my weak stomach and impatience for slapstick humor. I just don’t always “get it” when it comes to B-movie humor. I try, I really do. And sometimes there are parts that really hit home and I actually find myself laughing. But it just doesn’t come naturally to me like it does to my husband and thousands of other psychos out there. That said, there are few movie scenes in this world as hilariously awesome and aurally satisfying as the moment when Bruce Campbell’s severed arm connects with the base of the chainsaw with an ever-so-satisfying “click”. It’s genius, folks. Pure genius. So I have to admit to myself that I am somewhat of a Bruce Campbell fan. As a loyal fan of Burn Notice for many years, I found his character, Sam, to be endearing and quite pinical to the overall storyline – despite the iffy acting. Don’t pretend it isn’t true, guys. You can think Bruce Campbell is next to God himself and you still have to admit that his acting is… Meh. But that’s part of what makes him so awesome; it’s part of his persona, for God’s sake. He’s a B actor – if he took his parts seriously and did breathing exercises before each take, we’d all think he was lamer than friggin Lance what’s-his-bucket from N Sync. So let’s get to the nitty-gritty here. Bruce as a human is not unlike many other humans I know. He’s got that no-bullshit, tell-it-like-it-is, nobody is special so quit holding hands and singing kumbaya, gritty outlook on life. Which I can’t help but admire. Because I essentially live most of my days in the clouds, dreaming up futures of fame, fortune, and ethical idealism while believing everyone can “be whatever they want to be”. A dose of Bruce every now and then is exactly what I need. Here’s a quote I found on good ‘ol reliable IMDB that sums up Bruce’s outlook – on Hollywood in particular – pretty succinctly: If you go to Hollywood, you’ve already sold out. By the sheer act of going there, you’re saying, ‘I need to go there because this is the only way I can get my movie made.’ Baloney! Indiana’s the place to make your movie. Pontiac, Michigan. Whatever. Then you’re just making it on the merits of the movie. You don’t have to have any discussions about what’s hip now. Who can we get to do the soundtrack? You can actually put a score to your movie instead of a soundtrack. I get this thing all the time. Filmmakers go, ‘Can I send you a script? You’ll read it and attach yourself and we’ll package it.’ Why can’t you get the money based on nothing, just the script? This whole packaging thing is out of control. Then you get absurd casting because it’s all packaged by the same talent agency. The sensibility is so bizarre. Let me first say that I hate this concept of “selling out”. I don’t believe in it – of its a good film, do it. On the other hand, I totally get what he’s saying here. The whole “I’m gonna go to Hollywood and be an actor!!” attitude is completely misguided. Most who tote that line are after fame and fortune more than anything. And making good movies should be about one thing: making good movies. Hell, half the Hollywood studios travel to tiny towns across the world to make their movies, but guess what: you’re already there!! This quote of his is actually well-times, because I recently took my first shot at acting. I just did a shoot with some local Denver folks who make purposely-cheesy steampunk ghost films. And you know what? It’s fun! And none of them have aspirations to land a huge studio deal. They’re happy to do what they like to do and wish for nothing more than hopeful exposure at an independent film festival and maybe a viral YouTube video. That’s what filmmaking is supposed to be about. Fuck Hollywood. More than ever, you’ve got everything you need right on your laptop computer. It’s inspiring, Bruce, very inspiring. Which is probably not at all what you were going for. Sorry. Here’s another quote of his that I really enjoy simply because it displays his value of interpersonal relationships along with a propensity to dispel any temptation to take interpersonal conflict to heart: “[on why he turned down the chance to reprise his role in a sequel to “Bubba Ho-Tep”]: Don Coscarelli is a very passionate filmmaker. We got to a few points that we couldn’t reconcile. I want to keep our friendship, so we parted ways. So I’m not part of that project. Bruce, do you know how badly the rest of us want to be able to approach our friendships with this level of practicality? It’s almost unfair how easy this is for you! No hard feelings at all – he acknowledges and appreciates that his friend is passionate and that he was getting in the way of that. So they parted ways and preserved the friendship. It’s that simple. Oh, to be so human. I’d like conclude this not-so-unusual tribute to Bruce Campbell (a man so human, he once worked as a security guard at a brewery; um, it really doesn’t get more “normal” than that) with one more quote. This one is is my favorite because it sheds all desire for that red carpet experience so many seem to grapple for; it is raw and honest and embraces exactly what life has offered Bruce with a smile and the clunk of a beer glass: It seemed that my lot in life was to either have big parts in small films or small parts in big films. It appears my lot in life is to write sub-par articles about celebrities while killing time on business tripsto exciting destinations like Indianapolis. I’ll drink to that, Bruce. AdvertisementsMichael Patrick McCarthy has been a veteran Sergeant with the Brownstown Township Police Department for more than a decade. He now has a mug shot from the Nevada Highway Patrol. This man of the law admits he was partying in Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday when witnesses say his SUV swerved across lanes and jumped a curb. According to the report, McCarthy's eyes were watery, glassy, bloodshot and his speech heavily slurred. His SUV reeked of alcohol. He admitted to downing six or seven beers. A one time failure in judgment? Maybe. But the 7 Investigators began digging into his past and what we found raises serious questions as to why McCarthy is still employed by the department in the first place. Court records show in 2006 McCarthy was accused of being drunk in an interrogation. Then, later that same year, McCarthy was off duty when he was pulled over by fellow officers for driving erratically. One officer stated he almost killed him. McCarthy admitted drinking five to ten beers. The officers at the scene didn't conduct a sobriety test. Instead, a supervisor drove McCarthy home without issuing a citation. McCarthy was referred to an alcohol counselor, but failed to meet him - according to reports. The officers involved complained they were forced to give special treatment and wanted McCarthy brought up on charges. Township leaders reluctantly sent the case to MSP for investigation, but due to a lack of evidence and time passed, nothing was done. McCarthy was never punished. You'd think McCarthy would let it lie. But he filed a lawsuit against the township claiming he was defamed by the officers. That was later thrown out. But through all this McCarthy continued to be promoted and employed. That was the decision of township attorneys, says the township supervisor. Seeking accountability we visited the township attorney and was told "no comment". Following his February arrest McCarthy was placed on leave. But not fired. The township says it is waiting to see the outcome of his recent charges. But should someone with his history be carrying a gun and badge, regardless? We wanted to get his boss's opinion, Public Safety Director James Sclater - a longtime department leader, familiar with McCarthy's past, who has enabled his employment and a salary paid by you the taxpayer. He wouldn't return dozens of phone calls and emails, so we showed up at the department. We were told he was on vacation. Finally, we decided to pay McCarthy a visit. We went to the home address he gave Nevada officers. Turns out he doesn't live there. But he couldn't hide from the 7 Investigators. We tracked him to an apartment building a few blocks from the police station. "I got no comment," McCarthy said when he opened the door to his apartment building, smirking and visibly surprised by our visit. He is due back in a Las Vegas courtroom soon.Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Notorious street artist Banksy, whose work has decorated his home town of Bristol and Israel's West Bank barrier, has turned his hand to film-making. Exit Through The Gift Shop will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, his agent told the BBC. It will be the first time the elusive artist, who has never revealed his identity, has spoken on camera. Billed as "the world's first street art disaster movie", its inclusion in the festival has been shrouded in secrecy. Sundance organisers are due to announce its inclusion at a press conference on Thursday. Unexpected stunts Exit Through The Gift Shop was left off the official programme, but speculation about the festival's Spotlight Surprise turned to Banksy after four stencils, believed to be by the artist, appeared on walls in Park City, where the festival is held. Banksy is known for teasing his audience, toying with authority, and continually pulling the wool over people's eyes to stage unexpected stunts. Last year, he installed 100 of his artworks in Bristol's council-owned museum under the noses of top officials, and once smuggled a blow-up figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee into Disneyland. Exit Through The Gift Shop will have its world premiere at the festival on Sunday. It is described as the story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on him. Infamous artist Banksy said: "It's the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed". The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, and many of the world's most infamous graffiti artists at work. But until the film is shown, it is not known whether Banksy's identity will be revealed. In the past, the artist has both mythologised and subverted his own image, so the film could raise as many questions as it answers. John Cooper, director of the Sundance Festival, said the story was so bizarre that he questioned whether it could be real. "Exit Through The Gift Shop is one of those films that comes along once in a great while, a warped hybrid of reality and self-induced fiction while at the same time a totally entertaining experience," he added. Exit Through The Gift Shop is due to open in UK cinemas on 5 March. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionJessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson will host a series of four hour-long specials next year. “2 Dope Queens,” one of the headline shows for WYNC Studios, is planting its flag in new territory. HBO announced on Thursday that they are partnering with podcast hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson on a series of four “2 Dope Queens” specials, set to air next year on the network. Williams and Robinson have co-hosted the podcast since early 2016, covering topics from relationships to race to their home city of New York. They’ve also welcomed guests from Carrie Brownstein to Jon Hamm to Michael B. Jordan. Best known for her stint as a correspondent on “The Daily Show,” Williams recently starred in the Netflix film “The Incredible Jessica James.” Robinson, the host of her own podcast “Sooo Many White Guys,” also played a supporting role in the debut season of the Jill Soloway series “I Love Dick.” No word yet on where these specials will be taped, but the podcast has a history of taking the show on the road, with previous live episode tour stops in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This pickup is the latest in a recent trend of hit podcasts making their way to television. This fall, ABC premieres “Alex, Inc.” based on the life of Gimlet Media co-founder Alex Blumberg. Gimlet’s preeminent scripted series “Homecoming” is slated for a TV adaptation starring Julia Roberts at Amazon, which also has the rights to Aaron Mahnke’s true-story horror anthology “Lore.” Sign Up Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our email newsletters here.Image – LAWNMOWER MAN: Claude Harvey on his 850 km "mowerthon" (AAP Image/Bravehearts) Claude Harvey left the Gold Coast in the state’s south-east in July and arrived in Cairns in far north Queensland on Thursday after pushing his lawnmower over 2,000 kilometres. Mr Harvey raised $40,000 along the way for child protection advocacy group, Bravehearts. He says he is pleased his "mower-thon" is over. "The journey has been pretty good – I’ve had some ups and I’ve had some downs but mostly, it’s been really good," he told ABC. Mr Harvey says he had many requests to mow lawns. "People all the time ask me to mow their lawns," he said. "But I’d never get where I was going if I did everyone’s lawns." More odd Only In Oz stories: Snake wrestling at McDonald’s Nail gun to the head I lost my handbag on Hindley StreetThis story published online Thursday, Dec. 7 and appeared in print Saturday, Dec. 9. Inside a squat, brick building at the base of Barker reservoir, Richard Long tossed and turned in his cot near midnight. Dread and adrenaline kept him from drifting off. Water levels at the Addicks and Barker dams west of Houston, the city's primary defense during a major storm, were rising faster than he'd seen in his 38 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Addicks had climbed 28 feet since Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the central Texas coast on Aug. 25, two days earlier. Barker had risen 22 feet. Both dams likely would break their record pool levels within 24 hours. Richard Long U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Natural Resource Manager Addicks/Barker. Long, 61, has been with the Army Corps since the 1970s and has warned for years that development upstream of the reservoirs is harmful. After decades of successfully taming Buffalo Bayou by impounding storm runoff inside the reservoirs until the skies cleared, the Corps had finally faced its Sophie's Choice with Harvey: release water during a monster storm and doom houses along the bayou, or risk letting the water flow out from around the ends of the dams and over the emergency spillways — perhaps triggering a much bigger disaster. Uncontrolled flows would risk erosion and failure of the earthen berms, potentially sending a catastrophic wall of water into the heart of the nation's fourth-largest city. If the dams failed, thousands could die. The Corps had announced that releases would start at 2 a.m. at Addicks — two hours away. But the reservoirs were rising faster than engineers had predicted. And even with the releases, the Corps' models showed the reservoir pool would climb so high that water would flow around the north end of Addicks for the first time in the dam's 70 years of operation. The releases also wouldn't spare homes built within the footprint of the reservoirs as the water level climbed toward the spillway. Many of those homes were doomed, too, Long knew. Rain thrashed the roof. Long's mind raced from the dams to his wife, who was with his 89-year-old father at their home in Fulshear, 20 miles away, watching the water rise in the streets. Suddenly, the dam's captain, Chuck Ciliske, appeared at Long's door. The parking lot was flooding. The Corps' own building would be next. "Richard," he said, "We've got to go." Between midnight and 1 a.m., after Long and Ciliske abandoned the office, two groups of Corps employees climbed onto metal platforms that hold the control panels for the flood gates. Standing in the unrelenting rain, they opened the gates, the platforms vibrating as they sent murky stormwater downstream and into the already raging bayou. The trillion gallons of water that Harvey dumped on Harris County during four days in August — enough to fill the Astrodome more than 3,300 times — revealed the downside of Houston's dynamic economy. The region's growth formula, which relies heavily on abundant, cheap housing and lax regulation, suddenly had a death toll in the dozens and a price tag in the billions. Houston's deference to developers was evidenced by the thousands of homes built in known flood plains and floodways, clogging the path of rushing floodwater and causing it to rise. Developers not only had built out to the bases of the reservoirs that once sat on the far western flank of Harris County, but inside them — within their flood pools — and right up to their emergency spillways. Over time, Houstonians became desensitized to the risks of living about 50 feet above sea level. Prompted by a national flood insurance program that encouraged them to build in vulnerable areas, residents built closer and closer to the bayou that carries floodwater away from the reservoirs and out to the Gulf of Mexico. The county's extensive network of drainage channels — enough to stretch from Los Angeles to New York — could not keep up with the average of 34 inches that fell within four days. Some portions of southeast Texas recorded 60 inches of rain. The National Weather Service had to add two more shades of purple to its maps to show how much water had fallen from the sky. Before Harvey, proposals for major infrastructure projects, such as a third reservoir and dam and a dike for Galveston Bay, had gained little traction in Congress because of their multibillion-dollar price tags. The condition of Addicks and Barker had deteriorated so much that they were on the list of the country's most dangerous dams. All of this left local leaders to contend not only with the most rainfall in U.S. history, but with the consequences of decades of political inertia. RELATED COVERAGE: The Chronicle takes a closer look at Houston's biblical flooding during Hurricane Harvey. Interviews and records obtained by the Houston Chronicle show that, within a span of 72 hours, officials faced one agonizing decision after another as each inch of Harvey's rain increased the flooding and spread the misery. Harvey was Houston's reckoning. Nature ruled. Man reacted. * Jeff Lindner sank into one of the 98 chairs on the floor of the windowless emergency operations center, a cavernous building near Interstate 10 and the 610 West loop. Lindner, meteorologist for the Harris County Flood Control District, had watched Harvey intensify on the radar over a span of 40 hours from an ordinary tropical depression into a Category 4 hurricane — the first to strike the Texas coast since Ike in 2008. Harvey's eye made landfall at 10 p.m. the night before on San Jose Island, northeast of Corpus Christi. Winds peaked at 130 mph, and the storm surge reached 12 feet. Jeff Lindner Harris County Flood Control meteorologist. Lindner, whose home is the Addicks reservoir spillway, became one of the best-known figures during Harvey, handling hard questions on the flooding. His home did not flood. Most hurricanes typically move inland, away from the coast. But Harvey was predicted to stall over southeast Texas for days. The National Weather Service was forecasting rainfall totals for Harris County of 20 to 30 inches, with isolated totals of 35 inches or more. Lindner, 35, knew Harvey's forecast was unprecedented. He'd done his best in TV appearances to explain what to expect. But how do you explain what 30 inches of rain looks like? Lindner checked the county's rainfall gauges. More than 2 inches had fallen within an hour near his house near Addicks reservoir. He was grateful that his wife, Lillie, and two children, ages 3 and 5, had left for Smithville, up near Austin, the day before. He needed to focus. * Long, 61, had started working for the Corps of Engineers in the 1970s, back when development upstream of the reservoirs had just started and they were largely surrounded by pastures and rice fields. For years, he'd warned that every inch of concrete poured upstream of the reservoirs made flooding into Addicks and Barker worse. Long sent emails internally opposing the construction of the Grand Parkway upstream from Addicks in 2011, warning of negative impacts from more development upstream. "Additional impervious surfaces within the Addicks and Barker watershed will increase the volume of flows into the reservoirs, the rate at which flows get to the reservoirs, and the size of the pool generated within the reservoirs," he warned. It was built anyway, and more subdivisions sprouted near it. Flood control officials said they had worked with Harris County commissioners to strengthen flood mitigation requirements upstream of the reservoirs last spring. But there were already thousands of homes inside the reservoirs, in the spillways and near Buffalo Bayou, which runs through Houston's energy corridor and downtown before dumping into Galveston Bay. The city blamed the county. The county blamed the city. Everybody blamed Congress. Long was planning to retire once the Corps finished a $75 million construction project to replace the aging outlets on the dams, which discharge stormwater through gates into the bayou. The old outlets, still in use, had been reinforced and grouted since the Corps found voids and seepage beneath them in 2009. But those were temporary fixes: The Corps had ranked Addicks and Barker among the six most dangerous dams in its inventory of more than 700, calling them "extremely high risk." For years, Corps officials have requested $3 million for a study that would re-evaluate the future of the reservoirs in light of all of the development around them and address lingering safety concerns. Harris County flood control officials had agreed to pay for half the cost, planning to examine what could happen if water went over the emergency spillway or around the ends of the dams. They also had proposed studying the impacts of higher rates of release from the dams on neighborhoods downstream. The Corps and the county never got those answers. The study was not funded. On his computer monitor, Long watched the reservoirs rise. He'd been amazed in 2016 by how fast they'd climbed during the Tax Day storm, which set records for pools for both dams. Addicks had reached 102.65 feet, its flood pool within a foot of the height where it would have reached neighborhoods built in the reservoir. Barker topped out at 95.24, roughly 2 feet away from the level at which it would have reached homes. At their peak, the reservoirs held a record 68 billion gallons of water — enough to fill the Astrodome 222 times. Long thought he'd retire without seeing another storm like that. But it was clear from the gauges that Tax Day had nothing on Harvey. Addicks was up to 86 feet. The gauge at Barker had broken. Lindner and National Weather Service meteorologists traded messages in a chat room. "Plan is to issue a Flash Flood Emergency to include parts of S and SW Houston in Harris County and parts of E Fort Bend County," a weather service meteorologist wrote. "I agree," Lindner wrote. Brays Bayou is rising rapidly, Lindner warned three minutes later. The bayou runs from south of Barker Reservoir east through neighborhoods that include Meyerland and Braeswood Place. "Jeff," the NWS meteorologist replied, "going out with warning on Brays." The southeast side of the city, stretching down to Galveston Bay, was getting pounded. Gauges in Friendswood southeast of Houston showed 6.6 inches of rain in an hour. South Houston had 5 inches in a hour. Stretches of Interstate 10 flooded. Parts of downtown were underwater. "Life threatening conditions developing," Lindner tweeted. "Stay at your location." In a metro area of 6.6 million people, hundreds of thousands were threatened by flooding. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, 68, took to the lectern in the operations center for a hasty news conference at 10:40 p.m. Emmett, the top elected official in the county, had suffered a mild stroke two weeks earlier and temporarily lost his vision. He was hospitalized and then released, his vision restored, and told to take it easy. Emmett had followed doctor's orders, mostly, until Harvey hit. The mayor and police chief barely made it in time; they had to abandon their vehicles near Old Katy Road and wade into the emergency operations center on foot. Behind them, the storm radar swirled on a big screen. Harvey was living up to the dire predictions. Judge Ed Emmett The county’s top executive. Emmett, 68, had a stroke weeks before Harvey. His youngest daughter and her family evacuated their home in an airboat. Emmett spoke to a cluster of reporters and to his audience on Facebook live. "This," he said, "is what we've been worried about." * Police Chief Art Acevedo, who stands 6 feet tall, waded through waist-high water in Greenspoint around 1 a.m. in his uniform, helping evacuate two apartment complexes that had flooded near Greens Bayou. "Stay in twos!" Acevedo yelled. "You got the baby?" he yelled. Yes, someone yelled in the darkness. Acevedo had mobilized all his officers on Friday night as Harvey approached. He waited in the rain on a Houston Fire Department boat, his uniform soggy from the downpour and fetid bayou water. Officers instead commandeered two buses from the airport and loaded the evacuees. Thousands of people called 9-1-1, panicking. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo Acevedo spent days out in the storm helping evacuate flood victims. His hardest decision came with the death of one of his officers. Water reached the ceilings of some single-story homes along Interstate 45 and in southeast Houston. 9-1-1 overloaded. Some callers got no answer. Others were put on hold as they watched the floodwater rise. Acevedo arrived at the operations center in the darkness, prepared to order all of his officers to start working 24-hour shifts until further notice. As he peeled off his uniform shirt, cockroaches jumped off him and scurried across the floor. * Bob Royall and Rodney Reed, assistant chiefs with the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office, took calls from local fire departments from their seats near Lindner in the emergency center. They'd assembled a database of more than 40 boats and dozens of high-water vehicles owned by local fire departments, not including Houston's. A man was clinging to the Texas 225 bridge in rushing floodwater. Royall called the U.S. Coast Guard. The helicopter pilot couldn't reach the man but spotted a pregnant woman and child who had climbed up on a roof. The crew flew them to safety. Royall and Reed enlisted constables with airboats to reach stranded ambulances. Rodney Reed Assistant chief with the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office. He ran the fire desk with Bob Royall in the county’s Emergency Operations Center. Bob Royall Assistant chief with the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office. He ran the fire desk with Rodney Reed in the county’s Emergency Operations Center. At daybreak, Royall stood next to Harris County Emergency Management Director Mark Sloan and stared at a big-screen TV with the radar of the storm. Another band of rain swirled over the city. His phone buzzed with requests from local fire departments begging for boats and rescue vehicles. He had none left. It was the emptiest feeling of his life. He picked up his cellphone and texted his wife and two grown sons. When you wake up in the morning, he typed, I want you to understand this has been the worst night of my career. RELATED: Harvey laid bare lack of resources, training at Houston Fire Department Hurricane Harvey high-water rescues The Houston Fire Department responded to more than 7,800 calls for help from residents trapped by high water during Hurricane Harvey. More than 4,000 calls came in on Aug. 27 during the storm's peak. The map below shows areas in Meyerland and along Buffalo Bayou where most the rescues took place during Aug. 27. Click the map below to see how HFD responded minute-by-minute. Reed, 35, ducked into the emergency center library, feeling helpless. He bumped into Gray Stansell with Harris County Risk Management. "We might as well call in civilians," Reed grumbled to Stansell. "You should tell the judge," Stansell replied. "Tell the judge what?" asked Emmett, who had just walked into the library. Reed turned around and saw Emmett, who had only slept two hours the night before. Frustrated with the Red Cross, the judge had spent the last day trying to get shelters open, and he was taking heat from the media about not calling for an evacuation. "To where?" he had asked. No one knew where the rain was going to be the heaviest. His youngest daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren had evacuated on an airboat from their Braes Heights neighborhood, where floodwater had reached some roofs and the middle of stop signs. Gov. Greg Abbott had assured Emmett that morning that trucks and boats were ready to help. But they were just outside of the county, and the roads were impassable. "Can we put a call out to citizens?" Reed asked Emmett. "Well," Emmett replied, "what's your plan?" Reed said they'd have volunteer rescuers call the emergency center. The operators would write down names, where the volunteers were, what kind of rescue equipment they had. They'd make sure they had life vests and then send them to the nearest fire department staging spot. That way, instead of people out there doing their own thing, there would be some order to it, he said. "That's a good idea," the judge said. "You'd better hurry up, because I'm going downstairs and I'm going to brief the media." * Roughly 400 miles northeast of the heart of the storm, Aaron Byrd's phone vibrated during Sunday school at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Vicksburg, close to the Mississippi River. Byrd, a 40-year-old civil research engineer in the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, glanced down and saw it was an email from the lab's director, who was on assignment to the Corps' Operations Center. Oh no, he thought. The Addicks and Barker dams are among the most critical dams in the Corps' inventory, the email read. We need information on them now. Byrd helped develop an inundation modeling technology that can forecast flood depths up to five days in advance. Aaron Byrd Civil research engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss. Byrd and his team of researchers used a supercomputer to predict and map inundation during the storm. The Corps' technology collects data on the water levels on the ground, topography, forecast rainfall and other factors. Then a supercomputer calculates millions of math equations that produce maps showing the flow of water. The Corps had used it during hurricanes Irene in 2011 and Sandy in 2012. That Friday, Byrd and his team had used it to monitor Harvey as it hit the Texas coast. At that point, the forecast included in the Corps' bulletin on Addicks and Barker was relatively unremarkable: 10 to 15 inches of rain. No overtopping was expected, the bulletin said. But Harvey had defied that forecast. Byrd stood up in Sunday school and walked to the door, heading for the lab. * Emmett stood at the lectern in the press room, his glasses on the tip of his nose. The county had deployed "every available rescue asset," he said. People were still stranded and needed help. State resources couldn't get in because of the flooding. "We can't wait for assets to come from the outside," he said. "So those of you who have boats and high-water vehicles that can be used in neighborhoods to help move people out of harm's way: We need your help." Harvey 911 dispatches, minute by minute The Houston Emergency Center received more than 120,000 emergency calls during the five days that Hurricane Harvey pounded Houston with relentless rainfall. The map shows minute by minute where Houston Police Department officers were dispatched to assist residents crying for help. Click on the map to begin the animation and double click the map to pause. Lindner, the meteorologist, followed Emmett at the lectern, looking solemn in a white button-down shirt. "We're facing a catastrophe that we haven't faced before. This is unprecedented, like the judge said," Lindner said. "Every single watershed, all 22 of our watersheds, are over banks." The rain was starting to let up a bit, but Lindner and the Corps were closely watching the water levels in Addicks and Barker, which were still climbing. To the northeast, near the San Jacinto River, neighborhoods in Kingwood and Humble were flooding. The San Jacinto River Authority was releasing 39,600 cubic feet per second from the Lake Conroe Dam, a record. Greenspoint, in north Houston, had flooded so badly that people waded through neck-de
to a pretty good filmed version of the story by the BBC from 1969, narrated by Orson Welles.) In a brief but significant tangent, there is one tiny detail — one word — in “To Build a Fire” (published 1908) that damns it to present-day readers. This sentence appears in an early descriptive passage: “He held on through the level stretch of woods for several miles, crossed a wide flat of niggerheads, and dropped down a bank to the frozen bed of a small stream.” You see the problem. It seems a shame that one word might cause a classic masterpiece to be put aside in school curricula. Perhaps another story, less likely to delight a young boy but less apt to offend his parents, would be selected instead. The tale is set in the late nineteenth century, and the word commonly described tussocks of Alaskan sedge grasses — the meaning isn’t racially insensitive, just the consonants. It clearly will not sit well with people nowadays, yet the prospect of censoring the literature of the past, or “bowdlerizing” such words with acceptable euphemisms is problematic, too. That example could be changed to “crossed a wide flat of sedge tussocks” without any loss — and maybe publishers should take it upon themselves to do that. But it would be a big, controversial task. Among many other writers of the period, Kipling, Twain, Conrad, and Hemingway used the word “comfortably,” and Harper Lee and Ian Fleming even later. Many black writers employed it in “realistic” fashion, which gets a pass — while these days television networks censor even its deliberately absurd use in the classic Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles (co-written with Richard Pryor). I would like to think the future will bring a racial calmness, when words won’t carry forward such prickly burrs from the past. Anyway... Jack London had been on my mind in other ways around that time. I was thinking about his brave credo: I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze, Than that it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, Than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to LIVE. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. Jack London (1876-1916) That is an inspiring vision, all right, and I especially resonate with the thought, “I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” Photo by Charles Voisin However, in Jack London’s case, the dates tell the ironic tale. He did not waste his days in prolonging them, it’s true, but the way he lived probably shortened his time. He was addicted to opium and alcohol, and had multiple health problems — some stemming from his hardships in the Klondike, others perhaps from a quirky diet favoring oddities like nearly-raw duck. He was only forty when he died at his Northern California estate, Beauty Ranch, of kidney failure and a suspected accidental morphine overdose. During my Ghost Rider travels in the late ’90s, I visited Beauty Ranch and walked around the ruins of Wolf House, the home he had been building with his wife, Charmian. It burned down just before his death, symbolizing a dream future that he did not live to inhabit. Nearby, a simple boulder marks his grave. We may contrast Jack London’s credo with one espoused by Ernest Hemingway, who quoted a motto from a statue of one of Napoleon’s generals, “Il faut d’abord durer” — “First one must last.” Or, the shorter version I prefer, “At first, to last.” (That was one inspiration for the Rush song, “Marathon.”) For myself, I figure I have already “lasted.” As I begin my seventh decade, one frequent realization is the number of people I have outlasted — not only did Jack London die so young, but Ernest Hemingway was just sixty-one when he ended his torments with a shotgun. And how many musicians — how many drummers? Why, it’s the stuff of punchlines. (See This is Spin̈al Tap, Good Night Keith Moon, etc.) Such thoughts always give me pause — but not in the conventional way. The notion doesn’t make me fear time or aging. To the contrary, I feel like I’ve already won. The rest is all bonus... Heron Nests Photo by Charles Voisin One Sunday afternoon I was joined on snowshoes by my neighbor Charles (silent “s”), who had been my partner on the “Quest for the Phantom Tower” a few years back. From my door we headed into the woods, following paths we knew well, commenting on the number of trees that had been snapped off by a recent heavy snowfall. Feeling secure with a companion, we traversed frozen lakes and ponds, and passed a few nests left by the summer residents, great blue herons. All the while we discussed the animal tracks we encountered — the stories in the snow. Deer, fox, hare, weasel (ermine, in its white winter coat), grouse, and squirrels. We were especially delighted to see where a moose had been “nesting” in the shelter of some evergreens. Moose are rare in our neighborhood, and still hunted every year, so we are always glad to learn they are still around. Even from indoors, I had been watching the stories in the snow every day. My birdfeeder, Bubba’s Seeds ’n’ Suet, was busy most of the time, with chickadees, common redpolls, red-breasted nuthatches, and hairy woodpeckers. Below it, tracks had been left by squirrels, rummaging in the snow under the feeder for seeds, or bounding across the white surface from one tree to another. Redpolls Flock to Bubba’s Pretty well every day I saw a line of prints, straight and purposeful, left by a fox. No matter how often I looked out, even during the night, I never saw the animal itself. Charles told me he saw it all the time, but my single sighting had been the winter before, and that was only for a few seconds, as the reddish body and long tail darted across my yard. So I was pleasantly surprised one morning to look out and see a fox poking around the feeder, sticking its nose into the snow here and there — probably sniffing for mice. Slowly I backed away from the window and picked up my camera, amazed to have time to snap a dozen shots of it, before it stepped lightly across the snow back to its den in the hill by the road. A few days later, I looked out the window at another story in the snow, starring my neighborhood fox. (I knew she was a female, having seen her squatting in the snow to... micturate. Or as I put it less delicately but more poetically in letters to friends, “I know she’s a she/ ’Cause I saw her pee!”) A line of her tracks led away from the house, at the bottom left, then suddenly stopped, turned left in three swift bounds leaving deep depressions in the snow, then trotted away in a straight line over its surface again. A mousie for brunch, I guess. Story in the Snow I once described the perfect life as a working vacation that never ends. Well, in those terms, at least I had a perfect two weeks. Waking early, with the first hint of light, I looked up through wide-open curtains to greet the day. Sometimes a ballet of snowflakes filled the air, which always makes me happy; other mornings were crystalline, icy hard and frigid-looking. Several nights the temperature plunged to minus thirty Celsius, which is pretty darn cold. The chill emanated from the windows by my bed, like icy fingers creeping through the double glazing. No matter how good your house’s heating, insulation, and window and door seals are, that kind of cold seeps through and gives an edge to the air. An electric edge, even, when you touch something and the super-dry air sparks with static electricity. Looking out on a severely cold morning, under a sky that seems infinitely blue, the bare trees sway stiffly, like rigid skeletons. The natural suppleness of their trunks, branches, and twigs is paralyzed by frost, and they move in unison like a single frozen sculpture. Seeing those trees, and feeling the chill on my nose, is fine to experience from a warm bed — but there is a day to begin. With a surge of will, I roll out and dash into the main room (sensibly combining kitchen, dining area, and sitting room), quickly sparking up the fireplace with paper and kindling. Then I crawl back under the covers for a while, maybe read a few pages, until the fire starts to spread its spiritual warmth through the house. Get dressed, make the coffee, squeeze the juice, then settle at the counter to look over the previous day’s writing, and start adding to it. After a year of neglecting Bubba’s Book Club, I had collected a list of twenty-one titles that I wanted to write about. I had thought I would choose a few that most inspired me, but when I noticed they were nearly all novels, all but one from the previous decade, and all by living writers, I recognized a theme. I can never resist a theme — whether it’s Action Self-Portraits, Ghost Rider photographs, or national park passport stamps. I had to try to write about all of those books. It was hard work, but rewarding in sometimes unexpected ways. It has occurred to me that writing book reviews can be like writing letters — trying to put impressions and reactions into words, you sometimes discover things you didn’t know you knew. I like to paraphrase something E. M. Forster said, “How do I know what I think until I see what I write?” So I spent my mornings adding pieces to that massive, brain-straining mosaic of words. (See Bubba’s Book Club Issue 17). Somewhere along the way I would fix some breakfast — soft-boiled eggs with raisin toast, Shreddies cereal (a Canada-only favorite), or blueberry waffles with Quebec maple syrup — then carry on writing until just before noon. Then I would close the laptop and change into my long underwear, fleecy top, windbreaker, boots, and gaiters, and gather up the scarf, balaclava, and gloves that had been drying from the previous day’s outing. Every few days my property manager and majordomo Keith would drive out from town to bring me some groceries, then stay around to tidy up and load in more firewood (I burn a lot). In two weeks I never drove farther from home than a few miles to the ski trail, out only once at night to visit neighbors Paul and Judy for a welcome dinner-not-cooked-by-me. I visited the nearest village just one time, to get gas for the car. I liked being a recluse like that — it suited me. At least for a while. I stow a sandwich and some drinks and snacks in my old backpack, and drive to the trailhead. Cold days with fresh snow are easy to wax for — Special Green most of the time, crayoned along each ski’s “wax pocket,” under the binding, where you press down for grip to kick forward. Then lay the skis flat on the snow, step into the bindings, strap the poles around each wrist, and — shove off. In “The Best February Ever,” back in 2008 (can it really be five years?), I described that state of mind: “Many times I have noticed that as soon as I plant my skis in those parallel tracks in the snow and push off, it seems as though my mind is suddenly transported.” With all of those books to think about, I had no lack of raw material. And even better, none of that was pressing — yet it was rich with possible insights, connections, and revelations. Another quality I observed in that story: “On the ski trails, while I’m kicking and gliding across the snowy landscape, thoughts parade through my mind in a somehow stately fashion, without urgency.” So it remains for me, and my thoughts ranged from postmodernism to what I might eat for dinner (simple comfort-food basics in my solitary retreat — pasta with shrimp sauce, ribeye steak fried in butter and garlic with boiled potatoes and broccoli, pork chops with apple sauce and jasmine rice). As always, my mind gathered what I saw and felt and played the game of trying to put it into words, into sentences, that might be shared with others. Home by late afternoon for a hot shower and maybe a nap, I would stoke up the fire again and pour myself a large Macallan on ice. That was one of the day’s rewards — but only one of a series of prizes, on a day like that had been. The day itself was an unforgettable treasure. My body felt heavy as I sank into the armchair, feet up on the ottoman, and relaxed into the satisfying bone-weariness, and the mental emptiness from having exercised my brain, too. Now I would soothe my body with ease and whisky, and reading over the morning’s work, red pen in hand, was a reward for the mind. (As was the whisky.) I was careful to glance over at the windows regularly, not wanting to miss any of the phases of changing light as evening came on. Sometimes I would stand up and walk around from one view to another, maybe catching a brief, evanescent light effect that lasted less than a minute. The line of treetops far across the white lake turned pinky gold in the last rays of the lowering sun. Before the snowy ground faded into blue shadows, it seemed to pause and radiate its whiteness even stronger than in sunshine — briefly holding onto the light, like, say, the walls of Grand Canyon. But this radiance was soft and gently rounded, like cake frosting, while the trees were dusted with light snow. Through the hemlocks to the west, an orange spark glinted and faded, and above, the sky turned white, then pale blue, fading to pink around the rim. So that was one latitude of my experience with winter solitude, winter sports, and winter’s blessings — up around forty-five degrees North. However, most of my winter season was spent a little more than ten degrees of latitude closer to the Equator, in Southern California. At the risk of understatement, winter is different there. Still, it should be remembered that Westside Los Angeles, at thirty-four degrees North, sits only halfway between Canada and the true Tropics, north of the Tropic of Cancer by another ten degrees plus. So Southern California is not tropical, but has a temperate, “Mediterranean” climate. It is sometimes moderated by the Pacific Ocean, other times chilled by Alaskan currents and weather patterns. The seasons retain a subtle rhythm, and in winter, it can get chilly. Driving or bicycling on the wider east-west boulevards on clear days, the snow-capped San Gabriels make a postcard backdrop behind the columns of towering fan palms. Once every decade or so, snow will dust the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu. One January morning I rode my motorcycle over the Santa Monicas to the other side of the San Fernando Valley, to go for a hike with Greg Russell (Master of All Things Creative — graphic arts, music, animation, this website, visuals for the band’s live show). We call our hybrid sport “motohiking,” where you ride some twisty canyon roads to get to a hiking trailhead. Those mountains feature a wonderful network of “sporting” roads, just minutes from my home. Screen Grab by Doug Webber While riding over Malibu Canyon at about eight o’clock that morning, my bike’s thermometer showed thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit. (Good thing I’m Canadian, and know how to dress for that. That’s why my American motorcycle-touring partner Michael, with his characteristic cultural insensitivity, calls us “Icechuckers.”) Twice that January Greg and I started our hikes at forty-one degrees — but Greg grew up on Long Island, New York, so he knows from cold. And when you’re marching in the Santa Monica Mountains, with plenty of uphill work under a radiant sun, cool weather is a benefit rather than a hardship. That is not the case on a motorcycle, or in an open car. In my early twenties, my first car was a purple MGB roadster, and growing up Canadian also taught me how to drive with the top down in chilly weather. You wear a hooded jacket for your ears and neck, leather gloves for your hands — and turn up the heater and defroster full blast! The right music can heat things up, too. On this afternoon drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, temperature in the forties, I was blasting not only the heater, but a gorgeous-sounding album (Eyes Open, 1992) by the great Senegalese artist, Youssou N’Dour. (One singer not noted for humility, Bono, once described Youssou N’Dour as “the best singer in the world.”) His music’s blend of African, Western, and Latin (exactly between African and Western, it occurs to me for the first time) influences cannot help but warm the day. Around that time, music was also on my mind, and working on my body — or at least, my body was working on music. Getting ready for it, that is — it would soon be touring time again. As described in a story last year, “Gearing Up for the Road” (see “Articles”), even before I became very, very old, I was fairly disciplined about tour preparations. The band had only finished Part One of the Clockwork Angels tour in early December, so I hadn’t really got out of shape yet. For me, the performance edge starts to dull after about three weeks, but my general fitness had stayed strong — hiking in January, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in early February, and later that month, back to the gym and the pool three times a week. Hiking in the mountains is always a worthy alternative to a workout session — great exercise in a much more attractive environment — and I was happy to play hooky from the Y to join Greg for some good marches in beautiful settings. Winter is by far the best season for hiking in our area, when the landscape is greener from the rains, and the temperatures are cooler. Not as cool as the above extremes, generally, but better than summer days, which can often be triple digits. The same goes for motorcycling and top-down driving. Winter is also the time of year when I am most likely to be at home, as the band does not tour in snowy climes. (Because, um... motorcycling?) Every winter in recent years Greg and I have been getting together now and again to enjoy the scenic and challenging trails we’ve hiked before, and to explore new ones. Before the Cave Photo by Greg Russell This seemingly wild and remote scene is actually a suburban park in the San Fernando Valley, near an area known as Ahmanson Ranch (now the Upper Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve). Its area of 3,000 acres may not sound like all that much of an “open space,” but the landscape is intricately folded to create a maze of narrow valleys and ridges. They are upholstered in a similar variety of grasslands and California live-oaks, so one area can look much like another, and the trails are not well marked. Greg and I hope to volunteer to help correct that someday, as others have done in the older parks and usually well-posted trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. On our first visit to Las Virgenes, we had maps and a planned route, even Greg’s handheld device with GPS, but there were too many game trails and old ranch roads branching off everywhere. We kept our sense of direction, and bushwhacked a little to get to the trail we wanted, but maybe we were lucky. Just a few years ago a father and son got lost in that seemingly enclosed and limited space — got off the trail and couldn’t find it again. With dark coming on, one of them became dangerously hypothermic, and they had to call for rescue. Even a small slice of “the wild” has to be taken seriously. Photo by Greg Russell This preserve is a modern miracle. Surrounded by endless miles of tract houses on three sides, with the Simi Hills behind, the park was set aside as recently as 2003. Under sustained public pressure, a bank abandoned its plan to build 3,000 homes on the site, and sold the land to the state as a park. Outsiders might not think of “hiking” and “Los Angeles” in the same breath, but a map of the city shows a crazy quilt (apt metaphor!) of built-up areas and many green patches — natural sanctuaries. Hikers, dog walkers, nature lovers, mountain bikers, and equestrians appreciate them, and use them. Wildlife is plentiful, too — mule deer, coyotes, bobcats, raptors, roadrunners, rattlesnakes, even a few mountain lions. The remnant big cats that roam the Santa Monica Mountains are all numbered and radio-collared, and sadly do not amount to a ”viable population”, but they still occasionally make the local news by somehow managing to cross a ten-lane freeway into a different park. It is not the kind of Tinseltown story that titillates the tabloids, or makes the entertainment news, but we should remember how hard people fought — regular people and elected representatives, even celebrities — for some of these preserves. Eyes of the Eagle Photo by Matt Scannell Esq. When I am out on the trails in Quebec, if I encounter one of the ski patrol people (not that often, but still), or start out from their parking area and booth in the village, I like to buy the trailpass. For generations volunteers and low-paid seasonal workers have maintained those trails, marked them clearly, secured permission to cross private lands, and these days even groom the trails with snowmobile-drawn tracksetting machines. (We used to break our own trails, and that was fine — but now is better.) Down in my other “winter latitude,” Temescal Gateway Park, just off Sunset Boulevard, is a narrow canyon of mixed woodland and scrub around an intermittent creek. At the top is a waterfall, varying from a trickle in dry weather to a torrent after winter rains. The name Temescal comes from a word in Nahuatl — the language of the Aztecs — meaning “sweatlodge,” brought north by the Spaniards. Perhaps native dwellers in this canyon built similar structures — but that is among the many things we will never know about those people. Even what they called themselves is lost to history — they are known only as the Gabrieleños, after the San Gabriel Mission that “civilized” them so fast they didn’t even know who they were anymore. From the Temescal parking area, trails loop upstream through sycamores and mudstone formations to high chaparral ridges looking out over the glittering blue Pacific. In the distance lay the silhouettes of Santa Catalina and some of the Channel Islands. The park charges a modest parking fee, to contribute to the maintenance of the trails (they take a beating in winter’s monsoon rains). However, on weekends I see many people parking their cars up and down nearby streets, then hiking on into the park — as if they are getting away with something. And I guess they are — but not what they think. Into the Cave Photo by Greg Russell Before our second visit to the Las Virgenes Preserve, Greg sent me a note, “Do you want to start in the same spot or try the Cheeseboro entrance? I just went to Cheeseboro for the first time on the bike and it was beautiful. Happy to start from there, or at Vanowen and Valley Circle where I can show you some badass caves.” I wrote back, “You had me at badass caves.” In the earlier photo titled “Before the Cave,” we are climbing from little El Escorpión Park (named after a nearby mountain, now called Castle Peak, and a Spanish-era rancho) toward the gash in the rock at center. You enter the cave there and climb high, and steep, through water-sculpted passageways to the top, below the notch in the central ridge. It was a hand-over-hand, scrabble-for-toeholds kind of climb — mild considered as rock climbing, but fairly extreme for hiking. Photo by Greg Russell When we emerged from the chimney and clambered over the boulders to the top of that ridge, we looked down over a stunning view. The hills and valleys were draped in velvety green, dotted with darker live-oak trees, and traced with brown trails and fire roads. Only in the far distance could I see a flat and unnaturally geometric arrangement of streets and houses. For me, the view is the keystone feature to every favorite hiking trail — it should lead upward to some high place with a spectacular vista. Ideally, that point should come about midway through the hike, to make a lunch stop. Like the following setting, where Greg and I have often hiked — the Eagle Rock loop in Topanga State Park. I took another friend, Matt Scannell, around that trail for the first time, and as we packed up after lunch to head down, Matt said, “This restaurant has a great view.” Add all the clichés about food tasting great outdoors, and after exertion — because it’s true. Much depends upon lunch. Perched on Eagle Rock Photo by Matt Scannell, Esq One of the pleasures of hiking with a friend is talking. That is also true of snowshoeing, for the same reason — because you can walk side by side, or close behind, and carry on a conversation as you go. I have done a great deal of hiking and snowshoeing alone, and solitude is fine on a motorcycle, or while cross-country skiing — where you wouldn’t really be able to talk to a companion anyway. Just as snowshoeing with Charles is a friendly encounter between neighbors and nature lovers, hiking with my friends encourages companionship and talk, and the time and distance pass easily. While Greg and I hike, we share thoughts about our children, our friends, our work, music, motorcycling, stories from our pasts, and bad jokes. We tend to laugh a lot. In his early forties, Greg is a generation younger than me, and one time he told me he gets tired of hanging out with guys who complain about their wives all the time. We don’t do that. It seems disloyal, disrespectful, and... almost always boring for anyone else to have to listen to. Greg at Ahmanson Ranch Another reward of time spent at home is — well, time spent at home. When you travel a lot, for work and for Icechucker sports, then participating in the smallest details of everyday life can seem like luxury. Being a good husband or father is not attainable without the basic element of one’s presence, but I try to make up for it when I am home — making Carrie less of an abandoned wife and single parent, and three-year-old Olivia less of a fatherless child. Getting up early with Olivia, making her breakfast, shopping and cooking, and important tasks like drawing and coloring — it all signifies. When Olivia was a baby and I went away on tour, she didn’t miss me so much — there were others to take care of her needs. These days, as her awareness grows along with our closeness, Daddy’s absences can be upsetting for her. When I was away on tour in 2012, Olivia and I communicated best by drawing pictures together over computer video link. Whether on a motel notepad, or the back of a postcard, Olivia “directed” me in creating immensely complicated sketches. I showed them to her as I went, and she suggested ever more intricate details. This one, for example, was drawn on the back of a postcard from the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, while Olivia guided my black and red marker pens. I asked Olivia, “What should I draw?” “You should draw Olivia — she should be flying.” “What should she be wearing?” “Red and white striped pajamas. She should have bare feet.” “What kind of wings should she have?” “She should have feather wings.” Then the ideas came more quickly, “She should have a crown, with stars on it.” “She should be holding a wand.” I asked her, “What shape should the wand be?” “It should be shaped like a guitar.” (Brilliant ideas she comes up with, all the time.) “She should be holding a spiral lollipop.” (A particularly symbolic object to Olivia, especially after our visit to F.A.O. Schwartz in Manhattan, where their candy department’s huge display of spiral lollipops amazed her.) “She should be singing.” When I asked what song, Olivia went into this verse from “Dora the Explorer.” She told me the tower should have a “normal weathervane” (like in The Old Red Barn), while the barn should have a weathervane “shaped like a fairy.” (Of course.) And the ducks, “They should be quacking loud.” (She knows we show things that are loud or bright with little lines radiating out from them.) “There should be a dog — he should be panting.” “There should be a cat — licking its paw.” And so on. I just drew what she said... Another project I have undertaken in this winter latitude is assembling a book called “Art With Olivia.” I gathered all of the little sketches I did for her while I was away, and photographs of many of our large-scale works, done at home on her work table — sometimes over two or three days. I wrote down what I could remember of the “narrative” behind all of that art, and also included a number of the songs we have composed together. That kind of magic often happens while I push Olivia on the swings. Something about the rhythm of swinging brings out the music in us. Sometimes we are in the back yard, or at one of the local parks, or where people in the neighborhood have hung swings under the big trees along the street in front of their homes. (Very neighborly, that.) Olivia is a cowgirl, a mermaid (here wearing a T-shirt from Uncle Craiggie that reads, “I’m Really a Mermaid”), a firefighter, a ballerina, a gymnast, and a fantastic art director and songwriter. Some of our songs are extended ballads, built up verse by verse over many swinging sessions, while others are riffs on standards like “Swinging on a Star.” Because I do not share such experiences every day, they are all the more precious to me. And so are the memories. One time when Greg and I were hiking, we were discussing Indian — Native American — names, and I decided mine would be, “Brave Manywinters.” I am pleased and proud to add this winter to my ever-growing collection, and I hope to gather a few more yet. Especially for Olivia’s sake. However, not my decision to make, of course. So, like Jack London, “I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” Perhaps not wisely, but as well as I can — in every season, at every latitude. Coda: My ski hat this winter, knitted and given to me by a fan on our Clockwork Angels tour. Now that’s cool. And warm!This is a sample functional specification, a part of Joel on Software, a site about software management. It is intended for educational purposes, not to refer to a real product, in case you didn’t notice by how stupid the whole thing was. Attention VCs, especially dim-witted ones: this product idea can be built for $5m at $20m-pre. WhatTimeIsIt.com Functional Specification Joel Spolsky Last Updated: September 27, 2000 – C O N F I D E N T I A L – 2000 Fog Creek Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Overview WhatTimeIsIt.com is a service that tells people what time it is, over the web. This spec is not, by any stretch of the imagination, complete. All of the wording will need to be revised several times before it is finalized. The graphics and layout of the screens is shown here merely to illustrate the underlying functionality. The actual look and feel will be developed over time with the input of graphics designers and iterative user feedback. This spec does not discuss the algorithms used by the time calculation engine, which will be discussed elsewhere. It simply discusses what the user sees when they interact with WhatTimeIsIt.com. Scenarios In designing products, it helps to imagine a few real life stories of how actual (stereotypical) people would use them. We’ll look at two scenarios. Scenario 1: Mike. Mike is a busy executive. He is the president of a large, important company that makes dynamite-based products for children which are sold through national chains such as Toys ‘R’ Us. During the course of a typical day, he has many meetings with many very important people. Sometimes a man comes over from the bank to harass him for not paying the interest that was due three months ago on his line of credit. Sometimes another man comes from another bank trying to get him to sign up for another line of credit. Sometimes his venture capitalists (the nice people who gave Mike the money to start his business) visit him to complain that he is earning too much money. “A bonfire!” they demand. “Wall Street likes to see a bonfire!” These visitors are very upset if Mike has previously promised to meet with them at a certain time, but when that time comes around, Mike is nowhere to be found. This happens because Mike doesn’t know what time it is. At his secretary’s recommendation, Mike signs up for a WhatTimeIsIt.com account. Now, whenever Mike is wondering about the time, he simply logs onto WhatTimeIsIt.com, enters his username and password, and finds out the current time. He visits the site several times during the day: to find out when it’s time for lunch, to check if he’s late for the next meeting, etc. Towards the end of the day, in fact, from about 3:00 p.m. onwards, he checks the site increasingly frequently to see when it’s time to go home. By 4:45 he’s basically just hitting “Refresh” again and again. Scenario 2: Cindy. Cindy is a teenager in high school. She goes to a pretty pathetic public high school, and she’s pretty smart, so when she gets home at 2:00 pm, it only takes her about 7 minutes (on average) to do her Algebra homework. None of her other teachers even bother to give her homework. Her baby brother (half brother) is vegged out in front of the only TV set watching Teletubbies, so she spends the afternoon (from 2:07 until about 6:30, when her new mommy serves dinner) surfing the net and chatting with her friends on AOL. She’s always looking for exciting new web sites. As a result of typing “What Time Is It?” randomly into a search engine (by mistake, she meant to ask one of her friends using Instant Messenger) she gets to WhatTimeIsIt.com, and sets up a new account. She chooses a user name and “RyanPhillipe” as her password, selects her time zone, and voila — finds out what time it is. Non Goals This version will not support the following features: multiple time zones for one member. All members are assumed to be in the same time zone. changing passwords. appointments. WhatTimeIsIt.com Flowchart We’ll have time later to go into mind-numbing detail, but for now, let’s look at a quick flowchart of the service so you get the big picture. This flowchart is not complete, but it does give you the right idea for the “storyboard” of using WhatTimeIsIt.com: Screen by Screen Specification WhatTimeIsIt.com consists of quite a few different screens. Most screens will follow a standard format, with a look and feel to be designed in the future by a graphic designer. This document is more concerned with the functionality and the interaction design, not the exact look and layout. All screens are created in HTML. (The single exception is the Splash Screen, which is created using Macromedia Shockwave). Each screen in WhatTimeIsIt.com is known by a canonical name which will always appear, in this document, with an underline, so you know we’re referring to a screen by name, for example, Home Page. Splash Screen An annoying, gratuitous Shockwave animation that plays stupid music and drives everyone crazy. Splash Screen will be commissioned by a high-paid graphics animation boutique in a loft in Soho from people who bring their dogs to work, wear found objects safety-pinned to their ears, and go to Starbucks four times before lunch. After the animation has played for about 10 seconds, a link that says “SKIP THIS” will fade into view in the bottom right corner. To avoid people seeing this and clicking on it, SKIP THIS will be so far down and to the right that most people won’t see it. It should be at least 800 pixels from the left border of the animation and 600 pixels from the top. Clicking on SKIP THIS goes to Home Page. When the animation is complete, it will redirect the browser to Home Page automatically. Open Issue If Marketing allows, we should deposit a cookie on the user’s computer if they click SKIP THIS which will cause the animation to always be skipped in the future. Frequent visitors should not have to see the animation more than once. I talked to Jim in Marketing about this and he’s going to take point in convening a committee of Sales, Marketing, and PR to discuss. Home Page Displayed when the Shockwave animation is complete, the Home Page serves three purposes: Allow people to learn about the service and consider whether they want to sign up Allow members who have already signed up to log on Allow people who want to sign up to create an account. The Home Page looks like this: WhatTimeIsIt.com Welcome to WhatTimeIsIt.com, the service that tells you exactly what time it is!(Your results may vary. We are not responsible for delays in transmission or on your computer which could cause the actual time to be a bit later than the time displayed. This service is provided as-is and is merely for entertainment purposes, not for accurate time-keeping. Do not
demo Tuesday at Google I/O in San Francisco, the company showed off the capability to control lights via an Android tablet. Android@Home essentially makes it possible to control wireless or connected devices. Google also showed off a new type of Android device: a home theater system called "Project Tungsten." Google rigged several speakers to the Android OS and, using an Android tablet, controls the speaker system. Google also demonstrated how the system can start playing music just by swiping a near-field communication-enabled CD case in front of the "Project Tungsten" setup. Don't expect to be controlling your home light switches with Android@Home next week, though. Google has partnered with companies such as Lighting Science Group to bring compatible appliances and devices to the market, but they won't debut until the end of the year. Google unveiled the framework now so that developers can get a head start on building apps on top of the new protocols. Mashable's Google I/O CoverageSeptember 28, 2018 What's New For Beta Testers (Important!) Loading An Old Save Dev Livestream Feedback Localization OSX Version Thank You and Enjoy! Hey everyone, I'm happy to announce that we're officially launching Diluvion: Resubmerged today at 10:00am PST!Diluvion: Resubmerged is the result of the past year and a half of additional development we've done on Diluvion. We've done a complete overhaul of the salvaging system, UI, and ship upgrade system. There's also new side quests, improved enemy AI, improved navigation, and many more small quality of life fixes.We're doing a swaparoo; Resubmerged will now be on the, and original Diluvion will be moved to. If you already have Resubmerged installed, make sure you opt out of beta to continue with Resubmerged updates.We do support loading a save file from the original Diluvion, however because the quest structures have changed, it's not recommended. If you do have a game in progress and would like to continue it without interruption, the original Diluvion is still on the. When you load an original save into Resubmerged, it creates a copy of the save file, so you won't lose the original game state.I'll be doing a dev livestream and talking about new features while running through the main quest line! Come check it out on Good Sheperd's broadcast here! As always, we'll be taking feedback in the forums. Let us know if you run into issues, bugs, or just have general feedback. (also if you have good things to say about the game too, we like that!)Resubmerged has new text, and the original launch languages (English, French, German, Polish, Russian) are supported. We added a new section in the settings for community localizations. These are partially complete, but we'll be updating them as we get new text from the community.Today's launch is the Windows version, however the OSX version isn't far behind- we ran into a little snag that we have to get solved, but it should be ready in about one week.Thanks to everyone in the community who discussed, tested, and helped us complete Resubmerged!There were heated scenes at a major gaming convention in Dublin this afternoon as hundreds of people with tickets were turned away. There were heated scenes at a major gaming convention in Dublin this afternoon as hundreds of people with tickets were turned away. GamerCon billed itself as "Ireland's largest gaming event with over 30,000 square feet of gaming and a 2,000 seater main stage show". However hundreds of families were left queuing in the rain for hours outside the Convention Centre in Dublin with many then turned away. Reports say 25,000 tickets were sold for the two-day event but the venue can only take 7,000 people at a time. Some people reported queues of up to five hours getting into the event. Didn't even get the chance to go to #gamercon because the line was SO long it went around three buildings, and the wait was more than 5HRS — Emmet OhEinigh (@OhEinigh) March 18, 2017 #gamerconDublin @GamerCon_Europe complete FARCE!! 2 hour Q in rain to be told doors closed by security as too many people inside. JOKERS pic.twitter.com/XO30TkMk7i — Andrew Dalton (@mr_13b) March 18, 2017 One frustrated gamer said: "This is a families and children event, people have been standing outside in the rain for four hours in the queue. "Convention centre staff said there's nothing they can do, they said this size of crowd is unprecedented and completely unexpected - but they can't let anyone else in for health and safety reasons. "The queues are wrapped all the way around the Convention Centre and the PWC building as well. There's thousands of people. "There's a lot of very upset children who've been left standing in the rain for hours." GamerCon said it underestimated the traffic flow and released a statement saying it would offer full refunds to those affected. Read More: Now pay for play can make millionaires out of gamers The organisers tweeted that they were working to get the crowds moving "as quickly as poss." The statement added: "As a first time event we underestimated the traffic flow that we forecast for the event and have very strict health and safety related capacities which we must adhere to. That temporarily impacted our ability to process the queue which resulted in longer than expected wait time for our attendees. We are managing this proactively and expect the situation to ease as the day progresses. "We have offered full refunds to those who decide not to attend and have communicated this to attendees via mobile app and all social media channels." Online EditorsNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The global director of water stewardship for Coca-Cola Co. says that water risk isn’t imminent; it’s already manifest. Greg Koch, who spoke at the Financial Times sustainability conference in New York City on Thursday, issued dire warnings and a call to arms for investors and corporations around the world along with governments. And he wasn’t alone. Robert Hormats, Undersecretary of State for Economics, Energy and the Environment says disputes or outright water wars are imminent in the near future. Here’s why: an increasing population with needs for more energy and food is putting undue demand on the world’s water supply. So much so that by 2025 some two-thirds of the world’s population will experience some type of water shortage, according to myriad estimates. Water scarcity is even deemed the most immediate environmental risk to the world, according to Usha Rao-Monari, the global head of water, global infrastructure and natural resources for the International Finance Corporation. There are two sorts of water risks, she says: physical risk, which is not having enough water at the source, and economic risk, which is the cost of moving water around. Both are extreme and being experienced throughout the world right now. In terms of solutions, Rao-Monari sees three: financial, innovation, and government policy. Each of these can play a critical role in water quality and delivery. Not long ago, climate change and carbon emissions were the environmental demons knocking at our doors. The Carbon Disclosure Project sprung up out of this threat to measure, disclosure and share information among companies. Now it’s water. The CDP also has a growing water initiative where companies report their water policies. The CDP Water Disclosure Global Report 2011 finds that 57% of the 190 publicly listed organizations that participated in the survey report board-level oversight of water policies, strategies, or plans. By comparison, a report released by CDP in September 2011 showed that 94% of Global 500 companies report board-level oversight of climate change, suggesting that corporate understanding of water as a business concern trails that of climate change. To enhance investor analysis of corporate water risk and to support corporate action on water stewardship, CERES, the Boston-based coalition of environmental organizations and corporations, developed a go-to water gauge. Backed by investors managing over $2 trillion in assets, the “Aqua Gauge” provides a benchmark for best practice and enables investors to assess, scorecard and compare companies on their management of water risk. Brooke Barton, the senior manager for water and corporate programs at Ceres, says “investors need to get water on their governance agenda.” This includes not only, say, how water scarcity would affect a beverage maker or food producer, but also municipalities via their bond offerings. If water rates change due to shrinking supply, rates would likely rise and bond prices, in turn, lower. I have long been vocal about the need for water conservation, efficiency, and management. In the developing world this is especially needed. Geography plays a huge role in water accessibility. One of the biggest opportunities for social as well as environmental impact is through water investing. Bennett Freeman, senior vice president for sustainability research and policy for Calvert Investments, notes that China holds 21% of the world’s population but only 7% of global water supply. Its water needs are massive. Therefore, water investment opportunities are massive. Water is life The entire developing world, as it develops, will need more water. The oil, gas, and timber industries in Africa, for example, take supply away from the direct consumption needs of freshwater supply. Management will be key to growth and prosperity. And while the U.S. experiences water shortages throughout a majority of states, there is relative access to fresh water. It’s this skill of management and technology that could be a major U.S. export. Yet, we squander much of our skills and management. Hormats says this is wrong. The State Department is seeking to export these skills in conjunction with the private sector, he says. “There is an important opportunity for the State Department to work with private companies and help other countries purify and manage [their water],” Hormats says. Rao-Monari says that one of the first things that should be done is to put a price on water. She is right. There needs to be a base line from which we can manage water. It can exact incentives and penalties — a tool for better management. Water is both a risk and an opportunity. Tech entrepreneurs and innovators take note. Billions of dollars worth of municipal and private projects are coming down the pike (Barton at CERES mentions projects in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado). And that’s just here in America. Without water there is no energy. Without water there is no food. Without water, in other words, there is no life. Seems like that should be enough of a risk to warrant more attention. As Koch pointed out, this isn’t a risk happening in the future. We’re dealing with these risks now. Many people from around the world who came to the FT Sustainable conference agreed. Water isn’t everywhere and there isn’t always a drop to drink. We need to invest in programs that find ways to get more. Thomas Kostigen is the author of “The Green Blue Book: The Simple Water-Savings Guide to Everything in Your Life.” Want news about Europe delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Europe Daily newsletter. Sign up here.Column: Obama breaks vow with jobless blacks This is not an easy column for me to write. It's never easy to tell someone you like that he's a disappointment. I like Barack Obama. I liked him the first time we met back in 2006 when I took a small group of journalism students to Washington, D.C., for a meeting with the then-freshly minted U.S. senator. I liked Obama even more when an aide to his presidential campaign invited me to a July 2007 speech he gave laying out his commitment to improve life for people in urban America which for most politicians is a euphemism for black America. "Today's economy has made it easier to fall into poverty. … Every American is vulnerable to the insecurities and anxieties of this new economy. And that's why the single most important focus of my economic agenda as president will be to pursue policies that create jobs and make work pay," Obama said that day to his mostly black audience. At that time, the nation's overall unemployment rate was 4.7%. Whites had a jobless rate of 4.2% while the black unemployment rate stood at 8.1%. Today, the black rate is 15.5%, nearly double that of white job-seekers. I don't blame Obama for the economic conditions that are responsible for so many blacks being out of work. The seeds of this problem were planted long before he moved into the Oval Office. But I do fault him for not doing more to fix this problem. The poor in urban America, he said in that 2007 speech, "suffer most from a politics that has been tipped in favor of those with the most money, and influence, and power." And then he asked rhetorically, "How can a country like this allow it?" To which he answered, "We can't." But so far, under his leadership, he has allowed it. Finding work for the jobless is the best anti-poverty program this nation can mount. But while the Obama administration spends $608 million during the first 17 days of its involvement in Libya's civil war it can muster neither the money nor the will to combat black unemployment. The president's failure to fight this problem as vigorously as he wages war abroad gets a pass from black leaders, many of whom complain to me privately but remain silent in public. They're reluctant to challenge Obama the way Martin Luther King Jr. did Lyndon Johnson in 1967. America "would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor" so long as it was involved in the Vietnam war, King said in a speech in which he called for an end to that bloody conflict. Last month, as the Obama administration applauded the creation of 216,000 new jobs and a slight dip in the overall unemployment rate, the gap between whites and blacks without work widened as the black unemployment rate inched up. In December 2009, when the black unemployment rate was just 5.5 percentage points higher than the national rate, Obama told USA TODAY that he didn't think he needed to do anything special to close this gap. Now that it is nearly 7 percentage points higher, black leaders should demand that the president devote as much attention on this problem as he has on ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and in pushing for immigration reform. They should demand an end to the wasteful spending on wars that can't be won and insist that the resulting peace dividend be used to finance that revitalized urban policy the one Obama not so long ago promised would be the focus of his economic agenda. DeWayne Wickham writes on Tuesdays for USA TODAY. Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.comAt the end of a Stamford Bridge career that dates back to October 1998 and has now yielded 15 major trophies following the table-topping achievement of this season, with the potential of another still to come, Terry addressed the fans inside the stadium and then spoke about a momentous day after heading back down the tunnel. ‘It was a very tough day for me, it’s an awful long time I have been at the football club and I am delighted to get the ovation and the send-off,’ he said. ‘It was very, very emotional. It was an incredible send off from the players and the supporters. They have been my life and my family for 22 years and I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. It is an incredible feeling to have stayed at this club so long.’ Terry admitted there had been tears when asked, although that was pretty plain to see anyway. ‘The club means everything. As a 14-year-old I cleaned the stadium where the fans sit today, I have cleaned the seats, cleaned the toilets, the players’ boots, I have started right from the bottom and to work my way up I have had to work very hard and make some sacrifices along the way, and I think that is why I have such a great relationship with the fans because I am one of them. ‘This was one of the best moments all day long. You look back at the first Premier League trophy in 2004/05 as a special moment but this is right up there with it. ‘I have not done too much playing myself [this season] but the players have been excellent. The manager has come in with a new formation and a new system and they deserve a lot of credit for the way they have played. They had a target in this game, to break the record and win 30 games and they have done that, and now there is another big game next week.’1 in 12 Chicago area bridges deficient hello A worker looks at the collapsed portion of the Interstate 5 bridge at the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Wash. A truck carrying an oversize load struck the four-lane bridge on the major thoroughfare between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River below Thursday. Associated Press Fifteen bridges are in "critical" need of repair across the six-county Chicago metropolitan area, and nearly 300 more are considered structurally deficient, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. McHenry County is alone in the six-county metropolitan area without a bridge in critical need of repair. Cook and DuPage counties each have five, Will County has three, and Kane and Lake counties each have one bridge in critical condition, according to IDOT. Critical condition can mean massive potholes on the driving surface that reveal support material or hairline cracks in support beams, for instance. They are among 317 of the 3,759 bridges in the six counties that IDOT lists as "structurally deficient," where one of the three main components of the bridge -- the driving surface, horizontal supports and vertical supports -- is rated as being in poor or worse condition by inspectors. That means one out of every 12 bridges in the six counties is listed as deficient in some way. The bridge that collapsed Thursday night in Washington state was rated "functionally obsolete," a term also applied to 1,175 bridges in the six-county Chicago metropolitan area. That term describes a bridge that does not meet current design standards for things like lane width or safety shoulders. The bridge in Washington was not considered structurally deficient, according to reports. Structural deficiencies are more likely to spur repairs and closings than being labeled functionally obsolete. IDOT spokeswoman Jae Miller said about 260 bridges in Illinois are similar to the one that collapsed in Washington after a tractor-trailer carrying an oversized load accidentally struck a truss and initiated the collapse. No one was killed in the collapse, but three people suffered minor injuries. Bridges in Illinois are inspected every two years, unless conditions warrant more attention, Miller said. If a bridge is considered unsafe, it would be closed, IDOT officials said. "Structural deficiencies are characterized by deteriorated conditions of significant bridge elements and potentially reduced load-carrying capacity," Miller said. "A'structurally deficient' designation does not imply that a bridge is unsafe, but such bridges typically require significant maintenance and repair to remain in service and would eventually require major rehabilitation or replacement to address the underlying deficiency." The national average is one out of every nine bridges is structurally deficient, according to a 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers report. There are more than 26,000 bridges in Illinois and IDOT is responsible for maintaining about 30 percent of those structures. Municipalities, counties, townships and other local or federal agencies are responsible for the maintenance of the rest. Bridges: 'Deficient' structures not necessarily unsafeTelevangelist Pat Robertson on Tuesday advised a viewer who he suspected was being tormented by “demons” to “burn the house down,” move or get an exorcism. In a letter to CBN, a person wrote that their house had “moaning coming from the walls, lights turn on and off, the TV changes channels on its own, the beds move, stuff floats off tables, mirrors break, and there is sometimes a creepy fog.” “The ghosts look like people, but have dark blue light around their feet and hands,” the viewer added. “What do I do?” “If it was me, I would burn the house down and move on,” Robertson laughed. “But assuming you can’t afford that, I don’t believe in ghosts, I don’t think the Bible supports the concept of people coming back to haunt houses.” “But I do believe in demons. The Bible clearly says there’s fallen angels and these demonic forces, and you need to get people to come and to get people to do an exorcism over that property and command those demons to leave. That’s what you do. You take authority in the name of Jesus.” The TV preacher concluded: “And if you can’t do that, move.” Watch this video from CBN’s The 700 Club, broadcast July 30, 2013. (h/t: Right Wing Watch)“Narcos” star Boyd Holbrook is coming on board Fox’s “The Predator,” a reboot of the “Predator” alien action franchise that launched in 1987. He’s in negotiations to replace Benicio del Toro, who was in talks for the project, but fell out due to scheduling issues. Shane Black is directing from a script by Fred Dekker. John Davis, Joel Silver, and Lawrence Gordon — who produced the original — are producing with hopes to begin shooting next year. Fox has already slotted “The Predator” for a Feb. 9, 2018, opening. Plot details are under wraps. The original was directed by John McTiernan and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura as commandos attempting to rescue hostages while being stalked in a jungle in Central America by a fearsome extra-terrestrial, played by Kevin Peter Hall. Holbrook starred on “Narcos,” Netflix’s drama about the life of Pablo Escobar. His other credits include “The Skeleton Twins,” “Very Good Girls,” “Gone Girl,” “Hatfields & McCoys,” and a lead role opposite Elisabeth Moss in “The Free World.” He’s also starring as the villain in “Logan,” the sequel to 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and 2013’s “The Wolverine,” along with Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Merchant, Eriq La Salle, and Elise Neal. The film — Jackman’s last portrayal of Wolverine — is scheduled to be released on March 3. Holbrook is repped by CAA and Morris Yorn.Reducing boilerplate in finally tagless style Introduction Typed Tagless, a.k.a tagless-final or finally tagless, is an approach to embedding DSLs and modeling data in general, advocated by Oleg Kiselyov. Instead of defining a set of algebraic data types to describe data or terms, thus focusing on how data is constructed, the approach focuses on data consumption, defining a canonical eliminator for every constructor that we would otherwise define. For instance, instead of defining lists as we would define a class which of course corresponds to the Böhm-Berarducci (or Church) encoding of the above algebraic type. Oleg has written extensively on the merits of this approach. In this article, I want to discuss a certain aspect of writing transformations in the finally tagless style. The use case: language-integrated query Oleg, together with Kenichi Suzuki and Yukiyoshi Kameyama, have published a paper Finally, Safely-Extensible and Efficient Language-Integrated Query. In this paper, they employ the finally tagless approach to embed, optimize, and interpret SQL queries in OCaml. Here are some excerpts from their OCaml code: (‘Symantics’ is not a typo; it’s a portmanteau of ‘syntax’ and ‘semantics’.) Transformations A SQL trasnformation (such as transforming a subquery to a join) is represented by an ML functor, i.e. a function mapping one SymanticsL to another, which interprets the term slightly differently than the original one. I say slightly, because normally a transformation touches only a few relevant methods. The others are transformed mechanically following the Reflection-Reification pattern (RR). Informally speaking, we leave the irrelevant methods unchanged, applying the minimal transformation that makes them typecheck. The question is, how to avoid mentioning irrelevant methods when defining a transformation? This question is not idle. The language-integrated query code contains about 40 methods and 13 transformations. Pause for a second and imagine the amount of boilerplate that would have to be written if we needed to define every single method for every transformation. As we will see below, ML modules make this a non-issue. In Haskell, however, it is an issue, exhibited in Oleg’s own Haskell example (although easy to miss for a class that only contains 3 methods). In OCaml, the RR is defined as a transformation of the whole module: When they define a transformation, they first transform the module in this mechanical fashion, and then override the few relevant methods: How can we do this in Haskell? Explicit dictionaries An explicit dictionariy (a data type containing methods as its fields) seems like a great fit for Symantics. The RR transformation would be a simple function mapping one record to another. To define a transformation, we would override the relevant methods via record update. However, explicit dictionaries are not that well suited for the finally tagless style. In OCaml, you can include one module into another (notice include Symantics in the OCaml code above). This “unpacks” the contents of one module into another, so that when you open the second module, the contents of the first module is available, too. This is important for the finally tagless style. One of its strength is extensibility, which is achieved through such inclusion. Consequently, deep inclusion chains are common. With Haskell’s data types, unpacking such chains manually at every use site will quickly become unwieldy. Type classes Type classes are better suited for inclusion. If we declare and impose a Symantics2 rep constraint on a function definition, the methods of Symantics1 become available without any additional effort. But then we don’t have good support for RR. Type class instances are not first class citizens; we can’t declare a function that transforms one instance into another. Nor can we create one instance from another by overriding a few methods… Or can we? We can achieve our goal by using default method signatures. We define the RR transformation simultaneously with the class itself: The implementation of RR is straightforward: Now let’s define the AbsBeta pass in Haskell. All the methods not mentioned in the last instance get their default implementations based on RR, which is exactly what we wanted. Associated types Apart from methods, ML/OCaml modules can also define types. This is used in the Language-integrated query paper and code in the following way: In Haskell, we can replicate that with an associated type: The default definition for observe saves us from redefining it for derived representations, but what about Obs itself? We would like to write, in the spirit of default method signatures, However, GHC would not let us to. Since recently, GHC does support default type declarations, but they need to be of the general form type Obs rep =.... Nevertheless, we can create a type family that will extract the rep from t rep for us: Now we can say without having to define either type Obs or observe explicitly. Conclusion Extensions such as default method signatures, default associated types, and type families can significantly reduce the boilerplate when defining transformations in the finally tagless style. Update. Although I missed it on the first reading of the paper, /u/rpglover64 on reddit points out that the authors themselves acknowledge the boilerplate problem which this article addresses:CLOSE What is the role of the CBO? Here is what you need to know about the organization. USA TODAY In this March 9, 2017, file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan uses charts and graphs to make his case for the GOP's long-awaited plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act during a news conference on Capitol Hill. (Photo11: J. Scott Applewhite, AP) The Congressional Budget Office released its estimate of the impact of the proposed American Health Care Act, the Republican-backed legislation to repeal and reform Obamacare, on Monday. According to the CBO, the bill would increase the number of uninsured by 14 million by 2018 and by 24 million by 2026. Q. What is the CBO? A. The CBO is an independent, nonpartisan office that analyzes the budgetary impact of proposed legislation. It was created by Congress in 1974 and operates by rules and regulations set by the House and Senate Budget committees. Q. Why is the CBO analysis of legislation so important? A. Because of its commitment to and reputation for objectivity, even sharply divided ideologues usually trust its conclusions and adjust legislative proposals based on its findings. Q. Haven’t some CBO estimates been controversial? A. Yes, some have. For example, the CBO estimated a proposed Senate immigration reform bill floated in 2013 would reduce the deficit by $200 billion over 10 years. The conservative Heritage Foundation’s analysis estimated the proposal would increase the deficit by a far larger amount. Congressional Budget Office Director Keith Hall and Deputy Director Mark Hadley hold a briefing on the annual Budget and Economic Outlook report at the Ford House Office Building on Jan. 24, 2017. (Photo11: Michael Reynolds, European Pressphoto Agency) Q. How does the CBO maintain its reputation for impartiality and objectivity? A. The CBO’s analysts are experts in the tax code and consult a wide range of outside experts on various subject matters. The staff is vetted to assure members have no conflicts of interest, and the office limits its employees’ political activity. Experts offering opinions are asked to disclose potential financial interests and political perspectives that might reasonably be seen as influencing their views. Q. What has the CBO said about previous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act? A. In June 2015, the CBO estimated that repeal of the ACA, which became law in 2010, would increase deficits by $353 billion over the 2016-2025 period. Ending outlays for subsidies to purchase insurance through exchanges would be offset by the repeal of taxes for high-income taxpayers and fees on health insurers. Q. Who is in charge of the CBO? A. Economist Keith Hall became the ninth director of the CBO on April 1, 2015. He was appointed jointly by then then-House speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, president pro tempore of the Senate, after receiving recommendations from the House and Senate Budget committees. USA TODAY coverage of the Republican health care legislation: Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2mCtsx6Sarah Tew/CNET The Federal Communications Commission may have voted to roll back net neutrality rules, but some state lawmakers and attorneys general say they'll battle the feds to make sure online traffic is treated equally. Politicians from California, Washington and New York said Thursday they'll use a mix of legislative action and legal moves to fight the FCC's repeal of net neutrality regulation, which was voted on earlier in the day. Scott Wiener, a California state senator, said shortly after the vote that he'll seek legislation requiring net neutrality in the country's most populous state. The Democrat from San Francisco said in a post on Medium he plans formally introduce a bill early next year. "California can regulate business practices to require net neutrality, condition state contracts on adhering to net neutrality, and require net neutrality as part of cable franchise agreements, as a condition to using the public right-of-way for internet infrastructure, and in broadband packages," he said. Now playing: Watch this: Beer helps explain battle brewing over net neutrality Meanwhile, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he'd file a legal challenge to the repeal of net neutrality, arguing the federal government violated the Administrative Procedure Act. "Allowing internet service providers to discriminate based on content undermines a free and open internet," Ferguson said. "Today's action will seriously harm consumers, innovation and small businesses." Instituting their own net neutrality rules may not be so easy. As part of the repeal, the FCC reclassified broadband as an "interstate information service." This not only strips the FCC of its ability to regulate broadband as a utility, but Republicans on the commission say it also means states can't regulate the service either. "The order makes plain that broadband will be subject to a uniform, national framework that promotes investment and innovation," Republican Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said in his statement before the FCC's vote. "Broadband service is not confined to state boundaries and should not be constrained by a patchwork of state and local regulations." As a result, he said states are pre-empted from passing their own laws to try to preserve net neutrality. What happened today and how are people reacting? We created a moment just for you! #NetNeutrality ⚡️ “FCC Votes to Repeal Net Neutrality Rules” by @CNEThttps://t.co/jH5ZWbfXmj — CNET (@CNET) December 14, 2017 "Although the order does acknowledge an extremely limited state role in enforcing their traditional police powers, state actions that go beyond this realm will be subject to scrutiny and challenge," he said. "The order makes clear that any requirements akin to common carrier regulation are barred." He went on to say that he specifically requested that states also can't adopt their own transparency requirements and he said that states are barred from legislating broadband privacy protections. He promised that if states attempt to bypass the FCC in its efforts that the agency will be vigilant in shutting them down. Legal experts say this may be where the FCC's repeal could be most vulnerable to legal challenges. "The law is less clear on this," said Matthew Schettenhelm, a litigation and government analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. "It's at least a little awkward for the FCC to first say it has no power over broadband service, then to say it can use that absence of power to supersede the states." New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said his office plans to file a suit arguing the FCC gave telecom companies an early Christmas present by giving internet service providers yet another way to put corporate profits over consumers. I will sue to stop the FCC’s illegal rollback of #netneutrality. New Yorkers and all Americans deserve a free and open internet. pic.twitter.com/BNW7TDsp4z — Eric Schneiderman (@AGSchneiderman) December 14, 2017 "Today's rollback will give ISPs new ways to control what we see, what we do, and what we say online," he said in a statement. "That's a threat to the free exchange of ideas that's made the Internet a valuable asset in our democratic process." The FCC narrowly voted to get rid of the regulations which guaranteed traffic on the internet was treated equally, halting broadband and wireless providers from blocking or slowing online content. The FCC also voted to eliminate the legal foundation granting the agency oversight over internet service providers. Repealing net neutrality "is not going to end the internet as we know it" FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said Thursday. "It is not going to kill democracy." Nonprofit organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Media Alliance and the Free Press have also threatened to sue the FCC over the move. First published Dec. 14, 12:09 p.m. PT. Update, 1:29 p.m. PT: Adds background. iHate: CNET looks at how intolerance is taking over the internet. Logging Out: Welcome to the crossroads of online life and the afterlife.The Liberal Party's'rebranding' is a hard and messy work in progress, as Rodrigo Duterte marks his first year in office Published 8:15 PM, June 23, 2017 MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – When Senator Leila de Lima was arrested in February this year on drug charges, which she claims are false, almost everybody expected the Liberal Party – particularly her colleagues in the Senate – to immediately bolt the administration-led coalition. They didn’t. Instead, they waited, 3 days later, to be stripped of their committee chairmanships and effectively kicked out of the PDP-Laban-led majority coalition. Worse, they didn't even know about the Senate ouster plot against them until the day itself. Senator Franklin Drilon, Senate president when the LP was in power, sounded nonchalant about it then. “[I feel] nothing. We are not kapit-tuko (We don’t cling onto power). It’s a numbers game. They have the numbers,” he said. Welcome to the Liberal Party under Dutertismo. Old habits die hard The descent of the once all-powerful party began hours after the voting precincts closed on May 9, 2016. Despite a well-oiled machinery, seemingly bottomless resources, and a methodical focus on vote-rich but poor communities, the LP's standard-bearer, Manuel "Mar" Roxas II lost to Rodrigo Duterte by more than 6 million votes. Duterte got 16.6 million compared to Roxas' 9.97 million votes. Roxas' running mate, Leni Robredo, won by a hairline over Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, a victory that the late dictator's son is contesting before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. The Roxas camp soon began packing its bags even as Robredo's headquarters turned into a beehive of activity. Those who weren’t involved in the two principal candidates’ campaigns, on the other hand, began working out the political map in what was bound to be a PDP-Laban dominated Senate and House of Representatives. FORMER KINGS. Supporters of the Liberal Party gather at the Quezon Memorial Circle for its 2016 miting de avance. File photo Robert Viñas/Malacañang Photo Bureau To prevent a freefall, party operators quickly struck an alliance with the new ruling power. The LP is no stranger to such deals. “The Liberal Party was a traditional party that was forced to embrace new politics during the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship,” explained Julio Teehankee, professor of political science at the De La Salle University. In the aftermath of the dictatorship, Teehankee noted, the LP “transformed” into the “principled party” that took clear-cut positions on raging issues such as the closing down of US bases, the impeachment of former president Erap Estrada, and allegations that former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the 2004
i cult at altitude,” says Kessler, “including walking, drinking, and eating. The brain simply does not work as well, and poor decisions may be made as a result.” Solutions: Adjust your time estimates relative to lower and smaller peaks. Plan time to acclimatize; force yourself to eat and drink adequately; and watch each other for the physical or mental effects of altitude. “Stop, drink, and eat often,” says Kessler. “Better decisions are made during a rest break than when on the move.” Problem: Choosing inexperienced partners. The standard route up Rainier appears to require little more than steep snow hiking, making it a tempting excursion on which to bring along inexperienced friends. Yet if someone falls into a crevasse or becomes ill, or stormy weather moves in, the climb may suddenly turn very serious. Solutions: “While it is popular to take novices up Mt. Rainier,” says Kessler, “it is critical to have a good ratio of skilled mountaineers to novices if this is to be done safely.” Guide services often draw the line at two clients per guide; for private parties, one experienced mountaineer for every novice is more like it, with two experienced mountaineers minimum. Problem: Summit fever. “Attempting to summit when weather conditions, route condition, or a team members’ physical or mental status indicate it is time to turn around often has bad results,” says Kessler. Solutions: “Have a plan specifying turn-around time, trigger points for weather, and whether the team may split,” Kessler says. “Communicate it to others, agree on it, and follow it.” Problem: Poor communication. It’s not always easy to know what’s going on at the other end of the rope, especially when visibility is low. “Loss of communication somewhere between the leader and last climber leaves the team vulnerable,” Kessler explains. Solutions: Check in frequently with all team members. Take breaks that bring the team back into close contact, and assess everyone’s mental and physical states. DAMAGE CONTROL: What can you do to maximize your survival chances and help rescuers do their job if you do get in trouble? Give someone at home your exact climbing plans so they can relay this information should you get into trouble. That person’s contact info should be included on your climb card when registering with rangers (see below). Have several team members bring fully charged cell phones. All phones should be turned off when carried, and used sparingly, so you’ll have plenty of power should a problem arise. Carry self-evacuation equipment (e.g., a super-lightweight fabric sled) and practice using it. Register your Rainier climb by completing the required “climb card,” which allows rangers to quickly identify who might be in trouble, what equipment you have, and your travel plan. See nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/climbing.htm. HELP?! Call 911 only when you really need help, Kessler says. Before you call, collect the following information. Cell phone service is notoriously bad on big peaks, and you may get cut off at any time, so give this information right away: We are on the mountain at [Mount Rainier National Park] at __________ feet of elevation on the _____________ climbing route. We need help. We have a climber(s) with ____________________ (injuries and/or medical conditions). My name is ___________________, and this cell phone number is ___________________. The weather conditions are ___________________ (temperature, precip, winds, visibility). Our plan is to ______________________________. Here is what I think we are going to need: ______ ______________________________. Our GPS coordinates are __________ by __________. If a medical condition is an issue, keep track of vitals and symptoms. If a helicopter is expected, search for a good landing zone or pick-off point, and secure any loose items. See flightforlifecolorado.org/selectingalandingzone.Did you know that the United States Postal Service has its own police force? It's true. While the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is typically tasked with looking into mailbox vandalism and mail fraud, an investigation in Denver reveals that they're also installing hidden cameras at post offices and spying on Americans. This postal surveillance program sounds shady as hell. FOX31 Denver found one camera disguised as a utility box that "was positioned to capture and record the license plates and facial features of customers leaving a Golden Post Office." Within an hour of the local news station's discovery, the Postal Inspection Service had ripped it out of the ground, though the force later admitted that it had a "number of cameras at their disposal." Advertisement So why on Earth is the postal service spying on people? That's the shadiest part: The USPS won't say. FOX31 filed multiple FOIA requests with multiple agencies. "None of the agencies could provide a written data retention policy," the station reports. This is exactly the kind of warrantless surveillance and data collection that's been spreading across post-9/11 America, and the fact that the government won't talk about it is a big problem. It's not just the NSA that's doing the spying, either. It's the postal service, too! Read the full report and watch the corresponding segment at FOX31's website. Oh, and keep it in mind the next time you go to the post office. Uncle Sam might be scanning your license plate and storing it in a database under a mountain. [FOX31 Denver] Contact the author at adam@gizmodo.com. Public PGP key PGP fingerprint: 91CF B387 7B38 148C DDD6 38D2 6CBC 1E46 1DBF 22Urinary tract infections are a painful, recurring problem for millions of women. They are also getting more dangerous as bacteria develop resistance to the most common treatments. Scientists from the University of Michigan have moved one step closer to a vaccine that could prevent a majority of urinary tract infections, which are caused by E. coli bacteria. Using a genetic technique rarely used to look at infections in human hosts, the researchers studied how the E. coli bacteria operate and discovered key differences between how the bacteria's genes behave in women and how they behave in mice used in experiments. Their findings, published online Nov. 11 in PLoS Pathogens, could lead to developments that would save billions in health care costs and millions of doctors' visits and hospitalizations from urinary tract infections each year. "If we want to prevent infections in humans, we need to look at what's going on with the bacteria while it's in humans," says Harry L.T. Mobley, Ph.D., the study's senior investigator and the Frederick G. Novy Professor and chair of the U-M Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "We're not looking to make the world safer for mice." Mobley's team found that specific surface structures of the E. coli found in mouse infections, which scientists consider a key to how the bugs thrive, were not prevalent in the human samples. "That tells us it's more complicated than we thought and that there are some important differences we need to study in human infections," says research fellow Erin C. Hagan, one of the study's two first authors. Last year, Mobley's team published a study that showed a vaccine they had developed prevented infection and produced key types of immunity in mice. Even though researchers found differences in gene expression in the mouse and human samples, key targets of the vaccine related to iron acquisition were found in both samples, raising hopes that the vaccine would work in humans. Still, he cautions, developing and testing a vaccine for humans is several years away. The latest research also provided an opportunity for basic science researchers and clinicians at U-M to work together. In this case, microbiologists turned to Gary J. Faerber, M.D., a professor of urology at the University of Michigan Medical School and co-director of the Kidney Stone/Lithotriptor Program and the Michigan Center for Minimally Invasive Urology, whose clinic provided the needed samples, which must be collected quickly and carefully to preserve the bacteria. Urinary tract infections are an increasing concern for Faerber, who says he's seen the number of infections that are resistant to common antibiotic treatments rapidly increase in recent years. "That resistance is just going to keep going up," Faerber says. He described a recent, older patient whose infection would only respond to a single antibiotic costing $500 per dose and which has to be administered intravenously. Antibiotic resistance is becoming an issue with not only limiting antibiotic choices but also cost of treatment with newer generation antibiotics, Faerber says. Urinary Tract Infections in context: UTIs account for more than 8 million doctor's visits each year. UTIs cost an estimated $3.5 billion to treat each year and generate more than 3 million prescriptions. E. coli is responsible for roughly 80 percent of UTIs. Forty percent of women will experience UTI symptoms in their lifetime; a quarter of them will have a second episode within 6 to 12 months. Men can also get urinary tract infections, though they are less common; urinary stones or enlarged prostates make infection more likely. E. coli resistance to a class of antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones is up to 15 percent in some places. That class includes, ciprofloxacin, which is more commonly known as "cipro" and is considered a second-line treatment. Seven of the 12 E. coli samples collected during the U-M study showed resistance to an antibiotic commonly used to treat UTIs. U-M has applied for patent protection for this technology. Funding:National Institutes of HealthA teacher in Brentwood, Calif. allegedly told a biracial student that black people “are not smart,” television station KCBS reported on Thursday. The student’s father, who is suing the school district, alleged that his daughter’s teacher used the N-word, said black people “are not smart” and said President Abraham Lincoln was an “(N-word) lover.” KCBS reported that, according to court papers obtained by City News Service, the student was identified as Maggie B. in a suit brought against the Los Angeles Unified School District on Wednesday by her father Shawn B. The television station also reported that the suit identified Maggie B. as half black and half white. Eighth-grade history teacher Steven Carnine at Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Magnet Center reportedly held a discussion about racial stereotypes on Jan. 16, the suit alleged. The conversation, which occurred the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, addressed the shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown who was killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., KCBS reported. The lawsuit alleged that during the discussion, Carnine said Brown “was a thug and he got what he deserved,” according to KCBS. Carnine also reportedly made generalized disparagements about black people. “Black people are judged for not being smart because they are not smart,” Carnine said, according to the suit. “A lot of them are just athletes.” The court papers noted that Carnine also described a hypothetical scenario in which two black men were walking behind him at night. He reportedly said he’s “immediately going to be scared and think they are either going to steal from me or hurt me.” The suit alleged that while making these comments Carnine was looking directly at Maggie B. TPM left a message seeking comment from Carnine on Friday at the school. It was not immediately returned. The teacher also is alleged to have made several other racist comments, according to the suit. Carnine allegedly also said: “We all know Jews like to hoard their money,” and “People didn’t like Lincoln because he was a (N-word) lover.” Shawn B. said in the suit he’d attempted to resolve the issue with the school’s principal but was told to meet with the teacher who was “old school.” He maintained that he was also told that there was “no need to go to the press” with the issue, KCBS reported. The LAUSD told KCBS, via a spokesperson, that it had “no comment on the complaint, which we are still reviewing.” The school district also noted that “District policy is adamant that all students are to be treated with respect. The safety of students is L.A. Unified’s highest priority.” Image via Shutterstock / hxdbzxyEXCLUSIVE:While 20th Century Fox isn’t banging the gong at Comic-Con this year, the studio has big developments on several geek-worthy projects. * Fox has officially set Chronicle helmer Josh Trank to direct the reboot of Fantastic Four, and the film will be the next Marvel property to be slated for production and dated for release by the studio. Fantastic Four, which will include a new cast, falls into line after The Wolverine sequel that starts production shortly, and the Matthew Vaughn-directed X-Men: First Class, which is also on a fast track. After Trank’s breakthrough with the Fox sleeper hit Chronicle he has been offered everything and attached himself to several projects. But I’m told that Fox expects Fantastic Four to be the next film he directs. It’s scripted by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz, who also wrote X-Men: First Class and Thor. Related: ‘Chronicle’ Helmer Josh Trank Takes On ‘Shadow Of The Colossus’ For Sony * Fox has set Attack The Block helmer Joe Cornish to direct Rust, an E.T.-style story scripted by Aline Brosh McKenna based on the Royden Lepp novel about a struggling farm family and the mysterious robot that shows up and changes their lives. The film is a sci-fi adventure aimed at a family audience, and it is now a priority with Cornish aboard. Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films is producing, with Stephen Christy and P.J. Bickett of Archaia Entertainment exec producing. Related: David James Kelly Rewriting ‘Daredevil’ Reboot * Fox is looking for a director on its other major Marvel reboot, after David Slade just dropped out of Daredevil. The studio has a script it likes, but has to get the film into production by fall or contractually risk having the the property revert to Marvel Studios and Disney. Slade could not make the timing work as he is directing the pilot of the series Hannibal.A video shot and released earlier this year by Radio Free Asia is making the rounds online today. The short documentary details the illegal production and sale of so-called "gutter oil," a cooking oil made from restaurant sewer refuse and rotten animal fat that is refined and then sold, mostly to small restaurants and street food vendors. It's part of a food safety crisis in China that The Atlantic covered last year. While "gutter oil" is technically illegal in China, the government hasn't been able to eradicate the practice. Last year, another report came out on an oil being made from slaughter house scraps. Radio Free Asia's footage, which features a woman nonchalantly scooping "glop" out of a manhole in broad daylight, suggests that at least in some areas, there's little risk of getting caught. The top video is part of Radio Free Asia's "Poisoned at the Source" series about food production issues in China, specifically Guangdong Province. If learning about gutter oil doesn't ruin your day, you can also watch mini documentaries about illegal slaughter tents that spring up overnight and disappear before the sun rises, agricultural fields fertilized with human garbage ("including used batters and toxic waste"), and scam artists who sell fake soy milk.Here are some additional details: The Cop Blockers are trying to find my more detailed public report of the encounter I had with Christiana in 2005. I would have posted that around May 2005 on forum.nhfree.com, however the forum is not that easy to search and neither of us have yet located the report. This is a reminder how important it is to NOT delete old forum traffic, no matter which forum you run. Quick summary though is that when Russell Kanning announced his intent to do his 2005 civil dis at Manch airport, they came to his house to talk to him first. FBI, including a self-identified Phil Christiana and one other agent. I lived in one of their rooms then and answered the door in Keene. During the actual civil dis day, Fibbies tailed him from that door to the airport. Most of the rest should be in Eyre's YouTube report and the original reports if they are located. One thing that may not be in my 2005 report is the way Christiana handled our final face-to-face encounter. He came up to me and some NHFree.com folks during the airport disobedience and tried to make it look like he and I were buddies. I don't think that NHFree folk really care or cared much whether a person is on friendly terms with the authorities, but he didn't know that. He came up and slapped me on the shoulder. I took the interaction to be an attempt on his part at undercutting my reputation inside the liberty community. But he came off as just acting. I think what I had to say to him at the time was that I did not appreciate his relatively extravagant use of tax dollars to mess with Russell. I believe Christiana's partner's name then was Mark Alford.An EU court has overturned 790 million euros ($868 million) in fines imposed by Brussels on 11 airlines including Air France-KLM (AFP Photo/Boris Horvat) Washington (AFP) - Two Air France flights bound for Paris from the United States were diverted due to security threats, media reports said, on the heels of deadly terror strikes in Paris. CNN reported that one jet was diverted to Salt Lake City, Utah, after taking off from Los Angeles, while the second left Washington and was diverted to Halifax, Canada. Both aircraft -- flight 65 out of Los Angeles, and flight 55 out of Dulles International Airport in Virginia outside the US capital -- have landed safely. A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that flight 65 was diverted to Salt Lake City. "It landed safely," she said but declined to comment on the reported security threat. "Passengers are being removed from flight. No word on why flight diverted," Canada's CBC said on Twitter of the jet that landed in Nova Scotia. Social media comments alluded to an emergency landing of the jet that left Los Angeles, saying it had touched down in Utah, with many police cars on the tarmac. "It was diverted to Salt Lake City because of a security incident," CNN quoted the FAA as saying.The Pitch The Rockwell company wants to develop drilling activities, but does not have the necessary teams in-house. Rockwell has decided to buy into specialized companies. In order to determine which one it will put on the most advanced and most profitable projects in the future, Rockwell has elected to make them work together on a single important project: drilling through the depths of the earth's crust to the core. The company who demonstrates the greatest expertise in the technical and financial management of this contract will ensure a bright future with Rockwell. 2-4 players / 90 minutes Personal desk board: layout almost finished. This is the side for 2 or 3 players. Phases I II & III boards: layout almost finished. The final main board design (double-sided tiles). Game in progress. Gameplay video Need to show how much you support the Rockwell campaign? Here are two avatars to use as much as you want! Springboard Sit Down! offers its new game, Rockwell, in partnership with Game Salute, through their Springboard program. All orders to non-European destinations will be managed directly by Game Salute and their logistics force. Goal of the Game Acquire the most Renown points at the end of the game. There are three ways to achieve this: accomplish achievements (nine in total), make investments, get majorities after the game. Gameplay The game is divided into three phases that are repeated as many times as necessary until one of two conditions endgame is met: a majority of the players have reached the center of the earth with a drill crew a player has completed the nine Achievements. Then the current round is completed before determining the winner. Preparation for the turn Each player has two vice presidents he will deploy to act in Phase 1, 2, or 3, in order to perform actions. The order in which the players’ vice presidents are deployed is determined by a closed-fist auction. Phase 1 This is the main phase. Players will move their drill crews are at a rate of one per round (there are four rounds before Phase 2). Depending on the position of your vice president, if you deployed him to act in this phase, you can corrupt opposing drill crews (in order to attract them to the same tile as your active drill crew) or hire a subcontractor (to increase your drilling power). Each tile of the earth's crust has a value indicating its resistance to drilling. If the sum of the drill crews who are present equals or exceeds this value, the tile is excavated and turned over; then draw an Extraction card to see what resources you discovered, which is evenly split between the players who participated in the drilling. The indivisible remainder goes to one of those players (prioritized by whoever has a mine on the tile, then the player who has the greater drilling power, then the one who triggered the drilling). Finally, after the four rounds, the mines laid on drilled tiles provide the resources printed on the back of the tile. Phase 2 Players with a vice president here can perform market transactions, which is to say that they can buy or sell resources. Phase 3 In this phase, players can make investments to get renown points and improve their drilling conditions in different ways… augment the drill crews’ power (maximum = 4), place mines in the game (maximum three mines), improve mine safety (in order to avoid wasting resources at extraction time), improve the movement of drill crews. What Comes in the Box? 32 Terrain tiles 4 encircling tiles 3 phase boards 1 circular tile, the Earth’s core 48 Extraction cards 160 resource cubes (zinc, copper, silver, gold) 28 Investment tiles 36 Achievement tiles 3 Bribery markers 3 Sub-contractor 4-sided dice 1 Drilling round marker 109 bank bills ($100, $500, $1000 and $5000) 3 rulebooks (EN, DE, FR — more languages on our website) In addition, each player has the following equipment: 4 1-power / 2-power Drill crew tokens 4 3-power / 4-power Drill crew tokens 2 vice president pawns 3 mines 2 order marker cube 1 company board (reversible) 1 screen The four Presidents of Rockwell and their families. List of game stores who have pledge to get copies of Rockwell (+ unlocked stretch goals) for their own customers Case Départ — Louvain-la-Neuve — Belgium Philibert —Strasbourg — France La Boite à Jeux — Le Mans — France Espace Jeux — Various addresses — Canada Mini Shoppa — Hsinchu — Taïwan Northumbria Games Ltd. — County Durham — England Last unlocked stretch goal on 25th June. Information Relating to Stretch Goals 8 Diamond Extraction cards — During the extraction, this card allows you to earn money instead of resources. 8 Destructive Extraction cards — During extraction, this card triggers an explosion that makes a driller lose a power level. For players looking for danger and additional challenges! Player aids — 6 player aids are added to the box, or more specifically, 12 player aid sides, because four sides are in English, 4 are in German, and 4 are in French. This way, each player gets his own player aid, regardless of the preferred language. Distribution board — This little board facilitates the complicated distribution of resources. 16 drill crew miniatures — All miniatures are identical, except for their color. By placing a round cardboard marker in the base, you can indicate their drilling power. Stock Market expansion — This expansion comprises new cards and a new Phase 2 board, allowing the values of the four resources of the game to fluctuate. In addition, the concepts of Crashes and Booms will now enable excessive increases and drops in their values. With this expansion, experienced players will find the new challenges they seek. 64 drill crew miniatures — Each level of drilling power is represented by its own miniature. Information Relating to Pledges ALL LEVELS — Original soundtrack — A twenty-minute digital soundtrack, immersing you in the atmosphere of the mine. To be played in a loop during your games of Rockwell. This song was specially composed by C-drik. ALL LEVELS — Making-of PDF — This file compiles the designer diary and the visuals of different phases of the game’s development, while retracing the development of Rockwell from A to Z. All backers will also be thanked here. ALL LEVELS — Acknowledgements — You can choose to use your name or a nickname. However, we reserve the right to refuse nicknames that are deemed offensive. LEVELS #4, #5, & #15 — Essen pick-up — In the unlikely event that we experience a production delay that causes us to miss Essen, your orders will be shipped at our expense. LEVELS #7, #8, & #11 — Karnag — This is the second game we published. We offer you the latest edition available. You can view its entry on BoardGameGeek. LEVELS #9 & #11 — Wiraqocha — This is the first game we published. We offer you the latest edition available. You can view its entry on BoardGameGeek. LEVEL #12 — You are a Legend — You must submit a photo of your face that is high-quality (exposure, framing, sharpness…) and of sufficient resolution. Based on this, we will then process your photo in a vintage way in order to adhere to the game’s atmosphere. It will then be placed in a frame of the period, signed with your name or nickname on a metal plaque, and placed over the entire height of the side of the box bottom. We reserve the right to reject photos or nicknames that are inappropriate or offensive. You must hold the rights to the photo that you provide, and you are solely responsible to any third parties. LEVEL #16 — Your Name inc. — We reserve the right to refuse suggestions deemed offensive or irrelevant to the theme. If you own a company (you must prove that you are the owner) and want us to use your logo, we will make a proposal to adapt your design to the game’s period. LEVEL #15 — Essen by night — We will reserve a table at a restaurant in Essen (not just some snack, but a real, three-course restaurant). Bruno Crépeault, the designer, will be at your disposal to gab about your gaming questions. Then he will explain the rules of Rockwell, and stay by your side for the duration of a game, during which, after each move, he will tell you the best options available to you, at least if you want him to. Then he will let you go to sleep, but not without having bid you a warm farewell. LEVEL #17 — Subdued lighting — These are actual miner’s lamps, but new (about 9,84 in [25 cm] tall)! The fuel is not provided. You will also receive an instructional video detailing the method for lighting, with the demonstration being done by a real, retired miner. Information Related to Add-Ons Modeling your face in 3D — We will ask you to provide us with a series of photos of your face from different angles. These photos must be of good quality and of sufficient resolution. We will submit the results to you, and two sets of corrections are planned. The modeled face can then be used on the body of a miner “miniature” in order to make a version of it that is 6,7 in (17 cm) tall, printed on demand in glossy white plastic.You must hold the rights to the photos that you provide, and you are solely responsible to any third parties. Miner’s lamp — These is an actual miner’s lamp, but new! The fuel is not provided. You will also receive an instructional video detailing the method for lighting, with the demonstration being done by a real, retired miner. How to Order You can order more than one Pledge Level by totaling the price of all desired Pledge Levels and Add-ons, and then pledging that total amount. We will contact you after the project ends to get your order details. Backers must pay the shipping for EACH Pledge Level. Shipping Shipments will be made from both France (to Europe) and the USA (to rest of world), almost simultaneously. For international shipments, you are responsible for any additional costs related to import, customs, brokerage, delivery surtax, and taxes applicable after we sent your parcel. If multiple delivery delays are applicable for various pledges, or add-ons, the one that will apply will be the longest, because a single shipment containing your entire order will be made to your destination. For individuals and for game stores, it is possible for you to arrange to come pick up your order at our booth in Essen (or at our address in Namur, Belgium) in order to save you postage, even if your pledge level does not explicitly provide for it. Stretch goals that are unlocked are included without increasing the shipping cost. Moreover, Sit Down! is part of the company Megalopole, who also publishes Plato magazine, which covers board games. Thus, we permit ourselves to add a copy of this wholesome reading material to all orders. This little bonus will eventually be sent to you in a separate shipment. You can choose between the French or English version. Languages The Rockwell box will contain the rules in English, German, and French. We will publish the other languages on our website, according to demand and opportunity. For example, Dutch and Spanish will be available quickly. Also note that the components are language-independent. Designer, Illustrator, and Publisher The designer — Bruno Crépeault, hailing from Quebec, and a big St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout lover, is the creator of the boardgames Rockwell (first prize at Flip 2010, under the name Gaïa) and Satyr (audience award at Ludor 2010), but he is also an author, musician, and librettist. Before publishing his novel La Mémoire du Funambule through Éditions du Quartz in 2012, he won the literary prize of l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue twice. Additionally, the operetta Les Jardins d’Ève that he co-created in 2005 has been presented repeatedly throughout his region. The illustrator — When he graduated with a degree in illustration from Saint-Luc (Brussels) in 1998, Yuio immediately chose to work as a freelancer. He promptly put his pens into service for comic- and illustration-related works. Since that time, he has already worked on at least 20 color albums, several stories published in Spirou magazine and other publications, a “one-shot” comic, some short stories for a publisher or two, and a large number of children’s books for education or entertainment. Yuio’s interest in boardgames only started in 2010, but it is a subjet to which he dedicates himself with pleasure. Since then, he has created the illustrations for Wiraqocha (Sit Down!), Takenoko (Matagot, Bombyx), Dojo (Hazgaard), Nautilus (Libellud)… The publisher — Sit Down! was founded in 2011. Our first game — Wiraqocha (created by Henri Kermarrec) — was described by some as Ameritrash, while our second — Karnag (created by Pascal Cadot) — was more like a German game, all the while maintaining a strong theme. Sit Down! is preparing for the future. We have numerous projects up our sleeves, and we hope to offer them to you soon on Kickstarter. Game Stores We have created a pledge especially for game stores (Pledge #10). It will allow you to acquire a minimum of 6 copies of Rockwell while preserving your usual margin. In addition, your customers will also receive whatever stretch goals are unlocked, as if they were directly participating in this campaign. The icing on the cake: You will be mentioned on our site and on this page as soon as you have validated your pledge. Furthermore, with an order of 12 copies, you will receive one more copy for free (12+1, 24+2, 36+3…)! You can pledge through this campaign AND support your local store. Simply select your favorite local store when you complete your delivery survey and your pledge will benefit the store just as if you purchased the game through the store. You can check out the details here. You can use GameStoreLocator.com to find a Game Salute Select Store near you. If your favorite store is not on the list, be sure to ask them to sign up today at GameSalute.com/SelectStoreSignUp. The Staff Rockwell has been supported by Forgenext. Kicktraq Track our project on Kicktraq and help us spread the word so that other backers just like you will notice us. Notes The visuals of this campaign are not contractual. We will work every day to attain the best possible quality in all aspects: illustrations, cardboard, paper, plastic… Be assured that we will always give a positive direction to each aspect of the project, even if it results in some changes with respects to the visuals depicted on this page. The "Kickstarter Exclusive" stretchgoals of this campaign will eventually also benefit to the backers of a forthcoming French crowdfunding campaign on Ulule.com Rockwell is the third game that we have published. The first — Wiraqocha — had a print run of 2000 copies, while the second — Karnag — had just 1500 units. These two games have completely sold out (leaving us just a few rare copies for us to offer in this campaign). In order to finance these first two games, we had to use our own money, and seek help from various organizations. The profits were reinvested in new projects, notably Rockwell, but they are not sufficient to fund it fully. That is why we are appealing to you. We believe that Rockwell is an original game that you will yearn to promote by supporting our Kickstarter campaign.SEGA has soft launched its next Crazy Taxi mobile game, this time titled Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire, on Android phones. Right now its only available for people who live in the Philippines. This title is a free-to-play game and isn’t first one for the franchise, since they had Crazy Taxi City Rush back in 2014. This game has a different take on the franchise, by making you the boss of a ‘Crazy Taxi empire’, which means you’ll manage routes, upgrade cars and more. Here are some features Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire offers: Buy, grow and upgrade your fleet of crazy cabs Hire and level up a cast of new and classic Crazy Taxi drivers Each driver has a favorite type of cab. Match drivers to cabs for extra bonuses Master multipliers to more quickly expand your routes across the cities Prestige your business for even greater wealth Fun and fast play sessions perfect for playing on the go or whenever you have time I really have no idea when Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire is mean’t to launch globally or if it ever will. Above you can see about 12 minutes of the game in action, what are your thoughts on the art style and take on Crazy Taxi? Personally feel that driving the Taxi and the music in the game made Crazy Taxi what it was. This features neither, sadly.They said they would become the best team in North America, and Team Liquid is quickly backing up its confident statement. In the second quarterfinal of the NA League Championship Series postseason, Team Liquid didn't merely eliminate NRG Esports from the playoffs -- it broke them. There are instances when 3-0 sweeps can actually be closer than it looks; a team messes up in the late game, the two teams are close but one is a little bit better on that day, etc. This was not one of those days. Liquid controlled the game from the outset and never looked back in their demolition of NRG's dreams of Las Vegas. "We prepared a statement already," Matt "Matt" Elento said when I asked how they felt the series went. "We actually practiced really hard this week, and we expected a closer series. But we were let down." Editor's Picks Fnatic Impresses, Origen Reassures at EU LCS quarterfinals Adel Chouadria recaps the weekend playoff action in the EU LCS, where Fnatic and Origen earned series victories to advance to the semifinals. Recapping the grand finals at the MLG CS:GO Columbus major Luminosity Gaming and Natus Vincere met in the grand finals at MLG Columbus. One would win $500,000. Tomi "lurppis" Kovanen details who won and how. TSM Svenskeren: "We have Bjergsen, so we can" Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen reflects on Team SoloMid's NA LCS playoff victory against Cloud9 on Saturday, and looks forward to TSM's upcoming showdown with Immortals. 2 Related What was supposed to be an interview simply between Liquid's bottom lane of Matt and his AD carry partner Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin turned into a full-on TL media conference whens Rookie of the Split award winner Joshua "Dardoch" Hartnett and Liquid's mid laner Kim "FeniX" Jae-hun joined their teammates in the media box. "I don't think there was ever once in the entire series where they had control," Matt told me. "So it's pretty convincing." Convincing might be too light of a word for the performance Liquid showcased Sunday. NRG, while showing obvious communication weaknesses in the regular season, are a solid team with star players in their several positions. Yet in its three games today against TL, not one of them could win in lane or do anything resembling a competitive fight. Even when NRG seemed to be keeping up in terms of kills, it faltered heavily when it came to the game of objective control. Whenever NRG secured a kill, it was never given enough space to snowball the small advantage by grabbing a key objective. "I think CLG are definitely one of the teams that are clutch on stage," Matt said when questioned about the TL players on their upcoming semifinal match against Counter Logic Gaming. "So we're going to try just as hard preparing for them and hopefully not be let down." Liquid is no stranger to the semifinals. The team has found itself here countless times in the past under its current moniker and its former namesake, Curse. What has alluded the franchise though has been the advancement into the NA LCS grand finals. Tired of hearing the tedious jokes of always finishing in fourth place, the current iteration of TL won't settle for anything but making it to the
Fancy includes a minimalist G-funk style synth opening and samples a "Hey" chant. Discography [ edit ] Studio albums [ edit ] Mixtapes [ edit ] List of mixtapes, with selected details Title Album details Ketchup[36] Released: June 3, 2013 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download 10 Summers: The Mixtape Vol.1[37] (with 10 Summers) Released: July 23, 2015 Label: 10 Summers Formats: Digital download Singles [ edit ] Production discography [ edit ] Notes [ edit ]In America's ever-more-democratic society, egalitarianism seeps into everything, even the supposedly severe meritocracy of sport. So every 7-year-old who has soccer shoes laced up by a parent gets a trophy just for showing up, and almost every college football team that is not dreadful is "bowl-eligible." That is why there are 34 bowl games, which is why you might not have noticed Tuesday's Bailout Bowl (Ball State vs. Tulsa, by the way), in which you could have seen your tax dollars at work. Or at play. The game's real name was the GMAC Bowl. GMAC is known as the "financing affiliate" of General Motors. But Cerberus, the huge private equity firm that owns 80.1 percent of Chrysler, also owned 51 percent of GMAC until GMAC got the government to baptize it as a bank holding company. That transformation supposedly was necessary to make GMAC eligible for a place at the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) trough -- although GM itself already has a place there, as does Chrysler. Anyway, the infusion of TARP dollars -- 6 billion of them -- diluted Cerberus's GMAC ownership to at most 33 percent, but that diminution seems a small price for Cerberus to pay for a second bite from the bailout apple. Washington sternly said that it would allow GMAC to become a bank holding company only if GMAC managed to increase its capital to $30 billion. When GMAC fell far short of that goal, Washington supplied some of the shortfall. Immediately after GMAC became eligible for TARP money, GM reduced to zero the interest rate -- for up to 60 months -- on certain models. This, of course, penalizes GM competitors, including Toyota, Honda and other "transplants" whose cars are made in America by Americans for Americans, and Ford, which does not have the freedom of maneuver conferred by TARP money because Ford is not taking any. This redundant evidence that no good deed goes unpunished might be a reason for Ford to take some. Then it could join GM in using taxpayers' money to produce more troubled assets. The New York Times reports that GMAC has begun making loans to borrowers with credit scores as low as 621, a significant relaxation of the 700 minimum score the company adopted just three months ago as it struggled to survive. America's median credit score is 723. GMAC's lowered standards will increase the number of people eligible for its loans by an estimated 50 million. What should one call loans made to applicants who, three months ago, were thought to be trying to buy more expensive cars than they could afford? How about "subprime loans"? Thus does the economy, which is suffering a fierce hangover after going on a bender of reckless borrowing, try a familiar remedy -- the hair of the dog. The $6 billion for GMAC comes from the federal government buying $5 billion worth of preferred shares in GMAC and lending another $1 billion to GM for it to invest in GMAC. All this makes GMAC partially nationalized, so taxpayers should be able to indulge a wholesome curiosity concerning, for example, how much GMAC paid for its sponsorship of the bowl game. But GMAC will not say. Why not? Whatever the sum is, it is hardly even a rounding error on $6 billion. In 2000, the first year of its bowl sponsorship, GMAC paid $500,000. Perhaps the sponsorship makes marketing sense, even today. But even though its pockets are bulging with public money, GMAC says, through a spokeswoman on Monday, that it does not disclose the specifics of its marketing program. You might think that a company forfeits the right to such secrecy when it takes the public's money. You would, evidently, be mistaken. Although GMAC is now attached by an umbilical cord to the U.S. Treasury, GMAC's position is that the sponsorship price is none of the public's business. Are there any legal inhibitions on what the executive branch can do with TARP money? Are there any legal requirements regarding what TARP recipients must disclose or explain? Perhaps not; perhaps we are operating under the Knox Principle. Philander Chase Knox was President Theodore Roosevelt's attorney general when the United States acquired the Panama Canal Zone by unsavory means. When TR asked Knox for a defense of the acquisition, Knox is said to have replied, "Oh, Mr. President, do not let so great an achievement suffer from any taint of legality." georgewill@washpost.comJason Cipriani/CNET One of the first things you should do on your brand-new BlackBerry 10 device after going through the initial setup process is to enable BlackBerry Protect. The free service offered by BlackBerry will allow you to locate a lost or stolen BlackBerry 10 device. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET To enable the free service, go to Settings and tap on BlackBerry Protect. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET The service will be turned off by default, but only requires you to slide the switch to the right to enable it. You'll need to be signed into your BlackBerry ID on the device. If you need a BlackBerry ID, you can sign up for one here. Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET Now that BlackBerry Protect is enabled, should you ever misplace or have your device stolen, you can visit protect.blackberry.com from your browser to locate the device. In addition to being able to get the current GPS location of the device, you're able to play a sound to help you locate it (it's one of the most annoying sounds I've heard from any phone), display a custom message, lock it with a new password, and wipe the device remotely. BlackBerry Protect takes a few seconds to enable, but will likely save you plenty of time, headaches, and money should your device ever go missing.Hello everyone! Hyjacked back again with another PBE Roundup. This cycle has seen a few balance changes, a couple of cool new skins, and more importantly, a new champion! Gnar has bounced onto the rift and has already made a name for himself. I really hope he’ll be live during patch 4.14, but he may end up needing some bug fixes, or otherwise unable to be put out. Stay hopeful! Don’t forget that PBE content is always tentative, so these notes could change by the time the patch hits live servers. Balance Changes Champion Balances New Champion: Gnar Gnar, the newest champion, has hit the PBE. For those of you who don’t know, he’s an adorable yordle that transforms between a Marksman form and a Fighter form. You can check out Cloth5’s preview as well as the official reveal from Riot or a comprehensive and detailed overview (including pictures and videos) from [email protected] There’s also a Q&A that the balance team did on the forums, which [email protected] recapped. Check him out! Kassadin Riftwalk (R): Subsequent Riftwalk cost and damage multiplier period increased to 20 seconds from 12 This is an interesting change to Kassadin. It’s sort of a buff and a nerf both in one go. Kassadin’s Ultimate’s mana cost and damage stack up if you use Riftwalk multiple times in succession, and this patch is extending the duration of those stacks. This will help him keep his damage stacked up on his ultimate, but at early parts of the game before building a lot of mana, it will prevent him from spamming it. Kayle Attack Speed per level increased to 2.5% from 2.2%. Kayle’s attack speed has been buffed a bit. She’s still not quite where Riot wants her to be, but she’s getting close. Small buffs and small nerfs seem pretty common lately, what with patches coming out every two weeks. This change in particular is a reversion of a nerf she got in patch 4.11. Base Movement Speed decreased to 325 from 330 to from Living Artillery (R): Extra % base damage to champions changed to 100% at all ranks from 1 25% at all ranks. Kog’maw took some nerfs last patch but he’s still a bit too strong. His movement speed has been decreased to make him more reliant on the team’s peeling abilities, and his ultimate has taken a straight nerf to its damage to champions. As a hyper-carry, Kog’Maw’s always been tricky to balance, so hopefully he’ll be in a good spot by worlds. Maokai Twisted Advance (W): Percent of target’s maximum health as magic damage reduced to 9/10/11/12/13% from 9/10.5/12/13.5/15% Percent of target’s maximum health as magic damage to from Twisted Advance (W): AP ratio lowered to.03 from.04 AP ratio to from Vengeful Maelstrom (R): Now has a maximum duration of 10 seconds. Maokai got a rework a little while ago, but it took a while for people to realize just how strong it was. He hasn’t been seeing a lot more jungle play than usual, but he’s been used to devastating effect in top lane. His top lane damage and utility have been reduced in the form of a damage nerf on his W’s percent-health damage and the introduction of a limit on his Ultimate’s duration. This will hopefully put the brakes on his top lane play a bit, without hurting his jungle power. Specifically, the Ultimate change will probably have a limited effect on his jungling, as most ganks don’t require using Vengeful Maelstrom for too long. It will, however, give his top-lane opponents more windows of opportunity in which to go in, as he can’t keep his ultimate up for that long anymore. The changes to Twisted Advance won’t harm his early laning very much, but they will hurt his scaling into late-game and make his pick/peel a bit less punishing to people who have built a lot of HP. Morgana Black Shield (E): Shield absorb strength lowered to 70/140/210/280/350 from 95/160/225/290/355 Shield absorb strength to from Soul Shackles (R): Initial damage and secondary damage lowered to 150/225/300 from 175/250/325 Morgana’s been powerful in the bottom lane as a support. The combination of Dark Binding and Black Shield make her able to stop her opponents from taking a lot of actions in lane, and she also packs a hell of a wallop with her powerful spells. Her Black Shield’s strength and the damage on her ultimate have both been nerfed, so hopefully she’ll be a bit less dominant. She may need some further nerfs in following patches, but we’ll see. Rengar Thrill of the Hunt (R): C ooldown increased to 150/110/70 from 120/95/70 seconds Rengar is extremely powerful at the moment, albeit mostly in Korean circuits. This patch is seeing a nerf to the cooldown on his ultimate, spacing out his ultimate-driven engages early-game. Orianna Base Attack Damage decreased to 38 from 44 Orianna’s always been a very safe pick in the mid lane, and she’s seen a lot more play lately. One strength of Orianna’s has always been her ability to inflict very high damage with auto-attacks due to her passive. This change should tone down that strength a bit. Item Balances Head of Kha’Zix (Rengar only) Now lists: “Special Bonus: Rengar has increased vision range while in brush.” For those who don’t know, this item is a prize given to Rengar if he wins the Rengar vs. Kha’zix quest. It gives Rengar all of the benefits that Bonetooth Necklace would have, at maximum stats. Since Rengar’s rework, his Bonetooth Necklace has no longer been able to lose stacks, which used to be one of the advantages to winning the quest. This change will impact a tiny percentage of games, but it makes Rengar’s reward more equal to Kha’Zix’s reward in power. Entropy (Crystal Scar and Howling Abyss only) Active now lists it does damage and slows over 2.5 seconds, up from 2 seconds. This is a direct reversion of the nerf to Entropy last patch. It’s possible that it was just a tooltip change or a mistake, but Entropy is now back where it was before Patch 4.13. Sanguine Blade (Twisted Treeline, Crystal Scar and Howling Abyss only) Attack Damage increased to 45 from 40 to from Lifesteal lowered to 10% from 15 to from Unique Passive uptime increased to 8 seconds from 4 seconds Sanguine Blade experienced some changes earlier in this cycle to make it more like Bloodthirster, giving it the shield overhealing passive that BT has on Summoner’s Rift. However, Riot decided not to go with it, and instead, rebalanced the stats to give it less lifesteal but more AD. The uptime on the stacking AD and Lifesteal buff has also been increased, making it easier to stack and keep up the buff. Cosmetic Changes Arcade Miss Fortune Miss Fortune is the third champion to receive an arcade skin! Now you can have a double-arcade bot lane and poke with pixels to your heart’s content. Riot Kayle Riot Kayle has dropped on the PBE as well, completing the Riot squad. This is a pretty awesome skin with some cool animations and sounds. I’m not sure it’ll be up in this patch cycle, but it might be. Kog’Maw Void Ooze VFX Kog’Maw’s E, Void Ooze, has received a new animation. It looks a lot more like acid now, and less like chalk vomit. That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and as always, thanks to Moobeat at [email protected] for his excellent notes and images. See you next time!An iPod+HP The Apple iPod+HP is an Apple iPod 4G with an HP logo on the back, distributed through HP. On January 8, 2004, Carly Fiorina announced the Apple iPod+HP deal at the Consumer Electronics Show.[1] The Apple iPod+HP was originally to have come in "HP Blue".[2] Initially, HP only offered the 20 and 40 GB 4th-generation iPods. HP later added the iPod mini, the iPod photo, and the iPod shuffle to the lineup.[3] As these were officially HP products rather than Apple products, Apple Store Genius Bars were not authorized to repair Apple iPod+HP iPods, and they had to be sent to an HP Authorized Service Center for repair, despite identical designs.[4] Deal Termination [ edit ] On July 29, 2005, HP announced that it would terminate its deal with Apple. Even though the deal was terminated, part of the deal prevented HP from making a rival digital music player (MP3 player) until August 2006.[5] HP continued to pre-install iTunes on home computers until January 6, 2006, when HP announced a partnership with RealNetworks to install Rhapsody on HP and Compaq-branded home player under the HP brand.[6]1pm AEDT: 31st December 2013 Helicopter to rescue passengers from Russian vessel in Antarctica The Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) was advised this morning by the Aurora Australis that the ship will not be able to reach the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. The Aurora Australis advised RCC Australia it would be at risk of becoming beset by ice itself if it continued to make further rescue attempts. The Aurora Australis made attempts yesterday to reach the MV Akademik Shokalskiy but was driven back into open waters due to adverse weather conditions such as winds up to 30 knots and snow showers resulting in poor visibility. The ship is currently located about 16 nautical miles east of the Russian vessel. The helicopter on board the Chinese flagged vessel Xue Long will now be used to rescue the passengers from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. This rescue will be a complex operation involving a number of steps and subject to factors such as weather. The helicopter is unable to fly in the current weather conditions, and will hold off on the rescue until conditions improve. Weather conditions are unlikely to start improving until tomorrow and decisions related to carrying out the rescue may be made at short notice. In preparation for the rescue, an area for the helicopter to land has been marked on the ice near the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. RCC Australia has been advised that all 52 passengers will leave the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. All 22 crew members are expected to remain with the vessel. The passengers are expected to be rescued by helicopter in groups of 12 and will be initially transported to the Xue Long. The Aurora Australis will then use its barge to transfer all 52 passengers on board their vessel. The barge can take up to 22 people at a time. RCC Australia continues to coordinate the incident and is in regular contact with all vessels involved and continues to monitor the situation. The vessels involved are also in close contact with each other via VHF radio. The search and rescue operation commenced on Christmas morning AEDT after the Falmouth Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the United Kingdom received a distress message via satellite from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy. The distress message and subsequent coordination of the incident was passed to RCC Australia, who is the responsible search and rescue authority for this area. ### Source: http://www.amsa.gov.au/media/documents/31122013AkademikShokalskiyUpdate8_Media_Release.pdf Advertisements Share this: Print Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest LinkedIn RedditNo metadata (title/artist) will be displayed on the screen. The skip and back button do not work at all. Autoplay when connected doesnt work as it did with the Lumia 900. And for some unknown reason, there are only 3 options when i get a text message... "Call" or "Im done," no reply... The whole point of having a hands free system is so that you dont have to reply... How are they going to get rid of the reply option...? I believe that these are related to missing bluetooth profiles. SOmebody in another forum compared the bluetooth profiles between the Lumia 900 and the 920 and the Lumia 920 has about half of the bluetooth profiles as the Lumia 900. This issue along w/ all of my music not working because of the DRM issue is causing me to become very frustrated and dissatisfied with my recent 600.00 purchase... Edit: Now the reply option is there. This is odd as there have been no updates either way. I assume that the service uses bing voice so there may have been a back end change to remedy this issue. However no change with the other issues I am having. I am having a similar issue. Related anyways. Lumia 900 worked like a beast with my trucks Kenwood DNX 6990HD Navstation + BT. Everything worked perfect now I have the Lumia 920 and I have these problems:I’ve put at least 100 total hours of music playing through the EX10s, whether on my ears or by themselves. At no time did I notice any burn-in effects. My review is based on the foam filled hybrid tips provided in the packaging. So far we’ve established that the packaging is pretty great, the build quality is solid, and that the comfort is above average, now it’s time to get to the important stuff. The sound of the EX10s and the style it’s presented reminds me of being in a smoky intimate jazz venue that has the bass up just a notch too much. To put that simply, the EX10s has a slight favoring towards the low frequencies presented in an intimate manner, they actually remind me a lot of the Sennheiser HD558 I used to own in overall sound style. The EX10s aren’t the type to impress right away with huge detail, or a very lively sound, but what the EX10s excel at is sounding good with almost everything I’ve listened to them on. The bass is the prominent frequency of the overall sound of the EX10s and it’s the primary reason the EX10s remind me of the HD558. The bass is very clean with good extension rather deep down and good mid-bass slam for kick drums and toms. These aren’t bass monsters by any means and the sub-bass leaves a bit to be desired but these will certainly satisfy those of us who aren’t bassheads. The mid-bass has a small hump that emphasizes these frequencies, pushing things like bass guitars, to the spotlight, but the impressive thing is that despite this nuances in the background aren’t lost. An example of this is during an atmospheric drum and bass track by Duo Infernale called Lost in the World where I’m able to hear the slow panning electronic noises despite the heavy rumbling sub-bass that drives the track with the kick drums being worked overtime. The loss of nuances due to pushy bass is a problem most bass oriented IEMs I’ve heard in this price range suffer from, NVX does bass right here. Overall the bass is very satisfying, it favors bass guitars over kick drums and sub-bass, but the impact of toms and kick drums is above average as is the sub-bass in presence and quality. The bass is a bit too prominent for me, but I can say that I am almost completely satisfied with the mids. Vocals have a great sound to them having a clean sound that’s placed well in the soundstage being center but not too forward. Guitars sound clean as well with every string able to be heard separately on albums that were recorded well, namely The Beatles Abbey Road, the EX10s aren’t miracle workers though and poorly recorded modern rock albums can sound a bit flat and dull in the mid section. As the famous saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out.” The EX10s may not be very detailed, but they are detailed enough to expose poorly recorded guitars. Listening to Sufjan Steven’s All of the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands is a good example, while it’s one of my favorite songs off an excellent album, the album is still lo-fi and while it’s not painful, the banjo is obviously lacking some clarity and luster. The highs aren’t the focus here and that is painfully apparent in some tracks where the high frequencies are the focus. The main offender I am talking about is Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb and am referencing the solos, which unfortunately sound as if they are turned a notch or two down below the bass. Trumpets do sound great though, a bit restrained but that can be a good thing for fatigue. The highs are rather clean, though I do notice the same dull characteristics the mids can sometimes carry. As for how the sound is presented, the HD558 comparison fits rather well here too. The EX10s have an intimate sound stage with good separation, there’s even a slight open sound to this as I hear instruments trail off a little into the “sky.” I really enjoy the presentation the EX10s have, it works with the sound of the headphones.!!!UPDATE: Download cpuminer and build from tar http://sourceforge.net/projects/cpuminer/ git HEAD is broken and will not let you run configure. If you have 800 Mhash/s GPU (Graphics card) i’m sure you often think about making your raspberry pi a dogecoin miner. Because why not :D? It is not effective i warn you :) you will get around 0.34 khash/s that is about 2000 times less than your GPU :) and about 500 times less than CPU on your box. But its easy and fun. I mainly did it for fun to see how it will react, work and what is the possible heat problem. Again Why? Because DOGE, doge coin is THE NEW BLACK. Its future! An Irony on all crypto currency :) and its value is based on meme, laugh and happiness. This is much better than bitcoin :> at least for me Connect to your raspberry pi You will need: requirements 1 2 3 4 λ automake λ gcc λ git-core λ libcurl if you are using like me 2014-01-07-wheezy-raspbian raspbian you will have everything ready :) one thing to install is automake and you can do this by typing apt-get update followed by apt-get install automake this is all you need. lets get on the box! (default login/passowrd for this image is pi:raspberry) 1 2 10:54 kuba@pc12:~ λ ssh pi@192.168.1.22 pi@raspberrypi ~ $ (This ip address is just an example :D you will need to have a way to find it in your network.) Now all you need to do is to clone CPU miner for it. 1 git clone https://github.com/pooler/cpuminer.git This will download your mining software on the raspeberry pi, next we need to compile it and run! compiling 1 2 3 4 5 6 pi@raspberrypi ~/Workspace $ cd cpuminer-2.3.2/ pi@raspberrypi ~/Workspace/cpuminer-2.3.2 $./autogen.sh... script will take some time..../configure CFLAGS = "-O3" make This will compile and build the minerd binary that is ready to start mining :). Well you need to do one thing, join a doge pool. I’m not gone go into details of solo mining vs pool minnig :) i’m just a simple miner :D If you need more info on mining pools you should check this topic http://www.reddit.com/r/dogecoin/comments/1tn8yz/dogecoin_mining_pool_list/ I personally at the time of writing this post i’m using small pool called chunky pool :). Starting to mine! Now we have software lets actually mine something :). You will need to create a shell script that will start minerd on your raspberry pi. My looks like this run.sh 1./minerd --a scrypt --threads 1 -o stratum+tcp://pool.chunky.ms:3333 -O dogedogedoge.pi:password make it executable and run! Yay you are a dogecoin farmer now! CPU mining is not the most optimal but hey..its all just for lolz :) Heat problems? For me 2 hours of mining on raspberry pi did not generate any extra heat or stuff like this, seems to be stable. I was worried it will got nuts on this topic but i was proven wrong. Summay This sucks in terms of speed, you will get close to none speed because below 2 khash/s its not even worth it, you will not be on any stats on any pool even listed, periodically you will actually hit the jackpot and get a success pimping you to 2khash/s for about 60 sec but that is just a lie, you scored a win and this will give you some parts of doge. Last i checked you were able to get around 0.67 doge per hour of your raspberry time. That is really really bad as pretty basic GPU pimps you to 600+ Cheers :) Hope it helps! Much fun, so currency.1 of 15 View Caption Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Rep. Joel Briscoe, Salt Lake City, during a meeting of the Executive Appropriations Committ Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Jerry Stevenson, Layton, during a meeting of the Executive Appropriations Committee, W Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Rep. Dean Sanpei, Provo, during a meeting of the Executive Appropriations Committee, Wednes Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune The Executive Appropriations Committee meets, Wednesday March 11, 2015. Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Robin Wilson, a professor of law from the University of Illinois, speaks with Sen. Stuart A Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Luz Escamilla, Salt Lake City, during a meeting of the Executive Appropriations Commit Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Stuart Adams embraces Robin Wilson, a professor of law from the University of Illinois Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Stuart Adams embraces Troy Williams of Equality Utah after his bill SB297 - Protection Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Stuart Adams laughs as Gayle Ruzicka speaks about Adams's bill SB297 - Protections for Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Stuart Adams looks on as Troy Williams of Equality Utah speaks about Adams's bill SB29 Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Troy Williams of Equality Utah during discussion on SB297 - Protections for Religious Expre Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Rep. LaVar Christensen speaks during discussion on SB297 - Protections for Religious Expres Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Rep. Brad Dee, Ogden, sums up SB296 - Anti-discrimination and Religious Freedom Amendments, Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Gayle Ruzicka takes a phone call before discussion on SB297 - Protections for Religious Exp Trent Nelson \| The Salt Lake Tribune Sen. Stuart Adams speaks on his bill SB297 - Protections for Religious Expression and BelieAmberg in Bavaria has the country's highest concentration of brothels, with 60 bordellos in a city of just 43,500 inhabitants, wrote the Süddeutsche Zeitung on Friday. And business is booming, according to solicitor Bernhard Mitko, who told the paper the number of prostitutes in Amberg is up 50 percent in the past 18 months. Now, in an attempt to clean up the city's image, local authorities now want to banish the city's sex workers, or at the very least impose a restricted area. Florian Fuchs, head of the local Social Democrats (SPD), is sick of Amberg's reputation as “number one brothel spot” in the region and, with the support of the City Council, is pushing for a total ban, wrote the paper. The move comes after several residents complained of drunken customers ringing the wrong door bell late at night, houses losing value due to their proximity to the brothels, or even of being disturbed by loud noises coming through open windows in summer. But an outright ban may be difficult to impose, particularly as the police have no such complaints and told the paper that Amberg's prostitutes are well-behaved and discrete. They have also raised concerns that criminalising the sex industry and driving it underground will cause more problems than it solves, wrote the paper. “It's an illusion to believe that prostitution will disappear if it's banned,” Bärbel Ahlborn, head of the Kassandra advice centre for prostitutes in nearby Nuremberg told the paper. But the Amberg City Council are hoping a ban would force the industry to move on to Regensburg or Nuremberg. Amberg Mayor Wolfgang Dandorfer, who says his priority is protecting children, has suggested setting up a restricted area around schools, nurseries and religious buildings, or at very least in the old town, as a compromise measure should a ban be rejected. Prostitution is banned in German cities and towns with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants, whereas in places with a population of between 30,000 and 50,000 it is left up to local authorities to put restricted areas in place. The Local/jlbCanada's Communications Security Establishment has open-sourced its own malware detection tool. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) is a signals intelligence agency roughly equivalent to the United Kingdom's GCHQ, the USA's NSA and Australia's Signals Directorate. It has both intelligence-gathering and advisory roles. It also has a tool called “Assemblyline” which it describes as a “scalable distributed file analysis framework” that can “detect and analyse malicious files as they are received.” The agency explains the tool with the example of a financial officer who “... receives an email from an outside sender that includes a password-protected.zip file that contains a spreadsheet and a Word document with text for an annual report.” Said officer later “forwards that email to three colleagues within the department and attaches a.jpeg image of a potential cover for the report.” “Assemblyline will start by examining the initial email. It automatically recognizes the various file formats (email,.zip file, spreadsheet, Word document) and triggers the analysis of each file.” That analysis gives the file a score and “Scores over a certain threshold trigger alerts, at which point a security analyst may manually examine the file.” The tool is also smart enough that it “recognizes the duplication of files and focuses on new content that may be part of the email, such as the.jpeg image.” It's possible to customise Assemblyline with what the CSE calls “services” that perform whatever analysis you fancy. The tool was written in Python and can run on a single PC or in a cluster. CSE claims it can process millions of files a day. “Assemblyline was built using public domain and open-source software; however the majority of the code was developed by CSE.” Nothing in it is commercial technology and the CSE says it is “easily integrated in to existing cyber defence technologies.” The tool's been released under the MIT licence and is available here. The organisation says it released the code because its job is to improve Canadian's security, and it's confident Assemblyline will help. The CSE's head of IT security Scott Jones has also told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that the release has a secondary goal of demystifying the organisation. ®Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7 is a Lego-themed action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Released on 11 November 2011 in North America and 18 November in Europe, the game is based on the Lego Harry Potter line and is based on the final three books and four films in the Harry Potter series: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. The game was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, iOS and Android.[1] The first trailer of three trailers was released 6 October 2011, and the demo was released on 1 November.[2] The game was released on Steam on 5 January 2012.[3] The OS X version of the game was released by Feral Interactive on 7 March 2012.[4] The game was released for the PlayStation 4 on 21 October 2016, as part of the Lego Harry Potter Collection, which bundles the game with its predecessor, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4, and was also released for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on 30 October 2018.[5][6] The game received generally positive reviews, especially to the humour added to the game's narrative. Gameplay [ edit ] Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7 basis gameplay follows the standards of that of the previous game as adapted to the story of the last three books and four films, covering a wide range of new characters, locations and items.[7] The online play feature that appeared in Lego Harry Potter Years 1–4 is absent from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of this game. Development [ edit ] Directly after Years 1–4 was announced, it was speculated that a Years 5-7 would be released in the near future.[8] It was actually revealed to be planned for a Holiday 2011 release on 19 May 2011 by an announcement by Warner Bros. and TT Games.[1] In the instruction booklet for various Lego Harry Potter 2011 sets, a page shows an ad for the game with Harry and Voldemort having a climactic duel (Harry casting Expelliarmus and Voldemort shouting Avada Kedavra, a scene from the final book/movie). During an exclusive gameplay session with TT Games, it was announced that there would be an iOS version to be released on the iTunes App Store later this year. The cover art for the game was released on 1 September 2011. A few days after, they released a trailer featuring Voldemort and Bellatrix. Those two, and a third, are available on the official site.[9] The game was released on the Mac App Store on 22 March 2012. On 3 May 2012 an iOS port of the DS game was released. Reception [ edit ] The game received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator website Metacritic gave the game wildly different scores dependent on platform, with the PC version scoring the best at 80%, meaning "Generally favorable reviews".[12] Metacritic also gave the PlayStation Vita version a score of 64%, claiming it scores "Mixed or average reviews".[16] Justin Davis of IGN gave Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7 an 8 out of 10. He praised the humorous cutscenes, the use of the film's music tracks, the amount of gameplay available after the main adventure is cleared, and that the "game is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play."[22] Neil Davey from United Kingdom magazine The Guardian scored the game at 4 stars from 5, saying "there's weeks of fun in this package."[25]The Inquisitor A conversation between Pursuit contributor Kevin Goodman and former CIA Clandestine Service operative Lindsay Moran In Part 2 of our series, Moran discusses the tradecraft she learned in CIA training, the surprising truth about a covert operative’s daily work, and how she uses her spy skills in everyday life. In the first article of this series, I introduced Lindsay Moran, a former
're trying to get them into bed, you always say “yes, that makes perfect sense” or manufacture some sensible interpretation that has nothing to do with what they said). Telling them that they don't make sense, I found, is like telling them that not only do they not win the trip to Hawaii, they don't even get the Samsonite luggage. They become forlorn and uncommunicative. That was when I realized that it was impossible to engage them on an intellectual, reasoning, “writerly” level – that is, in a purely matter-of-fact fashion. I had to act, had to portray myself as being happy, sympathetic, interested and cheerful in order to maintain a level of... ... I don't know what you would call it. It wasn't communication in any meaningful sense of the term as I understand it. It was a kind of “emotional badminton.” I acted happy, sympathetic, interested and cheerful and then it was her turn to act happy, sympathetic, interested and cheerful and then it was my turn, etc. She might accidentally say something interesting where I could, with sincerity, say that I found what she had just said interesting. This temporarily escalated the level of her cheerfulness but, alas, that is all that it did: whatever was being said ranking a very distant second to maintaining and escalating the level of cheerfulness. A very, very distant second. I realized that this is where the “henhouse cacophony” originates. If “communication” within a group of women is working properly (as women see “working properly”) everyone should be talking faster and faster and faster and in a higher and higher musical range – either portraying themselves or being (the two states being deemed interchangeable in the female world) cheerful, more cheerful, “cheerfulest” – until, maximum cheerfulness having been achieved, a glass breaks or something. That was when I realized that women are emotion-based beings. “Once a thing is seen, it can't be unseen.” I gave a couple of more tries at relationships after that (a year-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years respectively) but it was really like solving a “brain teaser” after someone has given you the answer. You know – one of those puzzles where you are supposed to “make three triangles by connecting the dots using only seven lines” (or whatever). It can drive you insane for a month, but if you look in the back of the book, or if someone shows you how it's solved or you figure it out on your own, there is little entertainment value to be had in endlessly drawing those same seven lines to make those same three triangles. Likewise, there is little in the way of intellectual value to be derived from revisiting – either mentally or “in person” the simple fact (once discovered), that women are emotion-based beings and that (consequently) any female-centred or female-originated political movement – more precisely, “political” “movement” – will lack sound intellectual footing. Hence, my billing of “Tangent” as “my last word on gender.” Women are emotion-based beings. One of the spillovers from Mothers & Daughters into Rick's Story was Viktor Davis telling Rick, “Just be happy every waking minute of your life and you've got her for as long as you want her.” Which was really a perverse way for Viktor Davis to put it. It's valid advice, but the “every minute of your life” was unnecessarily arduous (which Viktor knew but, in his willfully cruel way, thought he would add as a little “going away” present for Rick). It could be more appropriately phrased as: “If things aren't going right, just act cheerful and say things in a musical tone of voice and everything will be fine.” Which they will, but, in my own experience, I found that that was no way to live. But even as I found that that was no way to live, I recognized there was no other way to live in the context. With an emotion-based being, your only choices are to narcotize her with a steady stream of cheerful, musical expression or manufacture a chaotic mixture of emotional portrayals to “wake her up” (“awake” being a purely relative term, of course, in referring to emotion-based beings). You can try being sensible and reasonable but all you're going to get back is an emotion-based portrayal of sense and reason having nothing to do with sense and reason. An emotion-based being just attempts to reflect and/or portray what little emotion she can discern in sense and reason (“sombre,” “serious,” “earnest,” “non-musical”) and attaches the portrayal to an arbitrary stream of musical vocalizations having nothing to do with the subject at hand. This invariably provokes extreme impatience in the non-emotion-based being, to whose impatient expressions the emotion-based being will invariably respond: “Why are you getting so angry?” Impatience is not a happy emotion, but an identifiable one for an emotion-based being: “I was singing your sombre, serious, earnest, non-musical song with you and now you're angry. Why don't you just sing a cheerful song instead so we can both be happy?” To the emotion-based being, this makes perfect sense. (All lengthy and thorough explanations being digressional, at this point the fellow asked, “Is this like that book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus?” To his credit, he hadn't actually read the book. Neither have I. “There's always a danger with those things,” I said. “I was in a bookstore and I saw the cover of the sequel, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, Children Are From Heaven.” The fellow nodded readily. However, as there were a number of women eavesdropping in the vicinity, I thought it worth adding for their benefit, “If a man lowers himself to a woman's level of fairy-tale metaphor – I mean, self-evidently men are not from Mars and women are not from Venus – women will invariably drag the discussion over into something comparable to Children are From Heaven smiling and chuckling and feeling really good about themselves.” “Children are From Heaven. Now we're really getting somewhere.” The fellow nodded impatiently.) Anyway, I just found that I couldn't live that way. A woman is going to do whatever makes her cheerful at the moment and that, in my experience, is the extent of her perception of ethics. In order to maintain a relationship with an emotion-based being it is necessary to be cheerful about anything that makes her cheerful. Coupled with a “woman's right to choose” as central ethic – or, rather, “ethic” – this involves a wide and variegated spectrum of feminist actions and behaviours and opinions. At one time, I rated sex as being very, very, very high on my list of life's pleasures. Ultimately, for myself, the spiritual toll which was exacted by maintaining a rictus grin in the face of all feminist actions, behaviours and opinions across the full range of that spectrum made the price of sex too high – which, considering how highly I once rated sex as a pleasure is really saying something, I think. [I discovered, through celibacy and the avoidance of masturbation that sexual desire is a lot like a rash. If you keep “scratching it” you make it worse and, thus, “scratching it” comes to seem like an urgent, toppermost of the poppermost, central necessity in your life. If you learn to leave your penis alone, I discovered, your penis will learn to leave you alone.] This dovetailed with the “second source” in answering “Where do you think your ideas about women come from?”: my own decision to alternate periods of intentional celibacy (as opposed to “not getting laid”) with periods of monogamous sexual activity and semi-monogamous sexual activity. Having gone back and forth between the two states over the course of a decade, I can state unequivocally that celibate Dave Sim sees reality more clearly than sexually-active Dave Sim (who wilfully hypnotized himself into seeing the world in a manifestly untrue way and persuaded himself that feminist lies were true, that many feminist lies contained elements of truth, that feminist lies were not wholly untruthful). Surrendering an accurate perception of reality for a world of fairy-tale falsehoods was part of the high price of sex, a price I was no longer prepared to pay. I got tired of Believing Five Impossible Things Before Breakfast. (Odd to say that one out loud for the first time.) “For instance?” the fellow asked. “Well, take Government-Funded Daycare,” I said, “a central plank in the platform of the fairy-tale world emotion-based beings inhabit – Their belief/feeling that it is the responsibility of government to raise children. Feminists and their hollowed-out ventriloquist puppet husbands... (... please bear with my use of that … admittedly... prejudicial phrase until I've had the chance to elaborate...) ... have universally adopted Government-Funded Daycare in principle. Not only is it fiscally irresponsible and an inherently unfair use of public funds (benefiting only those mothers who choose to work), it is diametrically opposed to a central tenet of any civilized society: that children are the responsibility of their parents to rear. When was the last time you even heard it described as ‘rearing children’? ‘You rear children. You raise hogs.’ What the feminists and their ventriloquist puppet husbands are talking about doing with Government-Funded Daycare is raising children as if they were a herd of interchangeable swine. No surprise coming from a gender which has no ethics, no scruples, no sense of right and wrong. Just hand the kids over to the voodoo profession, social workers, government bean counters and go along with whatever happens to be the Ethical Consensus du Jour. ‘Raise’ boys to be girls, ‘raise’ girls to be boys.” How? “Well, I'm sure I don't know. I'm just Porky/Petunia's mother. They have experts who know how to ‘raise’ boys to be girls and ‘raise’ girls to be boys. I'll let them decide. Listen, I'd love to chat about this, but I have a meeting with a client at 9:00 and I'm going to be late as it is.” This connected quite neatly with an article I had read in that morning's Globe & Mail which said that some astronomical percentage of parents thought it was the responsibility of public schools to teach sexual morality. I mean, that one just stinks of feminism. “Homosexuality is just another lifestyle choice, completely normal.” “Homosexuality isn't a choice, it's a genetic reality” Oh. Okay. So (leaving aside the obvious fact that those two realities contradict each other) [my own view is that all sexuality is a matter of choice since it is not a life-sustaining necessity: what or whom you have sex with – or whether you have sex at all – is optional. I would not be here if it weren't for sex, true, but if I choose never to have sex, I am still “here”], when do you want to start teaching this lifestyle choice/genetic reality in the classroom? What age? Six? Seven? Ten? Twelve? And how do you want to teach it? Bring in a couple of dykes and a couple of interior decorators to talk to a bunch of third graders? “Well, I'm sure I don't know. I'm just Porky/Petunia's mother. They have experts on cultural diversity and alternative lifestyles now, don't they? I'll let them decide. Listen, I'd love to chat about this, but I have a meeting with a client at l0:30 and I'm going to be late as it is.” [This is actually “jumping the gun” a little on Tangent II's examination of the feminist-homosexualist axis, but suffice to say that their feminist-homosexualist consensus view of teaching homosexuality in the schools seems to be a) it's a very good idea and b) men are wrong. It's difficult – actually impossible – to discern any agreement beyond that point]. But, this is way too many words for our CNN “Get To The Point News” Information Age, isn't it? So, let's distil Daycare and Government-Funded Daycare into short and concise Impossible Things to Believe Before Breakfast form: 1. A mother who works a full-time job and delegates to strangers the raising of her children eight hours a day, five days a week does just as good a job as a mother who hand-rears her children full time. 2. It makes great sense for the government to pay 10 to 15,000 dollars a year to fund a daycare space for a child so its mother – who pays perhaps 2,000 dollars in taxes – can be a contributing member of society. All you husbands and daycare daddies are just nodding like crazy. “Makes sense to me, Dave.” “Gotta have it. Government-Funded Daycare. No way around that. Gotta have it.” “A woman's right to choose! A woman's right to choose!” For the benefit of the rest of my readership, I decided to compose a partial list of Impossible Things To Believe Before Breakfast (jotted down over the course of an hour while working on a Cerebus page – I figured a dozen or so would get my point across). I'll just continue the numbering from our Daycare entries. 3. A woman's doctor has more of a valid claim to participate in the decision to abort a fetus than does the father of that fetus. 4. So long as a woman makes a decision after consulting with her doctor, she is incapable of making an unethical choice. [I was going to allow the Impossible Things to stand alone and “hatch out” however they might in each individual reader's mind once they had been planted – to mix a metaphor. However, in the aftermath of Carol West's resignation, that seems unnecessarily naive, given the wilfulness with which the hard questions are ignored in our society. So, here, interposed, is my more elaborate opinion on abortion: The far larger question, to me, is one of “what God therefore hath joyned together let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6, Mark 10:9). (This, so far as I know, being the only genuinely Biblical quotation – the Synoptic Jesus again, caveat emptor – in the otherwise wholly and completely secular Christian wedding ceremony is a major reason that I have no objection to gay marriages. I'm reasonably certain that marriage is a completely pagan, completely female invention no more sacred as an institution than are feminism or communism. It is, after all, called Matrimony and not Patrimony, isn't it? I mean, duh.) It seems to me utterly foolish to ascribe virtually any of our society's haphazard – literally “catch as catch can” – marriage unions to our Creator. In my view, an omnipotent and omniscient being simply wouldn't have that lousy a track record. Pregnancy, it seems to me, is an altogether different matter. Inexplicable as it is that some acts of coitus produce offspring while others do not (despite the best efforts of medical science to establish irrefutable “laws” of cause-and-effect) it seems to me that here, God's hand is very much in evidence and “what God hath joyned together let not man put asunder” – sperm and egg, fertilized egg and uterine wall – very much applicable. If abortion is, as the feminists insist, a matter of a woman having control over her own body, then I think a public demonstration of a woman willing herself to become un-pregnant or willing her fertilized egg to detach itself from her uterine wall would settle the issue once and for all. At which point I would happily go along with the secular-humanist consensus view. But, of course, a woman no more has control over her reproductive functions – apart from abstinence – than she has over the number of hairs growing on her head or the colour of her eyes. Thus, to me, “a woman's right to choose” constitutes little more than an imbecilic paraphrase of “free will”. That is, we are all, by the grace of God, free to choose. That is what free will is. We can choose to commit murder, we can choose to steal, we can choose to commit adultery. The underpinning of the life of the God-fearing individual is that there is a price to be paid – sometimes in this world, sometimes in the world to come, sometimes in both – for choosing incorrectly. The ritual sacrifice of babies is well-documented among the pagan peoples named in the Torah and is, irrefutably, an abomination in the eyes of God. Is abortion in the same category? As a global civilization, here in the first nanoseconds of the 21st century the present consensus would appear to be “yes, no and/or maybe”. Half of us believe that abortion is in no way comparable. Half of us believe that it is. To me, all that is relevant is God's opinion and – since medical abortion evolved well after the death of God's Last Messenger and Seal of Prophets, Muhammad (peace be upon him) in 632 CE – that is unknown to us. It is unknown to me and it is unknown to you and it is unknown to Pope John Paul II, his predecessors and his successors. Likewise with God's opinion on condoms (ribbed, coloured or plain) and birth control pills. On the Last Day when all is made plain to us, I would not be terribly surprised – from my present vantage point of self-admitted absolute ignorance – to find that abortions and birth control will be indictable offences for some and non-indictable offences for others, based on God's superior and perfect knowledge of each individual... just as I would not be terribly surprised to find that abortion and birth control will be deemed murder, High Crimes against one's own soul and (far worse) the soul of another... or to find that abortion and birth control are considered lesser transgressions against one's own soul: more comparable to, say, smoking than to, say, murder. Genuine faith in God, it seems to me, brings one face-to-face with the profound level of one's own ignorance about what is right and what is wrong, post-632 CE. The fact that the various church hierarchies refuse to acknowledge their own ignorance in no way alters my own belief that we are all ignorant in these areas. But, the bottom line, to me is a) we won't know until the Last Day and b) “a woman's right to choose” contributes nothing to the debate. In my own sexually-active days, I found the idea of “a woman's right to choose” to be more than a little “ethically convenient”. Had any of the women I had had sex with gotten pregnant (none did, so far as I know), I could just take the secular-humanist “high road” of saying that I believed in “a woman's right to choose” thus (theoretically anyway) allowing her to assume whatever “karmic debt” or “spiritual burden” results from having an abortion while, on my own part, “escaping” with just the financial burden of a few hundred dollars for the cost of the operation. Even in my secular-humanist days it seemed just a little too, as I say, “ethically convenient” considering what was actually involved: the irresponsible initiation of a human life followed by the equally irresponsible (to me) eradicating of that human life. Two wrongs don't make a right, at the point of greatest reduction. It seemed to me a double ethical pitfall and, no, I don't blame women for that. Women have as natural an affinity for medical science as they had for its progenitor, magic. If there is something that women can make use of that, in their view, will provide them with immediate tactical gratification or relief from anxiety, they will make use of it and then welcome any voodoo-professional feminist ideology band-aid assistance in rationalizing away their (I think, natural) feelings of guilt – so long as the assistance/rationalizing comes “after the fact”. It is, in my view, part of a man's ethical obligation to his own soul and to his Creator to endeavour to be (or become) sufficiently wary of this female trait and for men to not allow their penises to lead them down specific unethical paths where a man's own fate in this world and possibly the next becomes “bound up” with those disposed (predisposed?) to believe in these sorts of “ethical conveniences”. In saying that, I no more believe that women are to blame in any way for those occasions when I allowed my own penis to lead me down specific unethical paths than, as an example, cigarettes are to blame for the fact that, a year and a half after quitting smoking, I still want to smoke a cigarette. “It was my choice to smoke my first cigarette at the age of eleven and it was my choice to smoke every cigarette I smoked thereafter. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled list of Impossible Things to Believe Before Breakfast, already in progress:] 5. A car with two steering wheels, two gas pedals and two brakes drives more efficiently than a car with one steering wheel, one gas pedal and one brake which is why marriage should always be an equal partnership. 6. It is absolutely necessary for women to be allowed to join or participate fully in any gathering place for men, just as it is absolutely necessary that there be “women only” environments from which men are excluded. 7. Because it involves taking jobs away from men and giving them to women, affirmative action makes for a fairer and more just society. 8. It is important to have lower physical standards for women firepersons and women policepersons so that, one day, half of all firepersons and policepersons will be women, thus more effectively protecting the safety of the public. 9. Affirmative action at colleges and universities needs to be maintained now that more women than men are being enrolled, in order to keep from giving men an unfair advantage academically. 10. Having ensured that there is no environment for men where women don't belong (see no.6) it is important to have zero tolerance of any expression or action which any woman might regard as sexist to ensure greater freedom for everyone. 11. Only in a society which maintains a level of 95% of alimony and child support being paid by men to women can men and women be considered as equals. 12. An airline stewardess who earned $20,000 a year at the time that she married a baseball player earning $6 million a year is entitled, in the event of a divorce, to $3 million for each year of the marriage and probably more. 13. A man's opinions on how to rear and/or raise a child are invalid because he is not the child's mother. However, his financial obligation is greater because no woman gets pregnant by herself. 14. Disagreeing with any of these statements makes you anti-woman and/or a misogynist. So, how did you do, fellas? Don't worry if there were a few statements there that you disagreed with. Just use a few of these handy feminist obfuscations, like: “Well, of course, these issues are very, very complicated,” Or “While I see what Dave is saying, I have to say that I agree more than I disagree,” Or “Of course, these issues are all ‘works-in-progress’. I'd like to hear a few more opinions before I make up my mind,” Or “There might be some inequality but compared to the centuries of women being oppressed it seems a small price to pay temporarily until it all gets worked out.” If you notice that none of these obfuscations has anything to do with any of the statements just keep repeating “A woman's right to choose! A woman's right to choose! A woman's right to choose!” until you stop thinking and/or start to feel better. Although I have given the husbands a hard time here, I am not without sympathy, having been one myself once. Husbands, it seems to me, are caught between the Rock of Feminism and the Hard Place of their own marriages: that is, capitulate or leave. “Deadbeat Dads,” to me, is a skewed feminist perception. It is not that men are deserting their families in many cases, so much as it is that they are being driven from their families by the pressure to Believe Five Impossible Things Before Breakfast, to capitulate, that is, to Feminist Ideology, to admit to the Orwellian imperative to believe that Feminist Lies are the Truth and that Masculine Truths are Lies. Reason can't win in an argument with Emotion. Reason can capitulate to Emotion or Reason can leave. In either case Emotion, being without any sound intellectual foundation, will always find itself fully justified in its every action. For feminists, for wives, for women, for Emotion-based beings, it is a win/win/win/win situation. Either her husband a) capitulates to her views and, thus, places himself and his assets under her jurisdiction or b) portrays himself to her as having capitulated to her views and, thus, places himself and his assets under her jurisdiction or c) removes himself from her jurisdiction and surrenders half of his assets to her voluntarily or d) removes himself from her jurisdiction and is forced to surrender half of his assets to her by the courts (Did you hear about the new Divorced Barbie? She comes with half of Ken's stuff). It is ridiculous to discuss equality between the genders as anything but a feminist hallucination until women agree to surrender their “right” to alimony. Of course women will never surrender alimony because they are not, contrary to their very vocal protestations, equal to men. A percentage of the female population is capable of providing, for themselves, the basic necessities of life. But it is a small percentage, indeed, when compared with the female population which relies on the largesse of boyfriends, husbands, ex-husbands, fathers and/or the government... [These hidden, obfuscated transactions – the husband who finances the start-up of the wife's boutique business, the fat alimony settlement which serves the same purpose, the father who co-signs his daughter's car loan or mortgage, who pays all or part of the down-payment – compel self-deluding women to believe that they are self-reliant feminists] ... and of that small percentage a still smaller percentage of the female population is capable of generating surplus wealth – that is, creating employment, creating excess capital which provides not only for themselves but for others. That still smaller percentage exists in numbers sufficient only to make possible banner headlines and full colour photo-spreads of anecdotal success stories in Cosmo and People magazines: anecdotal success stories which are evasive of a central reality: that for every much-celebrated, much-heralded female success story in a given profession, discipline, art or business, there are hundreds – if not thousands – of male success stories in that same profession, discipline, art or business which are unheralded and uncelebrated: which are “merely” the fiscal foundation of our society and the source of our society's – and most feminists' – material wealth. If this is false, then women are self-sustaining. If women are self-sustaining, then alimony is unnecessary and must be eliminated. If this is true, then equality between the genders is an hallucination, a cul de sac of delusional societal “thinking”. Women are the chauvinists, not men. Nicholas Chauvin was a devoted soldier and overzealous supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte and all things French. Chauvinism is defined as “Unreasoning (italics mine) attachment to one's race, group, etc.” To celebrate, herald and champion one woman publicly for doing what hundreds and thousands of men are doing in obscurity is chauvinism: unreasoning attachment to female achievement out of proportion to its contribution to society, just as Chauvin's devotion to Napoleon and all things French was drastically out of proportion to the limited importance of Napoleon, the limited importance of the French.Back to the Future, Part II inspired self-lacing Nike Mags will be available as part of a charity auction in 2016 It’s October 21, 2015 and, if you’ve been online at all today, you know that the future has arrived. Today marks the date that Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly travels to in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future, Part II. In celebration of the day, Nike has officially announced that the film’s self-lacing Nike Mag shoes will become a reality in Spring 2016. There’s a catch, however, as the Nike Mag sneakers will only be available as part of a series of charity auctions with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Below, you can take a look at the Nike Mag design and read a handwritten letter that Nike designer Tinker Hatfield sent to Fox. You can even watch a video of Fox trying on the very first pair of self-lacing Nike Mag sneakers. “We started creating something for fiction and we turned it into fact,” says Nike, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker. “By imagining the future, we create it. Product that comes alive, with on-demand comfort and support when you need, product that senses you and adapts to you is right around the corner.” Nike previously released a non-self-lacing version of the shoes back in 2011. 1500 pairs of Nike Mag sneakers raised $5.6 million for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Unfortunately for most fans, that math averages out to roughly $3,700 a pair. There’s no word yet on whether or not Nike plans to increase availability on the self-lacing versions, but check back for updates as they become available. These new Nike Mag sneakers follow other Back to the Future promotions such as Pepsi‘s release of Pepsi Perfect replica bottles. The bottles caused their own mini debacle this morning when 6,500 bottles sold out before they were even supposed to have gone on sale. Thankfully for Back to the Future fans, Pepsi has since promised to make more bottles available with a second limited run. Look for those to go on sale at 9:00am EST Thursday, November 3 at Shop.Pepsi.com.It was one of the great ironies of Giovanni Trapattoni's reign – how the man who claimed "Ireland has no league" inadvertently did so much to promote it. It was one of the great ironies of Giovanni Trapattoni's reign – how the man who claimed "Ireland has no league" inadvertently did so much to promote it. In his five-year-term as the Republic of Ireland manager, Trap capped 15 League of Ireland graduates – James McClean, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, Seamus Coleman, Wes Hoolahan, David Forde, Keith Fahey, David Meyler, Stephen Ward, Conor Sammon, Damien Delaney, Noel Hunt, Daryl Murphy, Stephen Quinn and Paddy Madden. And in a league constantly fighting a credibility war, their maturation from raw, uncut diamonds into polished internationals proved a point – that if you looked hard enough, there was quality to be found at home. So England's clubs did look, plundering the best and ignoring the rest. The Colemans, McCleans and Doyles went to finishing school, while the rest of the league went to pot, declining alarmingly from 2006 on. This year, though, has witnessed an upturn. The standard at the top end of the league has risen and while some absolutely awful teams can still find a way into the Premier Division, the arrival of a new generation of young, skilful players offers hope. Daryl Horgan is one of those. Named the SSE Airtricity Player of the Month winner for May yesterday, the Dundalk winger is dreaming big, believing he too can make the leap across the Irish Sea. Yet perhaps he was dreaming a little too big when he suggested as many as 19 of his contemporaries were capable of joining him. "You are looking at James McClean, Wes Hoolahan and Seamus Coleman and wondering, 'they made it so can I go across too?' "What those guys achieved proves to me that we have a decent product in this country. Coleman wasn't that much of a better player at Blackpool than he was here and the same goes for McClean," said Horgan. "Yes, there is clearly a gap between here and England but because of the Premier League's hype, that gap seems wider than it actually is. "The fact is that we have some really fine players in the League of Ireland. It's funny, because of the financial constraints, clubs have given young players a chance but because of this, the football has improved." To date, this season has been far from disappointing. Dundalk, leading the table by three points from Cork City, have played superbly well, although Horgan was quick to point out that we are still, of course, at the halfway mark. Of the four contenders, they have the toughest task tonight, facing a Derry side who seemingly have recovered from their stuttering start. Cork, meanwhile, play Limerick at home, intent on proving they are genuine contenders for Irish football's biggest prize. "Getting praise midway through the season doesn't matter," said Cork's manager John Caulfield. "You want to be there at the end, challenging for trophies. That is where your reward is." For Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's meanwhile, their immediate task is to overcome the respective challenges of UCD and Bray tonight. June may not be the month when titles are won, but it can be the time of year when they are lost. Irish IndependentThe third and final season of Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama “The Newsroom” will only run six episodes, and at least one of those episodes will deal with the Boston Marathon Bombing, according to a new trailer. While the Boston-specific material in the trailer only lasts 30 seconds, we still get a pretty good idea of how Sorkin’s ripped-from-the-headlines show will deal with the horrific event and the subsequent media maelstrom, thanks to one of lead anchor Will McAvoy’s (Jeff Daniels) signature tirades. “Two times in 24 hours law enforcement had to publicly disclose information because either a paper or website put someone’s life in danger,” McAvoy yells, destroying young Neal’s (Dev Patel) assertion that social media will solve the crime. “He’s hiding in a boat in someone’s backyard! I’d like confirmation on that before I say it on TV!” While it appears some of the show’s problems remain — namely its comical histrionics and awkward shoehorning of romantic subplots into the main plotlines — at the very least, Sorkin is taking stories with a strong media component with the Boston Bombing and a plot that involves the leaking of government documents, a la Edward Snowden. And a six-episode run won’t leave much room for superfluous stories. The only question remaining is whether Boston viewers are ready to re-live a fictionalized version of that frightening day. But given the continued coverage of the Bombing trials, the events of April 18, 2013 have never really left our collective minds.The problem is fairly well known: Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is sudden and devastating, wiping out entire hives so quickly that scientists have had a hard time pinpointing the exact cause. Bee populations have plummeted, and possible explanations have ranged all over the map, from cellphone radiation to global warming, but a new study published in PLOS ONE suggests a complex combination of issues. Our agricultural chemicals, techniques, and pest species are all working together to create an incredibly lethal situation for the modern worker bee. Solving the problem will require much more than yet another adjustment to what farmers spray on their fields — and yet solve the problem we must, as without bees almost the entirety of the modern agricultural system will fail. And then we’ll be without humans, too. The study found that combinations of some of the most common fungicides and herbicides were, occasionally, reaching lethal doses in bees. The bigger problem is that even a non-lethal dose can increase the bees’ susceptibility to the parasite Nosema ceranae, which has already been accused of contributing to CCD. Could this be the answer? Well, it’s almost certainly a big part of it — and it’s good that we know this. The troubling part is that there doesn’t seem to be any one DDT-like Satan chemical to blame here. This is simply a product of exposing a very fragile species to a lot of different, highly active foreign chemicals. Perhaps the most troubling part of the study, however, was what it found about where these chemicals are being picked up. Farmers used to keep bees for themselves; it was one of the fundamental skills that made farmers farmers. As the agricultural business became more specialized, bee farms began to crop up to do this job for them. Rather than keep bees year round, most farmers now pay a bee farm to cart a hungry hive over and let the bees loose in their fields only when specifically needed for pollination. However, these bee farms tend to keep only one type of insect, usually the Asiatic honey bee. They’re good pets, and their honey provides a secondary source of revenue. The problem is that not every bee collects pollen equally well from every type of plant. So when you let a honey bee loose in a field full of, say, blueberry plants, they can collect far less pollen than a more specialized pollinator like a bumble bee, and they’re forced to hunt further afield. This study found that some of the most damaging chemicals were not being collected from food crops, which have their dangers but are ultimately fairly well regulated. Rather, bees are increasingly picking up chemicals from weeds and other pest plants in the fields surrounding the crops they are supposed to be pollinating. This is a problem since, for obvious reasons, we have far fewer regulations on what farmers can spray on weeds. Everyone from farmers to agri-chemical engineers must take note of this study. Bees are one of the most important complex species on the planet, up there with earthworms and flies in terms of occupying an absolutely critical node in the web of natural interdependence. It is estimated that bees are responsible for the pollination of one third of the world’s crops; without them, many farms would simply fail. On the other hand, food is pretty important, as well. Everything from the concentration to the variety of chemicals used seems to contribute to the problem, but it’s those very concentrations and varieties that allow food to maintain the price and abundance we see today — and even that often isn’t very good. If pro-bee alarmism were to spark a huge pull back in our use of chemicals in farming, it would impact both the chemical manufacturers and
things that are called out of the earth when a bullock is sacrificed at the proper time to certain heathen gods.” –H.P. Lovecraft, The Dunwich Horror Greetings, investigators! Once more, the hidden powers and sinister cultists of the world have begun their foul rituals. Once again, small tears have begun to appear in the thin and tattered veil that separates our world from those worlds of other dimensions too terrible to behold. Once again, we find ourselves beset by the gibbous, many-mawed, and many-tentacled terrors from beyond. Once again, Arkham Horror: The Card Game beckons to us. We are being summoned. Only together—combining our skills, our wits, and our courage—do we stand a chance of surviving and forestalling the ruination headed our way. Don't worry that you are an unlikely hero; we are all unlikely heroes. Come join us, and help save the world. Find an Arkham Horror: The Card Game Invocation Event near you! What Is the Invocation? The Invocation is a unique opportunity for you to head to your favorite local retailer, join forces with other fans of Arkham Horror: The Card Game, and revel in the game's pulp action and eerie, Lovecraftian mysteries. At your Invocation Event, you might find other players waiting to tackle the challenges of a standalone scenario like Curse of the Rougarou or Carnevale of Horrors. Or, your Invocation Event might serve as the first in a series of weekly game nights, over the course of which you and your fellow investigators might try to solve the mysteries of the Night of the Zealot or The Dunwich Legacy. Either way, you'll find your Invocation Event supported by an Invocation Kit that includes custom playmats and alternate art investigator cards for participants. The alternate art investigator and mini cards for Daisy Walker (Core Set, 2) prepare you for the action to come. No longer is she closed up around the rare tome that she clutches close to her chest. Rather, we find her browsing a bookshelf by candlelight, presumably without the owner's knowledge. And if Daisy's new card art speaks to her courage and resolve, the Invocation playmat whispers—or mutters, or howls—of the terrors that await you. Do you really want to enter that abandoned house? Do you really think your shotgun will protect you? Inspired by The Labyrinths of Lunacy, the Invocation playmat reminds you that the horrors of Arkham Horror: The Card Game can shatter your sanity just as easily as they can rend your flesh. The Invocation Event's flexibility makes it an excellent opportunity for newer players to dive into the game, but it also represents a chance for veteran investigators to shine their flashlights into the darkest corners of Arkham—and discover any number of surprising twists. Deliver Your Ultimatum At the Invocation Event, even as you're battling monsters, resisting the corrupting influence of sinister magic, and scouring each new location for clues, you risk finding your games steered in new directions by the strange, overriding effects of several new Ultimatums introduced as optional rules. Each Ultimatum is a restriction, limitation, or additional rule that makes the game harder for you and your group of investigators. You should think carefully about which Ultimatum—or Ultimatums—you'll use, because once your group has agreed to one, it is permanent throughout the duration of your event, including all scenarios that event encompasses. For instance, you could play the standalone Curse of the Rougarou with the Ultimatum of Dread, which states that you do not skip the mythos phase in the first round of the game. Or, you could use your Invocation Event to launch into The Path to Carcosa campaign with the Ultimatum of Survival looming over your head. While the mysteries of The King in Yellow are hidden before you, this Ultimatum lends additional color and import to all of your doubts and convictions, even as you delve deeper into the secrets guarded by the campaign's Cultists, Monsters, and Lunatics. Altogether, the Invocation Event Outline identifies ten different Ultimatums that you can use at any of the game's difficulty levels. Importantly, these Ultimatums don't just add new difficulty, they reshape your games, mandating new approaches and ensuring that your Invocation games stand apart from those you play without Ultimatums. The Truths You Will Never Unlearn Head to an Invocation Event near you, and you'll uncover the hidden truths of the Arkham Horror Files universe. We are not alone in the universe. We aren't the sole authors of human history. And there's far more to the universe than our five senses and our science can detect. Yet there are other truths you'll discover as well. The human spirit is a tremendous thing. Even a flawed investigator can make a difference. And you are not alone in your struggles. There are other investigators ready to join you against the nefarious cultists and otherworldly terrors of Arkham Horror: The Card Game. Head to our Invocation Event page to find the venue nearest you!This blog post was contributed by ESA’s Michael Khan, at ESOC’s Mission Analysis Office with inputs from Marc Toussaint at ESA Launchers directorate. It’s an excellent overview of the how the Proton rocket will loft ExoMars and Schiaparelli into orbit tomorrow and, specifically, what will happen during the approx. 11 hours between liftoff and separation. This post contains the best background information we have and keep in mind that there could be some minor inconsistencies between this text and anything published by Roscosmos or Khrunichev, which should be taken as authoritative. On 14 March 2016 at 9:31:42 UTC, a Proton M / Breeze M rocket will lift off from Baikonur Cosmodrome with the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft under its payload fairing. 10 hours and 45 minutes later, the rocket will release its payload and ExoMars will be on an Earth escape trajectory – the ExoMars 2016 mission will have started. But hey: ten hours and 45 minutes? Almost half a day? Why does it take so long this time? After all, with both the Mars Express and Venus Express missions the escape sequence was over within 90 minutes from liftoff. Indeed, this long escape sequence is linked to the choice of the Proton M / Breeze M launcher. To understand why it is like that, we should have a closer look at how the rocket operates during the launch sequence. Going to space with Proton Proton is one of the most successful heavy-lift boosters in the history of space flight, with its first launch taking place in 1965 during the heady days of the space race. The rocket has undergone many modifications since that time. It has more than 400 launches under its belt keeping a success rate of nearly 90%. The current version, Proton M, is to all intents and purposes a modern launch vehicle, albeit incorporating many of the original features of the 1960’s design. When it stands on the launch pad, it weights more than 700 tons, it is 58 meters tall, not strikingly elegant but certainly conveys an image of power and efficiency. The three-stage Proton version is used for launches into low Earth orbit such as the delivery flights for ISS elements, where it can deliver payloads of up to 22 tons. The first stage has an empty mass of 31 tons and can take 419 tons of propellant. A marvel of engineering efficiency, its six rocket engines deliver a combined thrust of 1000 tons, more than enough to lift the 700 ton rocket off the ground. The stage is jettisoned after two minutes and falls back to the Earth, some distance Northeast of Baikonur. The second stage, with a dry mass of 12 tons, carries 156 tons of propellant. It has four engines and runs for three and a half minutes before being jettisoned. The third stage has a dry mass of 4.2 tons, carries over 46 tons of propellant. It also contains the control system that guides the lower three stages during their ascent to orbit. For anything beyond low Earth orbit – such as for the ExoMars launch – the four stage Proton version is used. When the third stage is jettisoned, the stack will not have achieved orbital velocity yet. The spent third stage will keep flying, like a rock that has been thrown by a giant, until it finally enters the atmosphere and breaks up above the Pacific Ocean. The fourth stage, called the Breeze M, is almost a spacecraft on its own, allowing access to a variety of orbits including Geostationary Transfer or Geosynchronous Orbits, escape trajectories and all types of lower orbits. It uses its propulsion and an independent control system to manage the complex orbital and escape sequence that ensues. The fully fuelled Breeze-M weighs 22.3 tons, out of which almost 20 tons are propellant. On top of it sits the 4.3 ton ExoMars spacecraft, attached with an adapter to the stage. The main engine delivers a thrust of 2 tons, which is part of the reason why the escape sequence takes so long. Let’s go back to the complete launch sequence. The first stage, which burns for two minutes, takes the rocket to 43 km altitude, at a speed of 1.716 meters per second (m/s), more than 6.000 km/h. After the second stage burnout, it’s at 129 km altitude and 4.503 m/s, i.e. over 16.000 km/h. The third stage ups the ante to 153 km and 7.230 m/s, but still not quite at the orbital velocity. The Breeze M stage has to operate for around 6 minutes after the spent third stage has been jettisoned. At the cost of two tons of the propellant in the Breeze M tanks, insertion into a low circular Earth orbit is achieved. Let’s briefly take stock here. We are now just 17 minutes after liftoff, already three massive rocket stages are gone and more than 600 tons of rocket fuel have been used. We are still only 175 km above the surface of the Earth, on a low orbit that is just outside the Earth atmosphere, at an inclination of 51.5 deg. An additional boost of 4 km/s is still required for achieving Earth escape. All of it will have to come from the Breeze M – and that stage, which has just started, has already used up two tons of its propellant. Sound like “mission impossible”? Actually, it is anything but impossible. The remaining propellant is quite sufficient to speed up the stage and the attached ExoMars 2016 spacecraft by these 4 km/s. Here is the solution. The Breeze M stage was not specifically designed to launch something like ExoMars, but satellites into many different Earth orbits. With either of those, though the velocity increment is large, not all of it is required at the same place of the orbit. Which means that there is no point in using a very powerful rocket engine on the Breeze-M stage. You can use one that is moderately powerful, much lighter and cheaper. This engine can be switched on, then off, then after some time back on, then off again, until the final orbit is reached. It can be restarted 8 times in flight. With an interplanetary spacecraft such as ExoMars, it would in fact be desirable to provide the entire added boost in one blast. If we could do that, the escape sequence would last only an hour or so. We mentioned Mars Express and Venus Express, which were launched with Soyuz-Fregat rockets. That rocket and stage work only for small payloads. It could never launch ExoMars to Mars. We need the Proton M / Breeze M for that. So the long and short of it is that although the Breeze M stage does carry sufficient propellant to inject ExoMars into its required Earth escape trajectory, its engine is not powerful enough to provide the required boost in one go. When there is a problem, engineers always find workarounds. That’s what they are educated for, that is what they have been doing since times immemorial. In this case, the workaround is very simple. If we can’t impart the boost in one go, then how about three smaller steps? The starting boost will change the orbit quite a lot, from a circular orbit at 175 km altitude, to an eccentric orbit with its low point around 250 km, and the higher point, over 5.000 km. The stack (Breeze M with ExoMars) will have to wait until it completes a whole revolution, once around the Earth, on that orbit. That takes more than two hours. The next burn of the Breeze M engine will make the parking orbit even more eccentric. It will now top out at more than 21.000 km. The larger an orbit, the longer its takes to complete. In this case, it takes 6 hours. During that time, something ingenious takes place. The Russian engineers have designed the Breeze M stage with large toroidal tanks, shaped like a donut. These tanks contain the fuel used during the initial burn and subsequent manoeuvres of the escape sequence. When it is empty, it is designed to be jettisoned. This rids the Breeze M stage of 950 kilograms of useless dead mass. Then comes the final manoeuvre. By this time, the stack is much lighter, as it will have used much of its fuel and of course shed the empty tank. By virtue of the reduced weight, the engine has become much more efficient, so it can insert the stack into the escape hyperbola, in once. Some 15 minutes after end of the last manoeuvre,10 hours and 56 minutes after lift-off, the Breeze-M stage releases ExoMars. Proton M / Breeze M has completed its long escape sequence. This will not quite be the end of its mission. Some avoidance manoeuvres are performed so that the stage can neither get close to ExoMars again nor hit the planet Mars, 7 months later. After, it switches itself off, putting the batteries and tanks into a safe mode. In fact, Breeze M is also a Mars-bound spaceship, although it will never get as close to Mars as ExoMars.Manchester United made one more stunning escape in this season’s Premier League as Aston Villa played impressively in the first half. Christian Benteke’s display in attack was brilliant, though it was Andreas Weimann who netted a ball on 45 and 50 minutes. Despite that skillful performance it was Javier Hernandez that would take the glory in the second half when the Mexican forward scored a hat trick, striking the winner just three minutes before time. The Gunners took the lead in the game against Fulham in the first half when Olivier Giroud and later Lukas Podolski fired home. Later though Arsene Wenger’s side threw away their advantage as Dimitar Berbatov showed brilliant performance when he found the target on 29 minute and assisted Alex Kacaniklic who leveled the score five minutes before the half-time. After the break Arsenal defender Mikel Arteta brought down Bryan Ruiz inside the area and Berbatov scored from the spot-kick. The Londoners managed to level the score courtesy of Giroud and could even nick 3 points with a last minute penalty, but Arteta missed the chance. The Citizens struggled in the game against Tottenham when the Spurs defender Steven Caulker headed home on 21 minute. Despite keeping the ball most of the time, City could not break the well-organized defense of the Spurs and it was only Sergio Aguero who scored an equalizer on 65 minute. Edin Dzeko appeared from the substitute’s bench and just after two minutes to go fired past Brad Friedel to grab a vital win for City. The results of the playing day: Aston Villa 2-3 Man Utd Arsenal 3-3 Fulham Everton 2-1 Sunderland Reading 0-0 Norwich Southampton 1-1 Swansea Stoke 1-0 QPR Wigan 1-2 West Brom Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool Newcastle 0-1 West Ham Man City 2-1 Tottenham Photos:sportinglife.comUS drones murder Afghan civilian men, women and children. American grounds forces do it up close and personal. US inflicted death, torture and other atrocities reflect daily life. Ordinary Afghans suffer most. They struggle to survive. American aggression is one of history’s greatest crimes. War criminals remain unpunished. Accountability is denied. Conflict persists. It’s Washington’s longest war. It’s longer than WW I and II combined. It shows no signs of ending. Trillions of dollars go mass slaughter and destruction. They’re spent for unchallenged global dominance. Vital homeland needs go begging. Targeted countries are ravaged and destroyed. Imperial lawlessness operates this way. Its appetite is insatiable. It ignores rule of law principles. It does whatever it wants. It does it where, when, by what means, and under whatever pretexts it contrives. It does so unapologetically. It targets one country at a time or in multiples. It wages direct and proxy wars. It does so without justification. It lies claiming otherwise. Atrocities are virtually de rigueur. All US wars are dirty. In March 2012, 20 US forces murdered 16 Afghan men, women, and nine children aged two to 12. Children were massacred while they slept. Two women were raped before soldiers killed them. Pentagon officials and mainstream media whitewashed what happened. One soldier was blamed for crimes 20 US forces committed. Nineteen got off scot-free. Cold blooded murder and other atrocities persist. They do so with disturbing regularity. On November 12, Reuters headlined ” ‘Lack of US Cooperation halts Afghan probe into civilian killings,” saying: “Afghanistan’s intelligence service has abandoned its investigation into the murder of a group of civilians after being refused access to US special forces soldiers suspected of involvement, according to a document obtained by Reuters.” War crimes were committed. US forces raided Wardak province. They did so from October 2012 to February 2013. Seventeen Afghan men were detained. They disappeared. Residents found 10 buried in shallow graves. They were several hundred meters from where US forces are based. “In the report authored by Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) intelligence agency, investigators said they had asked the United States for access to three US Green Berets and four Afghan translators working with them but were rebuffed,” said Reuters. On September 23, NDS published its report. “Despite many requests (it made, America hasn’t) cooperated,” it said. “Without (its) cooperation, this process cannot be completed.” Pentagon officials routinely whitewash serious war crimes. So do US commanders on the ground. Doing so is longstanding US policy. Rare exceptions prove the rule. Under a decade long military agreement, Afghan officials can’t charge US forces with war crimes. Whatever they do, they’re immune. Zakeria Kandahari is an Afghan translator. He works with US Green Berets. He’s done so for nine years. Documents Reuters obtained explained how US interrogations are conducted. Kandahari witnessed Sayid Mohammed’s treatment. He was murdered. Kandahari named three US Special Forces responsible. He kicked Mohammed,” he said. He beat him. He threatened him. “I handed him over to Mr. Dave and Mr. Hagen, but later I saw his body in a black body bag,” he said. Wardak residents accuse US forces of abducting Afghan men and boys. Interrogations involving torture follows. Karzai is a US installed stooge. He’s done nothing to stop what’s persisted throughout his tenure. Failure to act responsibly reflects complicity. Russia Today interviewed journalist Matthieu Aikins. He spent five months investigating the Wardak incident. Local residents bore testimony. They supplied credible evidence. War crimes were committed. According to Aikins: “The special forces team was deployed to an isolated valley west of Kabul, where the Taliban and other insurgents groups have a very heavy presence.” “Over last winter, the locals started complaining that the forces team and their translators were murdering people, abducting them, trotting them, and disappearing them.” “Just extraordinary allegations that at the time were essentially unproven.” In November 2012, residents first complained about a so-called Special Forces ODA 3124 unit. When it withdrew in April, human remains were discovered near America’s Nerkh district base. Local authorities determined that ODA 3124 operations bore full responsibility. Survivor testimonies confirmed it. Victims described being severely beaten and tortured. ICRC representatives obtained more evidence. Because of an alleged US investigation, details weren’t disclosed. According to Aikins: “In the five months that I spent reporting this story, not a single one of the witnesses that I spoke to had ever been contacted by the US military investigator.” “So it does really beg the question whether these investigators are actually going to be able to establish any sort of accountability of what happened.” It bears repeating. Pentagon officials routinely whitewash serious war crimes. So do US commanders on the ground. Unaccountability is standard practice. US forces guilty of rape, torture and murder go unpunished. On November 6, Aitkins headlined his Rolling Stone article “The A-Team Killings.” “Last spring,” he said, “the remains of 10 missing Afghan villagers were dug up outside a US Special Forces base – was it a war crime or just another episode in a very dirty war?” Six months after US Special Forces arrived in Wardak province, allegations of torture and murder surfaced. Locals said 10 civilians were abducted. They disappeared. US Special Forces were responsible. They killed another eight Afghans during their operations. Perhaps more bodies remain to be discovered. On February 16, “a student named Nasratullah was found under a bridge with his throat slit,” said Aikins. Family members said US Green Berets abducted him. Other bodies were found. In July, Col. Jane Crichton lied, saying: “After thorough investigation, there was no credible evidence to substantiate misconduct by ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) or US forces.” According to Aikins: “(O)ver the past five months, Rolling Stone has interviewed more than two dozen eyewitnesses and victims’ families who’ve provided consistent and detailed allegations of the involvement of American forces in the disappearance of the 10 men, and has talked to Afghan and Western officials who were familiar with confidential Afghan-government, UN and Red Cross investigations that found the allegations credible.” “In July, a UN report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan warned: ‘The reported disappearances, arbitrary killings and torture – if proven to have been committed under the auspices of a party to the armed conflict – may amount to war crimes.” Aikins recounted Gul Rahim’s killing. He spoke to three of his neighbors. They saw US Special Forces arrive. They heard gun shots. When they left. They saw Rahim’s “bullet-ridden body lying among the apple trees, his skull shattered.” A man identified only as Omar was targeted. He witnessed Rahim’s killing. He survived. He was taken to America’s Nerkh base. He was put in a plywood cell. Interrogations began the next morning. His hands were bound above his head. He was suspended and beaten. Afghan translator Zakeria Kandahari was involved. Two Americans interrogated him. He said he knew nothing about Rahim and local Taliban commanders. Beatings intensified. Sessions lasted for two days. “At one point,” said Aikins, “Kandahari held a pistol to Omar’s head and told him that he would kill him as easily as he had killed his friend.” He was certain he’d die. At night, he was shackled in his plywood cell. Americans handed him over to Afghan forces. He realized he was being freed. ” ‘I promised that I would kill you,’ he says Kandahari told him, ‘and I don’t know how you’re getting away alive.” Wardak is an intense battleground. It’s “littered with bomb craters and burned-out tanker trucks,” said Aikins. Many disappeared Afghans “were rounded up by the Americans in broad daylight, in front of dozens of witnesses.” Aikins obtained credible testimonies. Mohammad Hazrat Janan is deputy head of Wardak’s provincial council. US forces terrorize people, he said. They do it “because they could not defeat the insurgents.” People abducted weren’t Taliban, he explained. “(B)ut even if they were, no one is allowed to just kill them in this way.” Nerkh district feels besieged, said Aikins. It’s a “hotbed of guerrilla resistance.” It’s close to Kabul. It’s a “staging ground for suicide attacks on the capital.” US forces are stationed at Combat Outpost Nerkh. Green Beret units are called Operational Detachment Alpha, ODA, or A-Team. The Nerkha-based one is called ODA 3124. It’s involved in counterinsurgency operations. They part of what’s known as “white” Special Forces. So-called “black” ones launch night raids. CIA elements are involved in local operations. Insurgents control Nerkh rural areas. US forces are vulnerable to ambushes or roadside blasts. Nerkh incidents didn’t occur in a vacuum, said Aikins. “Over the past 10 years human rights groups, the UN and Congress have repeatedly documented the recurring abuse of detainees in the custody of the US military, the CIA and their Afghan allies.” According to Human Rights Watch Asia advocacy director John Sifton: “The US military has a poor track record of holding its forces responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes.” “There are some cases of detainee deaths 11 years ago that resulted in no punishments.” Aikins said a former ODA 3124 interpreter named Farooq said he “routinely witnessed abusive interrogations during his time with the A-Team, involving physical beatings with fists, feet, cables and the use of devices similar to Tasers.” When Obama begins drawing down US forces, Green Berets and CIA will remain. According to Aikins, they’ll be even less oversight than now. Based on what he’s seen and gotten from witnesses, “the fight in Afghanistan may get even dirtier.” Covert war may continue interminably. Afghans have enjoyed rare times of peace. They’ve had none for over three decades. Future prospects look grim. For centuries, Afghans experienced what few can imagine. Marauding armies besieged cities. They slaughtered thousands. They caused vast destruction. Imperial Britain and Czarist Russia vied for control. Local warlords exerted their own dominance. When Soviet Russia withdrew in 1989, a ravaged country remained. Living Afghans can’t remember peace, stability and tranquility. Endless conflicts persist. Post-9/11, America’s attack, invasion and occupation followed. Millions died. Countless others suffer horrifically. It bears repeating. Nothing ahead looks promising. America came to stay. Permanent occupation is planned. Afghanistan is strategically important. It straddles the Middle East, South and Central Asia. It’s in the heart of Eurasia. Occupation projects America’s military might. It targets Russia, China, Iran, and other oil-rich Middle East states. It furthers Washington’s imperium. It prioritizes unchallenged global dominance. It seeks control over Afghan’s untapped natural gas, oil and other mineral resources. In June 2010, The New York Times headlined “US Identifies Vast Mineral Riches in Afghanistan,” saying: They’re worth an estimated $1 trillion. Estimates are notoriously inaccurate. Whatever they’re worth, they include “huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium – are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.” An internal Pentagon memo calls Afghanistan the “Saudi Arabia of lithium.” It’s a key material needed to produce “batteries, laptops and BlackBerrys.” Years of development are needed. Huge potential exists. Heavy investment is likely. An economic bonanza awaits profiteers. Don’t expect ordinary Afghans to benefit. Surviving concerns them most. Violence continues unabated. Living conditions are deplorable. Vital services are lacking. Millions have little or no access to clean water. Many don’t get enough food. Life expectancy is one of the world’s lowest. Infant mortality is one of the highest. Extreme poverty, unemployment, human misery, and constant fear reflect daily life. Washington prioritizes conquest, colonization, plunder and dominance. War without end rages. Human needs go begging. Wherever America shows up, death and destruction follow. So does unrelieved dystopian harshness. No end in sight looms. Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected] His new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour http://www.dailycensored.com/us-atrocities-afghanistan/Christopher Trotman/NBAE/Getty Images There was a little too much of this on Thursday night for the Heat's beleaguered defense. Chris Bosh says it’s the frenetic pace. LeBron James says it’s about communication. Shane Battier says it’s all in the head. Erik Spoelstra says it’s execution. However you diagnose the Miami Heat’s defensive meltdown against the New York Knicks and the champs’ general listlessness all season, they’re a disaster on that end of the floor. There are no shortage of explanations, but Miami’s woes are especially bizarre because, with the exception of Ray Allen, the personnel is largely the same as last year’s championship team, which ranked No. 4 overall in defensive efficiency. Theoretically, most of the principles are the same, but somewhere between application and result, the defense is drifting off-course. Occasionally when you look at a colossally bad defensive performance, a single, obvious flaw reveals itself. What’s notable about Thursday night’s train wreck is how diverse the lapses were. The switch-outs that guided the Heat to success in the 2012 playoffs allowed Miami to respond quickly to opponent’s actions. Against the Knicks, those switches created confusion both at the point of attack and in the back-side rotation. The Heat have a lot of guys who can defend bigs, smalls and space, but right now that flexibility isn't producing results. For the most part, the Heat got back in transition promptly on Thursday night, but virtually every Miami defender would backpedal to the middle of the floor to stop the ball with no one splaying out to the wings where the Knicks had been spotting up and blistering opponents all season. On those rare occasions when the Heat accounted for perimeter shooters while Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler ran a high pick-and-roll, there was nobody to bump (or “chuck”) Chandler off his course to the rim. And the rotations behind the Heat’s traps of Felton (a questionable strategy in itself) made the Heat appear like a bunch of second-year players straight off the bus from their first training camp. When the Knicks have long-range threats like J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Jason Kidd spread along the perimeter, it’s unconscionable to have a third guy drifting away from one of those shooters toward a trapped Felton at 27 feet, leaving the two remaining defenders to account for Chandler diving toward the rim along with three shooters primed for a catch-and-shoot. James isn’t himself without blame. He’s an all-powerful defensive god when his antenna is up and he’s reading every movement, potential action and passing lane on the floor. When James is locked in, there isn’t a defender in the league who makes smarter risk-reward decisions like when to shoot the gap on a post feed and when to stay home; when to zone up on the two guys he’s covering on the weak side, and when to call, say, Mario Chalmers to fill his spot so he can meet a driver at the rim. One of the great pleasures of Heat basketball is observing James play half-court defense in a big game. Try it sometime -- instead of watching the ball, focus solely on what James is doing. But had you done that last night, you wouldn’t have caught a glimpse of that sharpness. James was working -- primarily because he spent a ton of time on the ball -- but those secondary decisions weren’t made with a lot of precision. Even on a bad night, James is still a plus-defender. But if you’re looking for a reason why a No. 4-ranked defense falls to No. 23, decision-making by principal defenders is a contributing factor because, tempting as it might be, you can’t blame Allen for everything. It’s an empirical fact that the Heat are playing horrific defense, but we’re also pretty certain they feature the personnel to play elite defense. There's actual evidence of this somewhere in a glass case inside AmericanAirlines Arena. So how manageable are these issues? Are they merely coasting rather than playing on a string, which is how the Heat characterize their defensive proficiency when everyone is where they’re supposed to be and all five guys moves as one unit in the half court? Would a healthy Battier and a few more minutes of Joel Anthony do the trick? This time last season, the defense wasn’t exactly locking opponents down. The Heat weren’t running shooters off the 3-point line and they were gambling more loosely than Floyd Mayweather. Miami took some lumps early but privately understood that Spoelstra was engaged in some experimentation. The Heat were trying to figure out if they could morph a fairly conventional scheme into one that could maximize speed and instincts without sacrificing the integrity of the entire defense. It took a while, but the strategy bore a Larry O’Brien Trophy. Is that what’s going on here in the early going? Is an outing like Thursday night just a symptom of a team that’s futzing around in the laboratory trying to come up with new solutions? Chalking up bad defense to systematic failures (Defenders aren’t pushing guards down on the pick-and-roll; Nobody is sinking to the level of the ball when it goes inside; etc.) is usually more satisfying than attributing them to generalities like energy motivation, but there’s something that rings true in the postgame statements from James and Bosh about the Heat’s lack of urgency. The game tape looks like a snuff film, but even watching all the Heat’s tactical errors on defense, you find yourself saying, “They know better than this.” The knowing part is simple, as are the basic adjustments required to fix what’s broken. This isn’t about buying into a system -- that sale was made a year ago. It’s not about hiding older, poorer defenders, abandoning a pick-and-roll coverage that isn’t working or modulating the pace. This new project is about fully appreciating that immortality doesn’t exist in sports. You never know demise until it’s too late.ADHD in children: What parents need to know about attention and hyperactivity problems © 2010 - 2017 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved The difficulty of identifying ADHD in children Diagnosing ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is intrinsically problematic. The symptoms—distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity—are consistent with the normal behavior of young children. So when a child is diagnosed, the implication is that he is more distractible, impulsive, or hyperactive than he should be for his age. But where do we draw the line between developmentally normal behavior and medical disorder? That's a crucial question because diagnosis rates among very young children are on the rise, and many kids are being medicated. According to historical health data collected in the United States, the percentage of 2-to-5-year-olds diagnosed with ADHD increased by 50% between 2008 and 2012 (Danielson et al 2017). And a study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control indicates that children diagnosed in this age group are more likely to receive prescription medication than the go-to, first-line treatment recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics: behavioral therapy (Visser et al 2016). Here I review current ideas about ADHD in children, including reasons for doubt. It's not a comprehensive account of ADHD, and it's not meant to deny that some kids suffer from important attention or hyperactivity problems. If you think your child might have ADHD, you should discuss your concerns with a physician. But the following account provides an overview of the reasons why parents of young children should exercise a healthy skepticism before accepting a diagnosis of ADHD. I raise these points: • The official definition of ADHD in children is based on subjective criteria. To get diagnosed with ADHD, a child's symptoms should be bothersome--so much so that she has trouble functioning at school or in other social settings. But who sets the standards that kids must meet to be considered normal? • Expectations about kids have probably changed over the decades. In Britain, all kids begin formal schooling at the age of 4. In the United States, kindergarten is becoming more academic. But in many traditional cultures, people don't expect much self-discipline from children until they are 6 or 7. • Throughout the world, ADHD is being overdiagnosed. International studies suggest that some kids are being diagnosed with ADHD because they are young or immature for their assigned grade level, not because their behavior falls outside the range of normal development. • Biomarkers don't prove that a person needs drugs. Kids diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to carry certain genes and exhibit certain brain chemistry profiles. But we can probably say the same about kids who are shy, or aggressive, or perennially cheerful. Genes and neurotransmitters influence all sorts of behavior. That by itself doesn't make behavior pathological or worthy of medication. The decision to medicate should be based on a careful weighing of factors, including the severity of the symptoms, and the costs and benefits of taking the drug. Side effects may render the costs too high. • ADHD isn't the only cause of distractibility or hyperactivity. ADHD-like symptoms may be caused by a variety of conditions, including sleep disorders, anxiety, and poor working memory skills. If there is a rush to attribute a child's problems to ADHD
a valid choice over something that tries to just ride one of the big standalone threats instead. Goodbye old foe, I'll miss the rush of trying to stave off your threats for long enough to gain control of the game!Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team took the field at the famed Stamford Bridge Stadium in London to play Chelsea. I was excited to see an Israeli team playing in the Champions League for the first time in many years but was even more intrigued to see an Israeli team on the field in London with a few thousand Maccabi fans waving Israel flags sitting in the same stadium with England’s famed soccer fanatics. I was not in any way prepared for what transpired seconds before the match began. The camera feed was not especially geared for Israeli consumption but was, rather, the primary feed provided by the football association. It zoomed in on Maccabi’s star player Eran Zahavi who placed his left hand on top of his head, his right hand over his eyes, and very clearly recited the “Shema” prayer. That’s right. Standing at midfield in front of 26,000 British fans, 4,000 Maccabi fans, and hundreds of thousands more on television, the best Israeli player on the field said “Hear oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” It shook me to the core and reminded me, once again, that despite the divisions that exist between the religious and secular populations in Israel, there is so much that unites us. Even more significantly, it reminded me of the lesson I have repeatedly learned since becoming involved in politics and, especially, since joining the Yesh Atid party – that the term “secular Jew” is a real misnomer and it is time to stop using it for the majority of Israelis who may not strive to observe all the commandments. They don’t necessarily lead lives that are as ritually committed as in the religious community but they are far from being secular. There is an entire population in Israel that lights candles on Friday night, sanctifies the Sabbath day with the recital of Kiddush over a cup of wine, fasts on Yom Kippur, holds a Seder and does not eat leavened bread on Passover, and much more – including reciting the Shema prayer before a soccer match. This lesson was on full display last Sunday in a banquet hall tucked away in the industrial zone of Hefer Valley in the Sharon region of central Israel. In that hall, more than 100 “secular” Israelis volunteered to serve a Rosh Hashanah meal to 300 Holocaust survivors who have no family nor the wherewithal to enjoy a festive holiday meal. These “secular” Jews, members of the Yesh Atid party’s Young Adult Branch, thought of the idea, raised the money, and organized the event — including all the complicated transportation logistics — to provide a few hours of happiness and Jewish New Year joy for these senior citizens who have suffered so greatly in their lives. Secular? Can there be a more religious act than this? I will never forget the moment when the most “secular” member of the Bet Shemesh city council who was fighting for cultural attractions to be open on Friday night in the city told me that we can meet as early in the morning as I want during the month of September because he woke up at 4:00 a.m. every day to recite the Selichot special prayers that are recited leading up to the High Holidays. The city’s religious city council members bash him for being secular and for his secular agenda. But he wakes up at 4:00 a.m. every morning for an entire month to pray to God for forgiveness and a good new year. I will never forget the moment when at a social gathering of Yesh Atid Knesset members, our host, former Finance Minister MK Yair Lapid, asked us all to stand in a circle and invited a well-known musician to the middle of the circle, and we stood there as a group and sang “Adon Olam” – the prayer which declares God as Master of the World and the only force we can ultimately rely upon for assistance. The ultra-Orthodox leaders and media bash Yair Lapid and the Yesh Atid party for being secular and for what they call the party’s “anti-religious” agenda. And there the party stood singing and proclaiming the majesty of God. It is clear that with the exception of a very small minority of non-believers, most “secular” Israelis hold to traditional Jewish beliefs and practice a traditional form of Judaism. The era of “secular” Israeli Jews is over and recognizing this will help us take the crucial first step towards the fulfillment of what should be our ultimate goal: an Israel in which levels of religious observance and piety are between each person and God, and in which we don’t have a compulsion to identify what type of Jew we are but can simply be “Jews.”Image caption Somalia's prime minister says he has public support to remain in office Somalia's Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has refused to resign, defying a UN-backed deal to oust him. Mr Farmajo told the BBC he would not quit because only parliament had the power to oust him. After months of squabbling, the Somali president reached a deal with his rivals last week, under which Mr Farmajo was sacked. Mr Farmajo said he had the support of the Somali people to stay in office. There were protests in the capital, Mogadishu, last week, rejecting the deal to remove Mr Farmajo. "The people have spoken. They gave me their confidence and trust and I will honour that," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. Under the deal signed in Uganda, the mandates of the president, the speaker and their deputies were extended until 20 August 2012, when new elections would be organised. 'Islamist threat' Somalia has been without an effective central government since the fall of the Siad Bare regime in 1991, as rival factions constantly fight for power. Analysts say Islamist militants pose the biggest threat to the government, controlling large parts of southern and central Somalia. Foreign donors have been pushing rival factions to resolve their differences, and focus on defeating the Islamist threat. The US believes that Somalia is a haven for al-Qaeda activists in East Africa, and has carried out several air strikes in the country to kill militants.Weird California - By Joe Parzanese Adelaida Cemetery 9899 Chimney Rock Rd, Paso Robles, California 93446 Watch out for your car keys," Tina told us as we unloaded from her husband's car outside the Adelaida cemetery. According to Tina, our guide for our first trip out to Adelaida, the residents of the cemetery like to steal your car keys thus stranding you out in the middle of nowhere. We all dumped our keys inside the car, while Bill and Tina each made sure they had a set of keys to their car. They figured that if things went bad, hopefully, at least one of them would still have their keys at the end. The legends state that the ghost of Charlotte Sitton wanders the cemetery every Friday night between 10 PM and midnight. She was supposedly the young wife of a minister who committed suicide at the age of 19 in December of 1890. Her child (some stories say children) supposedly died during a diphtheria epidemic and now she leaves flowers on her child's grave late Friday nights. Dressed in a long white nightgown she is said to appear near either her grave or her child's grave. Occasionally she can be seen carrying flowers and laying them on the grave. Other versions of the story differ slightly placing Charlotte in a long flowing pink dress and colorfully referring to her as The Pink Lady. Yet another story doesn't reference Charlotte by name, and instead simply references a ghostly lady in white who goes around placing flowers on the graves of many different children from multiple families who died of diphtheria apparently around World War I time frame. The drive out to Adelaida from San Luis Obispo had taken about forty-five minutes. Driving west from Highway 101 through Paso Robles, the roads became winding and slow going. Located west of Paso Robles, Adelaida is now over-ridden with wineries, but still rich in history and the strange. Originally, a mixture of mercury mines, farms, and ranches, Adelaida was first settled in 1859 by James Lynch, a sheep rancher. The population eventually reached a size of seven hundred scattered throughout the area amongst the hills and valleys. The old trail to Mission San Miguel was opened in 1797 and used predominantly in the 1860s and beyond for the shipping of mercury. It is said that the mercury from the mines still runs off into the water supply, causing the wild animals that drink from the pools and lakes to behave oddly, driven crazy or insane from the high mercury content in their drinking supply. Rumors of odd behavior or suicidal actions on the part of the local wildlife are common. This is similar to the "Mad as a Hatter" stories of hatters who would place mercury in their hat bands, which eventually led to insanity. Only the cemetery and the school house around the corner remain of Adelaida. If the history is true, the name for the area came from the first settlers, three families of which each had a daughter named Adelaida - yes I know that seems a bit far fetched. Passing through Paso Robles, Tina entertained us with tales of the local area, including some of the buildings and houses there. After turning left off the highway, she pointed out a house on the corner that according to her is the most haunted house in Paso Robles. The residents of the area, many many years ago use to drive suspected witches out of town to the location where the house now sits. There they would stone and kill the obviously wrongfully accused woman. Now, according to local legend, all of the women's ghosts haunt the house. It was for rent at the time we drove by if you're interested. Later as we drove through wine country, Tina pointed out an old stone wall. The wall was about two to three feet tall and bordered on both sides of the road. Built completely out of rocks, it was overgrown and crumbling. Long ago, one of the residents of the area hired several people to build the wall, but upon its completion he refused to pay them and instead shot every last one of them. Eventually, we arrived at the cemetery. The cemetery was started by Wesley Burnett in the late 1800s and is rather large consisting of two separate levels, a lower level and an upper level. The first person buried in the cemetery was Mary K Burnett in January of 1878. She was the wife of Wesley Burnett and her grave can be found in the upper level. The cemetery was incorporated in 1905 around the time of Wesley's death. He is buried next to his wife and the cemetery recognizes him on the back of a wooden sign that hangs from a tall tree near the front gate. Ironically, his grave didn't even have a marker on it until the fall of 2001 when his great granddaughter had one placed on the spot where records showed his grave to be. The records of who is buried where are extremely incomplete as over time nature and people have destroyed a lot of the old markings showing the locations of the graves. To make matters worse, the original plat map of the cemetery is rather illegible and even occasionally has discrepancies from the actual site. Little metal flags along with flagstone rocks use to show the graves, but many have disappeared or been stolen or moved. Although it looks like an attempt was made to put the graves in a somewhat orderly row like fashion, grave sites are spread all over the hill side, sometimes randomly in locations off the beaten trail. Such was the uncertainty of where the graves were, that Tina told us to excuse ourselves as we entered the cemetery and to apologize for walking over grave sites she was sure we would be accidentally stepping on. A rickety sign swinging from chains on a tree greets you with "Adelaida Cemetery". On the back of the sign is a tribute to the donor, Wesley Burnett. We initially took the hill up on the right. As I walked up the curving hillside, I took in the countryside. Little purple flowers covered the area, which I thought was a bit strange since I couldn't recall seeing any of the flowers on the drive up from Paso. The trees loomed above us dripping moss and lichen like cobwebs from their limbs. It if hadn't been daylight I think the walk to the top would have been extremely creepy. To the right of the gate, a small abandoned caretaker's shed sits. When last I visited, the word "Kill" was painted on the front. The shed is in bad state. Some visitors have reported running across what may be a caretaker ghost or hearing heavy footsteps pursuing them near the shed. Shadowy figures have also been seen lurking around the shed. Adelaida Cemetery is rumored to have a lot of spiritual activity including a bleeding tree. The cemetery itself gives off an odd feeling even during the day and attracts a lot of unusual people to it (I myself during one daytime visit ran across a strange couple hanging out outside the gate in a pick up truck. They did everything that the stereotypical creepy guy at the beginning of a horror movie does except literally scream "You're all gonna die". They were gone before some friends of mine arrived a few minutes later). Signs of grave tampering were also evident one of the times I visited. Vandalism is also sadly a problem with the site. Although pictures here show Charlotte's gravestone, albeit broken, the last time I visited, it was completely missing and gone, only the bottom part sadly remained. It is a shame that visitors have both broken her tombstone and now stolen it. Further down the road is the haunted Lincoln Adelaida School and beyond that the old mercury mine. It should be noted that both the school and cemetery are on private property. The school is only open for special events. The cemetery is only open during daylight hours. Being in the cemetery after dark is trespassing and occasionally the county sheriff does patrol the area. This website does not encourage trespassing, nor does it condone vandalism. Please be respectful of the property and those interned within when visiting. Follow WeirdCA.com! Comments: Anonymous of California on 2017-10-28 said: I live not to far from the Adelaida Cemetery had heard some stories about it but had not gone to see it for my self until last year. A friend and i spent a good bit of time there just looking around and taking pictures. Very calm and peaceful place, saw nothing creepy of the supernatural type, though there some of the creepy living type, hanging around the parking lot when we first got there. They left thank goodness, and we picked up theirs and others beer cans. This is a very nice place and is still and active cemetery, so please please be respectful. I hope to get back out there soon. Some of the photos I have taken there have won me awards, so I think it's time to go back, thank the residents and pay my respects. :) james of las vegas, nv on 2016-05-02 said: While I never visited this cemetary, I had an experience in watsonville. I worked in all those little surrounding cities as a traveling cable salesman. Id say it was around 2006 when it happened. I was attacked by a demonic force in a hotel room in watsonville. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw what I would describe as a skeleton in a black cloud. It was blacker than black. It came onto the bed and started to overtake me. I was convinced I was going to die. I remember saying to myself, so this is how I'm going to die? I closed my eyes and started praying. There was a light and then it was gone. I've had other paranormal experienced but this was the scariest. (I looked up the name of the hotel. It was the economy inn in watsonville ca. There was even a review from a year ago saying it might be haunted.) Anonymous on 2015-11-03 said: I went here and saw some black heels in the caretakers room thing. It was so scary though considering me and my family where the only ones there. Richard of Visalia, Ca on 2015-08-09 said: My friend kym and I came across the cemetery on a beautiful Saturday afternoon drive, I wanted to stop and check it out, she did too. The cemetery was empty no other cars or people and suddenly we could hear a child singing the most beautiful song I ever heard and then it just stopped. We continued to explore the cemetery because it wasn't a scary experience, but kym and I heard the same thing. Chad Land of Templeton, Ca on 2014-11-04 said: I have spent the night there. Also filmed a music video there from 11pm till sunrise. I have had my car keys disappear there before and never heard about that until now. I remember Frantically looking for them and it was about midnight,I was dead sober and really wanted to just leave. I had to retrace my steps over and over with my girlfriend. We finally found them on the trail going back down from the top of the hill for the third time. I stepped on them! When we first arrived I zipped them up in my inside pocket of my leather jacket and have no idea how it was even possible for them to be missing. Freaked me out at the time, but now I'm even more freaked out. Crazy.... here is a link to the video called "Rolling Tomb" I filmed a few years later up there. Dedicated to the lady I have seen wondering in a white dress late at night, Charlotte Sitton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdb-GBvtZrg Brad of Atascadero, Cali on 2014-10-09 said: Oct 8, 2014 My 14 yr old daughter fancies herself a Wiccan in training. For the last few days she had been talking about this evening being a blood moon and that she wanted to visit the cemetery specifically to fill a small glass vile w/ dirt from the graveyard at midnight. We got there a little before 12:00, we walked around a bit, at midnight she knelt down to collect the dirt, capped the vile & placed it the front pocket of her denims. It was a gorgeous and warm evening, the moon light illuminating the cemetery and fields around it. We attempted a few EVPs, took a few pictures & headed back toward Paso. On the ride my daughter was lamenting the fact that we had no paranormal experiences, no EVPs, nothing outstanding w/ the photos, no spooky vibes, no rustling of the trees only the hoot from a distant owl. She then reached into her pocket to pull out the vile of dirt...but it wasn't there. She was very adamant that she had put it into her pocket, which I saw her do. She was completely dumbfounded as to where it was & how it got out of her pocket, my comment to her was that "they" didn't want her to have their dirt... Mary Firpo of Atascadero, California on 2014-09-13 said: I went out there last night to see if we could get some pictures and there were multiple orbs that showed up in many different pictures. Also there appears to be an old man's face that appears in the trees along with a pair of eyes in one of the trees. The first time I went there was a very clear image of the old man's face in one of the trees that creeped me out. There are definitely spirits that exist there but not all of them seem to be amiable. Dave of Paso Robles, California on 2013-11-26 said: Me and my wife were on a motorcycle ride west of Paso Robles when we saw this cemetary and stopped to check it out.At the front gate I got the smell of strong women perfume, I asked my wife later and she said she wore none.We were respectful and tried not to walk on any of the graves but up the hill it got hard to tell in some places, I took pictures of the very old graves and I suddenly got a very sad feeling out of nowhere but it pasted and we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the place. In the old shed we noticed an old looking pair of black high heel woman's shoes we didn't touch them.At home I looked at my photos and saw a green orb I could not explain in one of the pictures. barry young of los angeles, CA on 2013-10-06 said: i've been here countless times taking photos. often by myself. i've stayed here overnight. by myself. i come to pay tribute and contemplate. adelaida is just a very peaceful, beautiful & historical site. all of the ghost sightings mentioned here are wishful thinking and/or psychosomatic. believe me-i visit the most 'haunted' places all over the world; i have never seen- nor do i expect to ever see- evidence of ghosts. IF i ever do experience something paranormal, i promise to let you know. marshall harrow of visalia, California on 2013-10-03 said: "Joe Bob of Paso Robles, CA on 2011-04-21 said: I told my story about this place a few years back in a previous post, just scroll down and read it! It's weird that some of the more recent stories all fall pretty much in line with mine. Rocks being thrown, the man that lurks near the gate and the figure that walks around the lower level. Although I didn't see any of these things myself, perhaps those spirits are the ones that harrassed my group. Whether these stories are merely figmints of our imaginations or factual events, I think we all can agree that SOMETHING is going on out there, but what? Does the fact that it's an old, crumbling 1800's cemetary out in the middle of nowhere cause or minds to play tricks on us, or is there truly a "Charlotte" or "Sarah" walking around placing flowers on her childrens' graves and forever looking after them? If he indeed exists, who (or WHAT) is the black figure that stands by the gates and stalks people on the lower level? I'd be inclined to say that whatever "it" is, it gives off a very uncomfortable vibe and seems to be evil. Who knows. I haven't been back there, but reading these stories makes me want to go try an EVP session"..... That isn't a good idea Joe Bob...something followed me back from there.....if you think I am BS'ing you....email me...sultanharrow@gmail.com...CALL me...559-303-7142....I'm posting real contact info...I do that because I have seen some scary stuff...and it all started after visiting the cemetery at Adelaide....this is not a joke...I find your use of "IT" especially disturbing.....That was the name I used to describe the thing that followed me.....before I ever read this...."IT" terrorized me for a year or more until I moved.....don't mess with "It"....I think it is a demon....I have 2 other reliable people that saw it too..."IT" is real...... Anna Hernandez of Paso Robles, CA on 2013-05-05 said: We took a short road trip and stumbled apon the cemetery. Before getting out of the car my brother metioned I hope we don't loose our keys and before leaving he said what if we were to loose our keys. I found it interesting that the story starts of with. Watch out for your car keys. But other than that I found it very peaceful in there I wanted to walk up to the top but didn't know if I could or not. I love cemeteries the history. I would go back again Joyce Davantzis of Morro Bay, CA on 2012-11-08 said: Great job documenting all of the scary stories. Charlotte Sitton became the Pink Lady by way of an internet photo that showed a greenish glow around her tombstone. We found it to be phosphorescent moss. Charlotte did die at 19. She only had one child, he is buried next to her as Jehu Barnes, age 2, and his tombstone has fallen on hard times. The Pink Lady legend stems from a short story in a book about Central Coast Ghosts, written in the late 70's. The original Pink Lady is actually Emily O Weiss, who lost all four of her children to Diptheria. There are no death certificates to indicate suicide, but in those days they had to cover those up, or risk not being allowed burial in the church cemetery, so we can never be sure. The Pink Lady is said to place flowers on her children's graves every Friday afternoon, but I have never once seen her (after many Fridays of searching). The mercury info is basically accurate, and we have been chased by aggressive deer more than once. The giggling children are (I am almost sure of it) wild turkeys. It's quite terrifying if you don't see the turkeys, but when I did I realized they must be the culprits. I have also seen signs of grave tampering, and even black candle wax, so thank you for discouraging nighttime visits to that site. It is really not safe, because of the real people who might meet you there. It's also still in use, and people go there to grieve (some think it is a ghost town cemetery, abandoned, but that is not true) And it's just as "haunted" during the daytime, in my opinion. If you go, take a laser thermometer with you. We caught a 20 degree drop on a sunny day, no earthly explanation for the "cold spot" but it was in the large area of unmarked graves (a wooden cross is all that stands in that area) I do not know about the stone wall, (will research it) but I have heard terrifying stories about the "witches house" in Paso for years, and am not shocked to read that it was for rent LOL Ryan of Templeton, California on 2012-10-27 said: I've only been there once, it was on the friday night before Halloween, about 11pm. With me were my two brothers and my sister. As we arrived and were about to walk in, a group of about six or seven teenagers, being extremely loud and obnoxious and possibly drunk, came walking out. We proceeded ahead and walked around the lower level, then headed up the hill and walked around the upper level. As we came upon Charlotte Sitton's grave, we noticed her headstone had been knocked over, and there was several empty beer cans laying around. As we were already trying our best to be respectful of those at rest, we decided we should repair the vandalism. So as my little brother and I righted the headstone, ensuring it was stable, my other brother and sister picked up the trash. We then found a nearby spot with no obvious graves and sat down. We were there about an hour total. Im not sure if it was because of the teenagers before us or because of what we did, but it was very quiet and peaceful. Not one of us saw or heard anything, and were actually kind of disappointed we didn't. All of us agreed we felt nothing but peace and tranquility as we said goodbye to the resting and started down the hill. About that time county sheriff pulled up, thats when we got scared, haha. But my brother and sister talked to them and they told us we had better leave, so we did. Haven't been back, but my siblings and I believe that what you say, feel and do during your visit dictates what the resting will reciprocate. We were respectful and were rewarded with peace. So please do the same, be respectful of those at rest, and don't vandalize graves or leave your trash laying around, they appreciate it. Gabe Perez of Atasccadero, Ca on 2012-09-06 said: I've been out here twice. The second time I went out here was the Friday before the Halloween of 2011. We were caught and asked to leave. Though the First time I made my way out here was September of 2010. There was a group of nine of us. Two people in the group were being loud so we couldn't sense anything. The two left around 12:30 and that's when the cemetery started to come alive. We heard foot steps walking on leaves. Some of you might think the leaves were being rustled by the wind but we could hear the the leaves crunch beneath foot steps. Or you might think it was animals. We followed the footsteps just to be sure and no animals ran off. We decided to sit down. We were probably spread out over 10-15 ft. We all felt a cold gust creep over us but the left sides of our bodies were hot. At that time I looked at my brother and said let's get out of here I don't want to bring anything with us. He agreed along with the rest of our group except my sister but she reluctantly left as well. When we got down the hill we separated into the two vehicles we came there in. My brother had a air freshener hanging in his truck. The air was still there wasn't a single gust of wind blowing but that air freshener was swinging and twirling back and forth like someone or something had hit. We all freaked out and jammed out of there. Even with the experience I had out there I'm still gonna go back out there. I know not everyone that goes out there will have the same experience. You have to have and open mind. My father's side of the family has always had "gift" for seeing and sensing the supernatural. Needless to say I'm a believer. If you do make your way out here please respect the dead. Linda of California on 2012-07-30 said: My family and I went to the Cemetery a couple of times. We found it kind of creepy but also peaceful. We took pictures on our second visit there. When we printed the pictures there was a white cloudy figure in the shape of a woman above one of the graves. My son later used the picture for a school project about ghosts. It is a very neat to go. Melissa of Monrovia, California on 2012-06-18 said: Me and my husband always check out the local cemeteries on our vacations. We read how haunted this place was, so we decided to stop by on the way home. We checked out the shed. Saw and heard nothing. Walked to the top of the hill, saw and heard nothing. Took numerous pictures and video, still saw nothing. Looks like most of the stories are from the locals perhaps trying to protect the land from vandals. Anonymous on 2011-10-26 said: Just got back from Adelaida cemetery, & it was very peaceful& quiet there. I have lived here all my life & been out there several times, nothing strange or unusual has ever happened. It's a beautiful spot.... karrie johnson of paso robles, ca on 2011-09-24 said: My great grandparents on my mothers's side are burried there, along with my grandfather (also on my mothers's side) I have a great aunt and great uncle and my cousins' ashes are burried with the both of them..and several other relatives as well..the school house that is mentioned is NOT the original school house..the original school house was actually located at the fork in the road at Clau Mine (on the right hand side)..if you look closely you may still be able to find the foundation the one-room school house stood on..my grandfather was the Head of the School Board (William T. Botts), he was responsible for the hiring and firing of the teachers..He owned the ranch to the left of the fork in the road-above the mine..on the hill..if you make the left turn at the fork in the road at Clau Mine..I do not ever recall seeing any ghosts at the cemetery..nor do I ever recall STRANGE OR FUNNY feelings..I know lots of folks enjoy haunted tales..and seeing out the same..I just hope that IF ANY potential HUNTERS do venture forth..PLEASE be respectful of the gravesites, do not vandalize the cemetery, and please IF YOU SMOKE..be very careful..it is extremely dry this year..my family isnt't the only ones out there..I think you would all feel the same if it were your family or loved ones laid to rest..Thank you for your consideration Anonymous on 2011-06-01 said: Please respect the dead buried here. This is where my familys sites are. Joe Bob of Paso Robles, CA on 2011-04-21 said: I told my story about this place a few years back in a previous post, just scroll down and read it! It's weird that some of the more recent stories all fall pretty much in line with mine. Rocks being thrown, the man that lurks near the gate and the figure that walks around the lower level. Although I didn't see any of these things myself, perhaps those spirits are the ones that harrassed my group. Whether these stories are merely figmints of our imaginations or factual events, I think we all can agree that SOMETHING is going on out there, but what? Does the fact that it's an old, crumbling 1800's cemetary out in the middle of nowhere cause or minds to play tricks on us, or is there truly a "Charlotte" or "Sarah" walking around placing flowers on her childrens' graves and forever looking after them? If he indeed exists, who (or WHAT) is the black figure that stands by the gates and stalks people on the lower level? I'd be inclined to say that whatever "it" is, it gives off a very uncomfortable vibe and seems to be evil. Who knows. I haven't been back there, but reading these stories makes me want to go try an EVP session... yvonne williford of bakersfieldon 2011-03-21 said: I took my daughter with me on my cemeteries trip. It was during the day and there was a man working within one of the sections that was blocked off by big stone slabs. We didn't bother him. We just took pictures with her camera. It was a little creapy,but at the same time we felt a peaceful calm around us. We developed the pictures when we got home and looked through them. In a lot of them we found either full bodied figures with clothes and faces that either looked right at us or some other figures within the picture. In other pictures there were just faces. In almost half of the pictures I have taken at the 10 or more cemeteries I have been to I have visited have lost spirits in them. I think they come out and let me photograph them because they are curious to see that some one does care enough just to visit them, and not be freaked out over the dead. Natalie of Paso Robles, CA on 2011-03-05 said: me my sister and her friend all went to the cemetary last night at around 8. my mom was in the car behind us and her and my little sister waited in the car because they were too scared to get out. me and my sister and our friend walked up to the cemetery gate and right before we stepped inside the cemetery, we heard two booms that sounded far away but up close at the same time, and right as we heard the booms, we saw a black figure by the shed twich. we all freaked out and ran to the car and as we drove away my mom called us and said that her and my little sister saw lights following us as we drove away. andrea of san luis obispo, ca on 2011-01-14 said: my daughter and i went to the cemetary on january 11, 2011. she has a high tech professional camera that detects head movement and blinks. she took some pictures of some berry bushes and thicket behind the gravestones on the hill. well when she took the picture the camera detected head movement and a blink. so we though that was a little weird but we didn't feel uncomfortable. Then we were taking pictures near charlottes grave and the batteries in the camera died. it is a little creepy on the hill where the brush grows over. We are going back tonight since it is Friday, to see if we encounter any activity. i'm not getting out of the car though, not after reading other postings!! Poe of PR, CA on 2010-11-27 said: Walked around the cemetery at night, it was after X-mas. Later found coagulated blood in the mud we tracked in. Todd Taylor of Morro Bay, California on 2010-09-24 said: I have been to the Adelaida Cemetary a few times for I was intrigued by the notion of it being haunted. I've seen numerous ghosts in my lifetime and thought it would be worth checking it out. I went there on a Friday night with my fiance and her brother and brothers older kids. It was very interesting being there and you do feel presences there. At one moment I thought to myself, "Hey, I have a picture phone!" I took it out and aimed it out in the darkness to see if any orbs or other images would come out. I said out loud, "If anyone wants to make their presence known, please stand in front of this device on the count of three. One... two.... three. ('SNAP') I looked at the picture I took and HOLY COW!!! There is a bright red flying orb 8 feet in full view and under the bright part of the orb is an evil image of what looks like a demon man. You can see 2 dark eyes, big bulbous nose, every took in its evil smile (like its saying "EERRRGH" at me!) and can even see its collar bones and chest a little. Very creepy! My fiances family lives off of Adelaida and I visit there repeatedly now with more equiptment. Will post anything else I find. I am willing to share my photo at my email. Check out Adelaida Cemetary! Very cool creepy place! Elissa of Cambria, California on 2010-08-23 said: I've been to the cemetery on several occasions in the day and night. After having some experiences and being a history buff I did some research. While it is said that Charlotte is the haunting the actual haunting is that of a Sarah Rye, whose three children died within days of each other during the diphtheria epidemic. Two of her children were buried on the top of the hill next to
etrofit system is now available (more information available in developer diary article) Advanced artillery support shells Several new vehicles (T-54, M48 Patton, Object 430, Centauro 120, FV721, Begleitpanzer 57, T-72A) with Centauro 155 removed from the dealer tree for rebalance Game economy overhaul Significant increase in the PvE rewards, new PvE missions Large optimization bundle Rebalances of certain vehicles A large number of bug fixes and improvements Full list of changes is available here. Feature Highlight In the Early Access 4 testing phase, the players will have the option of testing the new special support shells for the artillery class. These shells significantly enhance the role of artillery on Armored Warfare battlefields by giving it the possibility to support the team by other means than just damage dealing. The special shells include: Smoke shells (available to all artillery vehicles), creating a large smoke cloud that breaks the enemy line of sight Illumination shells (available to artillery vehicles of tier 6 and above), spotting enemies for 10 seconds in 30 meter radius Players will be rewarded for active use of these types of shells. You will be able to learn more about the shells in our developer diary article. The Retrofit system is a system of upgrades for existing vehicles that allows players to customize the properties of their vehicles with a focus on the characteristics they use the most. Some examples of retrofit elements can be found in the overview table we have prepared. You can read more about the Retrofit system in our Developer Diary article. Progress reset and compensation in Early Access 4 We are introducing multiple dealer tree changes in the Early Access 4 patch as well as some other significant rebalances to the vehicles in the game. In order for players not to be affected by these changes too severely, there will be a reset of the account progression. All the game currencies accumulated by the players over the course of Early Access testing will be compensated to the player accounts in the form of free reputation and unspent credits. This includes the unspent locked reputation as well. To get into the fourth test players can be randomly selected from the Early Access sign-ups base, win a key in one of the giveaways, or get guaranteed access to this and further tests, as well as early access to Open Beta and other advantages and rewards including premium and exclusive vehicles, by purchasing one of the three available Founder’s Packs. Players who already have the Early Access can download the client: Disclaimer: The Early Access is a part of the Armored Warfare testing process. As such it does not represent a finished product and may contain various issues. The purpose of Early Access testing is to find these issues and to correct them. Should critical issues be found, the test can at any point be suspended in order to perform emergency maintenance. The test schedule can also be altered at any point to reflect the required maintenance times in the future. Please report any issues you run into in our dedicated forum section.MSI's Twin Frozr has been the industry defining graphics card cooler. The first Twin Frozr kicked of the dual-fan trend and today MSI stays true to its dual-fan dual-slot design where others have to resort to less effective means. The other part that the Twin Frozr cooler uses is a large Aluminium fin grid array that provides a huge amount of surface area for cooling. Heat from the GPU is transferred to the fin grid array by virtue of heat pipes with MSI's special SuperPipe technology. SuperPipes transfer heat twice as fast as regular heat pipes enabling an MSI GAMING graphics card to stay cooler than the competition. Futhermore, MSI provide all new Airflow Control technology on Twin Frozr. This new thermal tech. is leading airflow to heat pipe by spcial defletor on heatsink, so it can deflect more airflow to heat pipes directly. In addtion,This exclusive heatsink design is increasing the area of heatsink so that enhacing the efficiency of dissipation much more.Part two of my review of Arcana’s Valentine’s Day releases! The main Valentine’s collection is here. On with the smelling things and writing about smelling things. The New Orleans Trio Erzulie’s Soft Kiss: Sweet, vain, flirtatious Erzulie Freda is the luxe Loa of beauty, sensuality, love, and pleasure. Ripe pink strawberries smeared with honey and bee pollen. In the vial this is sweet strawberries and honey. It doesn’t have that plasticky, artificial, Strawberry Shortcake doll smell that strawberry scents sometimes do. On skin the fruitiness is toned down a bit. It’s sweet and smooth and after a few minutes there’s a bit of something slightly powdery in there, but not baby powdery – I’m assuming that’s the bee pollen. I love this one – it’s a definitely bottle purchase for me. It’s not a super complex scent journey, and that’s fine, because sometimes you just want to smell sweet and fruity and have what you put on be what you smell like in an hour, you know? And it’s hands-down the best strawberry scent I’ve tried so far. Maman Brigitte: The bawdy, fun-loving queen of death, Maman Brigitte guards the cemetery, protects prostitutes, gets down on the dance floor, and curses like a Somali sailor. Black amber, cherry-infused red musk, animalic musk, cocoa absolute, white amber, clove bud, tobacco, and the smallest sprig of graveyard mint. In the vial I get mostly cherry and mint with that fuzzy white amber underneath. (I feel like if mint is mentioned in the notes at all, it’s one of the only things I’ll smell.) On skin the cherry is still the strongest note, with the mint fading back a bit and the amber and musk coming out more. The cherry isn’t sharp or medicinal – it’s fairly smooth and a bit candied. At first I don’t get any cocoa, but after a few minutes it’s there, more of a dark chocolate scent, not overly sweet. As it dries, the cherry fades away and the mint gets stronger again, so that I’m left with amber, mint, and a whiff of dark chocolate. Once it’s fully dry the clove makes an appearance as well, but it’s not overwhelming. White amber and I are generally not buds – it always reads as “fuzzy” or “cloudy” to me, in a headachey sort of way – and that feeling is exacerbated here by the mint. This isn’t a bad scent, but it’s not for me. Simbi d’l’Eau: A Loa with the unpredictability and immense power of the oceans, he is pleased by offerings of water and green ribbons. A fresh, aquatic mix of tart raspberry, rainwater, green musk, clematis, osmanthus, tiare blossoms, and ambergris. In the vial this is very ocean-y. Heavy on the ozone, quite floral, and green, and there’s something unpleasant that reminds me of dead things washed up on the shore. The ambergris, I’m assuming. On skin it’s heavily floral with a touch of airy ozone and a good dose of musk. There is little to no raspberry on my skin, and every once in a while I’ll get a whiff of that unpleasant dead note, decaying and almost salty. But mostly it’s just very, very floral. I don’t like this one at all. It’s a scrubber. (A note on ambergris – it’s an intestinal secretion of sperm whales, traditionally found floating or washed up on the shore. It’s generally a waste product, but obviously not vegan in any case. But it’s very rare and therefore very expensive, so it’s pretty much always synthetic anymore, even among conventional perfume houses. If I found out that an indie was using real ambergris I’d eat the intestinal secretions of a sperm whale. So seeing it in the notes listing doesn’t turn me away for vegan reasons, but after this scent it WILL turn me away for other reasons, like the fact that I think it smells like ass and dead fish.) These scents are all still available from The Soapbox Co and The Rhinestone Housewife.CNN’s Brian Stelter took the bait Sunday morning and spent the bulk of his one-hour media program “Reliable Sources” talking about President Trump’s “tweet storm” against the fourth estate. He zoned right in on the ridiculous video that Trump tweeted Sunday morning. In it, Trump wrestles a guy with a CNN logo emblazoned on his face to the ground. Here’s a thought – what about completely ignoring it as a non-story? His balding head shinier than ever, Stelter asked rhetorically, “Is this President trying to impersonate Hugo Chavez?” He obviously thinks he is. So why ask it in the form of a question? Stelter expression remained stern for much of the show. There will be one fake laugh today. No smiling. No joking. After all, with all the crap Trump has been giving the media as of late, there is nothing funny about Trump bodyslamming CNN in a wrestling video. “…This is exactly the kind of language that leaders use when they are trying to undermine the press,” he continued. Stelter spent 90 minutes scouring Twitter for reaction to Trump bodyslamming CNN. “This is day six of President Trump’s tweet storm,” he said gravely. You’d almost think that discussing Trump blows up CNN’s ratings. Stelter had questions. Watch out when that happens. “Who knows which outlet will be next?” “Who is going to speak up?” “Where is Paul Ryan?” “Where is Mitch McConnell?” “Are GOP leaders going to speak up about this attacks against the media?” Honestly, who fucking knows? But Stelter will keep asking the tough questions. “This President continues to demean the media. Are GOP leaders going to continue to support him?” Stelter turned to crusty Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post to make sense of this insanity. And boy is Bernstein, with his impressive white, wavy Washington mane, angry, highly offended and deeply worried about the state of the media. “First, it’s not just anti CNN…it’s anti-freedom of the press,” said the man who became famous for breaking the Watergate story. ”It’s a definitive statement from the President of the United States. …This is an index of his state of mind, visually. It’s disturbing. There is nothing lighthearted about it.” Bernstein likes the word disturbing. It’s almost disturbing how much he uses it. Stelter assured viewers that he’s going to take an hour to “unpack” all that garble that just came out of Bernstein’s mouth. New York Mag’s Olivia Nuzzi appeared in front of a faux scene of Washington, D.C. She talked about Reddit, the site that originally published the Trump bodyslamming CNN video. “I don’t recommend it,” she said frankly, referring to the site, not the video. Right-wing radio host Ben Ferguson was piped in as the show’s only opposing voice. He was on the phone because of some video fuck-up in Dallas. “When I saw it, I initially laughed. …I don’t think it incites violence,” he said. “I think you people are stretching when you imply that. Wrestling is fake. Everyone knows wrestling is fake.” He pleaded – no begged — Stelter to have just an “ounce” of humor. Sorry, Fergy. Not happening. Stelter, who apparently has eyeballs, said he’s seen some of the “trash” in his coworkers’ inboxes. He didn’t really want to hear what Ferguson had to say. He wanted him to say, you’re right, oh, Brian, you’re so right. “Ben you get hate mail that sometimes threatens your life,” Stelter said, pushing him to have some humanity. “And that’s what’s happening to folks at CNN right now.” Ferguson, who fully resisted Stelter’s death lecture, said everyone is exaggerating this and making a big deal out of nothing. “What he does for seven seconds can hurt people,” Stelter told Ferguson. The Baltimore Sun’s humorless sourpuss David Zurawik, also balding, stressed that he couldn’t disagree more with Ferguson. “I think the most dangerous thing you can say is oh, have a sense of humor. Let’s just laugh at it. You can kill someone in seven seconds,” he says. He told Ferguson this is NOT funny. This is not a time to say “Ho Ho Ho.” (Not even Santa laughs like that, but I’ll let this terrible moment pass without further comment.) Zurawik’s voice grew louder and louder and LOUDER. There is absolutely no internal volume control going on here, which I think may be more dangerous than the idiotic wrestling video. “If he thinks The Washington Post, CNN or the New York Times is going to be afraid, he’s in for the rudest awakening of his life,” he said dramatically. Blah blah blah. Bernstein had more to say on the matter. When Ferguson interrupted him, he pushed back, “Can I finish please? Can I just finish?” Actually, no. Ferguson’s video still isn’t working. He’s still on the phone. And he has something else to blather on about how the media’s goal is to take down this White House. He said a portion of the media has a “genuine disdain” for the President. What does Poynter’s Kelly McBride think? “Well, I honestly think we’re spending a little too much time on it here,” she said. Translation: Brian, your show sucks. McBride thinks we need to be focusing on the stories like health care, taxes, trade and climate change – YAAAWWWN. Not to worry. Soon she’s back on message: “I’m completely offended by this clip.” Because at least four people on Stelter’s panel (including him) need to be incredibly outraged. Like a schoolmarm, McBride, with red glasses and short, brushed back, smooth dark hair, further scolded Stelter, saying, “I worry that the way you guys are yelling at each other no one is listening to you.” That was the show’s first 22 minutes. Now we go to a commercial break to learn more about Mesothelioma. The show returns and now Stelter is going to look at the pro-Trump media universe. After he mentions every outlet from Fox News to Newsmax, Drudge, and InfoWars, he stressed that The National Enquirer has become pretty pro-Trump. Which is actually old news. The National Enquirer endorsed Trump’s candidacy. Stelter said Trump has “weaponized” The National Enquirer. Zurawik – my least favorite panelist – has a lovefest with Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s Friday shitshow performance, which came after Trump tweeted that there was blood coming from Mika’s chin when the couple visited Mar-a-Lago. He also called them both crazy and dumb. “When Scarborough and Mika talked about that on Friday,” he said awkwardly, “First of all, I thought they responded with restraint and power and authority.” He just loved it. I mean, L-O-V-E-D it. He admitted to watching it twice – not just live, but also the replay! He urged Scarborough to reveal his sources because he said Trump will keep lying. Zurawik keeps getting LOUDER and LOUDER. Please someone turn down his volume. McBride came out with a fun fact: “Now, Joe and Mika, they don’t actually do any original reporting.” Wait….WHAT? Where did this Mean Girl come from? Surely NBC and Joe and Mika would object to the notion that their show has no news. Stelter took a moment to go inside his brain to his internal fantasyland where he imagines what the world would be like if pro-Trump outlets like Breitbart News and InfoWars didn’t exist. Hmmm. Ok, that was fun. Let’s break for commercial. At 11:33 a.m. it’s time to discuss CNN’s failure this week when the network had to part ways with three journalists for majorly screwing up a big story concerning a Trump associate and Russia. The story was later retracted. “Well, one thing that CNN didn’t do is they didn’t say exactly what was wrong with the story. They didn’t provide details,” McBride said. “…The President and all of his supporters will dismiss it as already a false story.” McBride said we don’t know the story was false. We just know it didn’t meet CNN’s standards. Bernstein looked absolutely constipated listening to Ferguson discuss CNN’s situation and a “conservative provocateur” whom Stelter won’t name. He’s referring to James O’Keefe, whose operation, Project Veritas, goes on undercover missions to record people saying compromising things. “Look, I don’t think it’s taking advantage of anybody,” Ferguson said. “I think you should say the same thing you say on the air off the air.” Stelter shakes his head back and forth “NO” while Ferguson is speaking. To be fair, Ferguson absurdly said O’Keefe recorded a “junior staffer” so he has some say so on what happens on a show. What junior staffer has any power anywhere? O’Keefe is still weirdly not being named. “I said JUNIOR STAFFER,” Stelter said, interrupting him, like Ferguson is dense for not having a better understanding of what a junior staffer is. Nuzzi also looked pained. At one point she appeared to take a deep breath out of exasperation. Stelter said the mystery man (O’Keefe) was “cherry picking” the CNN staffers who said CNN covers the Russia story for ratings and other things that made the network look crappy. Ferguson disagreed on the “cherry picking” front. Which made Stelter crazy — he wouldn’t let go of that … because O’Keefe and Co. were OBVIOUSLY cherry picking, he says emphatically. Again, he refused to name O’Keefe – almost as if the order came from above: WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT SAY THE NAME JAMES O’KEEFE. Next up: press access at the White House. There are 15 minutes left. Nuzzi pushed for more transparency and on camera briefings. “Any opportunity to question this White House on the record on camera we need to take,” she said. Finally at 11:48 a.m. Zurawik totally screwed up and uttered O’Keefe’s name. Oops! Stelter broke for another commercial, barely responding to his thought. The show winds to a close on a ridiculous note of Bernstein declaring that every American should be incredibly disturbed about the disturbing statement made by such a disturbing President. “We can’t do too much navel gazing here….” Bernstein said. Stelter interrupts him to make what appears to be a joke: “Except on this show, Carl..ha ha ha ha ha.” “I don’t think that’s what we’re doing,” Bernstein continued, nonsensically, not cracking so much as a single giggle. Damn it. Did I miss something funny here? The show ends with Zurawik kissing CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s ass for the daily fighting he does with this White House. And another question from Stelter about Trump’s World Wrestling video: “Is this a violation of Twitter’s terms of stervis?” Yes, he said “STERVIS” when he clearly meant “service.” Nuzzi appeared to be a voice of reason. She said it’s hard to not see the video Trump tweeted as funny. She also says it’s serious. “You see this video and you want to laugh at it,” she said. “ …But it’s serious. I think we need to be able to hold those two thoughts in our hands at once.”Patent battles might seem like a rather mundane topic, and to many people they are. But it's a major issue plaguing many top tech companies these days, and the results of these lawsuits could trickle down and affect the smartphones and tablets you see on store shelves. Building up your patent arsenal now appears to be as important as the products you produce. Google just paid $12.5 billion for Motorola Mobility in part to get its hands on Motorola's portfolio of more than 17,000 patents. Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt argued this week that the deal wasn't all about patents, but it was a major consideration. Just this week, meanwhile, OpenWave sued Apple and RIM for patent infringement, but all this year, other battles have been heating up: HTC sues Apple; Rovi sues Hulu; Apple sues Samsung and Samsung bites back with a countersuit. The list goes on, but where did this patent battle start? BusinessInsurance.org has a new infographic that charts the history of the patent wars. The first patent in the U.S. was awarded in 1790 to Samuel Hopkins for a method of producing "potash," which is used to make gunpowder. The patent for the telephone, however, is considered to be the most valuable patent ever granted. Last year alone, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) issued 107,792 patents, and the top five organizations that had the most patents approved are all in tech: IBM (5,866); Samsung (4,518); Microsoft (3,086); Canon (2,551); and Panasonic (2,443). IBM has actually been the top patent awardee for the past 17 years, but as the infographic notes, its portfolio is not considered to be the most valuable. That honor goes to Microsoft. For more, check out the infographic below. Also see What If Android Lost the Patent War? For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius. For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.User Testing/Research - 930am on Wed 19th Sep North Sydney NSW, Australia 18 Sep 2018 $50 We’re a digital product agency and are doing some research for a client and need user testing participants. This interview session will be a 1-hour one-on-one Interview in North Sydney at 930am on Wednesday 19th September 2018, and you will be paid $50 for your time. We're looking specifically for someone who: - Is an Australian resident / citizen. - Has an individual income of $60,000+. - Age between 25 - 55 years old. - Has at least ADSL or faster internet speed at home. - Has a current mobile phone plan between $30 to $80 per month (which excluding additional device costs) - Generally do not to go over your current mobile data limit but have experienced paying additional feed for extra data consumption. - Uses his/her mobile to stream Netflix / Youtube / Spotify and surf the web predominantly when commuting to and from work. - Likes to do a level of research before making a purchase (comparison sites, asking friends etc). - Prefers 'Value for Money' over "Premium Experiences' when selecting a service/product. - Prefers to buy/sign up through digital only methods when possible (apps, websites, social media etc). - Likes to do digital self-service first before being forced to call someone for assistance. - Doesn't work for any ISP or telecommunication company If this sounds like and you can make it @ 930 am on Wednesday 19th September 2018, then register your interest and let's lock it in.WASHINGTON -- After initially keeping Richard Mourdock at arm's length for his assertion that pregnancies produced by rape are intended by God, prominent Republicans rallied around the embattled Indiana Senate candidate. Top among them was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whose chances of taking over the Senate next year could be sunk by Mourdock's intemperate remarks. "It's incredibly irresponsible for anyone to take what Richard said about his views on life to demean his opposition to the detestable act of rape," McConnell said in a statement printed in Kentucky's Courier-Journal. "We're at the end of an election season here and I understand each side is looking to make hay out of every comment, but sharing the view of millions of Americans that life begins at conception is Richard's deeply held personal belief that shouldn't be misconstrued by partisans to imply something it does not," McConnell said in the statement released late Wednesday. In a debate on Tuesday, Mourdock had declared, "I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen." Mourdock later sought to clarify that he meant only that the baby's life was a holy gift, not that God intended women to be raped. The Indiana state treasurer apologized for how people had interpreted his words and specified that he was not apologizing for the sentiments themselves. Perhaps more startling than McConnell's support was Sen. John McCain's announcement. The Arizona Republican, who had withdrawn his backing of Mourdock Wednesday night, backtracked Thursday in a statement from his office that said McCain was satisfied with the "apology." "Senator McCain is glad that Mr. Mourdock apologized to the people of Indiana and clarified his previous statement," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers. "Senator McCain hopes the people of Indiana will elect Mr. Mourdock to the U.S. Senate." Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) added his support for Mourdock at a campaign stop in Wisconsin, saying that a rape ending in a pregnancy was "horrifying" and that Mourdock's comments were a reminder to talk about such issues more carefully. "I think the candidate, Treasurer Mourdock, was right to apologize to anyone who was offended, and I think he was right [on] where he stood on it," Rubio said. "It's unfortunate it happened." Even the GOP presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, who had at first distanced himself from Mourdock, declined to withdraw support and refused Thursday to answer questions about the Indiana candidate. Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, hedged a bit on Mourdock, but ultimately backed him. "He's obviously trying to clarify it as best as he can.... It was pretty clumsy stuff. I mean, rape is rape and there's nothing OK about it," Priebus said in Arlington, Va. "Anything you say that gives credence, or you're vague or fuzzy, or you're compounding sentences -- I mean, it was a problem for him so now he's fixing it, and hopefully he's clarifying what he meant to say." The rally round Mourdock stands in stark contrast to how the GOP reacted when another one of its Senate candidates, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), declared that women could not become pregnant from "legitimate rape." Akin offered a fuller apology than Mourdock did, yet the GOP establishment called on him to quit. McConnell declared then that sorry was not sufficient, and the party still has not returned to the Missouri race. In the Indiana case, however, Election Day is less than two weeks away, and Mourdock's ill-timed comments could hurt not only his race, but Republican candidates elsewhere. Many of those candidates have chosen to condemn Mourdock's remarks. Democrats, meanwhile, have sought to press their advantage. President Barack Obama's campaign called on Romney to do more than disagree with Mourdock, releasing a video that cast Romney as equally extreme. "Mitt Romney's solution to 'extremism' against women? Promote the extremists," the video says. Former GOP White House contender Jon Huntsman also said that Romney should disavow Mourdock. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blasted out releases in a half-dozen states, saying that even those GOP candidates who condemned Mourdock's remarks are bound to him because they've accepted cash from joint fundraisers with Mourdock. One of them, Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, later weighed in for Mourdock, saying that he had apologized and calling him "a class act." The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also announced a $1.1 million ad buy, seeking to further exploit the political opening with a spot featuring Mourdock's debate answer. For his part, Mourdock told reporters Thursday that he believed that the furor would pass quickly and that rather than hurting him, it has helped. Asked if he had gained voter support as a result, he said, "I know I did," according to IndyStar.com. This story has been updated with a new Democratic ad featuring Richard Mourdock and comments from Sen. Marco Rubio and Mourdock. Michael McAuliff covers Congress and politics for The Huffington Post. Talk to him on Facebook.Volakn Oezdemir seemingly came out of nowhere. After edging out Ovince Saint Preux earlier this year in his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut, “Cousin” went on to knockout top-ranked Light Heavyweight contender Misha Cirkunov in a mere 28 seconds at UFC Fight Night 109 a few weeks ago (see it again here). That win was good enough to earn Oezdemir a co-main event slot at UFC 214 on July 29, 2017, against none other than Jimi Manuwa. And to hear Oezdemir tell it, “Poster Boy” is going down... fast. "It's not a question about if I can beat him … I know the answer because I'm confident in my abilities,” Oezdemir said during a recent interview with Flo Combat. "It's gonna be a knockout in the first round again." But, don’t think for a second Oezdemir will be content with stopping there because he is not in UFC to play it safe, planning to go straight for the title should he get through the No. 2-ranked fighter. Indeed, he’s already planning a post-fight callout that will request the winner of the Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier title fight, which will headline the pay-per-view (PPV) event that same night. "It's fast, but it's been a long process... I've been training all my life for this moment,” he said. “I don't want to take my time. I want to go straight for the belt. I want to fight as much as I can, I want to fight the toughest guys in the world, and I'm not here to play it safe. "After my win against Manuwa, I will be 3-0 and I will have a win over No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 in the world,” he continued. “Gustafsson lost against both [Jones and Cormier], so it would be a rematch. Maybe the division needs some new blood. I'll be there." Despite his confidence, it will be very hard to convince UFC matchmakers to give him a shot at the strap over “The Mauler,” seeing as how the towering Swede put on perhaps the best performance of his career against Glover Teixeira recently. Still, that won’t stop Oezdemir from trying, "I always try to finish my fights fast and actually I've always done it … I found my old self in that fight, finishing people in one minute or two minutes." Indeed, 11 of Volkan’s 13 victories have come via first round finish. But, can he add Manuwa -- who has devastating knockout power of his own — to his ever-growing hit list?Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. A struggle for control of the East School Board in New York has pitted modern and ultra-Orthodox Jews against each other, with each side accusing the other of stirring up anti-Semitism. The East Ramapo school district, situated in suburban Rockland County north of New York City, contains several largely hassidic communities including New Square and Monsey. More than 30 percent of the county’s residents are Jews. The district’s schools have faced significant budget cuts in recent years. Class sizes have expanded, extracurricular programs cut and school buildings sold to yeshivas to the dismay of non-Jewish and secular parents.The district’s growing hassidic community, which does not send its children to public schools, dominates the school board, where seven out of nine members are Orthodox Jews. East Ramapo’s decline and the resultant fight between ultra-Orthodox and gentile residents has garnered prominent media attention, with write-ups in publications such as New York magazine and The New York Times.School-board meetings have grown heated, with board members invoking the Holocaust and death camps to quiet opposition, and parents and students beginning to view the fight for educational budgets as a religious conflict.The state obtained a court order to delay the sale of a public school building to a yeshiva due to the sale price being far below market value.Opponents of the board have said it used public funds to buy religious books for private schools and to pay for special-needs education for hassidic children outside of the public system, among other complaints.The board and East Ramapo superintendent Dr. Joel Klein disagree, asserting that cuts in state funding have led to the difficulties.It is less about religion and more about finances, the News 12 Westchester news site quoted Klein as saying.Last week, an ecumenical group called the Rockland Clergy For Social Justice held a press conference in which it demanded that New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo take direct control of the district.Representing several faiths, including modern-Orthodox rabbis, the group said it will continue petitioning the state over the issue and that it plans on sending a delegation to the state capital, Albany, later this month.One of the groups represented in the multi-faith body is Uri L’Tzedek, a modern-Orthodox advocacy organization.“Reasonable people will disagree about the underlying reasons for these problems. Whatever the underlying issues, it has become clear that the current structure is not serving the needs of Rockland County’s children,” the group said in an online petition that has received hundreds of signatures.The group asserted that it was “alarmed at rising rates of anti-Semitic incidents and sentiment in Rockland County,” which it attributed to “misunderstanding and anger at the situation, primarily in the schools.”Local students interviewed by New York magazine about the issue have said it is difficult not to see the issue as one of communal conflict in light of the religious disparity between those who run the district and those who rely on its services.One former board member, interviewed by the magazine, reinforced this impression of racial tension, saying the hassidic community “stopped seeing the schools just as a burden and started seeing them as a resource to plunder.”The ultra-Orthodox community, however, has a vastly different take on the matter.One ultra-Orthodox member of the board was quoted as saying that people “want to see us gone because I have a yarmulke on my head” and that residents were resentful of the demographic changes wrought by the influx of hassidic Jews.In response to Uri L’Tzedek’s statement, a spokesman for Agudath Israel of America, a national body representing ultra-Orthodox interests, told The Jerusalem Post the conflict is due to the social-justice group.“If there is more anti-Semitism in Rockland County, it is due to Uri L’Tzedek and similar groups that are promoting the lie that Orthodox school-board members in East Ramapo have short-changed public- school children in order to better provide for yeshiva students,” Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel said. “That is worse than untrue; it is a dangerous and scurrilous untruth.”Severe cuts in state-allocated budgets have caused cutbacks in many areas, he continued.“No school board operating in accordance with the law could have done anything other than what this one did. And for any group to insinuate that this board acted in anything but a responsible and fair manner is incendiary and a calumny,” Shafran said. Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>As web browsing on mobile devices is increasing in frequency and ease of use, the need for mobile optimized websites is pressing. The Drupal community has picked up on this need and have developed modules specific to the display of mobile websites. There is a Drupal module called "Mobile" that simply strips the CSS from your website to display it on a mobile size screen. It is one step forward in making it easier for users to read your mobile content, but I would not recommend this method. In my post from March 2007, "Mobile Times Call For Mobile Measures," I mentioned the importance of "mobilizing" instead of "miniaturizing": "These two terms are explained fully in Little Springs Design's article Mobilize, Don't Miniaturize. Miniaturizing treats the mobile environment and technology as a subset of the desktop environment. Current content and images are reformatted and resized for mobile screens. Mobilizing,on the other hand, precisely targets mobile user needs, making [the] best possible use of technology. It takes into consideration why the user is even looking at this content on a mobile device in the first place." Mobile users motives are often more focused than the breadth of Desktop user motives. It is key to hone in on the motives of your mobile users and display website content specifically to them. Drupal's contributed module, Mobile Tools, makes it easier to do just that. Tom Deryckere, the Mobile Tools developer, lists the intent of the module on his blog post titled, "The secret behind the Mobile Tools module": Provide a way for detecting visitors viewing your site with a mobile device. You can redirect them to a mobile site or give them a message that a mobile site exists Give mobile users a mobile variant of their user role. This means that you can set specific permissions for the mobile user and control how your site behaves Help in doing small things: setting number of blogposts in the frontpage, change the default frontpage,.... Help in switching themes for the mobile user. Mobile Tools allows theme switching, not only based on mobile device, but also on the type of device: Android, iphone, blackberry,... While hooking into the Browscap module, Mobile Tools allows you to do a browser check and do one of three things: Redirect the user to your mobile site (at a different URL) Display an option to switch over to the mobile URL Switch to a mobile theme The option for switching to a specific mobile theme seems most valuable, as Mobile Tools allows you to specify a different theme for specific device: iPhone, iPod, Android, Opera Mini, Blackberry My favorite part of the Mobile Tools module is the ability to limit permissions for mobile users. Mobile users are automatically assigned the "mobile" role through browser detection. The menu then can be limited
Laie, not a housing crisis.” says James. “Many of the residents have part-time or low-paying jobs.” James is a Mormon who graduated from Brigham Young University Hawaii, where her husband is a professor. She has lived in Laie for 35 years. Councilman Steps Up to Oppose Plan On Thursday, the LDS church is arranging buses to transport hundreds of supporters wearing bright blue Envision Laie T-shirts to Honolulu for a meeting of the City Council’s Zoning and Planning Committee. The Envision Laie website urges attendance saying, “If you are in favor of housing and jobs for our community, now is the time to make your voices heard.” Council members will be acting on Bill 47, which could either begin to clear the way for Hawaii Reserves proposed new town at Malaekahana or stop it. Committee chairman Ikaika Anderson has submitted amendments to Bill 47 to derail the Malaekahana project by eliminating in the bill all references to Malaekahana in the Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan — a plan which now includes the development aims of Envision Laie. “It would be too significant of a policy change to move the urban growth boundary.” — City Councilman Ikaika Anderson Anderson said in a phone conversation Saturday it is OK with him if Hawaii Reserves builds at Laie or Kahuku on urban-zoned land, but it would be wrong to move the urban boundary to allow it to build in Malaekahana. “Basically, I am against the development because it flies in the face of the Oahu General Plan, which calls for preserving our existing rural areas, including Malaekahana.” Anderson says he supported the Second City at Kapolei but “I have no intention of creating a Third City” at Malaekahana.” Anderson says Envision Laie’s contention that Laie residents need to have more affordable housing to prevent their children from moving away “does not hold water.” Anderson says he has four children and he realizes when they grow up, all of them may not be able to afford to live close by him in Waimanalo. “The people in Laie need to realize their children may not be able to keep living in Laie or Kahuku. We can’t keep building in rural areas.” PF Bentley/Civil Beat Anderson thinks the rest of the Zoning Committee will side with him and vote to stop Hawaii Reserves from building at Malaekahana. “I haven’t polled them but my gut feeling is they will agree with me. It would be too significant of a policy change to move the urban growth boundary.” Plans Can Change Hauula resident Barbara Kahana says she has been fighting to keep the country country for more than 40 years. She says she was dismayed when she worked two years with 20 members of advisory committee of the Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan, only to have the plan greatly changed in 2010 by the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting when, without consulting her or the others on the advisory committee, it altered the plan and inserted the Envision Laie proposal. “We were shocked,” Kahana says. “They completely ignored what we put in the plan.” The original Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan called for the area to be kept as an agricultural, open space, recreational area for all of Oahu. Kahana says she admires what Anderson is doing to stop the Malaekahana proposal. “Ikaika Anderson is standing up and doing what is right by not allowing expansion into Malaekahana because one single-minded business corporation wants to build a town at the expense of all its neighbors and the expense of future generations to enjoy open land with uninterrupted view planes.” I agree. Imua Anderson! Make sure the Oahu General Plan is followed. Make sure there is a “country” we can drive to in the future, perhaps not to enjoy hukilau any more, but at least to enjoy the peace and comfort of rural views.SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The latest filing in the legal war between the planet’s most powerful government and its most valuable company gave one indication of how the high-stakes confrontation could escalate even further. An Apple logo is seen at the entrance of an Apple Store in downtown Brussels, Belgium March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman In what observers of the case called a carefully calibrated threat, the U.S. Justice Department last week suggested that it would be willing to demand that Apple turn over the “source code” that underlies its products as well as the so-called “signing key” that validates software as coming from Apple. Together, those two things would give the government the power to develop its own spying software and trick any iPhone into installing it. Eventually, anyone using an Apple device would be unable to tell whether they were using the real thing or a version that had been altered by officials to be used as a spy tool. Technology and security experts said that if the U.S. government was able to obtain Apple’s source code with a conventional court order, other governments would demand equal rights to do the same thing. “We think that would be pretty terrible,” said Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist at the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology. The battle between Apple and the U.S Justice Department has been raging since the government in February obtained a court order demanding that Apple write new software to help law enforcement officials unlock an iPhone associated with one of the shooters in the December attack in San Bernardino, California that killed 14 people. Apple is fighting the order, arguing that complying with the request would weaken the security of all iPhones and create an open-ended precedent for judges to make demands of private companies. The Justice Department’s comments about source code and signing keys came in a footnote to a filing last week in which it rejected Apple’s arguments. Apple’s response to the DOJ brief is expected on Tuesday. Justice Department lawyers said in the brief that they had refrained from pursuing the iOS source code and signing key because they thought “such a request would be less palatable to Apple. If Apple would prefer that course, however, that may provide an alternative that requires less labor by Apple.” The footnote evoked what some lawyers familiar with the case call a “nuclear option,” seeking the power to demand and use the most prized assets of lucrative technology companies. A person close to the government’s side told Reuters that the Justice Department does not intend to press the argument that it could seize the company’s code, and someone on Apple’s side said the company isn’t worried enough to counter the veiled threat in its brief due Tuesday. But many people expect the iPhone matter to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, and thus even fallback legal strategies are drawing close scrutiny. ODDS OF SUCCESS UNCLEAR There is little clarity on whether a government demand for source code would succeed. Perhaps the closest parallel was in a case filed by federal prosecutors against Lavabit LLC, a privacy-oriented email service used by Edward Snowden. In trying to recover Snowden’s unencrypted mail from the company, which did not keep Snowden’s cryptographic key, the Justice Department got a court order forcing the company to turn over another key instead, one that would allow officials to impersonate the company’s website and intercept all interactions with its users. “Lavabit must provide any and all information necessary to decrypt the content, including, but not limited to public and private keys and algorithms,” the lower court ruled. Lavabit shut down rather than comply. But company lawyer Jesse Binnall said the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower ruling, did so on procedural grounds, so that the Justice Department’s win would not influence much elsewhere. In any case, full source code would be even more valuable than the traffic key in the Lavabit case, and the industry would go to extreme lengths to fight for it, Binnall said. “That really is the keys to the kingdom,” Binnall said. Source code is sometimes inspected during lawsuits over intellectual property, and the Justice Department noted that Apple won permission to review some of rival Samsung’s (005930.KS) code in one such case. In that case and similar battles, the code is produced with strict rules to prevent copying. No cases brought by the government have led to that sort of code production, or at least none that have come to light. But intelligence agencies operate under different rules and have wide latitude overseas. Some advanced espionage programs attributed to the United States used digital certificates that were stolen from Taiwanese companies, though not full programs. U.S. software code may have been sought in other cases, such as investigations relying on the Patriot Act or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which applies within American borders. Several people who have argued before the special FISA court or are familiar with some of its cases say they know of no time that the government has sought source code.A Ton of New Items on Sale! by Daniel Lupton As usual, our bins are overflowing here at Sorry State so we just added a TON of items to our markdown sections. As a reminder, here's how those sections are organized: Our Priced Reduced section contains mostly releases that have come out in the past 6-12 months. Most of these items are 15% off. This section is chock full of KILLER items... here at Sorry State we tend to base our order quantities on how much we like a record, so we have overstock of lots of releases that we highly recommend by artists like Obstruction, Damaged Bug, Housewives, Mujeres Podridas, Pandemix, D.O.G., Straight Jacket Nation, and many, many more! Our Clearance section contains items that have been hanging around a little longer and most of these items are 50% off or more! There's lots of great music here as well. Might I recommend the Deathly cassette, Catholic Guilt 7", or the Earth Girls LP, all of which are 50% off! And finally, if you're a real penny pincher you can always visit the $1 bin where everything costs $1! I haven't updated this section in a while but I'll try to add some new screaming deals in the next few days. Also, if you're in the Raleigh area these prices are also good in the store. They should ring up with the sale price when you check out, so don't worry if the price sticker says something different.James Cameron - How to direct a 'Terminator' From: Starlog #89 Date: December, 1984 By: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver A fantasy filmmaker unleashes a cyborg killer with the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger, an android assassin from the far-off future come to murder the promise of the present. "I was sick and dead broke in Rome, Italy," director James Cameron reminisces, "with a fever of 102, doing the final cut of Piranha II. Thats when I thought of Terminator. I guess it was a fever dream." Terminator, the second movie helmed by the Canadian-born filmmaker, also marks the debut of Arnold Schwarzenegger (STARLOG #88) in a new screen role - as a villain. "I would have to say that in my febrile youth, I was an absolutely rabid science-fiction fan," Cameron continues, detailing his background. "I read all the classics, all the Old Ace paperback novels. When I went to college, I put the brakes on that reading and got into the'real world,' which made me realize that many science-fiction writers have a much better perspective on life than those writers who are mired in the specifics of day-to-day life. Now, you might say that I've come full-circle and am back to being a big science-fiction fan." "The thing I most like about science-fiction is that it provides a way of exploring issues without upsetting any one group. You can do a story about an oppressed minority, and your readers could range from people who are members of oppressed minorities themselves to people who profit from that oppression; they can read the story and project their views into it and not get upset, while also reading the other side. If you do a story about a Latino and a landlord today, however, then the readers may get upset and take sides without seeing what the story is really saying." Using science-fiction as a way to comment on today's realities is another aspect of Terminator. "The story is set in a present that is affected by the near future," says Cameron. "The catastrophe which creates that future happens right around the corner from us today, and the people of that future - the year 2029 - know the people from the present. There is a direct relationship between the present and the future that I don't think has been done before. At the risk of telling the audience what they should think after they've seen the movie, Terminator speaks to the fact that though none of us may think much about the consequences our actions as individuals might have on the future, those actions do have consequences." "Basically, I want to give the audience an E-Ticket ride (a la the old Disneyland ticket scheme). I think they want to think a bit during the film, and talk about it afterwards, but not to have to try and figure out what it is they just saw. My 'film-school,' if you will, was hitch-hiking to the nearest town and seeing the the features at the two theaters there every Saturday. I was well-grounded in being a member of the audience, and I try to remember that; let's remember that we must be in tune with our audience or the movie won't work." "The greatest goal of a filmmaker is to entertain. If you have something to say, let it be said in such a way that you're not chasing the audience out of the theater. You have to entertain first, but many filmmakers have forgotten that ther must be something more than entertainment. If you're just going to entertain, why are you doing it? The audience will walk out. And when they come off the emotional rollercoaster, they have nothing left. There's more to filmmaking than just selling popcorn." Comparing Terminator with other genre films, Cameron observes, "There's a love story at its heart; to put it in a nutshell, I would call it a romantic nightmare. More work was spent - from a writing and acting standpoint - trying to make the people believable in an everyday setting, both in the future and the present. These are people who get up, eat their Wheaties, complain about how much money they're not getting at work, then something incredible happens. The future comes down on them like a bag of bricks! The female lead, Linda Hamilton, goes from being a coffee shop waitress, a student, to where you see that she does have the potential to be a world leader, which is what she will become. It's a stron role for a woman, not one of the cliche female characters that have been so much in evidence recently." FX & Filmmaking "Science-fiction films were notoriously under-budgeted untill George Lucas came along," Cameron notes. "Whats happened, though, is that filmmakers have become hardware-happy. The earlier movies told their stories through the characters; I think that earlier approach was better. Today's audience is being taken on a rollercoaster ride, where they sit there, waiting to see the next incredible special effect. They don't care what's going to happen next to the people, because the filmmakers didn't create believable characters for whom the audience can really care. With some of the smaller films coming out now, moviemakers are realizing they must concentrate on the people in the story. An excellent example is The Dead Zone." Cameron's view of the writing process that Terminator went through contains some insights for those writing SF screenplays. "I wrote the script with a strategy in mind, knowing the movie would be in competition with the big FX films," he explains. "For X-number of special effects, you must spend X-number of dollars at the threshhold. Below that, you'll be showing people things they don't want to see. The audience has become visually educated and sophisticated, and even a bid jaded, by the big guys. My strategy was not to do special effects from the beginning to the end; the story is set in Los Angeles, 1984, and the main character is the girl next door. Everything plays out from beginning to end against an everyday backdrop." "I think when a film is under consideration for production, the first and foremost question is: 'Does it work dramatically?' If it doesn't, it will never get to the point of people worrying about how much it costs. A writer should know enough about special FX to be able to stay away from them. The worst thing to do is overburden a script with effects which scare people away; on the other hand, you must have something visually interesting." "The writer must be able to figure out how to limit the effects and still tell the story. Start with one matte shot of the castle, for instance, then go inside and let the rest of the scene play on two sets. When you have it on the page and people read it, it makes sense to them. On the other hand, if you write the same scene to go inside the castle, out on the parapet walls, back inside through 14 rooms and end out on the roof, you have just made that same scene four times more expensive, probably without adding a thing dramatically." Nevertheless, this philosophy doesn't signify that Terminator, while admittedly done on a 'lower' budget of $6 million, is a 'cheap' FX flick. "We see the future world, briefly, at the film's beginning and end," Cameron says. "Suddenly, it skyrockets to that level of visual effect. There are quite a few matte shots and many miniatures." "Our major effect, however, is the Terminator itself, the cyborg. The cyborg is an extrapolation from present-day technology. Without getting to specific, the look of the cyborg comes from current engineering techniques. It's not a suit-of-armor type of robot that can't possibly work, but more like a state-of-the-art robot. When you walk out of the theater, I think you will believe you've been watching an honest-to-god operating robot." Much of the difference in the 'look' of Terminator derives from Cameron's out-of-the-ordinairy route to the director's chair. "I guess the one thing that's common to all independent filmmakers is that they really have nothing in common," he laughs. "I went to college and majored in physics for two years, then got married and became a truck driver, and decided I really did want to be a filmmaker. I had my own production company and did commercials and industrial films. I raised some money and did a pilot for a feature, then used the pilot to get a job as effects cameraman and art director on Roger Corman's Battle Beyond the Stars." "Then, I clawed my way up from there, as meanly and brutally as I could," he grins. "Working for Roger was good training. He's the guy who says, 'We'll make a $6 million movie for $500,000.' After Battle Beyond the Stars, I did Galaxy of Terror and had about five technical credits, then worked as co-effects supervisor for the FX done for Escape From New York, created at Roger's Venice facility." Visions & Violence While working on Battle Beyond the Stars, Cameron met his soon-to-be collaborator, Gale Ann Hurd, who shared screenplay credit with him on Terminator and also serves as the film's producer. "Gale was the assistant production manager on Battle," he explains. "I had written a treatment and most of a first draft of Terminator, which she became involved in polishing. The initial idea was mine, and the collaboration was her taking the rough edges off. Our strength in doing the movie was pooling our resources and forming an impenetrable barrier to anyone who wanted to take it away from us or change to concept." "It's always a fight to preserve your vision against the vision of others. If you have five people working as producersm you'll get five completely different concepts of what the story's really about, and often they're completely irreconcilable. You have to fall back on your own instinct. Sometimes the thoughest thing to do is to trust yourself. You might not find that possible in a collaboration if it wasn't a relationship with someone you had worked with and knew. We've been very fortunate with the support of Hemdale and Orion (which financed and distributed the film), since we didn't have that much of a track record; we had directed and produced before, but not on the scale of Terminator. Both companies now have high hopes for the picture, but there weresome times in the early stages where we did think it was going to be scooped out from beneath us." Hiring Arnold Schwarzenegger to portray the android assassin was a happy accident. "People at Orion passed the script to Arnold," Cameron relates, "with the suggestion that he plays the so-called 'hero,' Reese. He and I met, and neither of us felt very comfortable about him in that part. It had never occured to anyone that he consider playing the villain, but that was the role he wanted! Now, Arnold is a shaven-headed, eyebrowless half-man/half-machine in a black leather jacket with wraparound sunglasses. It does break the mold of what people think about him. And Arnold has come to the point where he realizes he can do what he wants to do as an actor, and he's willing to take chances." Critics of film violence may take aim at Terminator. But Cameron isn't worried. "It's a gun'n'run, shoot-em-up. Many people get shot and killed. But there isn't much gore; the violence is never rubbed in your face. It's done off-screen and used for dramatic effect. I think the audience will realize that all this violence is directed at an unkillable machine, not a man." With Terminator rampaging through theaters, James Cameron is now relaxing and wondering about the fate if some long planned sequels. "I have written the screenplay for Alien II," he reveals. "It does exist. What will be done with it, no one really knows. I can't really say anything more about Alien II than that it does exist." He has also scripted the sequel to First Blood. "I suppose there I'll have to go to the theater with everyone else to see what's been done with it."Excerpts from Nas' Baby Momma's (Carmen's) Book Quote: said Jungle and Nas are polar opposites said Nas used to break down and cry about Ill Will said Nas cried when Pac and Big died said Nas didn't like Jay-Z from day one, and that was why she chose Jay, she knew it would make Nas mad talks about a lot of industry cats, says she had an affair with Pete Rock, that's part of the reason Nas and Pete Rock don't see eye to eye says she wishes Nas and Kelis the best, but worries that Kelis is too bossy to Destiny talks about how her uncle used to beat her and how when Nas found out he went with Horse and beat the ** out of the dude said she didn't see Nas for a month when he was working on Illmatic said Nas didn't get along very well with Olu Dara until recently, but Nas still got him a record deal and appeared on his album said she and Nas fucked while Kelis and Nas were dating, but not after they were engaged said she cried when she heard Super Ugly because it mentioned Destiny said Jay-Z is a coward also Nas used to have weird episodes where he'd jet and no knew where he was, she said she found him in an appartment he secretly had in Long Island jus writing mad rhymes with pages everywhere... she said that Steve Stout was a creep she said that Nas was about to join Bad Boy in 93, but that Craig Mack was creating problems she said she thought Belly was terrible she also said Jay-Z's better at eatin * but Nas' better at **in yup Young Hov couldn't get get his jigga man up after Ether burned his soul... also Carmen wasn't into Nas until he started gettin noteriety, like when Halftime and Zebrahead dropped, she was running with this big time drug dealer dude and he got locked up and she was facing charges and she went to Nas (he was known as being the smartest dude in the projects) he and helped her beat the charges she also says that AZ made a pass at her when her and Nas were together and that Nas cheated on her with a chick from the group Allure and that's why she did Jay-Z said she wants to be an actress or have her own talk show said she hates Wendy Williams and Angie Martinez says when she first met Nas he had dreds at the top of a fade and was calling himself Kid Wave said he dropped out of high school because he was in love with a crack-whore who broke his heart said he sold drugs but was never really big time, said Jungle and Wiz were more into it said Jungle was never jealous of Nas's talent and looked up to him said Nas would often get frustrated with Jungle said the day Destiny was born Nas came to the hospital with the perfume of another woman on him said when they took her home they had a huge fight and Nas stormed out, but he came back a week later because of Destiny said Nas and Faith Newman had an affair said that there's been over 20 songs written about her she lists -Nas - Black Girl Lost -Jay-Z - Is That Your Chick -Nas - K-i-ss-i-n-g -Nas Undying Love -that song Jay and Mya did -Jay-Z - Girls, Girls, Girls (says she's the project chick) -Nas - War -Jay-Z - Takeover -Nas - Ether -Jay-Z - Super Ugly -Pete Rock - Take You There -Nas & Bravehearts - Situations -Nas - Big Girl -Nas - One Mic -Nas - Your the Man -Nas - Sincerity -said that the reason Nas was unfocused during the Nastradamus recording was because that's when he found out about her and Jay -said Oochie Wally was his attempt to make her jealous -said line on "Come Get Me" where Nas is like "you make hot songs but she know she still for me" originally referenced her by name -said she hadn't talked to Nas for a year, and then she heard Ether and Super Ugly and she called Nas and told him she loved him -said her favorite rappers are Salt N Pepper, Roxanne Shante, Lauryn Hill, Slick Rick, Nas and Mase -said that Nas smoked his first blunt when he was 11 she said that Jay used to call Nas' phone when and leave messages like "Yo son, what's up it's me, uh me and Premo are doin a track right now, and uh there's 16 bars open you wanna drop a verse..." she said they were at a party once and Jay thought it would be funny if he started clownin Nas about his chip tooth and he was sayin stuff like "Yo Nas come over here and open this Henessey...nah I'm jus playin homie" but Nas didn't smile or nothin, he jus gave Jay a blank look... she said that when she was with Jay he'd ask her weird questions about her and Nas, like what positions Nas liked to hit, and weird stuff... she said Jay-Z was obsessed with Nas she said in Jay's Manhattan appartment Jay had a huge vinyl collection of rare Nas singles and @#%$... she said his favorite albums were Ready to Die and Illmatic he'd play them all the time when Nas found out about Carmen and Jay-Z, he keep trying to get Carmen to give him Jay's address but she wouldn't because she was afraid of what Nas might do. So Nas and whoever he had with him went to the next best place to find Jay, ROC-A- FELLA records. When they got there they called upstairs and Dame answered and said Jay wasn't there, so Nas told Dame to come down and he said he couldn't cause he was there with his son some intresting stuff, basicly just portrays jay as a nas stan Intriguing: Quote: "How could Hip-Hop be Dead if Wu-Tang is Forever?" Bobby Digital Quote: "Scissor hand wig vanished in the winter Livin' off land you god damn right I fuck fans king me" Tony Starks aka IronManThe Dynaco ST70x – Release Date and Price updated! Updated for 18 May 2017 The Dynaco ST 70x saw its first appearance at the Munich High-End Show last year. Getting to the final version of the ST70x took many tests and once we were there it was time to get fully certified with CSA approvals and now the first production cycle of the brand new ST70 has already begun. With an official launch date of June 2017, the ST70 will first be heading out to your local dealers where you can demo and purchase your very own! The price of the ST70x is $2,999.99 USD. If you would like to get yours early you can pre-order online now. The new ST70 series 3 Dynaco (a division of Radial Engineering Ltd.) presents the re-launch of a legendary tube amp, the ST-70 Series 3 tube amplifier, at the 2017 High End show. Visitors to High End 2016 were given a preview of the first round prototype and, in the year since the last show, Dynaco engineers have completed work on this highly anticipated product. The Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 tube amplifier is 35 watts per channel and switchable between both 4 and 8 Ohm outputs, with Class-A push-pull stereo topography, that has long been characterized as a robust, reliable design of exceptional value. The ST-70 Series 3 builds upon the proven design philosophies of the original David Hafler-designed Stereo 70, with contemporary design techniques resulting in exceptional performance improvements that meet the requirements of modern audiophiles. Dynaco engineers have made extensive use of high-quality parts that were unavailable at the time of the original design including precision metal-film resistors, poly-composition capacitors and miniaturized high-capacity power supply electrolytic capacitors. In addition, many of the newer parts are also built to tighter specifications than the originals. For instance, the PCB is constructed of military-grade, double-sided epoxy fiberglass PC material. In compliance with modern practices, the speaker binding posts have been updated, and a heavy-duty three-pin detachable grounded power cord is provided. Signal ground is the same as electrical ground and chassis, and all signal connectors are gold-plated. The latest rendition has seen a substantially overhauled power supply from the original version, employing a larger dual-primary power transformer with improved line regulation, increased filter capacitance, and a solid-state rectifier that results in a much more articulate response. The resulting bottom end is a dramatic improvement over the original Stereo 70’s low-end response. This is augmented with a three-position high-pass filter switch to allow listeners to tailor the low-end response of the amplifier to their personal tastes. obsolete 7199 pentode signal tubes from the original Stereo 70 with more commonly-used 12AU7 dual-triode tubes as part of a configuration that harkens back to the classic Williamson amplifier – this in itself has a long-storied history in the audiophile community. The output stage and EL34/6CA7 output tubes retain the same elements as the original Stereo 70 yet with the new design, the bias adjustment for the output tubes can be individually set using a front-panel recessed trimmer for each tube. After a warm up period (and with no input signal present), the bias is easily set by matching the brightness of the front-panel LEDs. Tremendous effort was applied to improving upon the original output transformers in an effort to increase damping and tighten up the low frequency response. A rear-panel switch allows the listener to select between 4 and 8-Ohm speaker loads. The feedback location is also configured by this switch, and the gain is adjusted accordingly. This results in an improved transient response when compared to older Stereo 70 implementations. The redesigned front end of the Series 3 amplifier replaces theobsolete 7199 pentode signal tubes from the original Stereo 70 with more commonly-used 12AU7 dual-triode tubes as part of a configuration that harkens back to the classic Williamson amplifier – this in itself has a long-storied history in the audiophile community. The output stage and EL34/6CA7 output tubes retain the same elements as the original Stereo 70 yet with the new design, the bias adjustment for the output tubes can be individually set using a front-panel recessed trimmer for each tube. After a warm up period (and with no input signal present), the bias is easily set by matching the brightness of the front-panel LEDs. Tremendous effort was applied to improving upon the original output transformers in an effort to increase damping and tighten up the low frequency response. A rear-panel switch allows the listener to select between 4 and 8-Ohm speaker loads. The feedback location is also configured by this switch, and the gain is adjusted accordingly. This results in an improved transient response when compared to older Stereo 70 implementations. Building on the legacy of David Hafler’s enormously successful Stereo 70, the new Dynaco ST-70 Series 3 incorporates advancements in component quality, improvements to the electronic circuit performance and an all new design that is sure to please the most demanding audiophile. First Showing at Munich 2016 Dynaco’s first showing was at the Munich High End Show 2016. The Stereo 70 powered a pair of T+A ST20 Pulsar Speakers and the sound was quite remarkable. Massive crowds were lining up outside the Hafler/Dynaco showroom to listen to the ST70x. Social media was a buzz with ST70 enthusiasm for weeks following the ST70 launch. Press Reviews from Munich Enjoy the Music Review AudioXpress Review CEPro Review The ST70x in North America In North America the ST70x was at The Show Newport at a table ran by Rutherford Audio in partnership with Brooks Berdan Ltd. It was just on display there but following the show Brooks Berdan Ltd took it to their showroom for a week to give it a listen. You can read their post here and we have quoted their listening impressions below. Brooks Berdan Ltd Sound Impressions of the Dynaco ST70x Taken from Brooks Berdan’s impressions on their website here As the this newly styled and reissue ST70x amp warms up the LED’s slowly come to life. A quick test with some rowdy music and the LED’s start to pulse. Punchy with healthy dynamics and a snappy pace. Our first impression was that the soundstage was deep and wide. This came from listening to BYU Vocal point, “Nearer my God to Thee”, as well as some other vocal arrangements. As you would expect the design implementation of the power supply lends itself to a beautifully rounded bass that is well rounded, taught,and just plain yummy. Listening to Donald fagen “Ruby Baby” and Shelly Lynne “just a little lovin” really showed off the bass. The overall character is reminiscent of of the pleasant and warm sound of many of the better EL34 amps of the past, not the least of which, the original ST70. Leaning ever so slightly neutral side yet still warm mids, silky highs. After 3 days of pleasant and non fatiguing listening with the amp powering up a pair of Magico S1 speakers, and then with a pair of Spendor SP3/1r2 books shelf on stands. We couldn’t help ourselves and we rolled the tubes. Though the tubes the ST70x came with were certainly adequate, we had to roll them one by one. And with each new tube the sound became more relaxed, warmer, yet still capturing ever greater detail and articulation. By the end of our last evening we were particularly thrilled. This little amp played outside it’s expected price, and impressed like a high priced exotic. Final thought, it’s a winner. Gramophone’s Gaithersburg Grand Opening Norm Steinke visited the grand opening of Gramophones new Gaithersburg location where he helped set-up a TD 2035 in their main showroom. You can check out our Gramophone post here. Norm brought along the Stereo 70x with him but un-fortunately there was not enough time to give it a demo. We however snapped this awesome photo and I wanted to share it with you! The Hafler Dealer list Hafler/Dynaco dealers are steadily growing. As june is quickly approaching we will be sending out a list to all interested on what dealers will have the ST70x in store! You can sign up below to get on that list. Get notified of what dealers will have the ST70!IT’S A WHOLE NEW JELLY WORLD! The great reviews keep rolling in! "JellyCar 3 is easily the best one yet and is highly recommended" –TouchArcade "4/4 - Must Have: Whether or not you’ve played the other installments in the series, you'll find JellyCar 3 to be a total blast." –SlideToPlay “…easily the best JellyCar so far” –TheAppEra "...awesome physics and really addicting gameplay." –Appolicious "Perfection...FIVE OUT OF FIVE!" -Nine Over Ten JellyCar3 is a driving/platforming game that’s all about driving a squishy car through squishy worlds, trying to reach the exit. JellyCar3 features soft body physics for all of the objects in the world. Also your car can transform for a limited time to aid progression through the level. NEW LEVELS WITH SECRET EXITS JellyCar 3 includes 50 themed levels designed to maximize your squishy gameplay. With platforms and objects that move, rotate, and trigger special effects, each level is a new adventure! Race to the stop sign, and keep an eye out for secret exits! NEW CAR CUSTOMIZATION Choose your car then create a customized color-styled JellyCar. Add detail down to the hubcaps! You can even customize the sound of your JellyCar! NEW GHOST RACING Chase your personal best times with the ghost car feature. NEW RECORD FEATURE Save replays and relive your best times. SQUISHY GOODNESS Soar over obstacles and reach goals with the Balloon ability, climb walls with Sticky Tires, tap your car to make it grow, and play along with great music and sound effects. Everything that makes JellyCar awesome is here and more, so test-drive JellyCar 3 today! Like Us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyMobile Follow Us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/disneymobile Terms of Use: http://disneytermsofuse.com/When prosecutors compared
the rest of the culture will make a comeback. But the faith will persevere. The next time you go to your local place of worship, say a prayer that we can have the freedom to worship, learn, and serve in public places. Dominic Bouck, O.P., is a Dominican brother of the Province of St. Joseph and a summer intern atFirst Things.The World of Convenience 1.Follow Procedure Save 0 Events and Things Do you want to be part of a community game? Do you hate lines? Do you just want to play how you play and then throw the save back to the community?If so than this game is for you! I want this to be a game you don't have to dump too much time into and that everyone can contribute at least a little to.Rules-2.Don't use tilesets, they occasionally mess things up.3.Vanilla forever. Don't use anything that can mess with how the game runs. It isn't dwarf fortress if you aren't experiencing a fear of ampersands.4.Unless you say you're going on a 24 hour Dwarf Fortress Marathon, 24 hours after your I DECLARE post, the current save will once again be considered up for grabs. Late returners can still return the save, so long as there have been no new I DECLARE posts.Otherwise, anything goes. You can ask others in your post to do something for you, but no one is obliged to follow up. Writeups are done at your own whim, heck, your two posts can just be "I DECLARE I AM PLAYING" and "I DECLARE I AM FINISHED [Link]" and leave us wondering what you did.Procedure-1.Check to see if anyone else has the save.2.Post that you are going to play the save include I DECLARE I AM PLAYING. If two people managed to post at about the same time, first one there picks it up. I suggest refreshing the page.3.Download the save and play for however long you're going to.4.At the end of your session, post I DECLARE I AM FINISHED, and INCLUDE THE SAVE. Don't putz about, all that's needed is the file.5.Repeat forever.I might include a list of players and neat things that happen at my convenience.McMagma founds a Fort in an Icy Wasteland-Thriggle plays fort-McMagma plays fort-10terrapin01 plays fortGeonho ‘Claris’ Lee, who was to join Lunatic-Hai, revealed that he will not be joining the team. Claris expressed his intention of giving up his recruitment for the team, posting a public explanation (Link in Korean) for the controversy regarding him joining Lunatic-Hai as the Seventh Man. Lee listed the three charges against him: using unauthorized programs for another game, boosting, and poor sportsmanship while using a shared Rhinos Titan account. After explaining the charges, he proceeded to debunk each one. Regardless of whether they are actually true or not, he said he felt “great psychological pressure in being accused of these allegations.” Claris mentioned in his post that he has been reconsidering his recruitment to Lunatic-Hai and has decided not to join the team. He also added that he needs to take a break from his career. Lastly, he asserted that his apology post has no relation to either Lunatic-Hai or Rhinos Gaming. In response to the news, Lunatic-Hai was contacted by Inven over the phone and confirmed Lee’s statement to be true. Lunatic-Hai said that the team will release an announcement regarding the Seventh Man recruitment issue in the near future.bonus shot: sinful mushroom bourguignon YUM. Photographed with Nikon D300, 60mm micro lens. In our house, Marcus does most of the cooking. I mean, I cook, but I'm one of those people who can read a recipe, and know a couple of tricks to make it taste a bit better; Marcus, however, can take an old peach, a strip of bacon and a match, and make cuisine. He is a cooking MacGyver, that man. So, some time ago, while I was on an online quest for good vegetarian food, I was surfing one of my new favourite reads, Smitten Kitchen. I came upon their recipe for mushroom bourgignon, and immediately my mouth started watering. It looked amazing. I printed it out, and gave it to Marcus. "Dude, you have got to make this," I said breathlessly, "but make it your own." Since that time, Marcus has made this dish on several occasions, and he has finally has come up with a version that he loves (and one that Alex and I positively crave). I love this recipe, because it's one of those dishes that can make a carnivore forget they're eating vegetarian -- not that it tastes like meat (because it doesn't), but because it's so rich and full-bodied, you can totally forgive the absence of meat. And so, with all due and well-deserved respect to Smitten Kitchen (because let me tell you, Deb and Alex over there are positive culinary artists), the following is Marcus' version. Instead of egg noodles, Marcus serves his with his famous roasted potatoes, for a bit of a different stick-to-your-rib-ocity. COMPLETELY SINFUL MUSHROOM BOURGIGNON 1-1/2 pounds fresh whole mushrooms, each mushroom cut in half 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large carrots, diced coarsely 1 large onion, finely chopped 14 oz petite whole onions (thaw if frozen) 2 cups vegetable broth (once, in a pinch, Marcus used a packet of onion soup mix dissolved in 2 cups hot water, and that worked beautifully as well) 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 bottle of full-bodied red wine 1 tablespoon flour a dash of Worcestershire sauce (we use Annie's Vegan Worcestershire sauce, to make it fully vegetarian) 2 tablespoons tomato paste salt & pepper to taste 1. Saute mushrooms in 1-1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil on high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the mushrooms have begun to water and have browned, remove to a dish, and set aside. 2. In original pot, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Saute large onion and carrots on medium heat, until the onion carmelizes (about 10 minutes). Add thyme and garlic, mix well. 3. Increase to high heat. Add wine. Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until mixture is reduced by half (about 10 minutes or so). 4. While wine mixture is simmering, melt remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons of butter in a separate dish, and add flour. Mix well into a thick paste. Set aside. 5. Once wine mixture has been reduced, add mushrooms. Add vegetable broth. Return to boil; once boiling, reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes. 6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, petite whole onions and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 more minutes. 7. Add flour/butter mixture, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Enjoy! This serves about 4 people.Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was shocked when he read the Game of Thrones season 7 scripts: “I’m like, ‘Already? Now?! What?!'” The Jaime Lannister actor (and other members of the HBO hit’s cast) say fans should similarly brace themselves: The upcoming season is an intense and fast ride. The pace of the series, they say, has noticeably ramped up from previous years. In fact, season 7 doesn’t play quite like any other season of the show. “I feel like I’d been lulled into a different pace,” Coster-Waldau says. “Everything happened quicker than I’m used to … a lot of things that normally take a season now take one episode.” Agrees Jon Snow actor Kit Harington: “This season is really different than any other season because it’s accelerating toward the end, a lot of stuff collides and happens much much quicker than you’re used to seeing on Thrones … it’s so different than what everybody is used to. It’s quite exciting.” Now, fans are probably thinking the fast pace is because there are fewer episodes — seven this year instead of the customary 10 (and then there’s an eighth-and-final season still to come). But that’s actually not the case, the show’s writers say. “Things are moving faster because in the world of these characters the war that they’ve been waiting for is upon them,” showrunner Dan Weiss explains. “The conflicts that have been building the past six years are upon them and those facts give them a sense of urgency that makes [the characters] move faster.” Put another way: Between Daenerys and her army sailing toward Westeros, the Night King and his army of the dead descending from the North and the Starks aggressively retaking Winterfell … there are multiple storm-of-swords battle fronts all coming together at the same time. “For a long time we’ve been talking about ‘the wars to come,'” showrunner David Benioff says. “Well, that war is pretty much here. So it’s really about trying to find a way to make the storytelling work without feeling like we’re rushing it — you still want to give characters their due, and pretty much all the characters that are now left are all important characters. Even the ones who might have started out as relatively minor characters have become significant in their own right.” Adds co-executive producer Bryan Cogman: “There are White Walkers and dragons and once they start to come together the story has to go where it goes.” And where does the story go, exactly? Well, Monday’s dragon war photo gives you some idea. And, previously, actor Iain Glen, who plays Ser Jorah, claimed the season 7 scripts were the best ones yet. For ongoing Game of Thrones coverage, follow @jameshibberd for the latest (non-fake and spoiler free); subscribe to our GoT newsletter for breaking news alerts, and check out our GoT podcast. Game of Thrones returns July 16.Two former Fort Stockton police officers have been indicted after one allegedly struck their own child repeatedly with a belt. Evanjelina Salamanca, 34, and Derek Calderon, 21. (Mugshots courtesy of the Pecos County Sheriff's Office) Evanjelina Salamanca, 34, has been charged with Injury to a Child and assault causing bodily injury. Derek Calderon, 21, has been charged with Injury to a Child for failure to prevent actions to protect a child from injury. The two were dating and working as officers with the Fort Stockton Police Department when the alleged assault happened, according to Pecos County District Attorney Sandy Wilson. According to the indictments, Salamanca allegedly hit her own child repeatedly with a belt while Calderon did nothing to stop it in the month of March. Salamanca and Calderon were off-duty at the time of the assault. On June 6 both Salamanca and Calderon resigned after being indicted. Both were booked into jail and bonded out the same day. CBS 7 News paid the couple a visit at their home to get their side of the story, but Calderon's grandmother was the one who answered the door. “I don't know nothing sweetie, I just got here and I just came to pick up something, I'm on my way home,” said Calderon’s grandmother. We asked Calderon’s grandmother what she thought about the charges against her grandson and his girlfriend, but she said she didn’t know anything and closed the door on us. According to investigators there are open cases involving four of Salamanca’s five children. In addition to Salamanca’s indictment, she's been charged with assault family violence for allegedly hitting her child who's over the age of 14 and charges are pending for the last two. Calderon is not the father of the four victims, however he and Salamanca have an infant child together, who is not under investigation. Very few details in this case are available at this time since it is an open investigation, but we will continue to follow it closely. Wilson tells CBS 7 that the investigation is ongoing and that the Texas Rangers are investigating.Urban Meyer was eating lunch with Tim Tebow last March when the Ohio State coach's phone rang. Urban Meyer and his former Florida QB, Tim Tebow, weren't trying to lure a recruit to the Buckeyes when the coach handed Tebow the phone last March. But it still amounted to a secondary infraction. Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports It was a recruit on the other end. Despite entertaining Tebow, friends and family, Meyer wasn't too busy to answer the phone. Meyer and Tebow, his former quarterback at Florida and now an ESPN analyst, weren't talking about recruiting, and Meyer said he wasn't trying to lure linebacker Clifton Garrett to the Buckeyes when the coach handed Tebow the phone. But the ensuing eight-second conversation was a minor violation of NCAA rules, one that Ohio State self-reported to the NCAA in 2013 among other secondary infractions, according to documents obtained by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The violation went public when Garrett, who ultimately committed to LSU, later tweeted about it. I just called Coach Meyer just ta see whats up and next thing you know I was talking on the phone to TIM TEBOW!!! #InShockRightNow #Insane! - Clifton Garrett CG3™ (@CG340) March 9, 2013 According to the newspaper report, Meyer told Garrett he was on vacation and having lunch with friends and family, which included Tebow. Garrett then asked Meyer whether he could wish Tebow luck on the upcoming NFL season, and Meyer obliged. But Meyer, who maintained it was an unintentional violation, reported that neither he nor anyone else on the Buckeyes' staff had instructed Garrett to call and that Tebow had not talked to any other prospective recruits -- not then nor at any other time. Ohio State reported 42 secondary infractions to the NCAA across all sports during 2013, according to the report, which cited the school documents and said that number wasn't out of the ordinary. Among the other violations reported were "inadvertent calls on smart phones" -- also known as pocket dials -- to recruits by coaches. "Six out of the seven calls were for one minute or less and the other was a two minute call or less," the school reported, according to The Plain Dealer. "The coaches were unaware that the calls had taken place until the recruiting software flagged the calls in April of 2013. The inadvertent calls were not made through the recruiting software application on the coaches' phones and therefore, the coaches were unaware that the calls had occurred until the Compliance Office cross referenced the coaches' phone bills with the recruiting information in the software. "Notably, the review did not find evidence of attempts to evade the phone call legislation by receiving an immediate return call from a recruit."Happy 4th of July! What does Independence Day mean to you? Is this a time of solemn reflection on our past, present and future—or a time to indulge in food, drink and fireworks? As you know from Monday’s post, I created a bit of a dilemma when I purchased $100 of “really good” fireworks. Later in today’s post, I’ll tell you what I decided to do. Even if we focus on food and fireworks, we still participate in a national ritual. By pausing to celebrate Independence Day, we are—for a moment—united in a national celebration with a long tradition. Those symbolic rituals form some of the cultural glue that binds together a diverse nation. It can’t help but remind us of the hopes and dangers that were present in 1776—and, in different form, are present today. Is America today the last best hope for mankind? About four in ten (43%) Americans say yes, according to a new poll by Rasmussen Reports. In May 2010, a majority of Americans (51%) felt the same way. Now to the fireworks. I fretted on Monday that my purchase of $100 worth of newly legalized aerial fireworks was an overindulgence that might be spoiling my 10 year old son. I’ve decided to follow the good advice proffered by OurValues readers. Have fun, invite the neighbors, and be safe. In fact, we have the perfect opportunity. We’ll be joining our neighbors in a holiday fete in the cul-de-sac down the street, sponsored by our local homeowners association. The association is a quirky one-purpose organization. It’s sole purpose is to maintain the neighborhood’s small water-retention area. The informal purpose is an excuse for food, drink, and now—fireworks. How do you celebrate the 4th of July? Is it another excuse for overindulgence? Or a time to reflect on the nation? PLEASE, ADD A COMMENT BELOW …. AND CLICK ON the “Now You Can Find Us on Facebook” link in the right-hand column. Originally published at www.OurValues.org, an experiment in civil dialogue about American values.TORONTO – Some of Ontario’s small brewers worry the government’s new deal with the Beer Store that promises to nearly triple their shelf space in the company’s 447 retail outlets won’t achieve that goal. Under the province’s revised agreement with the foreign-owned Beer Store, the amount of shelf space for products from small and craft brewers is supposed to grow from seven to 20 per cent. READ MORE: Beer Store opens ownership to all Ontario-based brewers However, Matt Johnston of Collective Arts Brewing says the increased shelf space will apply only to 100 self-serve stores, not the majority of regular Beer Stores where the product is kept out of sight, behind the counter. Asked if small brewers will get 20 per cent of the warehouse or cooler space behind the Beer Store’s cash registers, the Ministry of Finance said “logistics are still under consideration.” Johnston wants the government to mandate that the Beer Store “tear down the wall” and convert all its stores to open-concept. The Beer Store promised to spend $100 million over four years to modernize its retail outlets, and agreed all new stores will be open-concept and self-serve.For months, the Democratic-controlled Congress and the Bush administration have been locked in a potentially historic battle over whether top White House aides will ever testify about the controversial firings of federal prosecutors in late 2006. But now these two branches of government may have hit a roadblock on their way to a constitutional confrontation. A federal judge on June 23 appeared very reluctant to rule on the administration's broad claim of executive privilege in the case. Historically, the judiciary has been hesitant to meddle in this area unless the stakes are clear and high. "Whether I rule for the executive branch or I rule for the legislative branch, I'm going to disrupt the balance [of powers], said US District Judge John Bates. For Bush officials this attitude may be a bit of good news. It means a new president will likely be in office before the dispute is resolved – and the next administration, or the next Congress, may decide to just drop the whole thing. Judge Bates "might just let the clock run out on this," says Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia. At issue in a three-hour hearing in a federal courtroom on June 23 was a demand from the House Judiciary Committee for documents and testimony from the president's chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, and former counsel, Harriet Miers, about the US attorney dismissals. Panel members say they need that information to help determine whether the Bush White House improperly politicized some of the nation's top federal prosecutor jobs. The Bush administration argues that Mr. Bolten and Ms. Miers are immune from such requests due to executive privilege – the legal doctrine stating that discussions between a president and his advisers can be kept secret. Congessional-White House disputes over executive privilege are fairly common, but most are settled short of a lawsuit, say analysts. Courts don't like to handle them, and for the disputants they take too much time, money, and attention away from other business. They are generally settled in the political arena, with either Congress or the White House backing down. Or Congress can use other methods of trying to enforce compliance, including employing its power of the purse to withhold funds requested by the administration. Judge leery of White House claims At times in the June 23 hearing, Bates seemed skeptical of the administration's claims. In the case, the Justice Department is holding that senior presidential advisers under all circumstances are immune from congressional subpoenas. But the judge also appeared to side with the argument that Congress perhaps had issued its subpoenas too quickly. Lawmakers could have refused to confirm further judicial nominees, he said, and waited to see if such pressure produced the desired testimony before rushing to the courthouse. Bates even mentioned that the House could hold Miers and Bolten in contempt, and order their arrest and detention in the Capitol. In response, House counsel Irvin B. Nathan said he doubted that arresting a member of the administration would bring a tidy end to such a dispute, and filing a lawsuit was a better way to proceed. The administration's claims of executive privilege in this case are exceptionally broad, notes Professor Tobias. The White House is essentially arguing that all conversations of all senior officials – even those that don't involve the president – are exempt from court-ordered disclosure. "Congress probably has the better of the argument here," says Tobias. But even if the White House is asking for too much, Congress is asking for quite a bit in terms of disclosure as well, he adds. The Bush administration may resent what it feels is a fishing expedition, and Bates – a Bush nominee – might agree. "This is really a very difficult case," says Tobias. But it may not be the last such case of the Bush administration. On June 20, the president asserted executive privilege in withholding from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee documents related to the decision of the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken decisions on the control of smog and greenhouse gases. Claims of interference with EPA The chairman of the House Oversight panel, Rep. Henry Waxman (D) of California contends that the White House intervened with the EPA to produce more industry-friendly smog standards, and to deny California and a dozen other states permission to control greenhouse gases on their own. The administration has already produced thousands of pages of papers dealing with these decisions, but panel investigators claim some important documents are still being held back. "I have a clear sense that their assertion of this privilege is self-serving and not based on the appropriate law and rules," said Representative Waxman on June 20. •Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Financial stocks grabbed the lead among S&P 500 sectors early Tuesday, while Bank of America was the No. 1 advancer among the Dow industrials. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund XLF, -0.30% which tracks financial stocks in the S&P 500 SPX, -0.08% was up 0.9%. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS, +0.13% was up 2.3%. Bank of America Corp. BAC, +0.07% was up more than 2% and was the biggest gainer in the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.13% J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. JPM, -0.76% was up nearly 1.2% and was the second-biggest gainer in the Dow. Citigroup Inc. C, -0.64% was up 2%. Morgan Stanley MS, +0.52% Chief Executive James Gorman said he hopes the company will deliver its return-on-equity Goals By 2014 to shareholders at the annual meeting in Purchase, New York. Shareholders for the firm voted to approve the company’s executive compensation plan. Morgan Stanley shares were up nearly 2%. Goldman Sachs is said to be considering decreasing its usage of the Bloomberg LP terminal after reports that some employees were using the terminal to access customer activity, said a report on The New York Post. Bloomberg has acknowledged its reporters used the terminal to look into activity of employees at Wall Street firms. The Federal Reserve announced it expects 18 U.S. banks will be expected to submit results of midyear stress tests to the regulator by July 5. This is part of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires each firm to develop a robust capital planning process in the event of adverse economic downturn. This will be the first time the midyear test is being conducted by the Federal Reserve. NYSE Euronext US:NYX is considering selling or spinning off its trading business in Europe, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The IntercontinentalExchange Inc. ICE, -0.05% which is planning to acquire the big board for $10 billion later this year, plans to separate the Euronext arm and focus on the derivatives business and the U.S. stock and options trading market, said the report. The NYSE Euronext is proposing lowering its trading access fees in an attempt to curb trades from heading into so-called dark pools, according to a report in Bloomberg. The New York Stock Exchange and other exchanges have lobbied regulators to curb trading in dark pools arguing lack of transparency. This latest proposal comes as activity in dark pools has increased to 36% in March from 16% in 2008, according to a Rosenblatt Securities Inc. study, the report said. Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC RBS, +1.90% bailed out by the U.K. government, won't be privately run any time soon, according to government officials cited in Wall Street Journal report. The U.S. government owns 81% of RBS and was given approximately $70 billion in bailout money in 2008. U.K. officials are looking into splitting up the bank but it is unclear whether that will happen, said the report. Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.Welcome to the world of Barstool Sports, the only newspaper in Boston written by the common man for the common man. Quite simply, Barstool Sports consists of a bunch of average Joes, who like most guys, love sports, gambling, golfing and chasing short skirts. We spend our NFL Sunday's worrying about our fantasy football teams and our summers worrying about the Sox. Our writers are the type of guys you'll bump into at a sports bar skipping work on the first and second days of March Madness. We are the type of guys who rent a small 3 bedroom house in Newport RI with 14 friends every summer. We are the guys who wait in line for Pats playoffs tickets from midnight until 1pm the next day in sub artic temperatures and honestly think we deserved a shot at being the Sox GM. In other words, the staff of Barstool Sports consists of a bunch of slobs, who think and care about what the average guy thinks and cares about. While we realize that there are already tons of free newspapers in Metro Boston, our goal in creating Barstool Sports was to create a paper that appeals to the large group of men like ourselves, who would rather watch SportsCenter than the local news when they get home from work. It is meant to give average Bostonians something to read while either suffering on the Green Line, getting a coffee at Dunkin Donuts or in preparation for making a friendly wager with a buddy on a football game. Barstool Sports will be published once a week and cover an endless range of topics from fantasy football, to local sports teams, to pop culture, to dating ideas in Boston, to great guy vacation spots. Basically, anything that could be a topic of conversation between buddies at local pub is a potential topic for Barstool Sports. The most important thing for us at Barstool Sports is that our newspaper is fun to read and discusses things that are of interest and importance to most men 18-45 years old in this city. We don't take ourselves very seriously and view working at Barstool Sports as a way to avoid becoming slaves to cubicle life. All of our stories will be written from the heart and we can assure you that there will be no hidden agendas or politics involved in anything we discuss. We always encourage feedback from our readers on what you like and don't like about our newspaper and will try and make this thing as entertaining and fun to read as humanly possible. We truly look forward to becoming part of this city and hope that you have as much fun reading the paper as we do putting it together. December 17 - December 24, 2003 In order to view the issue, you must have Adobe Reader. Email your shipping address to: shirts@barstoolsports.com Entertainment News Email List entertainment@barstoolsports.com Free Pick Email List freepicks@barstoolsports.comIvan Frederick II (born 1966), is a former staff sergeant in the United States Army. He was the highest in rank of the seven U.S. military police personnel who have been charged with torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In 2004, Frederick pleaded guilty to conspiracy, dereliction of duty, maltreatment of detainees, assault, and indecent acts. He was sentenced to 8 years confinement and loss of rank and pay, and he received a dishonorable discharge.[2][3][4] He was released on parole in October 2007, after spending four years in prison[5] He was the senior enlisted soldier at the prison from October to December 2003. Prior to his deployment to Iraq, Frederick was a corrections officer at Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn, Virginia.[6][7] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] Further reading [ edit ]A while back, in a post about Kim Kardashian’s fame, Lisa summarized the concept of a patriarchal bargain as “a decision to accept gender rules that disadvantage women in exchange for whatever power one can wrest from the system. It is an individual strategy designed to manipulate the system to one’s best advantage, but one that leaves the system itself intact.” Christine B. sent in an excellent example of an individual-level attempt at empowerment with the confines of gender inequality. The video, part of the Howcast series of how-to videos, explains to women how to get men to buy them drinks at a bar: In case you didn’t feel like watching the video, I can sum it up for you: Dress sexy, but not slutty, or you’re asking for it. How do you know if you’ve crossed the line? Well, if any men act inappropriately toward you, you must have shown too much boob. Better luck next time! Instead of planning a fun night out with your female friends, select only one — the bubbliest one, obviously — and go find a male-dominated environment. Buy yourself one drink right off the bat, so it looks like you’re an independent-minded woman who isn’t trying to get free shit in return for being pretty. I mean, you are doing that, but you don’t want to make it obvious. Men might be turned off if the gendered exchange were made explicit. Assume all men are stupid. Don’t ever stop to question a system that tells women that trading on our appearance, faking interest in people, excluding friends from social outings because they might be annoying to random men you’ve never met, and being manipulative are all totally empowering and socially-acceptable ways to behave as long as ladies get a fairly low-cost item for free in return for our efforts. Transcript after the jump.Rogers Renames The Score to ‘Sportsnet 360’ Rogers Media is renaming The Score as “Sportsnet 360” after acquiring the sports news channel in August for $172 million. Several news outlets including the Globe and Mail indicated that Sportsnet 360 will serve as a 24-hour sports news service for the hardcore sports fan. Despite buying The Score last summer, Rogers Media could only recently take over the station after the CRTC granted approval to the sale. Rogers Media plans to officially rebrand the channel on July 1. “This will be the home of breaking news and information powered by the Sportsnet engine,” said Scott Moore, president of broadcasting at Rogers Media. “The first people we need to satisfy are the former Score viewers, because we don’t want them to leave us. Then we can build on that.” Rogers Media says the new channel’s logo will include Sportnet’s red and blue colour scheme along with The Score’s familiar orange and blue. How all the colours will nicely blend together can only be left up to the imagination. The eventual buy out could have been seen as predictable to some, as cable giants Rogers Media and BCE heavily increased their stronghold on the Canadian sports television market over the past half-decade. In the same month that The Score’s parent company Score Media was acquired, Rogers Media and BCE’s combined takeover of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment was finally granted. While The Score gained a loyal viewership, they never could leap frog over industry leading TSN of BCE or Rogers Sportsnet. Despite this, the channel came a long way from its days in the mid-90s as a rudimentary sports ticker service called “Sportscope.” In 1997 the channel rebranded as “Headline Sports,” featuring a 24-hour sports news and headline service. A dispute with CNN Headline News in 2000 led to the channel’s current moniker, The Score. Part of The Score’s popularity with fans was due to its lax (or progressive) approach to humour, most notably with top anchors Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro. While TSN could boast Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole, The Score was largely the first Canadian channel to offer sports highlights coupled with genuinely humerous banter. The channel relied on these on-air personalities, since they couldn’t win the rights to major sporting events. Other notable personalities to spend time at The Score were Elliotte Friedman, Cabral “Cabbie” Richards, James Cybulski and Steve Kouleas. Moore reportedly stated that Sportsnet 360 will stick to the style that has worked so well with The Score thus far. It also remains to be seen how Rogers Media will tackle the Canadian university sports aspect of The Score, as the channel was the only of the big three to devote in-depth, meaningful coverage to university sports, specifically men’s football. Apparently, Rogers Media plans to continue this coverage. With more financial means at its disposal this should ring well with fans of both the channel and university sports.Here’s a tutorial for finishing a cross stitch in a hoop. Of course there’s a few different ways, but this is a method I use regularly which can be customized to suit the stitching. I’m hooping ‘Florence the Owl’ and I’ve chosen hot pink felt and bright green ribbon to match her. I’ll stitch the felt backing on with turquoise thread. If your hoop is a bit ropey you could wrap it with ribbon or tape. As well as your FO and a hoop, you need felt and ribbon, and cardboard of the same colour as your cross stitch fabric. Toy stuffing as well, but it’s not essential. Firstly, make a circle of felt and a circle of card the same size as the outside edge of the inner hoop. Trace around the hoop in pencil to make a line to cut. Give your stitching an iron on the reverse side to remove creases and plump up the stitches a little. It helps to be neat like this, especially with evenweave, so that loose thread and trailing ends don’t show though to the front. Trim all the little ends of thread left here and there and press flat with the iron. Now put your stitching in the hoop. 1 The cardboard circle is going to sit on top of the inner ring and go under the fabric. This does a few things. It will help provide a bright background and so your stitching will look great! The grid holes in the fabric won’t be as noticeable. My stitching here is on evenweave - I’m going to use stuffing inside the hoop and the cardboard will stop it fluffing out the front. And the cardboard will also help protect from accidental impact damage. 2 When you’re happy with the position of the fabric do up the fastener as tight as you can, pulling the fabric flat all around the edges as you do the fastener up a little more each time The gridlines of the fabric should remain straight. 3 Now trim the fabric all around the hoop to make it a circle. It’s easier to round the corners off first, and then trim down from there. 4 Fold the fabric down neatly at the back. Start at the top and make folds the same direction all around. This way your backing fabric will lay nice and flat. Fix the fabric in place with some running stitches made where the creases lay. 5 I did two rows with this one as the evenweave wasn’t laying as flat as I liked. You could trim your fabric more than I did at stage 3 so there’s less to stitch. 6 Poke some toy stuffing under the fabric and push it right up inside all around. This optional extra protection makes the back feel solidly squishy. 7 Now fix the felt circle onto the back by stitching it onto the evenweave fabric. I’ve used a simple blanket stitch. Make straight stitches from the edge inwards, pick up the last stitch and pull it flat. Blanket stitch will give some protection to the edge of the felt and looks lovely. But you could be more creative if you like! 8 This thread is a colour in the pattern. For blanket stitch, use a piece of thread as long as three times the circumference of your hoop. Use all six strands, much easier than separating it! The stitches are about 1cm apart here. 9 Tie the two ends together in a tight knot and tuck that knot into the fabric with the thread in the needle. Trim the ends where they poke out, if you need to. Finish with a bit of ribbon at the fastener to hang the hoop. Double over one length of ribbon with one twist. Knot it at the end and loop through the fastener with the knot at the back and a flat loop ready for hanging. (The photos for this one came out a bit rubbish so here’s a similar FO ^^) Done!Nvidia said today that it would release an eight-inch tablet aimed at hardcore gamers, the Shield Tablet, starting June 29 in the U.S. and Canada and on August 14 in Europe. The Shield will start at $299 for a 16 gigabyte Wi-Fi-only model and $399 for a 32 gigabyte model that can connect to LTE on AT&T or T-Mobile. Although the Android device will be able to run a wide range of apps, it will be advertised as “the ultimate tablet for gamers.” In an online press briefing yesterday, Shield Tablet general manager Matt Wuebbling said the market for mobile
awards to persons who were seeking reconciliation between Germany and France. Since 1945, that reconciliation has become a reality. The dreadful suffering in World War II demonstrated the need for a new Europe. Over a seventy-year period, Germany and France had fought three wars. Today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners. In the 1980s, Greece, Spain and Portugal joined the EU. The introduction of democracy was a condition for their membership. The fall of the Berlin Wall made EU membership possible for several Central and Eastern European countries, thereby opening a new era in European history. The division between East and West has to a large extent been brought to an end; democracy has been strengthened; many ethnically-based national conflicts have been settled. The admission of Croatia as a member next year, the opening of membership negotiations with Montenegro, and the granting of candidate status to Serbia all strengthen the process of reconciliation in the Balkans. In the past decade, the possibility of EU membership for Turkey has also advanced democracy and human rights in that country. The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU’s most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights. The stabilizing part played by the EU has helped to transform most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace. The work of the EU represents “fraternity between nations”, and amounts to a form of the “peace congresses” to which Alfred Nobel refers as criteria for the Peace Prize in his 1895 will. Oslo, 12 October 2012 To cite this section MLA style: The Nobel Peace Prize for 2012. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Tue. 26 Feb 2019. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2012/press-release/>(Photo: Getty Images) Everybody loves a European adventure. But when we are going abroad we tend to overlook smaller cities for enduring favorites like Paris, London, Venice and Rome. Once you've visited the classics, it's time to head to one of these underrated cities in Europe. 1. Cork, Ireland Cork is often referred to as the "real capital of Ireland." Dublin, the actual capital, is great. But if you're looking for a city that is easy to navigate, with locals that are friendly and welcoming, and a laid-back vibe, Cork is for you. The city is also known for its "foodie" restaurants, pubs and live music. 2. Lyon, France With vibrant nightlife, cultural life, an array of museums and lots of shopping, Lyon gives Paris a run for its money. Make sure to check out the Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon and Parc de la Tête d'Or, France's largest park. 3. Helsinki, Finland Set on the Gulf of Finland, Helsinki is a sea town with a quirky personality. Explore the harbor and watch ferries come in and out of port, check out museums, have a classic Finnish sauna experience or hang out in one of the city's many parks and green spaces. 4. Budapest, Hungary Budapest is gaining traction as a new favorite for travelers. It's often considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, with its distinctive architecture and romantic setting on the Danube River. Sample Hungarian cuisine, soak in the hot springs and explore the city's complex history. 5. Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Freiburg is a university town surrounded by nature. It has a medieval story-book feel, yet is also one of the greenest cities in the world. The city is known for its eco-friendly housing, use of solar power and lack of cars. Freiburg is also perfectly located at the entrance to the stunning, mythical-sounding Black Forest. 6. Gothenburg, Sweden Gothenburg (or, Göteborg) is basically a cooler, less expensive version of Stockholm. Hip cafes, eye-catching architecture, street art and artisan shopping all contribute to the city's creative atmosphere. There's also Liseberg amusement park, museums and tons of parks to check out. Nearby archipelagos welcome explorers. 7. Porto, Portugal The history of Porto dates back to Roman times, and today it's a colorful, romantic port city with rich history and culture. Visitors should check out the city's historic center (also known as the Ribeira district), the Museu de Arte Contemporânea and Casa da Música. Porto is also the birthplace of port wine, so get ready to drink. 8. Granada, Spain Andalucía just sounds magical, doesn't it? The city of Granada is located in the autonomous community of Andalucía, Spain. Granada's main attraction is the Alhambra, a Moorish palace and citadel. Beyond the Alhambra though is a youthful city with a complex, multicultural history. 9. Maastricht, The Netherlands Maastricht is really, really pretty. A university city, Maastricht is youthful yet sophisticated. There are two main squares: Vrijthof is known for its cathedral, bars and restaurants, and Markt is home to the town hall. Maastricht also draws in history buffs with its fortified walls and an underground network of tunnels that visitors can tour. 10. Ghent, Belgium Visitors to Ghent will quickly fall in love with this cosy little city. Ghent is modern with a historic backdrop and stunning canalside architecture. Check out Gravensteen castle, the Belfry, and St. Peter's Abbey. 11. Bucharest, Romania Bucharest's nickname was once "Little Paris" and it's not hard to see why. The city features wide, tree-lined streets and Belle Époque-style architecture indicative of its elegant past. Today, Bucharest is home to some of Romania's best museums, manicured parks and a vibrant nightlife scene. 12. Innsbruck, Austria Innsbruck is the capital of the Tyrol region, in the western part of Austria. The city sits in a valley, with mountains towering above it. On any given day in Innsbruck visitors can tour the awe-inspiring Imperial Palace, ride the funicular up to the slopes and spend the evening chilling in pub among the locals. 13. Genoa, Italy Italy has no shortage of awesome cities, but one that often gets overlooked is Genoa. The hilly, ancient maritime city is known for its winding streets, colorful buildings and waterfront location. Genoa's old port, Porto Antico, features palm tree-lined promenade, cafes and an aquarium. The old town will immediately transport you to medieval times, with its narrow cobblestone streets and the San Lorenzo Cathedral. 14. Bratislava, Slovakia Bratislava perfectly combines nature and urban life. The Danube River winds through the city and the Small Carpathians are only a stone's throw away. Starý Mesto (the old town) features 18th-century buildings, cozy cafes and Bratislava Castle. 15. Odense, Denmark Odense is the quirky little capital of Funen, the third largest island in Denmark. The fact that Hans-Christen Andersen was born here makes this storybook town even more quaint. The town's main attractions are open-air museum Funen Village and the Odense Zoo, along with many restaurants and cafes. 16. Ljubljana, Slovenia Ljubljana may be the prettiest city you haven't been to yet. The capital city of Slovenia boasts a blend of cultures, including German, Slovenian and Mediterranean. A medieval castle hovers over Ljubljana, just outside the city center. 17. Basel, Switzerland Basel sits on the Rhine River, near the borders of Germany and France, giving the city a unique multi-national flair. The city is a culture buff's heaven -- Basel has the largest concentration of museums in Europe. 18. Manchester, UK Manchester is famous for its unwavering love of its soccer teams, the lively music scene (Manchester is the hometown of the Smiths and Oasis) and its welcoming atmosphere. Be sure to visit The Lowry art center, do some shopping at Affleck's Palace market and round out your day with a trip to the pub to take part in Manchester's spirited nightlife. 19. Split, Croatia A seaside town with a ton of historic wonders, Split has the best of both worlds. The city is home to Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with bars, restaurants and shopping. The city's coastal mountain backdrop can't be beat. 20. Brno, Czech Republic Located in the province of Moravia, Brno is kind of the anti-Prague. Here, wine is the drink of choice, there are way fewer crowds and cultural activity abounds. Visit crypts, castles, churches and museums, then sample Moravian wines and local cuisine at a restaurant. 21. Toruń, Poland Who doesn't want to hang out in a walled Gothic city? Toruń is a great change of pace from overcrowded Warsaw and Krakow and has plenty of history, culture and activity to enjoy. Toruń's claims to fame include being the birthplace of Copernicus and being founded by the Teutonic Knights. You can still visit the Teutonic Knight's Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, today -- well, you can visit the ruins. 22. Bergen, Norway When you think of Norway you probably picture lots of gorgeous outdoorsy locations and Oslo. But Bergen definitely deserves some attention. Bergen is a lively city with excellent nightlife and restaurants, and a beautiful waterfront. Also, it's at the gateway to those famous fjords, including Sognefjord. 23. Rhodes Town, Greece Surrounded by some of the bluest waters you probably will ever see, this Rhodes Town is bursting with historic sites and modern indulgences. In the Old Town you'll find a maze of ancient streets, Roman ruins, medieval castles and a former Byzantine cathedral that was later converted into a mosque. In the New Town, shop the upscale boutiques, bistros, bars and an awesome beach. Don't forget to pay a visit to the Mandraki Harbor.WIKIMEDIA, JRAMANAN Sci-Hub, a widely-used website that provides access to pirated academic articles, is facing legal challenges from two major publishers—Elsevier and the American Chemical Society (ACS). The site, which was established by former neuroscientist Alexandra Elbakyan in 2011 and is operated out of Russia, hosts millions of scientific documents and has users all around the globe. On Friday (September 22), a hearing for ACS’s case against Sci-Hub will take place at a federal trial court in Virginia. The society filed a default judgement request on September 1, asking the court to order the site to cease illegal distribution of its material and pay $4.8 million in damages. ACS brought the case against Sci-Hub for unlawfully disseminating its content in June, a few days after the publishing giant Elsevier won a default legal judgment against Sci-Hub and the Library of Genesis Project (LibGen), another pirate site. A New York district court, which ruled that these sites violated US copyright laws, ordered they pay the publisher $15 million in damages. “I don’t blame [ACS and Elsevier] for trying,” says Peter Suber, the director of the Harvard Office for Scholarly Communication, which facilitates the university’s adoption of open access policies. “Sci-Hub is violating their copyrights... and it’s not just a small player any more.” The complaints A 2016 investigation by Science revealed that between September 2015 and February 2016, Sci-Hub received 28 million download requests from all around the world. Elsevier and ACS were among the most downloaded publishers, along with Springer Nature, Wiley Blackwell, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. According Elbakyan, Sci-Hub’s founder and operator, the site currently hosts approximately 65 million research-related documents that have a digital object identifier (DOI), which includes journal articles, book chapters, and conference proceedings. Even though it is possible to introduce difficulties for Sci-Hub to access content, [it is] not possible to prevent this completely.—Alexandra Elbakyan Sci-Hub founder “Sci-Hub is stealing ACS copyrighted content and illegally reproducing and disseminating it on their website and via spoofed websites that mirror ACS’ own website, and Sci-Hub is counterfeiting and infringing on the Society’s trademarks,” Glenn Ruskin, the director of ACS External Affairs and Communications, writes in an email to The Scientist. In addition to receiving damages from Sci-Hub and stopping the site from illegally distributing ACS material, the society states in its suit that it wants “any Internet search engines, web hosting and Internet service providers (ISPs), domain name registrars, and domain name registries, to cease facilitating access to any or all domain names and websites through which [Sci-hub] engages in unlawful access to, use, reproduction, and distribution of [ACS content].” “In other words, they want information about Sci-Hub to be ‘censored,’” Elbakyan writes in an email to The Scientist. “Most visitors are coming to the website directly, not through the search engines. So I do not think that will have much effect on the website operation per se.” Daniel Himmelstein, a biodata scientist and postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, says that it is unlikely that a court in the U.S. will order ISPs to block access to Sci-Hub. He notes that a similar request made by Elsevier was opposed in 2015 by the Computer & Communications Industry Association and the Internet Commerce Coalition—two groups representing major global technology companies. A publicity backfire “The lawsuits are interesting because the effect of them is unclear,” Himmelstein says. Sci-Hub has neither paid the $15 million in damages to Elsevier nor ceased its services. Elbakyan, who lives outside U.S. jurisdiction, says the site plans to ignore the lawsuits. And although Elsevier was able to successfully shut down sci-hub.org, the domain name under which the site was launched, Sci-Hub quickly returned under multiple web addresses, through which it continues to thrive today. In fact, these legal challenges may be leading more potential users to the site. Earlier this year, Himmelstein and his colleagues published a PeerJ preprint that found, based on data from Google Trends, that the suits against Sci-Hub led to brief spikes in visits to the site. “[The] Elsevier lawsuit resulted in [the] project gaining publicity and some kind of recognition,” Elbakyan writes. “So I sometimes wonder if they wanted actually to promote Sci-Hub this way.” When contacted for comment, Elsevier deferred the request to the Association of American Publishers (AAP). Regarding potential further action if Sci-Hub fails to comply with the court’s orders, John Tagler, AAP’s vice president and executive director of professional and scholarly publishing, writes in an email to The Scientist that he “can’t speak to Elsevier’s plans.” However, he says, AAP task force “may move forward with action in other jurisdictions, including in partnership with other trade groups located where Sci-Hub and its partners are operating.” In the past, publishers have also tried combating piracy with technological solutions. A few years ago, for example, ACS and the publisher John Wiley & Sons implemented trap URLs, which are designed to detect unauthorized automated downloading. However, this tactic was criticized for being clumsy and ended up unintentionally locking out subscribers. Based on data from Google Trends, researchers found that the suits against Sci-Hub led to brief spikes in visits to the site. Ruskin tells The Scientist that as illegal activity from sites like SciHub increase, ACS has “increased its security technology accordingly.” In addition, he adds, the society recently hired a Chief Information Security Officer to oversee security efforts for the entire organization. According to Elbakyan, these countermeasures have not had any noticeable effects. “Even though it is possible to introduce difficulties for Sci-Hub to access content, [it is] not possible to prevent this completely,” she writes. Whether the ACS lawsuit or its added security measures will hinder the pirating of paywalled content remains to be seen. “The legal means have not worked, the technical means have not worked, and I don't see any other obvious way to do it,” Suber says. “So my reading is [that] Sci-Hub is here to stay.”Sephora by Opi has a shade called “Havana Dreams” which is a dupe for Chanel “Riva” shade. This is a sheer pale sky blue, very streaky and difficult to apply, but if you have the time (and patience), it makes for a great manicure. Swatch/Picture Gallery Dupe This shade is a dupe for the Chanel “Riva” nailpolish. Review Havana Dreams is a sky blue, and the actual shade most resembles the first and last photo. I notice that in very intense lighting (for example if you are at the beach), the shade will shine just ever so slightly aquamarine. At first I thought this was something my camera was capturing that wasn’t really there, until this morning when under a light lamp, I notice the aquamarine in this sky blue shade. If you are never in a extreme lighting situation, then this shade will always be perfectly sky blue. (the fist and last photo are PERFECT examples of what this shade is 99% of the time). To be quite honest, I love the shade, but I hate the formula. It is milky and not in a good way. It is so milky that it is streaky like no tomorrow and because it is so streaky, it takes FOREVER to get a good even coat throughout the nail. That’s why you will see the streaks. Its almost impossible not to have streaks without doing 3 coats. 3 coats is excessive because the more coats you go through, the faster you are going to go through the nail polish. The consistency is watery, Sephora calls it “sheer” but there are similar colors out there, so unless you really LOVE the shade, you should probably PASS on this shade. Grade C+ (the + is added simply because I love the blue) Xoxo, Emmy Disclosure: I bought Sephora by Opi in “Havana Dreams”.Canada’s push to legalize marijuana could be a “game changer” for the recreational pot industry with the potential to reach $6 billion in sales by 2021. The federal government is planning to legalize recreational marijuana in Canada by 2017 with sales likely to commence in 2018. A vast illicit market exists that if brought into legal channels could result in demand of about 400,000 kilograms of cannabis in its first full year, Canaccord Genuity analysts Matt Bottomley and Neil Maruoka said Monday in a note. If legalization occurs along expected timelines there will be about 3.8 million legal recreational users of marijuana across Canada by 2021, according to the note. Demand for medical cannabis is growing at a significant pace and by 2021, combined annual demand for medical and recreational cannabis will be about 575,000 kilograms, the report said. “Recreational upside could be a game changer,” according to the note. Canada’s Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation will deliver its report to the ministers of health, justice and public safety by the end of November, Radey Barrack, spokesman for MP Bill Blair, parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, said in a Nov. 25 e-mail. The report will be released once the ministers have had a chance to review the recommendations, he said. The illegal marijuana industry is estimated at $7 billion per year and costs governments $2.3 billion to enforce, according to the federal government. The rigorous process of becoming a licensed producer of cannabis in Canada imposes significant barriers to entry and there will be a shortfall of supply in a legalized market in the short-term until production capacities catch up by 2020, according to Canaccord.Advertisement 5 Vermont Gas pipeline protesters arrested Several attach themselves to equipment Share Shares Copy Link Copy Singing in protest. Dozens of people gathered early Monday morning to take a stand against the Vermont Gas pipeline.“There are many concerns, but first and foremost, we need to get off of fossil fuels,” said Jane Palmer with Rising Tide Vermont.Watch this storyRising Tide helped organize the group, that attempted to halt progress at a Williston work site.“We're just putting speed bumps in the road. We're doing everything we can to slow it down, stop it, be a pain in the butt,” Palmer said.Two protesters attached themselves to an excavator. One was handcuffed and hauled away by police. Three others were also arrested.The other, with his arms fastened inside welded metal pipes, was not so easily removed.“When they're taken into custody, if they're a Vermont resident, they'll end up with a citation,” Williston police officer Keith Gonyeau said.Just up the road on Route 2A, another group of protesters blocked the entrance to the construction site in Williston.“We've been through a lot of processes with state agencies in the last three-and-a-half years. Those processes are totally broken. So the only thing to do now is civil disobedience,” protester Beth Thompson said.Beyond the entrance, more demonstrators strapped themselves to equipment.“We have a piece of pipe with a lot of stuff around it and we are clipped into the middle of it,” protester Karen Bixler said.The natural gas pipeline is slated to run 41 miles from Williston to Middlebury.Vermont Gas officials have long said that the project would be complete this year, but now, it's not clear if it will happen on time or within the $154 million budget.“This is a very complex and challenging project with a lot of moving pieces,” Vermont Gas Systems spokeswoman Beth Parent said.But for protesters like Jane Palmer, it’s pretty simple.“This pipeline is wrong. It needs to be stopped, and we're not going to stop,” Palmer said.“What else is there to do here?” Mike Kemp asked in between helping customers buy alcohol late Tuesday afternoon at the downtown Fargo liquor store. North Dakota is the No. 1 state for beer consumption per capita, a recent report shows. Residents drank 43.3 gallons of beer on average in 2013, topping the ranking for the second straight year. In second place was New Hampshire, with 42.2 gallons per capita. Just across the border, Minnesotans drank 28.7 gallons on average. Residents of Utah drank the least, with just 19.6 gallons each. The study by Beer Marketer's Insights, an industry publication, is not exact. It’s calculated by dividing the amount of beer shipped to a state divided by the state’s residents. Kemp and co-worker Tim Porter, who were running Empire Liquors’ cash registers Tuesday afternoon, rattled off a wide-ranging list of reasons why North Dakota ranked first in beer drinking – from the lack of hills sufficient for skiing to the long winters to the prevalence of beer-loving students and military personnel. Porter said the strong economy is another factor. “You have money,” he said. “What are you going to do on your off-time?” “Drink,” Kemp answered. Beer’s popularity in North Dakota has stayed high even though the beer industry in the Midwest has not fared well lately, according to Eric Shepard, executive editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights. North Dakota took the No. 1 spot possibly because of the state’s traditional affinity for beer and the influx of oil workers, he said. “The oil workers driving up the per capita (beer consumption) in North Dakota is a no-brainer,” he said, especially “when you’re talking about a small state.” Jeremy Tijon, the store manager at Empire Liquors, said drinking was part of the state’s tradition. He recalled memories from his childhood of men standing around a car arguing about its engine, each of them with a beer in their hands. Starting to drink at 14 or 15 is “kind of the norm,” he said. “That is just part of our culture,” he said, adding that ethnic German and Scandinavian roots were part of the equation, too. It’s not just a love for beer, though. In 2011 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fargo-Moorhead had the third-highest rate of binge drinking among 200 metropolitan areas and the ninth-highest rate of heavy drinking. The CDC counts four drinks in one occasion for women – five for men – as binge drinking, while two or more drinks daily and one or more for women counts as heavy drinking. Public health advocates in Fargo-Moorhead and North Dakota often note the need to curb excessive alcohol consumption here, due to the numerous problems that come with it – from drunken driving to health issues. They’ve cited the drinking culture as a factor, along with low alcohol taxes, drink specials and liquor license availability. Despite the downsides, North Dakota’s reign as the top swiller of beer is still a point of pride for some. “I like it,” said Mike Dalager, a bartender at Wurst Bier Hall in downtown Fargo. Dalager said whether he’s behind the bar or sitting in front of the counter, beer is a welcome relief on the flat plains. “You get eight months of this sort of depressing winter,” he said. For those concerned, at least there’s a bright spot: The 43.3 gallons of beer each of the state’s of-age residents averaged in 2013 was a drop from the 45.8 gallons apiece in 2012, according to a similar study conducted that year by the Beer Institute.drunken driving shrill horns noisy vehicles After cracking the whip onin the city, sleuths of Bengaluru Traffic Police and Road Transport Office are now training their guns on noisy engines andof vehicles plying Namma Bengaluru roads. Owners of such vehicles have two months to fix anomalies because the equipment to detect them will take that long to be ready.Assisted by Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), BTP and RTO will come down strongly on engines producing a noise above the permissible level after expiry of the two-month grace period. Vehicles with shrill horns will not be spared either, and booked on the spot. Aiding them in this endeavour will be 12 mobile testing units and 100 noise-level detecting meters, according to Ramanatha Rai, minister for forest, environment and ecology.While inaugurating ‘XGN-Karnataka’, an online consent management system software developed by KSPCB in association with National Informatics Centre, Ramanatha Rai said, “While the mobile units will help transport department sleuths identify pollution causing vehicles, noise meters will help the traffic police detect.”Chairperson of KSPCB Ramachandra said, “Each vehicle will cost between Rs.2.5 lakh and Rs.3 lakh, and they will each be fitted with equipment worth Rs.10 lakh. In another two months, the procurement process will get over and these vehicles will be handed over to the transport department.”Brandon Roy confirmed rumors of his hopeful return to the NBA next season, saying his health is good and he's training daily for a comeback. (Cameron Browne/Getty Images) Brandon Roy confirmed rumors of his return to the NBA by tweeting on Friday night that he's been training daily, his health is good and is planning on returning to the league next season. But since Roy doesn't have Twitter, he made the announcement under the account for Will Conroy, his college teammate at the University of Washington who is now in the NBDL. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com put the series of tweets together: “Lord willing, I will play again soon,” Roy wrote in a series of tweets. “Yes, I’m preparing for a comeback. I’m training daily. I’m preparing for a return next year. I appreciate the love. Hopefully I’ll be back on the floor soon. Health is good.” When asked by a fan if he could return to the Portland Trail Blazers, Roy said it's highly unlikely he'd return to the Blazers for next season: “I wish, but due to the NBA rules I cannot play in Portland until 2014-2015,” Roy tweeted. “I’m looking to return sooner. Thanks for your support. I’m fortunate to have played for such a great fan base. No matter where I play, Portland will always have a special place in my heart.” Roy was named Rookie of the Year when he played for the Blazers in 2006 but announced his retirement in 2011 because of chronic knee problems. He will train in Seattle as he plans for his return to the NBA. https://twitter.com/CHILLCONROY/status/213829623274934272 https://twitter.com/JoshHamiltonUW/status/213847036313878529 https://twitter.com/CHILLCONROY/status/213858141853589504 https://twitter.com/CHILLCONROY/status/213858758495969282 https://twitter.com/CHILLCONROY/status/213859004168941569Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Loyn reports from outside the Kabul shrine where Farkhunda was killed An Afghan appeals court has quashed death sentences imposed on four men for their part in the mob killing of a young woman in Kabul in March. Farkhunda Malikzada was attacked at an Islamic shrine after being falsely accused of burning a copy of the Koran. She was stoned to death, her body was run over by a car and set on fire. The court also acquitted the keeper of the shrine. Family members and rights activists have expressed outrage at the decision, which was taken in secret. Wednesday's appeal court hearing in Kabul was held behind closed doors. Judge Ali Masir Murid told the BBC that three of the condemned men had been sentenced to 20 years in jail; a fourth received 10 years because he is a minor. One of these four men was the amulet seller Zainuddin, who had the original argument with Ms Malikzada, 27, the BBC's David Loyn in Kabul reports. The caretaker of the shrine, Omran, was acquitted, he adds. Image copyright Reuters Image caption The brutal killing shocked the world and has been seen as a potential watershed in Afghanistan Analysis: David Loyn, BBC News, Kabul The way the appeal was heard, in a closed court, with no journalists or other observers present, is only one of the troubling aspects of this decision. Exact details of the ruling have not yet been formally announced, but this does appear to be the final appeal hearing. Prominent women's rights activist Wazhma Frogh said that if the keeper of the shrine does now walk free, then she is "completely outraged". "Farkhunda was killed because she was a woman," she said. And the judges have treated her case lightly. In Afghanistan, "not only the Taliban, but the whole system is oppressing women", she added. The widespread anger both here and around the world about the murder led to unusual transparency, with cameras allowed into the first court appearances. But that openness has not been continued through the appeals procedure. Ms Malikzada's brother Najibullah told BBC Persian: "It's not a court, it's just a show... The media should have been there, we should been there, the lawyers should have been there. "It's a real theatre. The whole world laughs at the judicial system of Afghanistan. Do the judges have families, sisters, mothers - or not? Do they have a heart? We will not accept this decision." He accused the authorities of "a tyranny" against the family, who have been living in fear since the attack. At the original trial in May, eight men were given jail terms of 16 years, as well as the four who received death sentences. Later in the month, 11 policemen were sentenced to one year in prison for failing to protect Ms Malikzada, a devout Islamic student. Eight other police officers were acquitted. The treatment of the police was condemned as too lenient, in a country where women are frequently denied justice. Kimberley Motley, an American lawyer in Afghanistan who represented the family during the previous trial, also criticised the ruling. "I'm extremely surprised and disappointed. I'm very concerned because this happened in a very closed hearing, it wasn't transparent as the first court was and so there's questions as to why this even occurred. "There's very strong evidence through video and through eyewitness testimony that justified the original sentences that were imposed on these men."National League National’s Trea Turner Is the 12th Most Valuable Player in Baseball By Yesterday, Sean wrote about players most likely to make the jump from really good to best-in-league caliber. He said that about halfway through the post he realized Trea Turner was in a league of his own. Sean described Turner as “a speed-first guy, with surprising pop that really seemed to show up at the Big League level.” He posted a 3.3 WAR in 323 PAs last season, stealing 33 bases and batting.324 to go along with 13 homers as a second basemen, shortstop, and center fielder. Essentially, he set the league on fire. Even if you include his 40 AB cup of coffee in 2015, Turner’s 162 game pace has him hitting 23 homers and stealing 57 bases. He’s 23. Yes, he played only 73 games last year, but at an unreal pace of almost 9 WAR. So…how valuable is Trea Turner, a shortstop/centerfielder who steals bases, hits homers, and gets on at a nearly.370 clip? Well, let’s take a look at Fangraphs mid-season Trade Value exercise to find out. In that piece, Dave Cameron, who is great, ranks the top 50 MLB players in order of their possible trade value. Cameron considers value in light of contract terms and performance. The idea is that if you had the player ranked 25th you would gladly trade him straight up for anyone ranked 24th or better, but wouldn’t for anyone ranked 26th or lower. Turner didn’t make the cut for the original list because he’d barely played any major league games when it came out. Plus, he hadn’t set the league on fire just yet. We’ve already established that Turner is really good and we know that he has 5 more seasons of team control, at least two more of them at pre-arbitration prices– baseball’s equivalent of minimum wage. It seemingly doesn’t get much better than that, so let’s take Cameron’s midseason piece to consider where Turner might land if the list were reissued today. Would the Angels trade Mike Trout straight up for Trea Turner? No, certainly not. Trout is an all time great talent locked up through most of his prime. He’s the best player in baseball by a lot. It’s not an insult to Trea that he’s less valuable. Ok, so number 2. Would the Astros trade Carlos Correa for Turner? No, I don’t think they would. Correa is actually a year younger than Turner and plays the same position. Carlos has more power and that’s valuable from shortstop. They actually are in the same contract situation, but since Correa has more time in the majors, including winning the Rookie of the Year in 2015, there’s less uncertainty there. Moving on. Let’s speed this up and take a look at some notable players on the way to where we think Turner fits. [Editor’s Note: Max skipped Kris Bryant for apparently no reason. Bryant is certainly not leaving Wrigleyville anytime soon– he might be the most valuable player in baseball right now.] Number 4 on the list is Corey Seager. He’s a great comparison player for Turner since they are both NL shortstops who played their rookie seasons this year. Seager will win NL Rookie of the Year, but he played the entire season. He hit 26 homers and batted.308. That amounts to less than Turner’s 162-game pace, but Seager gets points for actually doing it. If Turner puts up another season next year like he did this year, there is an argument to be made that he will be more valuable than Corey Seager. Sure, Seager has more power potential and is about a year younger, but Turner is much faster, more athletic, and can play more positions. But we are doing this exercise now, and it deals with reality not hypothetical. We need to keep moving down this list. Let’s fast forward to numbers 12 and 13, Noah Syndergaard and Jose Altuve. Syndergaard, the best starter on the Mets, has one more season before he’s arbitration eligible and is projected for between 4 and 5 WAR every year for the next 5 years. Altuve is 26 and makes around $5.5 million on average over the next three seasons. He’s projected to have a little more than 5 WAR per year over that span. I would rather have Trea Turner than Jose Altuve right now, without a doubt. Altuve is great, a perennial batting title contender and a great second basemen. But not as valuable as Turner. I had to think about it for a minute or two, but I think I would rather have Turner than Syndergaard, too. Thor is great, but position players are more valuable than pitchers overall and Trea has the potential to be a special one. Plus, there’s the whole pitchers are fragile thing. I think I’m slotting Trea Turner in at number 12 on a list of the most valuable players in baseball. That is right behind Manny Machado, and ahead of Syndergaard with the understanding that he has the potential to rocket up this list if next year looks anything like this season did. Whether I’m right or wrong, it’s inarguable that the Nationals got a pretty great deal when they gave up Steven Souza and a prospect for Turner and real-life big league starter Joe Ross in 2014. -Max FrankelDudu Omagbemi Very early on a summer day in March, 2001, a 16-year-old footballer from Lagos landed in Mumbai with a backpack that had a couple of jeans, few t-shirts and a pair of football boots. A scout-cum-agent based out of India, a fellow Nigerian, had sold the young boy the dream of playing professional football in Europe. India, he was told, was merely a short pit-stop on the journey to the promised destination. Advertising On the rickety bus that glided through the Western Ghats, the teenager braved travel sickness and nausea to reach Mapusa, Goa. The agent was supposed to meet him there and line-up a few trials. That was not to be as the middle man had already left for Kerala
, we think, within our mandate to treat the issue of maritime boundaries in detail; moreover, this issue was the subject of an exhaustive exposition before the Commission 65. However, we think it necessary to point out that the rules governing State succession as they apply to the land frontiers of Quebec are not necessarily transposable to the demarcation of maritime boundaries. One must, in fact, consider that "in theory, all coastal States have the inherent right to territorial seas, contiguous zones and continental shelves" 66 as well as to an exclusive economic zone. According to a traditional - and often repeated 67, maxim: "the land dominates the sea". "Thus it is the sovereignty that a State exercises over its terrestrial territory that determines the title it holds to maritime territory" 68. 2.36 Therefore, it is not at all certain that, even if the waters immediately contiguous to the Quebec coastline were, at present, considered to be Canadian inland waters, the principles applicable to State succession would defeat the universally recognized rules governing the allocation of maritime territory. On the contrary, it seems to us that Quebec, like any other State, could, in the event of sovereignty, demand the application of these rules and assert its "inherent right" to territorial sovereignty or sovereign rights over the sea adjacent to its coastlines, it being understood: - that if Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait, or even the Gulf of St. Lawrence, were deemed to be historical bays, classified as inland waters, the question would arise whether they should be apportioned between the coastal States or whether it would be appropriate to consider them as historical bays falling under the joint jurisdiction of such States, in the manner of the legal regime that probably governs the Gulf of Fonseca; - and that the rights of passage or fishing rights acquired by third-party States should in all cases be respected 69. 2.37 It seems, therefore, that no particular circumstance is likely to defeat the well-established principle of international law according to which, once Quebec has achieved independence, the new State is entitled to the respect of its territorial integrity within its present boundaries. The immovable property and portions of territory presently belonging to, or administered by, the Canadian federal authorities would be included in these boundaries and form part of this territory, just as would the lands ceded to Quebec in 1898 and 1912, though Quebec would not be entitled to claim the territories allegedly severed from it in the past. These conclusions are not applicable to the maritime territories adjacent to its coastlines, over which an independent Quebec could, despite the present situation, claim "inherent rights" which the rules governing State succession do not appear susceptible of preventing. C. At the Moment of Independence 2.38 According to certain assertions, it does not suffice to explore the law that would apply before, or after, independence: the question of the "transitional period" should also be raised. Thus during the February 11, 1992 session of the Commission, Mr. Cameron, member of the National Assembly for the Jacques Cartier Riding, pointed out that the experts, unanimously: "have argued that Québec's territorial integrity cannot be compromised as long as Québec is a province of Canada, nor would it be compromised once it is safely out and away, and is seen as a sovereign State. It could, at that point, firmly declare that its boundaries were what they were. The trouble is, that leaves out the whole point that is of interest to everyone (...) which is what we do in between" 70. In fact there is no doubt that, if Quebec did attain sovereignty, there would be, for all intents and purposes, a necessary transition period before and after the fact to establish the actual modalities of independence and settle the many problems that would arise and which the - on the whole - rather vague and incomplete principles of the law of State succession could not resolve. Negotiations would be needed to supplement this deficiency. In this regard, then, we can speak of a "transition period" as regards this negotiation phase or any period of tension which could precede or accompany it, should any of the "parties" (Canada, indigenous peoples, linguistic minorities, even foreign investors) exert pressure on Quebec in order to obtain concessions. But from a legal viewpoint, this is not how the problem should be stated: the attainment of independence does not occur within a "period" of time: it is instantaneous. It may be difficult to ascertain the precise moment when it occurs, but there is no doubt that this moment exists. Beforehand, Quebec will remain a Canadian province whose relations with the rest of Canada are governed by constitutional law. Afterwards, the relation will be as between sovereign States, subject to the application of international law. Sovereignty is the very condition of the State and, as pointed out by Professor Jacques-Yvan Morin before the Bélanger-Campeau Commission: "You either have it or you don't" 71. But there is no possible intermediate situation and, therefore, no transition period either. As a result, there is no room for the implementation of rules other than those described above and applicable before (A) or after (B). In any event, the recent reinforcement of the principle of uti possidetis juris leaves no doubt as to its applicability in matters similar to the one presently under study. (a) The Fact of Secession and the Absence of a Vacuum Juris 2.39 According to Professor Jacques Brossard: "in order to alter the boundaries of Quebec before it attains sovereignty, (...) the consent of the provincial State must be obtained under the present Constitution of Canada; and any attempt to alter these boundaries subsequently without the consent of the State of Quebec would be a violation of international law" 72. The reasoning set out supra sub litt. A and B confirms the validity of this view: before independence, the present boundaries of Quebec are guaranteed by the Constitution (essentially by s. 43 of the Constitution Act, 1982 and s. 3 of the Constitution Act, 1871). After independence, these boundaries will be secured by the principles governing the territorial integrity of States and the stability of frontiers. Between these two situations there is no room for a vacuum juris and one can hardly see at what moment this protection would cease. If Canada were to take advantage of the period preceding sovereignty to alter the existing boundaries, it would be in violation of its own Constitution. If, after independence, it intended to alter unilaterally the demarcation of such boundaries, it would come up against the interdicts of international law (territorial integrity, non-interference, non-use of force). 2.40 As will be established below (see para. 3.09), it is highly doubtful in the present case that a possible sovereignty of Quebec could be founded on the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples. But this is of little consequence for the purposes of the question under review: the existence of a State is not a question of law but of fact. "The State is an extra-legal phenomenon whose existence the jurist merely notes" 73. This principle was recently remarkably illustrated in Opinion No. 1 rendered on November 29, 1991 by the European Arbitration Committee on Yugoslavia, which considered that: "the existence or disappearance of the State is a question of fact", to be appreciated "based on the principles of public international law which serve to define the conditions on which an entity constitutes a State"; to this end it should be determined whether the collectivity in question "consists of a territory and a population subject to an organized political authority" and if it is "characterized by sovereignty" 74. "What is clear is that the essence of the framework revolves around territorial effectiveness" 75. "Secession is a political fact and international law is content merely to accept the consequences when it brings about the installation of effective and stable State authorities" controlling the territory and the population established on it. 76 2.41 Applied to Quebec, these considerations signify that: "[t]he secession would be considered successful if, for a sufficient period of time, the Quebec authorities managed to exclude the application of Canadian law on their territory and, on the contrary, succeeded in establishing a legal order derived from their own laws and decisions" 77. Compliance with this sole condition would pose no particular problem if Canada expressly agreed to the sovereignty of Quebec or resigned itself to its secession. However, it seems, in the light of recent statements uttered by certain high officials 78, the legal implications of which are unclear from the viewpoint of constitutional law as well as that of international law, that things could turn out differently, assuming that the federal authorities decided to counter a secessionist attempt by force. One author writes that, in this case: "[i]f secession gave rise to hostilities and if the federal government forcibly gained control over part of the territory of Quebec, the secessionist government managing to retain control of the rest, at the end of the hostilities the territory would have to be divided between the former surrounding State and the new State born of the secession" 79. This is highly debatable. Such an outcome would be inconsistent with the principles in force in constitutional law as well as international law. And from the viewpoint of the former as well as of the latter, it is the territory - provincial or State - in its entirety and integrity which must be taken into consideration 80 - unless otherwise agreed between the parties themselves, of course. What matters, therefore, is the overall effectiveness of the State's power over the entire territory of Quebec. Certainly, this effectiveness is susceptible of degrees and, in extreme cases, its appreciation can be subjective, whereupon the recognition (or refusal) of third-party States would take on great importance, though it is generally agreed "that the effects of recognition by other States are purely declaratory" 81. It should further be noted that, in order to appreciate this effectiveness, all relevant factors must be taken into account, particularly the federal form of organization of powers in Canada, on the one hand, and the sparsely-populated and inhospitable character of certain parts of Quebec, on the other. 2.42 As to the first point, it is implicit in Opinion No. 1 of the Arbitration Committee on Yugoslavia which considered, in order to determine whether the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia still enjoyed a legal existence: "that in the case of a federal-type State, which embraces communities that possess a degree of autonomy and, moreover, participate in the exercise of political power within the framework of institutions common to the Federation, the existence of the State implies that the federal organs represent the components of the Federation and wield effective power" 82. Non-participation by Quebec in the federal institutions would be a sign of its secession. However, compared to the unitary State, the federal State is characterized by a very broad decentralization of powers, which in fact is quite extensive in Canada. Quebec could not be regarded as having achieved independence until it prevented the Canadian authorities from exercising control over its territory: the mere reinforcement of provincial powers would not produce this effect. 2.43 Moreover, the degree of effectiveness of the exercise of State powers cannot be determined in the abstract: the consistence of the territory, its geographic location, its accessibility, its climate, the density of its population are so many factors the reality of which must be taken into account. Jurisprudence, supported by a unanimous doctrine, has consistently done this 83. In his famous arbitral award relating to the Island of Palmas, the Swiss arbitrator Max Huber noted that: "Manifestations of territorial sovereignty assume, it is true, different forms, according to conditions of time and place. Although continuous in principle, sovereignty cannot be exercised in fact at every moment on every point in territory. The intermittence and discontinuity compatible with the maintenance of the right necessarily differ according as inhabited or uninhabited regions are involved..." 84. And in the matter of Eastern Greenland, the Permanent Court of International Justice likewise concluded that: "bearing in mind the absence of any claim by another Power, and the Arctic and inaccessible character of the uncolonized parts of the country, the King of Denmark and Norway displayed (...) his authority to an extent sufficient to give his country a valid claim to sovereignty, and that his rights over Greenland were not limited to the colonized area" 85. These elements should also play a role in the appreciation, if and when the time comes, of the effectiveness of Quebec (or Canadian) State powers over the territory of Quebec, particularly the northern part which is also an arctic zone, not easily accessible and sparsely populated. Only in the light of all of these factors, applied to the whole of Quebec territory, will it be possible to determine the effective existence of the new State. In the absence of an agreement between Canada and Quebec, the success of the process leading to sovereignty "would rest on the ability of Quebec's political institutions to establish and maintain exclusive public authority over the territory of Quebec" 86. But once this effectiveness is recognized as existing, independence would extend to the whole of this territory. (b) Recent Strengthening of the Principle of Uti Possidetis 2.44 Reinforcing this conclusion is another argument which, though it has played a very important role in the debate on sovereignty, we consider to be no more than subsidiary in nature. It supports the argumentation based on a combination of constitutional law rules and the other applicable principles of international law. But this argumentation is sufficient in itself and there is no need to invoke that other principle of the law of nations: the rule "uti possidetis, ita possideatis" ("as you have possessed, so you shall continue to possess"). 2.45 "It is generally admitted in international law that the successor State is bound by the frontiers established by the ceding State - i.e. the former colonial power in the case of decolonization. The territory passes to the new State on the basis of the pre-existing boundaries, regardless of the procedure by which these boundaries were established, be it by international treaty, municipal law or a unilateral act" 87. Such is the definition and scope of the principle. Derived from the practice established by the former Spanish colonies of Latin America, whence its traditional title: uti possidetis of 1810 88, the principle was extended to Africa and affirmed not in the Charter of African Unity but in the famous Cairo Declaration adopted in July 1964 by the first Conference of Heads of States and Governments of the O.A.U. Moreover, it acquired on this occasion a broader meaning than it had hitherto possessed in its Latin-American context, since, as noted by the Court of Arbitration called upon to determine the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary, the principle: "concerns not only the limits between countries born of the same colonial empire but also those which in a colonial era were already possessed of an international character because they separated colonies belonging to different colonial empires" 89 [translation]. 2.46 Although it had been applied in very diverse circumstances 90 and, to a certain extent, enjoyed the sanction of jurisprudence 91, doctrine long hesitated in regarding uti possidetis as a universally applicable principle that could be asserted outside the context of decolonization 92. There can no longer be any doubt today. In its Judegment of December 22, 1986, the Division of the I.C.J. adjudicating upon the question of the frontier dispute between Burkina Faso and Mali noted that, although it had appeared in Spanish America, this principle: "is not a special rule which pertains solely to one specific system of international law. It is a general principle which is logically connected with the phenomenon of the obtaining of independence wherever it occurs (...) The fact that the new African States have respected the administrative boundaries and frontiers established by the colonial powers must be seen not as a mere practice contributing to the gradual emergence of a principle of customary international law, limited in its impact to the African continent as it had previously been to Spanish America, but as the application in Africa of a rule of general scope" 93. Yet because of the numerous allusions made by the Court to the specific problem of decolonization, and because of the object of the dispute itself, some doubt remained as to the applicability of the principle outside the colonial framework. This cannot be said of Opinion No. 3 rendered by the Arbitration Committee on Yugoslavia on January 11, 1992. Basing itself "on the principles and rules of public international law", the Committee took the view that if the dissolution of Yugoslavia: "leads to the creation of one or more independent States, the issue of frontiers (...) must be resolved in accordance with the following principles: First - All external frontiers must be respected in line with the principle stated in the United Nations Charter, in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations (General Assembly Resolution 2625 (XXV) and in the Helsinki Final Act, a principle which also underlies Article 11 of the Vienna Convention of 23 August 1978 on the Succession of States in Respect of Treaties. Second - The boundaries between Croatia and Serbia, between Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and possibly between other adjacent independent States may not be altered except by agreement freely arrived at. Third - Except where otherwise agreed, the former boundaries become frontiers protected by international law. This conclusion follows from the principle of respect for the territorial status quo and, in particular, from the principle of uti possidetis. Uti possidetis, though initially applied in settling decolonization issues in America and Africa, is today recognized as a general principle, as stated by the International Court of Justice in its Judgment of 22 December 1986 in the case between Burkina Faso and Mali (Frontier Dispute, [1986] I.C.J. Reports 554 at 565 (...)). Fourth - According to a well-established principle of international law the alteration of existing frontiers or boundaries by force is not capable of producing any legal effect. This principle is to be found, for instance, in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations (General Assembly Resolution 2625 (XXV) and in the Helsinki Final Act; it was cited by the Hague Conference on 7 September 1991 and is enshrined in the draft Convention of 4 November 1991 drawn up by the Conference on Yugoslavia" 94. 2.47 This is not merely a judicial interpretation. The affirmation of the applicability of the principle of uti possidetis to all cases of independence, even outside the context of decolonization, is founded on a practice which, owing to recent events, has become fairly common: whether it be the States of the Community of Independent States or those issuing from the dismemberment of Yugolsavia, all have attained independence within the configuration of their former administrative boundaries, recognized by third-party States as their new borders. But even more so, the reactions of the international community reflect the generalized conviction that, in the case of the secession or dissolution of States, pre-existing administrative boundaries must be maintained to become the borders of the new States and cannot be altered by the threat or use of force, be it on the part of the seceding entity or the State from which it breaks off. Thus in the case of the Yugoslav crisis: - in its very first Declaration on Yugoslavia on August 27, 1991, the European Community and its member States declared their determination "never to recognise changes of any borders 95 which had not been brought about by peaceful means and by agreement" 96 ; - on September 3, 1991, the CSCE declared that "no territorial gain or change brought about by force within Yugoslavia is acceptable" and the Security Council of the United Nations took note of this declaration in Resolution 713 (1991) of September 25th; on November 29th the Committee of Senior Officials of the CSCE reiterated this position; - on December 16, 1991, the Twelve, in a further Declaration on Yugoslavia, made any future recognition of the Republics as independent States contingent upon the latter's acceptance of the commitments contained in the Guidelines on the recognition of new States in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, adopted the same day; among these conditions is "the respect of the inviolability of territorial limits which can only be altered by peaceful means and by agreement" (see, supra, para. 2.19); - the United States and Canada expressed the same concerns; thus Ms. McDougall, Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs declared on October 7, 1991 that "No territorial gains or border changes within Yugoslavia brought about by force are acceptable" 97. The same positions were adopted upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 2.48 It is therefore not unreasonable to consider that "a general practice accepted as law" - which is the very definition of an international custom 98 - has crystallized. Admittedly it is based on relatively rare precedents, essentially concentrated over brief periods of time; but "the passage of only a short period of time is not necessarily, or of itself, a bar to the formation of a new rule of customary international law" 99. And we can hardly expect abundant practice in an area as exceptional as that of the creation of new States. Moreover, this customary rule must be linked to a chain of many more precedents in the context of decolonization, and the principle from which it draws its inspiration is "logically connected with the phenomenon of the obtaining of independence, wherever it occurs" (see, supra, para. 2.46). 2.49 There are two aspects to this rule. On the one hand, when a new State achieves sovereignty, this phenomenon must occur within the configuration of the administrative boundaries in which it was contained prior to independence. Such a rule could be difficult to implement in the case of the breakup of a unitary State, and might even be inapplicable in such a context since the territorial districts are less clearly individualized than in the framework of a federation. Indeed, this individualization of federal States is, no doubt, both cause and consequence of their greater propensity for independence. Be that as it may, Canada being a federal State and Quebec a federated entity, the rule would undoubtedly apply if Quebec achieved independence: its territory would have to be identical to that of the Province. On the other hand - and here the rule is more recent and, no doubt, less well established - use of force in a secessionist attempt aimed at altering the existing territorial boundaries, be it by the secessionist entity (a federated State, for example) or by the pre-existing State, must it seems be condemned by the international community. This, in any case, is what can be deduced from the reaction of the United Nations Security Council to the events in Yugoslavia, and more particularly from Resolution 713 (1991) of September 25, 1991 which states that continued fighting, though purely internal, constituted a threat to international peace and security, thus justifying a recourse to the provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter and the imposition of economic sanctions. In this, international law reinforces Canadian constitutional law in its exclusion of the use of force to alter the boundaries of a province. 2.50 "The essence of the principle [of uti possidetis juris] lies in its primary aim of securing respect for the territorial boundaries at the moment when independence is achieved" 100. In this respect it merely confirms the conclusions drawn from an examination of the general rules of international law and the principles of constitutional law, namely that Quebec cannot be forced against its will to surrender any portion of its present territory: before independence, such forcible amputation is excluded by the Constitution of Canada; after sovereignty, it would be precluded by the fundamental requirements of the stability of international borders reflected in the principle of the territorial integrity of States. Between these two situations, there is no solution of continuity, no legal interstices, no instant when a territorial transformation could - lawfully - be imposed on Quebec without its consent. Rights of peoples and minority groups 3.01 The controversy which has been engendered by the possible sovereignty of Quebec has focused largely on the right to self-determination which, paradoxically, is invoked both by supporters of independence as well as by its adversaries. The former regard the right to self-determination as the very foundation of the right to sovereignty of the Quebec people (or the French-Canadian people - the distinction being often blurred or confused) 101 ; the latter see it as an impediment to independence itself or, as the case may be, to the territorial integrity of Quebec in the event of sovereignty. Though they are not always perfectly clear, the following arguments have been put forward in the course of the debate: (i) pursuant to the right to self-determination, the Quebec people has the right to claim and obtain its independence while minority groups inside Quebec - be they anglophones or aboriginal populations - who are not peoples within the meaning of international law, cannot stake such a claim; (ii) because identical causes must produce identical effects, the right to secede enjoyed by French-Canadians (or French-Quebecers) also belongs to other peoples such as Canadian (or Quebec) anglophones and the First Nations; (iii) under international law, neither Quebecers nor any other minority group within Quebec or Canada constitute a people having the right to self-determination or, alternatively, if they are a people, they have forfeited such right by participating freely in the democratic institutions of Canada and can no longer claim the exercise thereof; (iv) while Quebecers cannot claim the status of a people under international law, the same does not hold true for Natives who, because of the colonial situation in which they exist, are entitled to claim the benefit of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, including, if need be, its ultimate consequence which is independence. 3.02 Given the role that the principle of the right to self-determination has played and continues to play in the present debate, and given the differing and irreconcilable views thereof, we cannot avoid a discussion of its scope and its relation to that other fundamental principle of international law, which is the territorial integrity of States and "countries". This discussion, however, can be fairly brief. In fact we believe that the right to self-determination as contemplated by positive law is of limited relevance to the issues (A) and that, in any case, minority groups, regardless of their composition, cannot legally base their claim to independence (B) on this right. A. Limited Relevance of the Principle of Equal Rights and Self-Determination of Peoples 3.03 The principle of "equal rights and self-determination of peoples" is one of the great "legal myths" of the second half of the twentieth century. Proclaimed by Article 1(2) and Article 55 of the Charter of the United Nations, there can no longer be any doubt that it is not a mere "rule of politics" but that it has real legal substance. Even more so, it is certainly one of the rare peremptory norms of general international law, "accepted and recognised" as such by "the international community as a whole" 102. It has long been accepted by the ILC 103 as forming part of the jus cogens and was recently recognized by the Arbitration Committee on Yugoslavia 104. However, that particular authority, though it recognized the superior normality of the principle, considered "that international law as it currently stands does not spell out all the implications of the right to self-determination" 105. While few notions have been the subject of as much debate as the scope of this principle 106, there can be no doubt as to its content: it implies that every people has the right to participate in the definition of its political, economic, social or cultural future. The extent of this choice, however, varies according to the circumstances, but, because of the necessary reconciliation of the principle of self-determination with that of territorial integrity, it rarely extends so far as to include secession. (a) The Scope of the Principle 3.04 Central to the debate - which we do not claim to resolve - on the scope of the principle of the right to self-determination is the fact that, though there is no doubt that "all peoples have the right to self-determination" 107, there is no universally accepted definition of the word "peoples" nor of the notion of self-determination. A dispassionate study, however, will serve to clarify the debate - at least to a certain extent. In fact, the whole debate is little more than a semantic quarrel. By simplifying somewhat - and leaving aside the "negative" arguments that wrongly contest (see, supra, para. 3.03) the positiveness of the principle, two - apparently irreducible - positions are opposed: - for some, the right to self-determination always includes the right to form a State, even where the people that enjoys such right could be content with other political structures (e.g. association or even amalgamation with another State); - for others, this right has a much broader scope and implies that any human collectivity which defines itself as such has the right to be recognized, to chose its future and to participate in the democratic expression of the political will within the State to which it is joined. In fact, whichever of these two arguments one adheres to (and the majority of the undersigned are inclined towards the latter), both of them rule out any right to secede in a non-colonial situation. 3.05 Certainly we must recognize that if all peoples theoretically enjoy the right to self-determination (see, supra, para. 3.04), international practice since 1945 has applied this principle predominantly, if not exclusively, in favour of colonial peoples, at least since the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly on December 14, 1960 of the famous Resolution 1514(XV) containing the Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples 108. "By virtue of that right", colonial peoples and those who, in very rare cases are classified as such (see, supra, para. 3.04) - "freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development" 109, which includes the "right to complete independence" 110, it being understood that this is not an obligation but a possibility which is open to them. For colonial peoples, independence is a right, not a duty: "A Non Self-Governing Territory can be said to have reached a full measure of self-government by: (a) Emergence as a sovereign independent State; (b) Free association with an independent State; or (c) Integration with an independent State" 111. 3.06 In Resolution 1541 (XV) of December 15, 1960, the United Nations listed the signs by which a territory could be described as "non self-governing". But as these are not clearly defined criteria and as their application has been uneven, evidently dictated by political and contingent considerations, the only conclusion that can be drawn from an analysis of the practice is that the General Assembly reserves the right to classify: a colonial people is any people defined as such by the General Assembly (on the proposal of the Decolonization Committee). It follows from this brief analysis that, as regards colonial peoples defined as the entire population of a non-self-governing territory recognized as such by the United Nations, the right to self-determination comprises the right to independence, should they so wish. Once exercised, this right ceases to exist and the sole function of the right to self-determination thereafter consists in protecting the people concerned from foreign interference. Obviously, this is not the case as regards the people of Quebec, nor of the various - in particular indigenous or anglophone - minorities that exist on its territory. 3.07 But, in fact, independence is not the sole objective of the right to self-determination, and in its broadest meaning this principle signifies that, after attaining sovereignty, all peoples and parts of peoples are entitled to the recognition of their identity and to participate in the expression of the political will within the State. This has been the consistent position of the Human Rights Commission and this is what the States - including Canada - intend, confirming by their attitude the validity of this interpretation. The generalization of the right to self-determination understood to mean the right of a people to found a State would have a profoundly destabilizing effect, which is obviously inconceivable for an international community comprised first and foremost of sovereign States 112. "It can be concluded that the view that all peoples in the sociological sense are entitled under international law in the last resort to create independent States is clearly unacceptable as a matter of practice" 113. But restricting the notion of peoples is not the only rational legal response to this practical objection. On the contrary, one could think that the equation: "people = population of a colonial territory" is a grossly oversimplified, even simplistic, equation. Not only does the claim to self-determination "in practice [...] not necessarily involve a claim to Statehood and secession" 114, but, legally speaking, the principle of the right of peoples to self-determination "does not imply that the category of "peoples' rights" requires that the term "peoples" should have the same meaning for the purposes of all rights accepted as falling within the category" 115. In fact, as we have indicated above (para. 1.17), the right to self-determination is context-dependent in that it signifies, always and everywhere, that all peoples have the right to participate in the political, economic, social or cultural choices that concern them, though it very rarely gives rise to the right to independence. "There is no reason to suppose that what constitutes a "people" for the purpose of one right necessarily satisfies the requirements of another. In other words, the definition of "people" could well be - indeed having regard to the breadth of the claims to peoples' rights, is likely to be - context-dependent (...). Peoples' rights embodies a category, not a definition. What constitutes a people may be different for the purposes of different rights" 116. More so than the preceding one (see, supra, para. 3.06), this approach is susceptible of reconciling the legitimate desire of States to preserve their integrity with the recognition of the right to self-determination of all peoples, even as the "terminological barriers" in which the States have attempted to contain this notion give way 117 : the expression "indigenous peoples" (and not "populations") has become progressively established (see, infra, para. 3.29); minorities are increasingly defining themselves as "peoples" (as overabundantly illustrated by the Canadian example), and the very fact that the right to self-determination, in the sense of "independence", has been recognized solely in "colonial" peoples is an indication that this right takes on or can take on different meanings for other categories of peoples. 3.08 The European Arbitration Committee on Yugoslavia has drawn a lesson from all this. In Opinion No. 1 it refers in the same breath to the "rights of peoples and minorities" described as "peremptory norms of general international law" 118, but in Opinion No. 2 it determines with greater precision the consequences of this right: it entails the right of minorities "to recognition of their identity", and because "the right to self-determination serves to safeguard human rights", it also comprises the right of each member of a minority to be recognized as belonging to that minority. The Committee also excludes - albeit impliedly, but nevertheless quite clearly - any right to independence of minority peoples 119. This is not to say, however, that independence is not open to them; simply it is a question of fact, not of law (see, infra, para. 3.13). Viewed in this way, the right to self-determination has real substance without being limited to a particular category of peoples. Though the exact consequences may vary according to the circumstances, it still retains, always and everywhere, a modicum of meaning: the ability of every people to "choose" its destiny. In fact, such is the very essence of the principle elaborated by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of October 16, 1975 rendered in the Western Sahara case, i.e. in a colonial context in which it was long meant to be confined: it satisfies the need "to pay regard to the freely expressed will of peoples" 120. For colonial peoples, this choice includes the possibility of independence; for others, that possibility is precluded, but at the same time it implies the right to one's own identity, the right to choose and the right to participate: "It also, at least for now, stopped being a principle of exclusion (secession) and became one of inclusion: the right to participate. The right now entitles peoples in all states to free, fair and open participation in the democratic process of governance freely chosen by each State" 121. Identity and democracy are its two essential components, but not independence except - according to certain authors who express this view with caution - in the case of an extremely serious and continued denial of the right so defined 122. 3.09 One can hardly seriously maintain that this is the case of Quebec. Some authors have attempted, not without talent, to establish the existence of a "Quebec people" or, alternatively of a "French-Canadian people". Thus Professor Jacques Brossard has asserted that the Québécois constituted a people and that this people enjoyed the right to self-determination, as it fulfilled all of the - in his view - required conditions: - a "political dimension", a territory and its own structures; - a viable future as a State; - acceptance of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law; - a desire for independence 123. One can harbour certain doubts as to the validity of some of these criteria(124). Nevertheless, one cannot reasonably maintain that the Quebec people is a colonial people, nor that it is deprived of the right to its own existence within Canada as a whole or to participate in the democratic process. The very existence of the - hardly debatable - first criterion isolated by Professor Brossard is sufficient proof of the contrary. Consequently, the Quebec people effectively exercises its right to self-determination within the whole of Canada and is not legally justified in invoking such right to found a possible independence. Yet, once again, this does not prevent it from claiming or obtaining or imposing such right: only, this is purely a question of fact which international law neither supports nor reproves. It merely takes note of it (see, supra, para. 2.29 ff. and, infra, 3.14). (b) Territorial Integrity of States and the Rights of Peoples 3.10 One could ask of course if, conversely, international law does not exclude secession because of the importance it places on the principles of the territorial integrity of States and the stability of frontiers (see, supra, para. 2.16 to 2.19). On the face of it there is a striking contradiction between these two principles, on the one hand, and the right to self-determination - at least when understood to mean the right to independence - and the very fact of
Austinite Samuel Deats. Frederator Networks Gray G. Haddock, head of Rooster Teeth’s 100-employee-strong animation department, said that what started as an experiment last year with a few panels has gotten more serious as a major component of RTX. “We’re calling it our very first second-annual Rooster Animation Fest,” he said. “Last year had a much bigger emphasis on independent animators. This year, we have Netflix’s ‘Castlevania’ as well as ‘Adult Swim’ coming to show some exclusive footage from some of their productions.” Haddock said that in addition to celebrating indie and studio animation, the panels and screenings are also a way to plug in attendees to the minds behind new and established shows. “It’s a way for the Rooster Teeth community to connect with the people who actually produce animation and ask them questions about various parts of the pipeline.” It seems to follow that Rooster Teeth’s boostrapped success — it began with a video game satire called “Red vs. Blue” that was produced in an apartment in Buda and continues today — would inspire its organizers to spotlight the craft of making online entertainment. Haddock said that in animation ideas rule and the barriers to entry and production have largely fallen away. “It’s so much easier to get your hands on some quality software or to build your team online. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing stick-figure theater or complicated 3-D rendering that takes hours per frame. It’s a new golden age for animation, I would say.” Burnie Burns, left, and Gavin Free of Rooster Teeth are two of the stars of shows from the studio who’ll be on panels and interacting with fans at RTX 2017. Alyssa Vidales / AMERICAN-STATESMAN In the past few years, Sorola has been stepping back from the role of one of RTX’s main organizers and will be able to enjoy RTX as a fan this weekend. Bethany Feinstein, the head of Rooster Teeth’s live events, however, is pushing to make the biggest RTX yet a show that offers more organized tracks and that has offers enough variety for everyone who comes out. “There are just so many components,” Feinstein said. “Gaming is a part of it. But we have so many things going on at the same time for everyone to choose from, whether you’re interested in animation or the shows our live-action department produces. We really tried not to overlap competing things.” That includes not only narrative shows, live podcasts (including the popular “Rooster Teeth Podcast,” but gaming tournaments, cosplay contests, “Achievement Hunter” (the company’s take on the “Let’s Play” watching-people-play-games phenomenon) and “Theater Mode Live,” the studio’s take on making fun of a terrible movie in front of an audience. One of the ironic things about the growth of Rooster Teeth is that while its YouTube videos have earned more than five billion views (yes, billion with a B) and with its stable of dozens of shows, a live-action movie (last year’s “Lazer Team”) and millions of fans, its star personalities are not typically recognized as celebrities in Austin. And RTX, despite its size, is typically not an attention-getter like South by Southwest or Austin City Limits Festival in terms of large annual local events. Unlike most gaming conventions or even SXSW, Sorola says, RTX is not an event unto itself; it’s part of a continually churning content empire that puts out new material all year. Cosplayers dressed as characters from Rooster Teeth's "RWBY" series attend RTX 2016 on July 1, 2016 at the Austin Convention Center. Omar L. Gallaga/American-Statesman “All those other shows happen for a weekend and then they’re gone,” he said. “RTX lives year round through Rooster Teeth. The convention is a small part of the overall ecosystem. It’s a crescendo of all the other work that’s happening.” In 2016, RTX expanded internationally with an event in Sydney, Australia that started with 11,000 attendees and this year grew to 16,000. In October, Rooster Teeth is adding RTX London to its annual events; 15,000 tickets for the October convention sold out in 14 minutes when they went on sale in March. It’ll be a balancing act, Feinstein said, to see how two big additional conferences affect the original RTX in Austin. “Now that we have RTX Australia and the U.K. show, those fans will likely not be traveling to the Austin one anymore,” she said. “There’s not a perfect equation that we’ve figured out yet. We’re gonna see how that changes things.” The music shows, which Feinstein is particularly proud of as a music fan, are one way that RTX is trying to draw the eyes of not just fans online traveling to Austin, but to locals who may not have given the convention a look in the past. “It’s a way to show the local scene what RTX is,” Feinstein said. Cover image: Attendees at RTX 2016 on July 1, 2016. Jay Janner / AMERICAN-STATESMANILLINOIS - ILLINOIS -- Police officers carry guns, handcuffs and pepper spray. They could soon add another tool to their belts. They could be trained to react to dangerous allergic reactions. A proposal would have officers carrying EpiPens. In many cases, police are first on scene of a 911 call, but if it's a medical emergency, their hands are tied until medical teams arrive. The proposal comes after a 13-year old Elmhurst student died as a result of the anaphylactic shock she suffered after a severe allergic reaction. Police were first on scene within minutes, but officers were not authorized to carry or administer the drugs. The bill would provide training programs for officers on how to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis as well as administration of an EpiPen. Besides medical professionals, school officials can also currently administer the drug. The bill passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting the governor's signature.Claude Puel's Southampton aiming to improve for seventh successive campaign With the new Premier League campaign days away, we run the rule over each club in the 2016/17 campaign. New manager Claude Puel will aim to build on another record-breaking season of progress for Southampton after being appointed this summer. Highest finishing position Last season Southampton finished sixth, their highest placing in the Premier League, with a club-record haul of 63 points. Their efforts in 2015/16 mean the club have improved on their previous position for six successive seasons. Signings The move of manager Ronald Koeman to Everton started another summer of change for Southampton, with Graziano Pelle, Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane also leaving St Mary's. Puel arrives after an impressive coaching career in France and has been busy in the transfer market. Defender Jeremy Pied linked up with his former Nice coach along with winger Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), Crystal Palace goalkeeper Alex McCarthy and 20-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg. Charlie Austin is fit and ready to fill the void left up front by Pelle after missing much of the second half of 2015/16 since joining in January. Expected formation The 4-4-2 diamond has been most prominent in Southampton’s pre-season friendlies under Puel, who, says Adrian Clarke, has a reputation of producing attractive and fast-paced style of attacking football. Managers Puel took over Southampton after transforming Nice from a side battling relegation to fourth in Ligue 1 last season. He had spent his entire career in France, racking up over 450 appearances for Monaco, including a seven-year spell under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. As coach, Puel led Monaco to the Ligue 1 title before spending six years at Lille and nurturing players such as Eden Hazard. He guided Lyon to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals during a three-year spell before taking over at Nice in 2011. In total Southampton have had 13 managers in the PL, including Puel. Last season After winning only one of their first six matches and suffering a difficult winter, Saints were looking over their shoulders before a six-match unbeaten run without conceding started a superb second half of the campaign. Only Leicester City earned more points than Southampton's 39 in 2016, with four straight wins, including against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, leading to a spot in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League. Pre-season form Saints have won five of six 2016/17 pre-season matches Southampton are unbeaten in pre-season, defeating DC United Under-23s, PEC Zwolle, FC Twente, Groningen and Athletic Bilbao, as well as earning a 1-1 draw with Espanyol at St Mary’s Stadium. In six pre-season matches, Saints have scored 11 goals and conceded only twice. Significant injuries Southampton’s major injury concern at the moment is Ryan Bertrand, who has been ruled out of their PL opener at home to Watford with a knee issue. Jose Fonte and Cedric Soares are both lacking match fitness having returned late from UEFA Euro 2016, which they won with Portugal. Florin Gardos has missed some of pre-season as he recovers from a long-term knee injury that ruled him out of 2015/16. Manager quote “I like to improve the young players. It's important for the club and important for me at all the clubs I have managed. "It is a possibility to work with an excellent academy. Many good players come through this academy and it will be important for me to improve these players and to give the club the possibilities to stay at a high level with young players of the club.” See: Southampton v WatfordOne of my favorite movies is Magnolia. I know, I know. A LOT of people hate this movie, like, with the fire of a million billion fiery suns. I get it. But I adore it. Which is funny, because it stars one of my least-favorite actors on the entire planet. Tom Cruise makes me nervous. It’s the teeth. And the grinning. And the laugh. And the couch-jumping. And the Scientology, but really, anyone into any religion that insanely would make me nervous. And the “Matt you’re so GLIB.” And the arrogance. And that I think probably he’s got his wife in some sort of drugged up cult haze. And in Rob Lowe’s autobiography, he came across as a gigantic douchenozzle. And I totally like Rob Lowe. If Rob Lowe says you’re a douchenozzle, you probably are. AND THE TEETH. Also, I didn’t even like him when all the girls were all “SQUEE SQUEE” back in Top Gun days, because he’s short and wee. I hate short and wee men with little-man complexes. Also, once, I was sort of bashing him on Twitter? But only a little? And HE TOTALLY STARTED FOLLOWING ME. No, not a Tom Cruise FAN BOT or something. THE REAL TOM CRUISE. With the blue check next to his name and EVERYTHING. So I’m pretty sure he’s coming to eat me with those gigantic teeth any day now. So, anyway. Magnolia. In Magnolia, Cruise plays Frank “T.J.” Mackey, who’s a love guru who runs this live infomercial thing called “Seduce and Destroy.” And I totally hate Cruise. Like, in EVERYTHING. Even Tropic Thunder, where everyone was all “HE’S SO FUNNY,” I was disgusted when his shouty ass came on screen. I know. He’s coming to eat me any day. If I stop posting, you’ll know to check his stool for little chunks of me, right? Right. ANYWAY. I love him in Magnolia. I can only assume it’s the writing and directing, because it sure as hell isn’t Cruise. Here’s a scene of Mackey doing his seminar for men, teaching them how to both seduce AND destroy. It’s got some naughty language. I promise I have a point and this clip ties into it. But if you hate naughty language, it’s ok to skip it. I’ll still love you. (SPEAKING OF NAUGHTY LANGUAGE SIDE NOTE! At the theater last night? There was this group of children from a school who all looked like they couldn’t be more than probably 14 or 15? And they were TOTALLY CUSSING THE MOST YOU GUYS. Like, SO MUCH USE OF THE EFF WORD. Is that normal? Really? I didn’t use the eff word out LOUD until college, at least. Because I thought it would send me directly to hell without stopping to pass Go OR collect $200. Little baby-faced teenagers are saying it like it’s just another word? Is this worrisome or am I being an old person about this? I totally wanted to go wash their little mouths out with all the Lava soap. My stars and garters.) As you can see, Mackey is teaching a conference room at the HoJo’s or something how to seduce and destroy ladies. It’s both hysterical and sad. WELL! @grngeekgirl, my partner in crime over at Insatiable Booksluts, pointed THIS out to me the other day. ZOMG YOU GUYS. Real-life T.J. Mackeys. REAL LIFE T.J. MACKEYS. There’s a call for this? IN REAL LIFE? I can’t even. NOT EVEN. So! From the about page, we see that these people are J.D. Dallas and Johnny Bravo, running this thing called the “Modern Male Lifestyle.” The “Modern Male Lifestyle” means you walk into bars and you pick up ALL THE LADIES just by using ALL THESE TECHNIQUES. I mean, all the ladies. ALL. No lady is immune. EVEN STRIPPERS AREN’T IMMUNE. This is AMAZING. This is J.D. Dallas. No, I am not 100% sure what’ s going on in this photo, either. He’s playing with a guitar while ignoring a girl who looks embarrassed to be there, based on her posture. Also, is the “modern male lifestyle” sneering? That’s sure to get a lot of embarrassed women and guitars into your bed. Oh, and suitcases. I think there’s a suitcase over there, too. He also wrote a book about how to pick up women on MySpace, which I’m sure is selling a LOT of copies. ZOMG this is Johnny Bravo. I feel a chill. IT IS BECAUSE MY PANTIES JUST FELL TO THE FLOOR. THROUGH MY JEANS. According to his bio, which has some really odd random capitalization, he used to be into “world of war craft” but then started learning the rules of being a “PUA” (that is PICK UP ARTIST, come on, people, if you can’t learn the terminology, I don’t know if I can work with you here) and now NO WOMAN IS OUT OF HIS REACH NO WOMAN. OK. Here’s the scoop. I have a lot of male readers. And you know what? I love you to pieces. I totally want you to get laid. So, because I love you all, I’m going to help YOU become a PUA (you remember what that is, right? Pick up artist. Seriously, if I have to keep holding your hand through this, it’s going to be a long haul) so YOU, TOO, can wear an awesome hat and ripped-up jeans in a doorway or get an embarrassed girl, just like Johnny or J.D. I am going to READ THIS WEBSITE and GLEAN THE MOST HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOU. Oh, probably this might work for my lesbian readers, too. So also this is for you. Just switch out “male” for “female” and you’re golden. Sorry, straight female readers. Also, married and coupley male readers, this COULD work for you, but probably don’t use these tips. I don’t want to break up your happy home. I’d feel terrible. And gay male readers, this won’t work for you at all. Also, I don’t think you would wear a kickin’ cowboy hat and rippy jeans, anyway. I know. I can hear you starting to cry tears of joy. Please just invite me to your weddings. I do so love wedding cake. Why does it always taste better than regular cake? It’s like it’s baked with magic. Become an Alpha Male First, you have to become an Alpha Male. Apparently, that’s the key to this whole thing. Alpha males are winners and can screw all the strippers. Beta males are apparently losers who lose. Here are some traits of Alpha Males. THESE ARE TOTALLY IMPORTANT YO. Never makes excuses. For example, if he doesn’t want to ride a roller coaster, he doesn’t say, “I don’t want to ride that roller coaster, because I am scared of heights and also might hork into your hair.” He INSTEAD says, and I QUOTE, “Roller coasters? Nah, that’s not me. Let’s do something cool instead.” So, as you can see, not only did you get out of rollin’ and coastin’, you subtly insulted your female friend. TWO FOR ONE BABY. Is confident and honey badger don’t give a shit about what people say about him. Talks slowly and in deep tones, and his movements are smooth. His movements are like he’s “walking through water.” Like Barry White, I’m thinking. Like a merman Barry White. Never apologizes for his desires and beliefs. NEVER. Does not have a big ego – has an ego that is his ally. “Here is the truth: big egos are a result of low-esteem, lack of control over emotion, and too many female feelings.” ZOMG. You do NOT want too many female feelings, Alphas! What’s next, getting in the kitchen and making up a mess of pie or something? Does not get jealous. “He laughs at the thought of his girlfriend choosing another guy over him.” LAUGHS I TELL YOU LAUGHS. Uproariously. Now you are totally an Alpha, but what do you do? You can’t sit at home. There are women to conquer like wolves in the night. WHAT DO YOU DO. Well! Don’t fret, my little butterbeans! Johnny Bravo says you should: Join online communities of pick up artists. I guess you can share techniques with them? Because I’m sure the people in the community aren’t really losers in their mom’s basements eating HoHos in the dark. Join a local lair. A LAIR. This shit is getting REAL. I hope there are FRESH KILLS and SPOOR in the lair. Oh, wait, it’s not a wolf lair, nevermind. Apparently, it’s a place where all the PUAs go to be together and share tips for how best to get ALL THE LADIES. Apparently, if you hang out with your regular friends who have known you forever as you embark on your new lifestyle as a playa, those friends might “hold you back.” You need a wolfpack, yo. Next, you need to study the THEORY of being a PUA. If you want to study Johnny and J.D.’s theory, it’s available but you totally have to pay for it. Apparently there are places you can get other theories but they’re probably not as good. I mean, scroll back up there. HE HAS A GIRL IN HIS BED YOU GUYS. A REAL LIVE GIRL. Who I assume has REAL WOMAN-BOOBIES. I mean, do you NEED any more proof? Go to a training or boot camp. BOOT CAMP. This is NOT dicking around. No no no. I hope they ask you to spit-shine your shoes or do KP duty or something. That’s how you know it’s a real boot camp. Go out in “the field” and practice technique. I guess that doesn’t mean a real field like with cow shit in it. I think it means bars. Bring money. You’re probably going to have to buy a lot of drinks and shit, and also on your way home you’ll be sad so you’ll want to stop at Taco Bell and buy Fourth Meal. Now, both Johnny Bravo and J.D. have some articles they’ve written with helpful tips. And, to help YOU, my little budding PUAs, I’ve read them ALL* (not many of them at all) and pulled out the tips that I think would totally help you in your quest. LISTEN. I think you all will be getting laid tonight. Barring that, the Chicken Quesadillas at Taco Bell are really tasty. There’s nothing embarrassing about Fourth Meal. NOTHING. TIPS FROM JOHNNY BRAVO Ask random questions that are not at all creepy Examples: “You must plan your own death. How old are you? How does it happen? And what is the funeral like?” This is a GOOD QUESTION to ask at a bar. I’m pretty sure the minute you ask it, the girl will be humping your leg like a Scottie dog, right? I mean, nothing turns someone on more than talking about pre-planning their funeral. FUNERAL PLANNING IS SEXAY. Make her talk about high school “…for the most part, we tend to remember all the good times – how wonderful it was to be in high school for example, even though when you were there it seemed like hell. But now we remember it fondly. So ask her about, say, high school. And when she goes on that’s the time to pull her in. While she’s experiencing these good feelings, she’s looking at YOU. And she associates your face with feeling good, innocent and fun. Then she’s into you.” Oh, this is EXCELLENT. YES. Please use this. Please grab me at a bar and start talking to me about THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE while maintaining creepy eye contact and refusing to change the subject. This will get me into your bed faster than you can say “I was a victim of childhood bullying for years and years and I still cringe when I hear a locker door slam!” Know what women want According to Johnny Bravo, that is “someone to take charge, be confident, and have zero insecurities.” I AM SO GLAD SOMEONE TOLD ME WHAT I WANT WHOO. Also, according to this totally helpful article, women want: you to never email, text, or call them you to tell them stories like the following: “I ate a Rattle Snake once, riding on a four wheeler through the desert, and ran that bitch over, it was all wigglin’ and shit, grabbed it up, and cooked it over an open flame.” (I’m sorry, a., this made me laugh so hard I snorted, and b., does this NOT sound so much like something I’d write? Hee! I mean, not the CONTENT, but the DELIVERY.) you to ask them for their number, then shove it in your pocket and say, “I’ll add it to the list of women’s numbers I got tonight and call you, maybe” you to do magic tricks or play the guitar you to “peacock” which is apparently to dress like a gigantic douchebag like with a hat with a feather or something because that will make you stand out in a crowd and also make everyone want to take a ride on your pocket rocket and not laugh at you until they get a side-cramp I expect you to learn these things and start practicing them, seriously. I can’t expect you to get all the ladies until you do them. TIPS FROM J.D. DALLAS Don’t be nice If you are nice, then women WIN. You don’t want women to WIN, do you? No. According to J.D. Dallas, you want to be the man inside your man. Or – well, I’ll let him tell you: “Be the man inside you – the volcanic eruption below the surface – and you’ll start to experience the success you desire. Trust me, it’s in there. You just need to let it out.” VOLCANIC ERUPTIONNNNN Also, I am officially getting creeped out reading J.D. Dallas’s blog because I think I know where the Twitter spambots are getting their profile pictures. SO MANY GROSS SHOTS OF PLASTIC CHICKS IN BIKINIS MAKING DUCKFACE YOU GUYS. Ignore her and/or lie to her If she texts you asking what you’re doing, either tell her you’re busy or don’t answer. She’ll love that. Because you don’t want her to think you’re available whenever she wants you to be. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE PEOPLE. Don’t act like a lady Women are emotional! And insane! THEY WILL BUY TEN PAIRS OF SHOES! And SPEND THE RENT MONEY ON THEM! HA HA! But not men, no no! And you know how opposites attract? Crazy women like CALM RATIONAL MANLY MEN. So if YOU act crazy and womanly, women won’t want you! Act like a MAN! Probably THUMP YOUR CHEST and GROWL! I don’t exactly know what this says about you if you WANT one of these insane women who would spend the rent on shoes and not a nice normal woman who spends the rent on…oh, I don’t know…RENT. But I am not J.D. Dallas. I DON’T HAVE REGRETFUL WOMEN IN MY BED AND ALSO GUITARS. Now you have TIPS and you are an ALPHA MALE and you are READY TO HIT THE DATING SCENE. Also, probably bring protection. You’re totally going to be having all the sex with regretful duckfaced girls. And the website says you also need to work out a lot. I don’t know when you’re going to have time to do all of this, so probably quit your job. There are also about fifty sections on how to score with exotic dancers. People want to sleep with exotic dancers? Really? That seems sad to me. Don’t they think that’s a bad idea and probably that will end badly? Life isn’t Pretty Woman, you know? Then I was thinking, back in the day, my roommate and I used to watch this show that made us laugh like morons on VH1 called The Pickup Artist that starred this guy called Mystery trying to turn losery men into PUAs and it was the worst because THIS was what Mystery looked like and he purportedly could get every woman he wanted: Seriously, this guy would give tips like the ones above (he had a friend whose name was Matador, no, I’m totally serious) and the two of them would go into bars and Mystery would be wearing this HUGE FURRY HAT and sometimes there would be goggles on it and he has a neck tattoo of lips and he’d be all, “I’m PEACOCKING” and my roommate and I would laugh so hard we almost died. It was obvious the bar was filled with extras because no one in the bar even pointed and laughed when he came in like I’d have been doing. Why aren’t there awesome shows like this on anymore? I feel cheated. Here is a random video of him teaching a room full of women how to…sway? I’m not sure what’s happening here. Also, I don’t remember him sounding this Canadian. It makes me laugh. BACK TO THE TOPIC AT HAND. Anyway. You now have the tools you need at your disposal! To summarize: Lie constantly. Treat women like disposable shit. Be super-cool, to the point of meanness. Get a guitar and a suitcase and put them on your bed. Get a large hat of some sort. Either cowboy or furry will do. Learn some magic. Get your shots up-to-date because you’re totally going to be exposed to syphilis. Also, I just think it bears mention that you might want to go somewhere that the women you’re trying to pick up have either all had lobotomies or have been exposed to high levels of toxic gases so are extraordinarily drugged-out. Because otherwise I think maybe they might either walk away laughing or be onto your clever ruses in like.0004 seconds. Or laugh at your hats. I’d wish you good luck but I’m pretty sure Alphas don’t NEED luck. Alphas either make their OWN luck or they TAKE IT LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. Have fun, my naughty friends. Don’t blame me if you have so many women outside your house you have to beat them off with sticks! (Disclaimer: please don’t beat anyone with sticks, thanks.)With the news that Atlanta United might pay seven figures for a player that might never see the field, it’s very possible we’ve gotten a look at the club’s future plans. The idea of dropping almost $2 million to maybe/maybe not bring in Lucas Rodriguez from Estudiantes in Argentina comes on the heels of word that The Five Stripes may have also spent money to lock down three players from Newell’s Old Boys (Milton Valenzuela, Brian Gambarte, Mauricio Tevez). These moves are aimed at the future as all the players in question are young and may or may not be ready to contribute right now. The money already paid would reportedly go towards any transfer fees the team would have to pay later, should Atlanta complete the deals. It is also believed the money paid would not count against the salary cap. While Atlanta’s willingness to spend big is not news, this might be a new kind of big spending. Atlanta could be setting the groundwork for a pipeline to Argentina like MLS has never seen. We could be looking at a system where Atlanta doesn’t just grab a player here or there but instead starts developing relationships with clubs all around the country as a place for their youth to go and continue their development. Think of it as a college football program building a pipeline to a specific state and trying to ensure they get the best talent from the area. Granted, Atlanta has a distinct advantage over other clubs as long as Argentine Manager Tata Martino is at the helm. We could see a future where the players leave Argentine clubs and come to Atlanta with the hopes of being the next Miguel Almiron or Josef Martinez; primed to jump to Europe for fame and riches. Throw in the rumors that Atlanta United is looking to add a USL team as soon as possible, and suddenly you have a club that could be adding young players while giving them a place to play and develop immediately. Atlanta has made it clear that they want to be an international name and becoming a staple in Argentina would be a big step in that development. More importantly, Atlanta wouldn’t just become a staple to Argentine clubs, but to kids of all ages in the country as an option and a goal to further their development. This isn’t the MLS 3.0 that people expected; Atlanta United might be on the way to firing up MLS 4.0.Then, in 1997, they controversially signed to EMI: a compromise they hoped would help them change the world for the better. Their single Tubthumping, instantly became a worldwide hit. Not quite what a bunch of self proclaimed anarchists from the north of England were expecting. Instead of spending the money they made on fast cars or country piles, they started to funnel it from major licensing deals into causes they supported: striking dockers, anarchist radio stations, European community centres...whilst hoping they'd find a bit of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll along the way. Despite this they were deafened by shouts of "Sell out!' from their previously loyal fans who deserted them in their droves until in 1999 when the release of 'What You See is What You Get' hastened their return to obscurity, emptied their wallets and left them with virtually nothing. (Maybe that's what you get for trying to crack America with an anti-American album.) As Dunstan revisits the 90s, some familiar Brit Pop era stars and all eight band members, he'll capture their often conflicting accounts of one of pop's most astonishing untold stories. And it's your story too! We would love you to be a part of the story. If you were there, at their gigs, in the squat, in the pub, we need your photos, home movie footage or flyers. Whether you loved them or hated them, however that band or THAT song affected you, we want hear your stories. Surely someone can help Dunstan fill in the gaps? Get in touch with us at info@igetknockeddown.com if you have anything to send us and we'll let you know how even if your material is on VHS's, old film tape etc. let us know and we can get it converted. You never know - you might just see your material in the finished film! You'll need an HTML5 capable browser to see this content. Play Replay with sound Play with sound 00:00 00:00 We swear to guard anything that enters our possession with our lives and it return it quickly, unharmed. Why Kickstarter? This is a film that demands a collaborative approach. A film for the people funded by the people! Kickstarter is clearly the way to make a film about a time in history which was all about the power of the people. Apart from signing to EMI/Universal, Chumbawamba always maintained a fierce independence and control over what they did. Dunstan cares too much about this project to lose control of it to anyone who cares less about it than him. Kickstarter is the only way to make this film in the true spirit of the band and their philosophy; by engaging the people who were there and who felt a part of what Chumbawamba were trying to achieve.TMZ is reporting that boxing star Adrien Broner has rejected a healthy 5-year, $40 million offer from Roc Nation Sports. Broner felt that the offer was insulting to him because it was for only $8 million per year. Broner figures that he’ll be fighting four times in 2015 alone. Unfortunately, Broner didn’t say what kind of money he’s looking for to sign with them, but you’d have to assume that it’s a lot more than the $40 million that Roc Nation was supposedly offering him to sign. If Broner isn’t happy with a big offer of $40 million, it would be interesting to see what kind of money that he’s looking for in order to sign a contract of 5 years with various promoters. Some boxing fans feel that Broner has already shown his best while fighting in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. He’s not looked good since moving up to 140 and 147, and there’s major questions whether he’ll ever be more than just a contender in those two weight classes. Broner wants to be a pay-per-view fighter like his mentor Floyd Mayweather Jr and Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, but it could be difficult for Broner to make the leap up to that class without him becoming a champion and proving that he can beat most if not all the top guys in his own weight class. As of now, you can’t put Broner as the No.1 fighter at 140 and definitely not even close to being the No.1 fighter at 147. Yes, Broner is young at 25 and can wait out the aging fighters Mayweather and Pacquiao, but there’s still going to be guys like Danny Garcia, Lamont Peterson, Lucas Matthysse, Ruslan Provodnikov, Terence Crawford, Kell Brook, Amir Khan and Keith Thurman who will likely all be better than Broner. It’s hard to estimate a worth on a 5-year contract for Broner right now because there are so many questions that need to be answered about him at 140. We saw that he failed at 147 in getting beaten by Marcos Maidana and arguably beaten by Paulie Malignaggi as well. But at 140, the weight class where Broner has seemingly retreated to, he’s not looked good in his fights against Carlos Molina and Emmanuel Taylor. Those fights showed that Broner will most likely struggle if he’s asked to face the best light welterweights in Danny Garcia, Viktor Postol, Lamont Peterson and Terence Crawford. I’m not sure that Roc Nation would be getting such a bargain if they were to have signed Broner for a 5-year, $40 million contract.There’s a hidden gem available in WordPress 3.6 that I’m excited about, and that is the shortcode_atts_{$shortcode} filter. It will allow developers to filter a shortcode by passing in new shortcode parameters, and even override existing ones. You can read more about it in this post by Mark Jaquith. Taking advantage of shortcode_atts_{$shortcode} in a plugin EDD Featured Downloads is a plugin I wrote for Easy Digital Downloads that allows you to display your featured downloads via a [[edd_featured_downloads]] shortcode. It’s always bugged me that I had to copy the entire [[downloads]] shortcode from the core Easy Digital Downloads plugin, just to do a simple query to retrieve the correct posts. Each time EDD was updated, I’d have to check my plugin and make sure that it matched EDD’s plugin for consistency. I even left myself a comment in the code, reminding myself why I created the shortcode in the first place: /* * Featured Downloads Shortcode * Created a new shortcode as filtering the shortcode atts is not possible yet * https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/15155 * @since 1.0 */ Shortcodes must include the new parameter to be filterable One thing to note is that the shortcode you are filtering must have the new parameter included as the 3rd parameter in the shortcode_atts array. This will be the {$shortcode} in the filter name. WordPress 3.6’s core shortcodes (gallery etc) will have this new parameter added when it is released. In the spirit of ditching my plugin’s shortcode, I submitted a minor patch to Easy Digital Downloads that will appear in v1.7.2 (At the time of writing, EDD is still on v1.7.1). Here’s what that 3rd parameter looks like in the shortcode_atts array: extract( shortcode_atts( array( // an array of the shortcode's default options ), $atts, 'downloads' ) // the new 'downloads' parameter which will allow filtering ); How to use the shortcode_atts_{$shortcode} filter Now that the shortcode is filterable, we can build our filter. Going by the example above, the filter’s name would be: shortcode_atts_downloads Filtering the shortcode The following code adds a new “featured” parameter to the [[downloads]] shortcode in Easy Digital Downloads. function edd_fd_filter_downloads_shortcode( $out, $pairs, $atts ) {
the implications of its command and control economics...There is no question in my mind that Obamacare’s insurer bailout would not have been stopped if not for him. Yuval also accurately notes the role of staffers for other congressmen in inserting the specific language into the continuing resolution omnibus bill that prevented HHS from creating an unauthorized slush fund to support the risk corridors. Glenn Kessler, unfortunately, seems to have ignored my and Yuval's accounts; he is up with a story at the Washington Post repeating the AP's inaccurate claim that Rubio's role in the risk corridor story was ceremonial. FOLLOW @Avik on Twitter, Google+, and YouTube, and The Apothecary on Facebook. Or, sign up to receive a weekly e-mail digest of articles from The Apothecary. INVESTORS’ NOTE: The biggest publicly-traded players in Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges include Aetna (NYSE:AET), UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH), Molina (NYSE:MOH), Anthem (NYSE:ANTM), and Centene (NYSE:CNC).And so the latest inevitable outcome of the French downgrade from AAA has arrived, after the S&P just downgraded the EFSF, that pillar of European stability, from AAA to AA+. S&P adds: "if we were to conclude that sufficient offsetting credit enhancements are, in our opinion, not likely to be forthcoming, we would likely change the outlook to negative to mirror the negative outlooks of France and Austria. Under those circumstances we would expect to lower the ratings on the EFSF if we lowered the long-term sovereign credit ratings on the EFSF's 'AAA' or 'AA+' rated members to below 'AA+'." In other words, as everyone but Europe apparently knew, the EFSF is only as strong as the rating of its weakest member. And now the rhetoric on how AAA is not really necessary for the EFSF, begins, to be followed by AA, next A, then BBB and finally how as long as the EFSF is not D-rated all is well. From S&P: European Financial Stability Facility Long-Term Ratings Cut To 'AA+'; Short-Term Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Developing Overview On Jan. 13, 2012, we lowered to 'AA+' the long-term sovereign credit ratings on two of the European Financial Stability Facility's (EFSF's) previously 'AAA' rated guarantor member states, France and Austria. The EFSF's obligations are no longer fully supported either by guarantees from EFSF members rated 'AAA' by Standard & Poor's, or by 'AAA' rated securities. We consider that credit enhancements sufficient to offset what we view as the reduced creditworthiness of guarantors are currently not in place. We are therefore lowering our long-term issuer credit rating on the EFSF to 'AA+' from 'AAA'. We are also affirming the 'A-1+' short-term rating on EFSF. The outlook is developing, which reflects that we could raise the EFSF's long-term rating to 'AAA' if we see that additional credit enhancements are put in place, but also the likelihood that we could lower the rating further if we conclude that the creditworthiness of the EFSF's members will likely be further reduced over the next two years. Rating Action On Jan. 16, 2012, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered the 'AAA' long-term issuer credit rating on the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) to 'AA+' from 'AAA' and affirmed the short-term issuer credit rating at 'A-1+'. We removed the ratings from CreditWatch, where they had been placed with negative implications on Dec. 6, 2011. The outlook is developing. Rationale When we announced the placement of the ratings on the EFSF on CreditWatch on Dec. 6, 2011, we said that, depending on the outcome of our review of the ratings of the EFSF's guarantor member sovereigns, we would likely align the issue and issuer credit ratings on the EFSF with those of the lowest issuer rating we assigned to the EFSF members we rated 'AAA' (as of Dec. 6, 2011), unless we saw that sufficient credit enhancements were in place to maintain the EFSF rating at 'AAA' (see "European Financial Stability Facility Long-Term 'AAA' Rating Placed On CreditWatch Negative," published Dec. 6, 2011). On Jan. 13, 2012, we announced rating actions on 16 members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU or eurozone; see "Standard & Poor's Takes Various Rating Actions On 16 Eurozone Sovereign Governments," Jan. 13, 2012). We lowered to 'AA+' the long-term ratings on two of the EFSF's previously 'AAA' rated guarantor members, France and Austria. The outlook on the long-term ratings on France and Austria is negative, indicating that we believe that there is at least a one-in-three chance that we will lower the ratings again in 2012 or 2013. We affirmed the ratings on the other 'AAA' rated EFSF members: Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands. Following the lowering of the ratings on France and Austria, the rated long-term debt instruments already issued by the EFSF are no longer fully supported by guarantees from the EFSF guarantor members rated 'AAA' by Standard & Poor's, or 'AAA' rated liquid securities. Instead, they are now covered by guarantees from guarantor members or securities rated 'AAA' or 'AA+'. We consider that credit enhancements that would offset what we view as the now-reduced creditworthiness of the EFSF's guarantors and securities backing the EFSF's issues are currently not in place. We have therefore lowered to 'AA+' the issuer credit rating of the EFSF, as well as the issue ratings on its long-term debt securities. Outlook The developing outlook on the long-term rating reflects the likelihood we currently see that we may either raise or lower the ratings over the next two years. We understand that EFSF member states may currently be exploring credit-enhancement options. If the EFSF adopts credit enhancements that in our view are sufficient to offset its now-reduced creditworthiness, in particular if we see that once again the EFSF's long-term obligations are fully supported by guarantees from EFSF member-guarantors rated 'AAA' or by securities rated 'AAA', we would likely raise the EFSF's long-term ratings to 'AAA'. Conversely, if we were to conclude that sufficient offsetting credit enhancements are, in our opinion, not likely to be forthcoming, we would likely change the outlook to negative to mirror the negative outlooks of France and Austria. Under those circumstances we would expect to lower the ratings on the EFSF if we lowered the long-term sovereign credit ratings on the EFSF's 'AAA' or 'AA+' rated members to below 'AA+'.The Falcons were widely expected to show interest in the wide receivers to help fill the lack of depth behind Julio Jones. Well, for once, I have some good news. The Falcons are doing exactly that. Benjamin played briefly under Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in 2014, and finished up with his best season in 2015. He has stunning speed that would help the offense stretch the field, and provide more balance as a consistent target across from Julio. Additionally, he has return experience that would likely mark the end of Devin Hester in Atlanta. This would be the perfect match, assuming Benjamin wants to reunite with Shanahan. But Atlanta is not done. They are also kicking the tires on another Ohio pass catcher. Mentioned earlier there's interest in the 2 guys Cincy sees as its key FAs -- WR Marvin Jones (CLE, ATL, TEN) and S George Iloka (MIN, MIA). — Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 8, 2016 Jones is an interesting player who has experience playing across from great wide receivers, as he bookended A.J. Green last season, producing 65 catches for just over 800 yards. He has good speed and great size, and Jones could be a nice option to take the pressure off of Julio. Both players are young, and are theoretically the missing piece to Atlanta's offensive problems. The team appears interested in improving one of the weakest positions on their roster early in the offseason.I was doing an “Intro to 3D printing” event at the Chicago HackerSpace, Pumping Station One. We were showing about 5 or 6 flavors of printers. Someone commented how complicated the delta printer looked. I tried to explain that they were actually simpler in my opinion. Rather than having 3 different designs for each axis, a delta uses three common linear actuators. The delta was a Rostock Max and it does look a little complicated. I decided to try to design the simplest delta I could. I wanted to make it small to keep the cost down. Once I decided to make it small, I decided to make it really small. I used the Tantalus and Up Mini as the benchmark for small. Make it smaller than a Tantalus or Up Mini Use as few parts as possible (part count). Use as few unique parts as possible (part type count). Use MakerSlide because….duh. Try to use parts I had laying around. I only had about 3 days to before the first build day. Try using the Spectra Filament instead of timing belts. Clean look and simple wiring. Limit fabrication to 3D printed parts, laser cut parts and simple tools. Try to build it in 1 night at the weekly PS:One meetup and involve as many people as possible. Somewhere early in the design I got the idea to invert the end effector. The bed would move and the extruder would be stationary. This vastly simplified the design and I could use an extruder I already had. If I limited it to PLA, the bed would not have to be heated and no wires would have to go to the end effector. With the extruder on top, all electronic items except limit switches could be placed on a single laser cut plate. The design was bounced off Jeremy BP of tinyworkshop.org a few times in an email thread titled “Latest Crazy Idea”. This is the rendering of the design going into the build. There is a pop can rendered on top for size reference. Meetup 1: I sent a note to the CNC Build Club forum asking if a few people wanted to help with the build. About 10 people showed up. I spent all my time handing out jobs. Jeremy BP was the primary fabricator and ran the laser cutter and other shop tools. There were a lot of newbies there so many of the jobs like setting the current levels on the stepper drivers turned into mini classes. There was a little SNAFU with the laser origin which wrecked the middle round piece. PS:One had plenty of replacements, but no black, so the middle piece is a creamy white 🙂 Here is a part of the team, One is tapping extrusions, one is pressing inserts into brackets, one is assembling V wheels and Jeremy is setting up the laser job. Everything was going well until it came time to assemble the Spectra filament driven linear actuators. It was sort of a puzzle to work with the tiny pieces. AVRC and I could not agree on the best way to do it. Finally we each grabbed one and did it successfully different ways. The actuators worked but it was clear the design was not robust and might wear quickly. At about midnight we had the basic thing assembled less the rods and end effector. Meetup 2: I had posted the progress on the Delta Robot 3D Printers forum and several good suggestions came through. The best was the suggestion to use off the shelf rods. At this rod size there were a few that would work right out of the box. These are Traxxas 5538 parts. They are actually a turn buckle so they can be finely adjusted. I ordered them from eBay and got them just in time. They were only about $3 per linkage. We laser cut a template that was used to set the rods all exactly the same length. The template holes have been added to the lower circle piece so an extra piece is not require in the future. The Spectra drive systems was replaced with pulleys and 1/8″ wide MXL Belt. Jeremy laser cut some toothy clamps out of delrin. Motor mounts for the NEMA 14 motors and 18 tooth pulleys. The mounts have a captive nut on one side that can be used to pull the motor up to tension the belts. Here is the electronics plate. It gets pretty tight even with small motors. RAMPS 1.4 Controller MakerGear Stepper Plastruder 35mm Fan. Limit switches were wired with a common ground under the base and (4) wires were run up to the controller inside one of the edge t-slots. We assembled the end effector but the rods touched parts of the carriage as the outside edges. This was limiting the range. We installed some spacers to fix the problem. We also configured the firmware. We called it a night early this time at about 10:00pm. Meetup 3: All that really needed to be done was to setup the limit switch actuators to level the bed and enter the Z height information into the firmware and Repetier Host. The first test was a simple calibration cube and printed perfectly. The part stuck tight to the tape and was a little tricky to get off the bed. Everyone kept saying the printer looked inverted so we tried flipping the printer upside down while it printed. It finished the print without any problems. You could see a little line in the layering where we flipped it but both sides of the line looked perfect. Source Files. The source files are on Thingiverse and the STEP file is here. YouTube VideoBig Brother 19 spoilers reveal that Raven Walton responded to her haters. It didn’t take her long to sound off. Apparently, she knows that many BB19 fans didn’t believe her story, but she doesn’t care – she knows she is telling the truth. Not only that, she claims CBS believes her because they allegedly asked her to join the cast of Celebrity Big Brother Us in the Winter. All season long, BB19 fans have been trashing Raven, making fun of her thirty-something illnesses. Many of her illnesses are rumored to be fake. She claimed to have inverted spine and rough kneecap syndrome. After the show’s finale, Matt Clines and Raven went to a gay bar. At the nightclub, Raven told someone that CBS asked her to come back for Celebrity Big Brother Us in the Winter. Of course, everyone knows that is not true, but it’s hilarious that she believes that she is considered a celebrity. Perhaps, one of the producers jokingly asked her, and she took it seriously. Raven posted on her Twitter page that she won’t respond to the haters. She knows she did the best she could as she was playing for $500,000. She hasn’t responded to any of the claims that she faked many of her illness or the hurtful comments that her mother, Stacy Griffin is a scammer. Big Brother fans don’t expect Raven to respond much to any more of the accusations. Raven doesn’t seem to be able to handle the harsh critic’s comments and will probably hide behind her protected Twitter account. From the sound of it, she only wants to add people that stroke her ego to her social media accounts – refusing to pay attention to anyone who is honest with her. Raven continues to bury her head in the sand and refuses to admit that she lied, faked illness, and scammed people to get ahead. Do you think Raven will ever admit that she isn’t as sick as she claimed? Do you believe CBS asked her to join Celebrity Big Brother US? Stick with CDL for more Big Brother 19 spoilers, news, and updates! Y’all hate however much you want, but the last time I checked, you weren’t being watched 24/7 on a show for $500k so please, come again. — Raven Walton (@RavenWaltonBB19) September 21, 2017President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a ceremony at the Pentagon’s 9/11 Memorial in Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2017. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump spoke this morning at the Pentagon on the 16th anniversary of 9/11. As with all of his ceremonial appearances as president — visits to cemeteries, hugs bestowed on children afflicted by disaster, flags waved amid floods — his attempt at stillness and adherence to script were an odd sight: “This is an occasion that is” — here, he paused and flicked his hand for emphasis — “extraordinary, and it’ll always be extraordinary.” Trump made it through the event without incident. He didn’t veer from the topic, prop himself up, or revisit the campaign, as he’s prone to do even at the most inappropriate times. As far as these things go, you could call the outing a success. But Trump’s previous comments on the tragedy undercut his somber tone on Monday. Nearly two years, an Election Night victory, and a presidential inauguration later, Trump has never acknowledged — never mind apologized for — incorrectly and repeatedly claiming to have seen “thousands and thousands of people” cheering the 9/11 terrorist attacks in an area of New Jersey with a “large Arab” community. In November of 2015, five months after he announced he was seeking the Republican nomination, Trump remarked at a rally in Birmingham, Alabama: “Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down, and I watched, in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down! Thousands of people were cheering!” Faced with criticism, he dug his heels in. In an interview on ABC’s This Week days later, he told George Stephanopoulos, “It did happen. I saw it. It was on television, I saw it. George, it did happen. There were people who were cheering on the other side of New Jersey where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it.” He reiterated the point on NBC’s Meet the Press: “I saw it. So many people saw it. And, so, why would I take it back? I’m not going to take it back.” The following month, during an appearance on Infowars, Trump explainedto the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones that after he “was very strong on it and I held my line,” he heard from “four or five” supporters who said, “‘Mr. Trump, I saw it myself! I was there!’” Jones told him he believed he had been “vindicated.” On Twitter, Trump shared what he said was proof of his claim: A Washington Post report from 2001 that mentioned law enforcement in Jersey City had questioned “a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks.” Trump wrote, “I want an apology! Many people have tweeted that I am right!” Early this afternoon, I asked the White House if the president still maintains what he said during the campaign. The White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, directed my request to Steven Cheung, a special assistant to the president and assistant communications director. He would only engage off the record. Neither Sanders nor another press official were available at their offices following Monday’s briefing, where no questions about this particular falsehood were asked.PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - With Cambodia’s opposition warning of the imminent death of its democracy, the historic rival who once beat Prime Minister Hun Sen in an election said there was no option but to work with the strongman. Prince Norodom Ranariddh gestures during an interview with Reuters at his home in central Phnom Penh, Cambodia October 14, 2017. Picture taken October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Samrang Pring Seventy three year-old Prince Norodom Ranariddh, Hun Sen’s opponent in U.N.-supervised elections in 1993, has horrified Cambodia’s main opposition party with a call for it to be dissolved after its leader was charged with treason. Ranariddh’s career exemplifies not only the swings in Cambodian politics, but also the way Hun Sen, 65, has used force and cunning to neutralize enemies since defecting from the genocidal Khmer Rouge in the 1970s to help drive it from power. “Samdech Hun Sen, you want or you don’t want, you like him or you don’t like him, he brings about this national unity,” Ranariddh said, using the prime minister’s formal title. “According to the law you are not allowed to harm national unity,” the white haired Ranariddh told Reuters on Saturday. Beside him, four aides nodded and pressed together their palms in deferential emphasis. Ranariddh’s royalist Funcinpec party won no parliamentary seats in 2013 elections, but would be allocated most of those held by the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) if it is dissolved after the arrest of leader Kem Sokha last month. Alongside the government, Funcinpec has sought a ban on the CNRP because of the arrest. Kem Sokha and his party dismiss the charges against him as bogus and an attempt to extend Hun Sen’s 32-year rule at the head of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) amid the biggest crackdown on critics of the prime minister in years. “The prince failed his people when he had the mandate to bring real peace,” said Mu Sochua, a deputy to Kem Sokha who recently fled to exile in fear of arrest. “Now, he is robbing his people of their right to choose the leader of their choice by collaborating with the CPP in the dissolution of the CNRP.” FATHER’S SHADOW Ranariddh was summoned to politics from his post as a French law lecturer by his wily father, the late King Norodom Sihanouk. With royalist sentiment strong, Ranariddh beat Hun Sen in the 1993 election organized by the United Nations. But when Hun Sen threatened a return to war, Sihanouk did a deal that sidelined his son as a co-prime minister. Ranariddh was driven into exile in 1997 after his forces were defeated by those of Hun Sen in bloody clashes in Phnom Penh. After international pressure, Ranariddh was allowed to contest elections a year after, but never again came close to winning and entered on and off alliances with Hun Sen. Splits in the party followed and after a spell overseas following accusations of financial scandal, Ranariddh returned in 2015. As he speaks, he switches between English and Khmer with a peppering of French. Slideshow (4 Images) “We are not puppets,” Ranariddh said beside a huge portrait of his father. “We are definitely not an opposition party but we don’t always, always, always say ‘yes, yes, yes, yes, yes’. We can say ‘no’.” Although the United States and other Western countries helped secure Ranariddh’s return to Cambodia in the 1990s, he dismissed their criticism of Kem Sokha’s arrest and calls on the government to stop moves to ban the CNRP. “I, Norodom Ranariddh, would like them to leave us free to decide,” he said.Before he was a second-round selection in the 2008 NHL draft and a key component on the Minnesota Wild blue line, Marco Scandella just wanted to play hockey in Italy with his brother. It wasn't your typical NHL dream, but with an older brother starring on the ice in their ancestral homeland, it made perfect sense for the Montreal native. "My brother has always been a special player. I've always looked up to him," Scandella said. "From a young age, even when we played outdoors at the park, he's always been my mentor." He might not be a household name among NHL fans, but Giulio Scandella was an established international player years before his younger brother was drafted by the Wild. Almost seven years older than Marco, Giulio played junior hockey in Quebec before launching his pro career in Italy. It wasn't a conventional start. Still, his Italy-born parents were thrilled. "My father is an old-school, off-the-boat Italian. Once I started playing there, especially on the national team, he was the proudest guy around. It was great," said Giulio, 32. "I came over halfway through my final junior year. Who knew there was good hockey being played in Italy?" Italy was an intriguing hockey destination when Giulio arrived in 2004. With the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics approaching, North American players were looking to earn an Italian passport and play for the Italian national team, which as host nation earned a wild-card entry into the Olympic tournament. Having been issued his Italian passport as a child, Giulio became a top young player in the burgeoning Italian league shortly after his arrival in Asiago. Within a couple of years, he was a prominent forward on the Italian national team. He even set up Italy's first goal in Torino, a second-period equalizer against a stacked Canadian squad starring the likes of Joe Sakic, Martin Brodeur, Jarome Iginla and Chris Pronger. With his parents in the stands, it was a special moment, even if Canada won the game 7-2. Giulio Scandella, right, has been playing in Italy for 11 seasons. foppa/hcp/optic rapid But the transition to life in Italy wasn't seamless. Though the league has developed local talent in recent years, it wasn't yet fully formed in 2004 -- a fact that dawned on a 20-year-old Giulio in one of his first games with Asiago HC. "We play a game in a little town, the tiniest town and this rink is open on three sides and it's freezing out. Half the stands are covered in snow. It was the weirdest thing," Giulio said. "But it was a great game, and as the season went on we had a great time and the hockey was good." Giulio would play in a few European leagues, but much of his pro career has been in Italy, where he has established himself as a league star and national-team fixture. He's consistently been among the league's top scorers and has led Italy to a pair of Group B World Championships. While older brother was becoming a star in Italy's modest hockey market, younger brother Marco worked to establish himself. Giulio had played a crucial part in Marco's hockey development, but Giulio's move to Europe was admittedly difficult for both brothers, who remain incredibly close despite their age difference. "It was really tough to see him leave. You lose your best friend, your older brother. I just always looked up to him, so it was kind of tough. But he would come back in the summer and train," said Marco, 25. "Now that I'm playing in the NHL, I still look for words of wisdom from him." That wisdom certainly helped as Marco established himself with the Wild. Handed more responsibility last season, he posted career highs with 11 goals and 23 points. His four game-winning goals ranked third among NHL defensemen. All the while, big brother has been watching closely from another continent. "He was always a solid player, but no one really looked at him and said he has potential to play in the NHL," Giulio said. "He's always had that drive to be the best. That's one quality that's definitely brought him to where he is today." That drive truly paid off last November when Marco signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension. Marco Scandella signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension last year. Bruce Kluckhohn/Getty Images Giulio wasn't there to celebrate the big day. With their schedules conflicting, the brothers mostly hear about each other's exploits after the fact. When their parents traveled to the Torino Olympics to watch Giulio play, Marco stayed home to fulfill his commitment to his midget team. But they've never stopped rooting for each other. "I always thought he was good enough to play [in North America]. I still do now that he is older," Marco said. "He's a big reason why I'm here today doing what I'm doing. He's always been there for me and taught me the things to do to be a good pro." For his part, Giulio doesn't seem preoccupied with what-ifs. He's carved out an impressive career for himself in one of the world's most beautiful countries. In his fourth season with Val Pusteria HC and 11th overall in Italy, he's enjoyed his life in the adopted home where he and his wife, Stephanie, are raising two daughters. And there are no qualms about living in Brunico, the scenic northern town in the Puster Valley mere miles from the borders of Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. "Honestly, I'd have to say it's one of the nicest places to live, especially with a family. It's just gorgeous," Giulio said. "As you get older, you kind of realize and learn to appreciate your situation. I'm blessed to have the career that I've had so far. It's been great." Marco Scandella's childhood dream of playing with his brother in Italy might never come to pass. For now, he can only think about his big brother from 5,000 miles away with incredible gratitude, and maybe just a little jealousy. "He's got the good food in Italy, the scenery. He can't complain. He's done great for himself and he's going to continue to do great things," Marco said. "I'm just lucky to have him as my brother."The 'Lock, Stock' and 'King Arthur' director is currently prepping Disney's live-action 'Aladdin.' From I, Daniel Blake to King Arthur. Guy Ritchie is set to receive the Raindance Film Festival's annual auteur award, following in the footsteps of Ken Loach, who was honored by the U.K. independent film festival last year. The director, who premiered his debut hit Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels at Raindance in 1999 and went on to helm Snatch, RocknRolla, the Sherlock Holmes franchise, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and this year's box-office disappointment King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, is currently prepping Disney's live-action Aladdin, to be shot at Pinewood later this year. "Guy has always been a great supporter of ours, having attended Raindance back in the early '90s," said Elliot Grove, Raindance's founder. "Guy has gone on to become a prominent figure in film, breathing new life into the British film industry when he exploded onto the scene with his cult crime comedies. Over the years, Guy has developed into a unique and stylish storyteller. We could not think of a more fitting artistic talent for this award." The auteur award will be presented this coming Tuesday. The 25th edition of Raindance will take place Sept. 20-Oct. 1 in London’s West End and will screen over 200 feature films, documentaries, web series, music videos and virtual reality experiences.For Vancouver couple Emma and Greg Gavelis, Harry Potter has practically been a third member of their relationship. They met on dating site Plenty of Fish in 2011 and immediately hit it off when Greg wrote on his profile that his perfect first date would be a "Harry Potter" marathon. Emma, who has two Harry Potter tattoos, was smitten. Fast-forward to August 14, 2014 when the two Potterheads tied the knot at McMenamins Edgefield hotel in Troutdale, Oregon. "Harry Potter has played such a big part in us falling in love, that it only seemed fitting to have it be a big part of our wedding and the rest of our love story," Emma told The Huffington Post. The pair's budget for the big day was $5,000, so the bride tapped into her crafty side and DIYed many aspects of the celebration. "I spent a lot of time watching 'Game of Thrones' re-runs while assembling everything," Emma wrote in her Offbeat Bride blog post. "And it was totally worth it." Here are some of the cute and clever ways they incorporated their obsession into the day's festivities: Emma designed all of the wedding stationery herself in addition to making her bouquet, the boutonnieres, the ring box, some of the table decor, and more. "I love to make things with my hands," she told HuffPost. "It was definitely a labor of love. Plus, it was nice being able to customize every aspect and make sure it oozed Potter. We also couldn't have afforded this wedding if I hadn't made almost everything myself." When asked about her favorite wedding day memory, Emma said it was when she and Greg were standing at the altar and he started acting goofy. "I looked at him, and he started pulling faces -- just like he usually does," she said. "It lightened the mood and made me feel so comfortable, and so sure I was marrying the right man." For more photos from the wonderfully whimsical wedding, check out the slideshow below. Harry Potter Wedding Photos SEE GALLERYNew European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has said the body is "thinking about a solution" to the EU budget contributions row that followed the recent European Council summit. A number of EU leaders have voiced opposition to demands from the Commission to pay large top-up payments to the EU budget by the start of December, with UK Prime Minister David Cameron refusing to pay the requested sum by the deadline. Mr Juncker was speaking during an "open conference of presidents" meeting with MEPs on 4 November 2014, to debate the results of the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on 23-24 October. European Council President Herman van Rompuy, speaking in front of MEPs for the last time before he is due to leave office next month, defended climate change targets agreed at the summit as a combination of "ambition and realism". EU leaders agreed a nationally binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by the year 2030, as well non-binding targets to increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy across Europe. The targets were welcomed by Conservative group leader Syed Kammall, although he said they would be "meaningless" unless large polluter countries such as the United States and China agreed also agreed to more ambitious targets in the near future. A number of other MEPs, however, were more lukewarm in their response, with Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts, who co-chairs the Parliament's Green group, saying the aspirations would be "insufficient" to meet the stated environmental ambitions.The Russian Federation annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea on March 18, 2014. Just a year later in May 2015, construction commenced on a 12-mile bridge to span the Kerch Straight of the Black Sea and physically connect the Taman Peninsula of the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula. The Kremlin is hoping to complete the $4.3 billion project by December 2018, solidifying their claims to the region—claims that are not recognized by the vast majority of United Nations member countries including the United States. Approximate route of the Crimean bridge, which will run along the Tuzla Spit and Tuzla Island in the middle of the Kerch Strait. New 3D flyover drone footage from state-owned media outlet Russia Today shows the current state of the Crimean bridge project. Today, the bridge exists as eight construction sites where pilings are being driven to bedrock to create the foundation for the bridge, as well as some temporary causeways that connect the piling sites and are used to move supplies. The footage also provides an overlay graphic of the 115-foot high, 745-foot wide navigable arch planned for the bridge to allow large vessels to pass. The massive infrastructure project accounts for two bridges running parallel to one another—one with four lanes for automotive traffic and the other with two railroad tracks—both using the same piling sites for foundation. Currently, since many of the roadways into Crimea were closed by the Kremlin, the primary method of transporting goods and people to the peninsula is by ferry. Shipping tourists and goods across the Kerch Straight has put a strain on the already-struggling Russian economy. Despite the footage of the bridge's progress, there is some serious doubt as to whether the project will be completed on schedule due to weather delays and engineering oversights. Construction director Leonid Ryzhenkin told NPR that storms in June prevented workers and construction boats from getting to the bridge sites for days. There is also a deep channel along the route of the bridge that has made it difficult for engineers to reach the sea floor and establish a solid foundation. And just touching the bottom isn't enough; some of the pilings need to be driven as far as 300 feet into the sea bed. Civil engineer Georgy Rosnovsky, who has designed other bridges in the country, told NPR that the current location leaves the bridge vulnerable to mud volcanoes on the sea floor and earthquakes. Last month, it was also reported that construction companies working on the project had been abusing laborers. Originally promised $80 per day plus food and lodging, workers found meals and housing ultimately deducted from wages, leaving them with little actual earnings, reports one such worker, who also alleges that workers could be fired and sent home without pay for taking breaks. The Kremlin awarded the construction contract to billionaire Arkady Rotenberg's SGM Group. Rotenberg is a personal friend of Vladimir Putin, and the SGM Group also handled construction for the Sochi Olympics, which suffered billions in cost overruns. Exactly how the Crimean bridge is coming along is yet to be seen.Interesting Statistics "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." —Benjamin Disraeli 1 2 53 results found. Go to page: In 1939, George Bernard Dantzig, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, arrived late for a statistics class. He copied down the two problems on the board, assuming that they were the homework, and handed the problems in a few days later. Several weeks later, Dantzig was awakened by his statistics professor excitedly knocking at the door. It turned out that the two "homework" problems were in fact hitherto unsolved problems in statistics that Dantzig had managed to prove. (source) View more facts about: College and University World Statistics Day was celebrated for the first time on October 20th, 2010. (source) View more facts about: Holidays and Observances In 1915, statistics were compiled from 18 U.S. states of
has looks, intellect and all the opportunities of wealth, he squandered his own fortune over and over and, in the brief span of their relationship, his influence seems to have derailed McDaniel completely. Court records seen by DailyMail.com show that Jacob has left a trail of debt, broken relationships and crime across Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and now Texas. McDaniel’s blemishless record stood in stark contrast. Attractive and blonde, Dr Valerie Busick McDaniel was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the Episcopal High School. Pictures of the ‘murder scenes’ of their respective significant others were used to convince Jacob, 39, and McDaniel, 48, that their hired ‘assassin’ had carried out the job McDaniel was shown the ‘lifeless’ body of her ex-husband Marion McDaniel (pictured) whom, she was told, had been shot in a car jacking She got her undergraduate degree from the University of St Thomas and studied veterinarian medicine at Texas A&M University. She qualified in 1997 and married Marion ‘Mack’ McDaniel that August. The couple started the Montrose Veterinarian Clinic three years later. Neighbors of their last marital home, in a wealthy suburb of Houston, remember them as an apparently happy couple and the proud parents of a now eight-year-old girl. A Mercedes wagon and BMW 750 sat in the driveway, and they spoke of buying a boat to enjoy at their $720,000 second home: a waterfront property an hour or so away in Galveston. But while McDaniel may have seemed to have an enviable life, the truth was that all was not well with her marriage. In February 2015, she filed for divorce on grounds of her husband’s infidelity. In her divorce petition she sued for sole custody of their daughter, accused her husband of ‘committing fraud on the community estate’ and, among other things, petitioned for him to be ‘restrained from threatening or communicating with her in vulgar, profane, obscene or indecent language or in a coarse or offensive manner.’ The divorce attorney who filed McDaniel’s petition was her immediate next-door neighbor, Leon Jacob’s mother, Golda. The divorce was settled last year and though McDaniel got the veterinarian business and Houston home, while her ex took Galveston and their pet cremation business, she was left owing him $1.25 million to settle the estates. It would be hard to imagine a less likely perpetrator of such a heinous crime than Valerie McDaniel, whose successful veterinary practice has long been part of the landscape in the upscale West University area of Houston, Texas. Pictured, McDaniel with a colleague The McDaniels first started the Montrose Veterinarian Clinic together three years after they got married in 1997 This debt has been offered as a possible motive for her decision to enter into the plot to have her ex-husband killed. It is not clear whether McDaniel had already met Jacob at the time she filed for divorce, but their paths had certainly crossed by the time it was finalized. And her crippling debt was something with which he could empathize. Jacob moved back in with his parents in December 2015 and filed for bankruptcy in August 2016. In the papers, he listed his assets as totaling $62,688.81 and his outstanding debts at $249,610.39. His debts followed him throughout the years. He owed $95,500 in attorney fees across Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania. By then a divorced father of two, he also owed $2,285 in disputed childcare expenses and a staggering $21,847.67 to Rivers Casino, Pennsylvania. Some might have thought he had reached rock bottom, but Jacob had further still to fall. Jacob married his first wife, Annie, in Wilmette, Illinois in December 2001. He was at medical school in Grenada at the time and graduated in 2005. From there, he was admitted into the residency program at the University of Texas in Houston but left in 2010. His Texas physician in training certificate was terminated. He then moved to Ohio, where he entered the surgical residency program at Northside Hospital in Youngstown with the aim of specializing in renal transplant. But he quickly ran into trouble and, after warnings and a period on probation, he was fired in 2011. According to legal documents, he failed to meet the ‘respectful, altruistic, ethical’ skills expected of a surgeon. Supervisors found that he had left a patient unattended post surgery, lied about treatment of another who contracted gangrene post surgery and when one of his superiors asked him to seek psychiatric evaluation, he refused. Meanwhile, father-of-two Jacob has left a trail of debt, broken relationships and crime across Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and now Texas Residents expressed ‘concerns about his unavailability, tardiness, lack of communication and misrepresentations.’ He logged more hours in the operating room than others on the program, but fell short on his study and ignored instructions to cut back on operating and work towards improving his knowledge and skills by studying for vital upcoming American Board of Surgery exams. Ultimately, he was found to be ‘an immediate threat to patient safety.’ He appealed the hospital’s decision to let him go but lost and was charged the following year with burglarizing the home of an hospital administrator who had testified against him. His wife filed for divorce in 2013, having acquired a protective order against him. Her attorney stated: ‘Leon is guilty of extreme and repeated mental cruelty without cause or provocation.’ Their children were aged two and 15 months at the time. In behavior that would echo and escalate three years later in Houston, Jacob was charged with aggravated stalking, cyber stalking and intimidation of his former wife in 2014 - in direct violation of the active Illinois Order of Protection. The following year, Jacob moved back to Texas into his parents’ West University home right next door to McDaniel, who was by then in the throes of her own divorce. And by then he was already with the woman who would become the intended victim of his ‘hit’. He split from the successful hospitality industry executive at the beginning of the year, following an alleged assault on her on January 12. In 2015, Jacob moved back to Texas into his parents’ West University home, right next door to McDaniel, who was by then in the throes of her own divorce Once a seemingly happy couple, with a Mercedes wagon and BMW 750 in the driveway and a $720,000 second home, the McDaniels had filed for divorce over reports of Marion's 'infidelity'. Pictured, their home in the West University village The divorce attorney who filed McDaniel’s petition was her immediate next-door neighbor: Jacob’s mother, Golda. Pictured, Jacob's parent's home Court records state that she had returned home from work to the luxury apartment block in which they briefly lived, and that Jacob ‘became upset and stated, “He was tired of her attitude and pissy face.”’ He began yelling at her and throwing dishes. She claimed that when she walked away he followed her into the bathroom, threatened that his family would ‘ruin her,’ grabbed her face when she started to scream, bust her lip and told her to ‘Shut up you dumb c*.’ A small amount of amphetamine was found on Jacob at the time he was charged with this assault, but he was found to have a valid prescription for the substance. Two weeks later, Jacob was charged with stalking when his ex reported that on one occasion he drove his car across hers as she left work and yelled, ‘You are throwing away the best thing you ever had!’ He also texted and emailed repeatedly. In one communication, he boasted that he had ‘got back on top’ and was ‘making over $7,500.00 a week.' He hid in shrubs near her work place and on February 11, he emailed her asking for a painting they had purchased together, saying: 'This was one of my favorite nights of my life.’ It is unclear whether Jacob was sincere in his attempts to reconcile with his ex, or simply attempting to dissuade her from testifying against him in the assault case. Certainly, the latter has been suggested as his motive for wanting her dead less than a month after sending that final email and after the stalking charge was added to that of assault. It was Jacob who reached out to an associate on March 8, unaware that the man in question was a police informant, and asked him to put him in touch with a hit man. On March 9, both he and McDaniel met with the supposed hit man - an undercover cop - in an Olive Garden near the Buffalo Speedway. When DailyMail.com visited Marion McDaniel’s imposing clapboard house in Galveston last week, it was deserted. Newspapers dating from March 18 - the day that his ex-wife was granted bail - had accumulated in the driveway, suggesting that he may have quit his home there and then A neighbor who witnessed their subsequent arrests and knew them in passing expressed his shock when DailyMail.com visited the complex last week. He recalled: ‘I saw all the police and everything that day and I heard about what happened later. 'I knew them to talk to. They had a dog and you used to see them walking it. They were just regular people. She came back a few days later and took all her stuff from the apartment.’ Unlike Jacob, who was denied bail, McDaniel’s was set at $50,000. Reacting to the decision last week, her former husband’s attorney expressed concerns for his client’s safety. When DailyMail.com visited Marion McDaniel’s imposing clapboard house in Galveston last week, it was deserted. Newspapers dating from March 18 - the day that his ex-wife was granted bail - had accumulated in the driveway, suggesting that he may have quit his home there and then. According to his attorney, McDaniel feared what his ex-wife might be capable of, given she had ‘little to lose.’ The sad truth, now evident from her suicide, is that she clearly felt she had absolutely nothing left to lose that she hadn’t already squandered. She left two notes, neither of which police have made public. And now, as her family tries to come to terms with the latest shattering turn of events, Jacob alone will face trial and, it is hoped, make some sense of all that has happened. He is currently being held in Harris County jail after being denied bail and is due back in court on Wednesday. However, Jacob’s request to attend McDaniel’s funeral has been denied. When approached by DailyMail.com, family members of both the accused and their victims declined to comment. Neither Harris County Prosecutor nor Houston Police Department responded to requests for comment.Melpomene / Shutterstock.com Opening a savings account gives you a new option for stashing your extra money — whether it's for a short-term goal like saving enough to buy a certain item or a long-term place to hold your emergency fund. Over time, you can watch your money grow as interest accrues on the account, and as you save, you'll improve your financial stability so that if unexpected expenses arise, you have savings to fall back on. Keeping some money separate from your checking account also helps you avoid spending it. Here's what you need to know to open a savings account. Iakov Filimonov / Shutterstock.com Steps to Open a Savings Account The steps to open a savings account are straightforward, and you can even open an online savings account from a computer or mobile device. In some cases, however, you might need to open the savings account in person, such as if you have a limited credit history or have had issues with your checking history. In general, you must be at least 18 years old in order to open a bank account on your own. To open a savings account, follow these general steps: Open an online application or go to a bank to apply in person. Provide identifying information, including your mailing address and Social Security number. Provide a form of identification, such as a driver's license or a passport. Be prepared to make an initial deposit to open the account. You can do this by transferring money from an existing account using your bank account and routing number. Some banks allow you to wire transfer funds or mail a deposit check to fund your new account. Once the savings account is open, you can make additional deposits by setting up direct deposit through your employer — which saves you the hassle of cashing your paychecks — and depositing other checks you receive, either through an app or by submitting the paper check to the bank. Some banks even offer a higher interest rate to clients who set up direct deposit or automatic, periodic transfers. Learn: How to Set Up Direct Deposit Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com Minimum Age to Open a Savings Account The minimum age to open a savings account varies from bank to bank. Some banks require that you legally be an adult — age 18. But some banks have special children's savings accounts that allow minors to open an account if a parent or guardian is a co-owner on the account. Opening an account with a minor can help teach a child the importance of saving money. Dean Drobot / Shutterstock.com Savings Account Features When considering a savings account, note the features offered and the interest rate you'll earn. The features of savings accounts vary from bank to bank — especially savings account rates — so do some research to find the best savings account for you. When comparing interest rates, make sure you're looking at the annual percentage yield, and beware of special savings account promotions or rates that have special conditions that you won't meet. Look at important details such as minimum balance requirements. In addition, some banks charge monthly maintenance fees, but you might be able avoid them if you meet certain minimum requirements. In general, regular savings accounts offer a lower interest rate than high-yield savings accounts, but high-yield savings accounts typically require a higher minimum balance. Another option is a money market savings account. The biggest difference between a savings account and a money market account is how you can access your funds. Money market savings accounts offer more flexibility, with some banks allowing you to have a debit card or access funds through an ATM, whereas savings accounts are limited to electronic transfers or calling the bank to withdraw funds. But money market savings accounts might offer a lower interest rate. Related: 10 Best Savings Accounts of 2017PRINCETON, NJ -- The percentage of Americans who identify with some form of a Christian religion has been dropping in recent decades, and now stands at 77%, according to an aggregate of Gallup Polls conducted in 2008. In 1948, when Gallup began tracking religious identification, the percentage who were Christian was 91%. Christian America comprises those who in response to a basic religious identity question say they are Roman Catholic or some form of a non-Catholic Christian religion. The latter group consists of those who identify themselves as Protestant or as Christian in some other way. An analysis shows that it is this group of non-Catholic Christians that has, on a percentage basis, dropped the most over the decades. As seen in the accompanying graph, the percentage of Americans identifying as Protestant or another non-Catholic Christian religion has been declining since the mid-1960s. When Gallup began tracking religious identification, the percentage of U.S. adults identifying with some non-Catholic Christian religion was routinely in the high 60%-low 70% range. The percentage fell below 60% for the first time in 1979, and since 2000 has been between 55% and 57%. The percentage of Americans identifying as Roman Catholic has stayed within a range between 20% and 30% over the last 60 years. Catholics were 22% of the U.S. adult population in 1948, according to Gallup's estimates. That percentage rose over the years and reached its high point in the 1970s and 1980s, when the U.S. population was nearly 30% Catholic. In the last several years, Gallup's estimate of the percentage Catholic has been 22% to 23%. The relative shrinkage of the Christian percentage of the U.S. population in recent years means that other groups by definition have expanded. The Gallup trend data show that the most significant expansion has come among the group that does not identify with any religion, followed by a more modest expansion of those who identify with another, non-Christian, religion. The accompanying graph shows Gallup trends since 1948 in the percentage of Americans saying they have no religious identity. In 1948, 2% of Americans interviewed by Gallup volunteered that they had "no religion." The number stayed in that range until about 1970. By 1972, Gallup had measured 5% with "no religion." Gallup trends show the percentage gradually increasing since that time, with a very modest decline from an average of 8% in the early 1990s to 6% from 1993-1995, and then some fluctuation in the late 1990s, with the percentage settling in the 9% to 12% range since 2002. (Additionally, in 2008, an average of 3% of Americans did not answer the question on religious identity. Whether these people truly do not have a religious identity, or were confused or had several religious identities, is unknown.) The group of Americans who are classified as "Other" includes the less than 1% who are estimated to be Muslim, and small percentages who are Buddhist, Hindu, or other non-Christian religions. The percentage of Americans classified in this Other category was near 0% in 1948, but was at 3% in 1949 and was generally in the 2% to 3% range through the 1950s and 1960s. It has risen in recent decades to as high as 8% in 1997, and is 7% today. Implications The United States remains a dominantly Christian nation. More than three-quarters of all Americans identify as Christian. And the vast majority of those who identify with any religion say they are Christian in some form or another. Yet, the percentage of Americans who in theory could celebrate Easter this weekend as part of their religion is down significantly from where it was 50 or 60 years ago. There are many theoretical explanations for the increase in those with no religious identity at the expense of those identifying with a Christian religion. Two social scientists at the National Opinion Research Corporation, Tom W. Smith and Seokho Kim, contemplating similar data from the General Social Survey in 2004, concluded: "In sum, an array of social forces from cohort turnover, to immigration, to reduced retention rates, indicate that the Protestant share of the population will continue to shrink and they will soon lose their majority position in American society." The share of the population held by any religious group is based on a complex set of factors relating to internal reproduction (births), in-migration (from converts and from people moving into the country who have a particular religious identity), and out-migration (people who leave the religion and people with a particular religious identity who leave the country). In-migration from other countries in recent years may have helped boost the percentage of non-Christians in the population. In-migration from Catholic Mexico and Catholic Central American countries has also, at the same time, helped keep the percentage of Catholics as high as it is. The big shift has apparently been the out-migration of those whose parents may have identified with a specific Christian religion, but who upon growing up have become more likely to tell a survey interviewer that they have no specific religious identity. Gallup (and other survey researchers) measure religious identity by asking Americans to name their religion. It is possible that Americans who previously would have identified themselves with the religion of their upbringing now feel freer to tell a survey interviewer that they have no religious identity. It is important to note that basic religious identification says little about the relevance of that identify to the person's life. Identifying with a religion doesn't indicate how actively the individual practices the religion. It doesn't indicate whether the person rigorously adheres to that religion's beliefs. It simply states that the person has some connection to and some identity with a specific type of religion. Data from measures of religious intensity or commitment are needed to flesh out the portrait of the ways in which Americans' religiosity may have changed over the years. Gallup survey data on religious identification extend back only to 1948, about a quarter of the life of the country. Obviously, this evidence speaks only to the recent history of religious identity in the United States. There is no real scientific way of putting recent survey history of religious identity into a longer time frame going back much before World War II. (Some scholars argue that, in fact, Americans were not very religious by some measures at the time of the Revolution in Colonial America.) It is thus important to keep in mind that the trends reviewed in this analysis are only part of the portrait of the ebb and flow of religion in the United States since the nation's founding well over two centuries ago. Survey Methods These results are based on aggregates of Gallup Poll surveys for each year from 1948 through 2008. The sample sizes are provided in the accompanying table.RuPaul's Drag Race has overwhelmingly been voted the best reality show ever by Digital Spy readers. Thousands of votes were cast in our recent poll to pick the series that has got you hooked the most and Drag Race ended up winning by a mile. It picked up 4.5k votes from you lot, speeding so far ahead of its nearest rival Big Brother, which came in second with 1.7k votes. So congratulations, RuPaul's Drag Race - you definitely didn't fk it up. Rounding out the top five were The Great British Bake Off (1.4k), I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (1.1k) and Celebrity Big Brother (1k). But there was loads of other stuff going on in the vote, too, which saw The X Factor beat its rival Strictly Come Dancing by just 46 votes (and they were both trounced by The Apprentice). Digital Spy Getty Images And it seems we love watching American shows, as America's Next Top Model beat out Britain's Got Talent at the bottom end of the top ten - though who knows if this will change after Rita Ora takes over from Tyra Banks? Down at the other end of the list, it's bad news for Flockstars - that show where celebrities took part in competitive sheep-herding - which only managed to pick up 66 votes. That despite all the cute sheepdogs, too... Harry Page for Liberty Bell ITV The list in full is:SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Mo'ne Davis strolled with her hands tucked into her back pockets as her team made its way down the steep stairs leading to Thursday morning's opening ceremonies at the Little League World Series. A grounds crew member at the base of the steps shouted "Mo-nayyyy." Parents pointed to Davis and hollered "that's the girl." A young fan hopped into the team's line, aimed his phone, and snapped a selfie. "Girl power," shouted two women. The star attraction in Taney's lineup just kept walking. A night earlier, she wrote on Instagram "I understand I'm a girl player, but if it wasn't for my team I wouldn't be here right now." The eyes of the world showcase are fixed on the 13-year-old girl from South Philadelphia as Taney plays South Nashville at 3 p.m. today in its World Series opener. And she could not be playing the role any cooler. "It's not that big of a deal to us," said outfielder Kai Cummings. "To everyone else, it's like 'oh my god, this girl phenom plays baseball just as well as the guys.' But for us, she's just a girl that plays on the team." Mo'ne is expected to be the starting pitcher this afternoon when Taney becomes Philadelphia's first-ever team in the Little League World Series. Mo'ne will be the 18th girl to play in the Little League World Series. Tai Shanahan, one of the team's outfielders, said she "is one of the guys that just happens to be a girl." Mo'ne said her teammates' acceptance of her as a girl player "makes me cry." "Just kidding," Mo'ne said. "I don't really feel anything." Knowing Mo'ne Around adults especially, she is self-contained, at a slight remove. Whether this reserve is out of caution, shyness, or her natural yogic mindfulness, it has helped her cope with the onslaught of attention. Still, her coaches have decided enough is enough. After the parade Wednesday night, they said they were declining any more media interviews until at least this afternoon. "She needs to focus on the game," said Steve Bandura, who coaches Mo'ne at the Anderson Monarchs. Trying to explain why, in 2014, it is news that a girl can be a great student and a great athlete, Bandura said, "It's the whole package. It's her looks. This is an inner-city African-American girl throwing as hard as any boy. It's just one of those things that goes viral." For years, Bandura said, he had been trying to draw attention to the Monarchs, the Philadelphia baseball team that feeds Taney, and where Mo'ne started playing. "I've been trying to sell this story for six years," he said. "Now everyone wants to buy it at once!" It is to Mo'ne's great credit, he said, that she is handling her celebrity with such composure. While she has treated most of the media attention with a gracious equivalent of her let's-do-this shoulder shrug she executes before each pitch — she is not completely immune to the effects of her stardom. "She loves the tweets from people like Magic Johnson," Bandura said. And after she challenged Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw to a pitch-off, he sent her back a video: "He told her that the next time she's in L.A., he would take her up on it." That, Bandura said, really thrilled her. A budding star Bandura started to panic as soon as the ball left his hand. It was the first time Mo'ne had ever worn a baseball glove, and he tossed her a throw without thinking. "Most kids that never wore a glove before don't know how to use it. They turn it down and then the ball hits them in their face," Bandura said. "But she caught the ball on the backhand like it was nothing, like she had been doing it forever." Bandura first saw Mo'ne's talent when he watched her play football with older boys. The girl threw perfect spirals and tackled just as well. She did not come to the Monarchs until she was 7, which meant she missed out on two years of T-ball. Bandura said it took her about a year to develop into a steady pitcher as she started to throw consistent strikes. Taney manager Alex Rice said he first saw Mo'ne pitch about four years ago. He said you could tell immediately she was a good pitcher and "whoever she was facing had their hands filled." Mo'ne helped Taney cruise through the Mid-Atlantic Regional tournament, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out six in the championship game. Rice said it is her mental aptitude that sets her apart. "Just watching her, she dominated the game," he said. "She's very level, cool, poised. You won't see her fall apart on the mound, you can't get to her. She's the leader."For almost ten years, author Kirsten Beyer has been the lead author on the Star Trek: Voyager novel line – including the post-series books commonly called the ‘Voyager relaunch’ – and we thought it was far past time that we shine a spotlight on her work keeping the Star Trek: Voyager story alive. TrekCore’s Dan Gunther checked in with Kirsten via email in late July, and we took a look back at how she joined the ranks of the Trek literature team. TrekCore: After first joining the Voyager novel series as part of 2005’s tenth-anniversary publications, you’ve been the only author assigned to this wing of the franchise for nearly ten years now. How were you first drawn into the Trek literature arena? Was there anything that attracted you to the Voyager storyline in particular? Kirsten Beyer: Like a lot of things in life, I was drawn into writing Star Trek novels sideways. It was never a stated goal or anything I pursued to the exclusion of anything else. It was one of many placed I had directed effort and intention and the first one that clicked. I never planned on being a writer. But what I know now is that as long as I’ve been able to speak, I’ve been telling stories. What began as play, I eventually studied, first through dance and then through acting. Telling stories has always been the essential way I connect with the world. I realized a long time ago that I am wired to create stuff and depending on others to allow me to do so…to hire me to act, for example…was never going to be enough. The down time between projects makes me crazy. But no one has to hire me to write. In fact, no one did, for the first ten years I spent learning and honing what craft I possess. But Voyager was critical for me because it was the first thing I ever tried to write. I started watching when it premiered. I was just out of graduate school and bored. I knew some folks who were working on it and I initially tuned in to watch their work. A few weeks later I was tuning in just to watch the ongoing story. A few months later, I had an idea for a story and began to study the show more than watch it. I taught myself to write teleplays by studying every aspect of Voyager; character, plot, pace, tone, dialogue, visual descriptions, etc. Then Voyager taught me how to pitch professional projects. Four years into the show, I was invited to meet with the writers to pitch story ideas. None of mine ever sold, but the experience was invaluable, as was the opportunity to interact with the folks who were doing the work I thought I wanted to do. I had moved onto writing my own original teleplays and screenplays by the time Voyager ended. Novels had not occurred to me. Strangely enough, though, I had bought and read all of the Voyager novels as they were released, primarily because I was developing my own Voyager material at the time and didn’t want to repeat anybody else’s ideas. I was in the middle of pursuing screenplay work when a writer I had become dear friends with was offered her first Trek novel. Beyer joined the Pocket Books author lineup during the Voyager 10th Anniversary in 2005. That writer was Heather Jarman and the novel was This Grey Spirit. She suggested I send some samples to Pocket Books and gave me the contact information. I did, and a day later, I got a call from an editor there who wanted to work with me. She left shortly thereafter, and with no obvious way forward, I went back to my other projects. The following summer, Heather told me I should come with her to Shore Leave, a fan-run convention near Baltimore that really highlights Trek books. She introduced me to her editor, Marco Palmieri, and he was kind enough to ask me for some writing samples. About three months later, I was offered a short story in the Distant Shores anthology and the second book in the String Theory trilogy. That was a good day. That was the first time anyone offered to pay me to write anything. And it only took ten years of work on Voyager and fifty other ideas. But the key is, as with many things, when the opportunity finally presented itself, I was ready. I’d done my homework and developed the skills required to do the job. I’m not sure what really attracted me to Voyager beyond the characters, which I enjoyed tremendously, and the potential of the premise. But I invested an incredible amount of time and energy into learning every aspect of the show. I know it now, far better than anyone probably should. I love all of the Trek series for different reasons. Voyager is the one that has my heart, though. It’s like a relationship I’ve nurtured for almost twenty years now. And it’s been an incredibly fulfilling one, both personally and professionally. TrekCore: With several key players essentially removed from Voyager storyline – Tuvok serving on the Titan, Neelix living on New Talax, Janeway presumed dead – you’ve had the chance to really shine a spotlight on some of the other characters left in the background during the television series, like Harry Kim and Chakotay. How did you approach growing them into more well-developed characters? Kirsten Beyer: It’s not that different from how I approach all of the characters, but I think it is more obvious with Chakotay and Harry because they needed to come so far. In every case, I’m starting with my instinctive sense of who these people have already shown themselves to be, and then I place obstacles before them that will reveal what I know of them to the reader and allow them to continue to develop. Chakotay and Harry had both been underserved, in some ways, beyond the show. Chakotay was given command of Voyager in The Farther Shore, and despite the fact that this was where the fans wanted to see him if they couldn’t still have Janeway in the center seat, I was troubled by the sense that in some ways, he hadn’t really earned that position. We needed to see that he wanted it as much as we wanted it for him, if that makes sense. By going deeply into his personal relationship with Kathryn Janeway, allowing him to finally be broken by events beyond his control, I was able to show the strength I’d always seen there as he pulled himself out of his despair and began to chart his own course, separate from Janeway. With Tuvok, Neelix, and Janeway out of the series, Beyer had the opportunity to strengthen the other characters in the cast – like Chakotay and Harry Kim. Harry was, in some ways, still being portrayed as the same naïve ensign we met in “Caretaker“. He was completely taken in by his former girlfriend, Libby, who had gone from being a musician to a Starfleet Intelligence operative, and supposedly optimistic enough to stick it out even when she refused his marriage proposal. Again, we needed to see him begin to define himself apart from that relationship. Libby played an integral part in that, by finally admitting the truth to him, but the conflict with his best friend, Tom Paris, was also important. Harry’s world has been turned upside-down. He doesn’t know who to trust and his instincts do not seem to be serving him well. By forcing him to confront this reality, we see him start to wrestle with tough questions he should have been asking years ago. In addition, he had been moved from operations to tactical/security, essentially Tuvok’s old job, and we needed to justify that. TrekCore: In addition to the original Voyager characters, you’ve also spent a great deal of time creating brand new members of the crew, such as Afsarah Eden and Hugh Cambridge. What was your process in developing these characters and integrating them into the cast? Kirsten Beyer: In Eden’s case, I knew from day one that the fleet was going to need a new commander. It wasn’t until I was well into developing Full Circle, that Admiral Batiste was created as a source of conflict for her. As someone who knew here well, he was uniquely able to reveal her character. I wanted her to be capable, but also needed to establish her as more than a replacement of Admiral Janeway. The mystery of her heritage was part of that, as well as her sense that by joining the fleet, she might someday be returning home. That desire had defined televised Voyager. It was such an important theme. In Eden, I was initially looking for a new way to incorporate that theme without running the risk of falling back on the series’ premise. The addition of Cambridge was also mandatory from the beginning. If there was ever a Starfleet vessel in need of a permanent counselor, it had to be Voyager. Christie Golden had obviously seen this too, and created a character to fill that spot in Counselor Astall. But the more I looked at Astall, the more I realized that she was constitutionally incapable of conflict; her species was happy, by definition. Hoping that the series would continue beyond Full Circle, I decided I needed a character who could challenge our main characters more. I also wanted to see a counselor unlike any previously portrayed. He had to know and be good at his job, I wanted him to be less sensitive than say, Counselor Troi. Several new characters were brought on board to fill out the Voyager crew. From the moment I started writing him, I knew his was a voice we needed. He has no patience for pretense, but also comes with his own blind spots. Some people liked him instantly. Others have grown to see his value over time. Some just can’t stand him. He is my most complicated original character and has done a lot to bring out some much needed development from some of the others like Chakotay and Seven. Though I don’t always do this, in the case of Cambridge, I’ve always had actor Hugh Laurie in my mind when I write him. His character, Gregory House, is the obvious inspiration – minus the drug problems – but really, Laurie’s entire body of work informed Cambridge’s creation. The key with original characters, however, is that they must earn their position. You can’t just say, “look, isn’t he/she fabulous?” and expect the readers to buy it. Previously unnamed officer we saw in the background a few times can’t suddenly be revealed to be best friends with the main cast. If we didn’t see it happen on the show, we need to see it happen before our eyes on the page. Otherwise, it’s just too hard to swallow. Eden and Cambridge were built from the ground up. We saw them create the relationships or significance they now enjoy with the more familiar characters. It takes time away from the central cast, but the real trick is finding a way to balance that development with the ongoing needs of the other characters and the plot of any given story. Go to Part: 1 2A top US law enforcement commissioner has claimed European data protection authorities are too worried about helping consumers instead of robustly enforcing privacy laws. Speaking at CPDP2015 in Brussels, Julie Brill, privacy commissioner for the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defended the US approach to protecting privacy. “European data protection authorities are too focussed on individual cases and can’t see the bigger picture,” she said. “If you rely entirely on complaints, you will always focus on consumer-facing companies and I think that’s a problem.” “We at the FTC get our cases from all sources including newspaper articles or even competitors,” continued Brill. “A great data protection law is no good if you don’t enforce it.”. Paul Nemitz, a director in the European Commission’s justice department, didn’t tackle
Queens home in handcuffs Tuesday morning after being arrested for allegedly trying to buy his way on to the Republican ticket in this year's New York City mayoral election. Also arrested Tuesday: City Councilman Daniel Halloran, a Republican, and four other local politicians (also Republicans) from the New York metropolitan area, who stand accused of conspiring with Smith. The New York Times writes that: "Mr. Smith, according to the complaint, agreed with a cooperating witness and an undercover F.B.I. agent, who was masquerading as a wealthy real estate developer, to pay off leaders of Republican county committees in New York's five boroughs. The bribes were to be paid to obtain specific certificates authorizing him to run for mayor as a Republican even though he was a registered Democrat." NPR's Joel Rose tells our Newscast Desk that "in a statement, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says Smith 'drew up the game plan,' while Halloran — the city councilman — 'quarterbacked' the effort to find party chairmen in the state who were open to receiving bribes." Enlarge this image toggle caption New York State Senate/Reuters /Landov New York State Senate/Reuters /Landov According to New York's Daily News, Halloran was to allegedly receive $20,500 in exchange for supporting Smith's bid for the GOP nomination, while two other officials were to allegedly receive "$40,000 in bribes with a promise of $40,000 more." The state senator's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, tells the Times that Smith "is a dedicated and highly respected public servant and he steadfastly denies these charges." The 56-year-old Smith, according to his official biography, first won election to the state senate in 2000. He was the state senate's president pro tempore when Democrats controlled the chamber in 2008-10. In recent years, though, he has often been at odds with his fellow Democrats. Current Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) is prevented from seeking a fourth term. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is thought to be the leading contender for the Democratic nomination. The Republican frontrunner, according to the Daily News, is Joe Lhota. He was a deputy mayor during the administration of Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani.Denny Hamlin speaks with Marty Smith about how winning the Daytona 500 fulfilled a childhood dream and what he'd hope to get as a gift from friend Michael Jordan. (2:40) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael Jordan's famous "Air Jordan" emblems adorn Denny Hamlin's driver suit. Not just in one spot. But two, one near each of his shoulders. The only NASCAR driver branded as an athlete by one of basketball's greats, it designates Hamlin as a racing talent. But to be fair, his friendship with Jordan appeared to have as much to do with it as his 26 career victories leading into the 2016 Daytona 500. No longer. Hamlin earned status of Jordan greatness Sunday with maybe the most awesome unintentional move in the 58-year history of the Daytona 500 to win NASCAR's biggest event. He pulled off a stunner, motoring from fourth to first over the final two miles of Daytona International Speedway. In a basketball sense, think of it as at first trying to deflect the ball out of bounds and ending up catching it at half court. Then, without thinking, heaving it toward the bucket. Calling nothing but net. Swish. About the only thing Hamlin didn't do was stick out his tongue as he let his shot go. "It's, like, storybook," Hamlin said. "You make a pass on the last corner of the last lap of the Daytona 500. That's what makes it so cool." Winning the Daytona 500 by the closest-ever margin of 0.010 seconds over Martin Truex Jr., the closest finish since NASCAR introduced electronic scoring in 1993, Hamlin swears he had no fantasy of pulling off such a move with a lap to go, that he just tried to block Kevin Harvick by moving to the outside lane to help his Toyota brethren earn the win. That might sound scripted and insincere, but no way someone -- even someone as charmingly cocky as the 35-year-old Hamlin -- could even think of pulling off such a move. "He [Harvick] just kept pushing and hitting the back of my back bumper," Hamlin said. "I kept lunging more and more forward. Next thing you know, I've got a huge run. I'm thinking, 'What am I going to do with this?' " The outside line had not worked all day, but Hamlin relinquished fourth to slide up in front of Harvick on the outside line in Turn 1 of the final lap. He made the move so Harvick didn't get by the Toyotas that were in front of Hamlin -- his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth in the lead with Furniture Row's Martin Truex Jr. in second and JGR's Kyle Busch in third. Kenseth left the most powerful lane to block -- and get a push -- from Hamlin. Instead, Hamlin enjoyed such momentum, he ducked to the middle lane, and as Kenseth tried to crowd him, they made contact. Kenseth got the worse end of the deal while Hamlin never lost momentum, pinching Truex coming to the finish line. They crossed the finish line in a blur, with Hamlin's No. 11 car ahead by about four inches. "I didn't know we had won," Hamlin said. "I knew it was close. I saw the pylon change and blink at the last second for the 11. I heard on the radio people were all crazy, excited. I assumed we won when that happened. "If not, I was going to be pissed. You cannot pump fake someone for a Daytona 500 victory. That would have been bad." As Hamlin and Truex delivered the photo finish, the guy who had his day pump-faked, Kenseth, joked he "was back in Turn 3," finally coming across the line in 14th. "It's really frustrating," Kenseth said. "I'm really disappointed. I feel like I let my team down." As he talked, Kenseth had to wonder, how in the world did he lose this race? How did he lose a sure third Daytona 500 win to Hamlin, who had never won it before (although he did, as a grade schooler, write an essay saying his wish was to win the Daytona 500)? With a million things going through his mind of what he could have done different, and thinking he should have stayed on the inside lane, Kenseth harbored no venom toward his teammate. "Absolutely -- you try to win the Daytona 500," Kenseth said. "I tried to get in front of him and block him.... I looked to the outside, I was like, I'd get in front of him and get the momentum and I didn't feel the momentum. He got there in my left rear and got me loose. He was doing what he needed to do to win and it obviously worked out for him. It just didn't quite work out for us." Denny Hamlin celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Daytona 500 in the closest finish since NASCAR introduced electronic scoring in 1993. Chris Graythen/Getty Images Surprisingly, if anyone would make such a bold move, it should have been Busch, riding in third and having a clear moment to have darted in front of Hamlin. But Busch hesitated for a split second. And that meant settling for sticking on the inside and following Truex across the finish line in third. "Once Denny jumped up, he just got such a huge boost from the 4 [of Harvick]," Busch said. "Once he did it, I swore I thought about doing it. Once I thought about doing it and didn't do it, it was too late. That was it. "You can't think that long and not make the move at the same time. So I missed my opportunity. But, you know, that's racing. That's how it goes." Both Kenseth and Busch could look at the finish and feel they were beaten while making a mistake on the final lap. Ironically, Hamlin made a mistake that helped him. On his pit stop with 44 laps remaining, Hamlin slid into his pit, forcing the team to change all four tires instead of two, dropping him to seventh. But thanks to the fresh left-side tires, Hamlin could make that move to get past Kenseth and have enough grip to keep the momentum to beat Truex in the sprint to the finish line. "I'm just going to have to watch that on the highlight reel for the rest of my career -- I suppose, the rest of my life," Truex said. "I remember when it happened to Mark Martin [in 2007 finishing second]. Poor guy, been so close here so many times. They still show the highlight. "The picture of that race is in the tunnel when you come in in Turn 1. I have a feeling I'm going to have to see that same thing for a long time." Hamlin won't mind seeing it. He had to watch the highlights after the race just to figure out how he did it, how he pulled off the first Daytona 500 win for Joe Gibbs Racing in 23 years and the first for Toyota, which enters its 10th year of the sport. Despite the fluky way he won, few will consider Hamln's victory at Daytona a fluke. Over his 11-year career, Hamlin had won two Daytona 500 qualifying races and three of the exhibition Sprint Unlimiteds, including the one last Saturday. He entered the race as one of the favorites, but it appeared he had taken a car that had led 94 laps and choked on the final pit stop in un-Jordan-like fashion. It appeared he would remain a driver whose biggest victories were a Southern 500 and a Sprint All-Star win. "I blew it," Hamlin said. "I got cocky.... I come in here and blow it and screw my tires up on the last stop that actually counts." Instead, Hamlin will celebrate. He probably already has a Daytona 500 champion logo being painted on his basketball court at home. Jordan could probably supply some blue paint -- the 2016 Daytona 500 logo coincidentally has a blue with an uncanny resemblance to the blue of Jordan's Hornets -- to support one of his athletes, not to mention a guy who has top-of-the-line Hornets sideline season tickets. "Ultimately you're defined by the big moments," Hamlin said. "That's why this one is so big for us, and me in particular, is that you don't like to be the guy that wins races but not the big ones."Earlier this week, Business of Fashion shared fashion’s hottest brands of Q3, according to data analyzed by BoF in partnership with search platform, Lyst. Lyst in turn tracks 4.5 million data points per hour from over 65 million annual consumers, five million products and 12,000 brands. Results then showed that Balenciaga has overtaken Gucci (Gucci now being number two) as the top brand for the most recent quarter, while Virgil Abloh’s OFF-WHITE has soared 31 spots to come in at number three. Here’s the official list: 1. Balenciaga 2. Gucci 3. OFF-WHITE 4. Vetements 5. Givenchy 6. Valentino 7. Saint Laurent 8. Stone Island 9. Moncler 10. Raf Simons Abloh has no doubt been a busy man as of late, engaging in collaborations with everyone from IKEA and Rimowa to KITH, Champion and Nike, among countless others. The latter accounting for quite possibly his most coveted joint effort to date, the OFF-WHITE designer has firmly established himself as a part of fashion’s elite, no matter what the likes of Raf Simons have to say. For additional reference, Virgil has surpassed his pal and mentor Kanye West, as YEEZY was recognized as the second hottest brand for Q2. Now, however, Kanye’s label is nowhere to be found in the top 10. In transitioning from the top three, the following spots belong to Vetements (4), Givenchy (5) and Valentino (6), rankings that were exactly the same in the previous quarter. So not only does Demna Gvasalia have Balenciaga at the top of the Q3 list, but his Vetements label is still holding strong at number four. Demand for Vetements in turn remains at an all-time high, while the brand’s influence continues to broaden. Next, we see Saint Laurent climbing from Q2’s 24th spot, now firmly settled at seven, while Stone Island, Moncler and Raf Simons round out the top 10, respectively. Stone Island, previously positioned at number 41, has obviously experienced a surge in popularity, in large part thanks to the likes of Drake (and a slew of other celebs), who rocks the Italian label pretty damn often, which some, however, think is ruining the appeal. Best known for their array of must-have outwear styles, we can only imagine that Stone Island will continue to ascend during the cold weather months and Q4. Raf Simons then moved up from 21st during Q2 to 10th for Q3. Hip-hop and celebrity obsession in general have seemingly fueled the recent upswing, although the designer label has long since experienced cult status. More specifically, we can look to A$AP Rocky and A$AP Mob’s affinity for the Belgian designer, which has never been more evident than on “RAF.” The video harkens back to various Raf Simons runway collections, with a slew of vintage styles being showcased throughout. So while a number of legacy brands continue to hold strong with their timeless fashion influence, newcomers such as OFF-WHITE and Vetements, among others, are positioning themselves directly alongside the longstanding elite, however, only time will tell if they remain there. For more on the hottest fashion brands from the most recent quarter, follow on over to Business of Fashion. Subscribe Main / Featured Image: Virgil Abloh / Instagram Words by Jonathan Sawyer Staff Writer Not NYC, not LA.I interviewed Charles G. Koch about his fascinating new book Good Profit: How Creating Value for Others Built One of the World’s Most Successful Companies this Thanksgiving Eve: Audio: 11-25hhs-koch-1 11-25hhs-koch-2 Transcript: HH: Special Thanksgiving eve hour and a half ahead. Charles Koch is one of the owners of the Koch Industries, and he has a brand new book out, Good Profit: How Creating Value For Others Built One Of The World’s Most Successful Companies. He joins me, I believe, from Wichita today. Charles Koch, welcome to the Hugh Hewitt Show. CK: Hey, thanks, Hugh, thanks for having me. HH: It is terrific to have you. I’ve got to tell my audience how this interview came about, because it is consistent. As I read Good Profit, I was struck by a lot of things, we have a lot of time to talk about it, but I was struck on Page 213. You wrote, “Motivating external parties to support the company also requires that our employees deal with them in a way that is in the best interest of the company as a whole.” And I thought of Kevin Gentry, who was sitting next to me on an airplane, Charles, and so I was reading Peggy Noonan’s book, and leaned over and said you’re Hugh Hewitt, aren’t you? Yeah. I think you’d like Charles Koch’s book, and he handed me Good Profit, his own copy. And then from that came this interview. Isn’t that the perfect example of how your corporation works with people? CK: Well, that’s sure the way we try. Good for Kevin. He’s internalized these messages well. HH: That’s exactly, you talk about internalizing MBM, market-based management, and I want to talk about that. But that’s the overall message. This is not easy, this is not a slogan book. This is a way of thinking. CK: No, and it requires, really, turning these principles and concepts into habits so you do them, so you don’t need to think about them. That’s just the way you approach problems and opportunities, and approach dealing with other people. HH: Well, Kevin gave me that book, and I started reading it, and here’s what got me. An investment of $1,000 Koch Industries in 1960 would have a book value of $5 million dollars today. The company was worth $21 million in 1961 when your father passed, and it’s now valued at $100 billion dollars based upon the Forbes estimate of your brother, David’s, and your net worth. It has 100,000 employees. I mean, in your wildest dreams, Charles Koch, did you ever imagine in 1961 it’d be this big? CK: No, as a matter of fact, when I’m, I’m very mathematically-oriented. When I came to the company, I said okay, I’ve got all these ideas, and if I’m successful in applying them, here’s how much we can grow. And two years ago, we surpassed 70 times my lifetime ambition. So once again, it’s better to be lucky than smart, but it just shows the power of these basic principles and values. And they transformed my life and enabled me to accomplish more than I ever dreamed I could, and that I have the talent to accomplish. And that’s one of the reasons I wrote this book, to help give other people that same opportunity to learn those same principles. HH: And I stress for the audience, Koch is operating in 60 countries. It has got 9 different companies within it, and six core capabilities. We’ll talk about all those in the next hour and a half. But I wanted to start on what you just touched. Why bother, Charles Koch? You’ve got $100 billion dollar company that you and David Koch run. You’ve got 100,000 employees. There’s an opportunity cost, as you well know, that goes into writing a book like Good Profit. Why do it? CK: Well, that was one reason, to share the ideas that transformed my life. And another one is that I wanted to convince businesspeople that the way to succeed long term is to create, is the focus on creating value for others. Now you want to be compensated for that, but that’s the starting point. And when I say others, I start with creating value for customers, but then you need to create values for employees, or they won’t want to work for you. You need to create value for suppliers, or they won’t want to supply you. And you need to create value for your communities, or they won’t want you in your community. And when you do that, then you have the best chance of succeeding long term. So it isn’t altruistic, it isn’t self-sacrifice. It’s what I call a system of mutual benefit. HH: It’s very well laid out, but I’ve got to tell you, there are some things as a journalist and a lawyer, and I don’t think you’re too high on either journalists or lawyers. There are some things that stick out in the course of this book that I wanted to start with, rather than wait for them in the turn that they come up with. One is the fact that in 1974, you built a house in Wichita, and you’re still living in that house. I find that to be one of the most striking things. CK: Well, it’s a great house, and I said, we believe in division of labor by comparative advantage in our family as well as we do in business. That is each, everybody benefits when each person focuses on what they can do best and have a passion for, and then freely exchange and share in that. And that’s, my wife and I have that, and she’s much better at building houses and doing all that stuff. So I told her what I wanted, and then she built a much bigger house than I asked her for. And those were turbulent times. We had wage and price controls, we had the oil crisis, the shipping crisis, and I thought we were going to go broke. And so I remember sitting in 1974, when we’d just dug the basement, and with my feet hanging down in there, saying honey, I think we can afford to fill it up, but I’m not sure we can afford to finish it. HH: Yeah, it’s an amazing story, and it says something about, and your defense of Wichita as a capital for your home base, and there’s lots we’ll cover. Let me tell you, though, what stuck out the most, Charles. You may find this interesting. I don’t know how many people actually read the books before they talk to you, but I do. And I always write down my favorite anecdotes. Here is the most telling anecdote from Good Profit. “It’s been almost 20 years since August, 1996, when Danielle Smalley and Jason Stone smelled something suspicious near a Koch pipeline. They got in their car, they turned it on, and the car blew up, because there was a leak. And you write about this. You’ve, in fact, you volunteer all the warts on the Koch Industries story, and it really seared into you, and it produced this 100 Times 100, 10,000% compliance attitude within Koch that I found, I found it fascinating, and I also found it admirable that you would remember Danielle and Jason in your book. CK: Well, those are, I mean, people ask me what are my biggest disappointments and things I regret, it’s when people, because of us, were hurt, or worst of all, lost their lives. And so when we have something like that, I mean, that is number one for us is protecting people’s lives, and then protecting the environment. And we’re accused of having a lot of pollution and stuff, and we do, because we make more things in different ways than about anybody in any company in the country. But every plant we buy, every company we buy, the first thing we do is improve safety and environmental practices. HH: It’s actually revelatory, and I think it will have an impact on may other industries that you’ve saved $800 million dollars in energy conservation in the last four years, $800 million dollars in turning off the light costs, I guess. CK: Right, and we, and we’re using information technology and other techniques we’ve developed. We sell systems now to help other people do that. For example, at Georgia Pacific, we’re designing what we call the bathroom for the future, not for your homes, but commercial bathrooms, of which there are millions of them. And we design in their systems to control the temperature and the lighting, depending on when people are in or out, and the frequency of using them. And so we can save tremendous amount of energy on that, plus the other benefits we can bring by this technique. HH: It’s really amazing, the whole story of how you evolved, the iterations of the company, which we’ll talk about. But I want to close this first segment on 10,000% compliance, 100% compliance required 100% of the time. And if someone doesn’t buy into that, you don’t hire them at Koch. CK: Right. And if they don’t practice it here, I mean, we’ll work with them to get them fully committed to that. And if they’re not, they need, they can’t stay here. We cannot tolerate that. HH: Given the target on Koch Industries’ back, I’m glad you developed that years ago. But that’s 25 years in the making, isn’t it? I mean, you’ve been practicing that for at least a quarter century. CK: Yes, no, that’s exactly true. And we constantly work at getting better at it, because we’re not perfect, and never will be, particularly when you have 100,000 employees that are in 60 countries. But that’s job one here. HH: And there are other jobs as well. Don’t go anywhere, America, this is a special Thanksgiving Eve presentation. I told you how I came upon the book, Good Profit, by Charles Koch. And Charles will be my guest this hour and half of next, so don’t go anywhere. — – – – – – HH: Charles, when you were a young man, you write, you were an idealistic man in your 20s. “I became passionate about the urgency of finding freedom-fueled solutions to human problems, even if the solutions were radical.” And you cite Adam Smith, Hayek, Harper, Ludwig von Mises, Michael Polanyi, I didn’t, I’d never heard of him before, and I’m going to come back to that, Thomas Sowell, of course, I know about. But you really committed early on right out of MIT to this worldview. CK: Well, I started by, I learned at MIT that it’s an ordered universe, and that if you want to do well in the physical world, you need to understand the principles by which it operates. And so I became passionate about philosophy of science, the scientific method, and that’s where I found Polanyi among all the philosophers of science I read. And then when I moved to Wichita, I had a hunch that there were principles that determined how well people, how well societies could live to work together to make each other’s lives better. And so I started reading everything I could on the subject from all different perspectives, and all different disciplines. And out of that, I concluded that there were these basic principles that I’ve been applying and trying to better understand and develop ever since. HH: Now I’ve read some of these authors, not all of them. And as I said, I’ve never heard of Polanyi until your book. And the Republic of Science essay, which I’m going to find some time to find and read, you summarize as saying a free community of scientists constantly sharing knowledge and ideas, testing hypotheses, experimenting and adjusting according to what honestly works, rather that succumbing to establishmentarian pressures is the ideal. But let me ask you, Charles Koch, we’ve had science corrupted a little bit. I remember the Nuclear Winter Scientists. Then I remember the Union of Concerned Scientists being totally wrong about nuclear weapons and Reagan. And now we’ve got the Stalinist scientist club on climate change. I mean, has science lost the ability to have that free community of scientists that critique each other? CK: Well, on certain issues, when an issue becomes politicized, then it loses that, because those who disagree with the government’s policies then are demonized and stigmatized, and kind of drummed out of the profession. And those that go along with it are rewarded and compensated and promoted. And so we have that on issues, but that’s always been the case. That’s what the Inquisition did to Galileo. That’s what Lenin and Stalin did in the Soviet Union. And that’s what created, or they promoted Lysenko, who had this… HH: Yeah. CK: …view on the inheritability of acquired characteristics, which caused mass starvation. So this is a very dangerous thing to mix government and, or religion and science. HH: Do you think it’s possible to, this is not part of Good Profit, and I want to get back to MBM, because I think this is valuable time and I don’t want to waste it. But there’s an opportunity cost here. Do you think science can be saved, because I am not against any reasonable conclusion that scientists reach for non-political reasons. I want to know the truth, and I think you write at some point truth is the highest value in Koch Industries. That’s what gets rewarded. I want to know the truth about climate change. I just don’t know who to trust anymore, Charles. CK: No, and that’s true on both sides. It’s become so politicized, that people are posturing to fit their position. And it’s what Einstein practiced and Karl Popper preached, that to have the scientific method, you develop a testable, refutable theory, and then you search equally for ways to disprove it that you do ways to prove it. And now we have what Einstein criticized, is so-called scientists having a theory and then running around and just finding the pieces that will support it. HH: Right. CK: So that is anti-science. HH: It is, and I don’t know how we get out of this dilemma, but that’s a debate for another day. Let me tell people they’re going to be surprised on Page 42 to learn that Koch Industries will lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the Keystone Pipeline is built. This is what we in the law call an admission against interest. And the evidence codes value admissions against interest very highly, because they’re not part of what you ought to be writing about. But you’re writing about Keystone Pipeline even though it will cost you hundreds of millions of dollars in transportation. CK: That’s right. Well, it will, if a pipeline is built to the Gulf Coast, which Keystone would, it would lower our competitors’ crude oil costs by $3 dollars a barrel. And we import 250,000 barrels a day, so it would cost us $250,000 dollars a day. HH: But you still support it? CK: But we support it, and that’s, it’s hard to believe, but we take, just as in our business, we take the long term view, and we take the long term view in policy as well, that is we try to run our businesses in a way that creates value for others, and thereby, we will benefit. We believe the same thing about policies that will make the country better, that will make people’s lives better. So we, our starting point on supporting or opposing any policy is will it help make people’s lives better. Will it enable people to better improve their lives? And then that’s the position we take, not whether it makes money short term or loses money short term for us. HH: And I defy anyone to read this book… CK: Money to us is very short-sided, just like it is trying to trick your customers into paying you more or defrauding them. It may make you a quick buck, but long term, it’s going to cause you to fail. HH: I can’t believe anyone would believe other than you believe that if they read this book. I really think at the end of this, in fact, that story of Sterling Varner ripping off on your sales team for celebrating a customer skinning is the very long view. He was so angry. We’ve got a minute to the break, Charles, you might tell people that story. CK: Well, yeah, well, it wasn’t even that we skinned them. I mean, we made a good deal, but it was a good deal for our customer. But our guys were bragging how they outsmarted our customer. And Sterling exploded, and he said these, this customer is our friend. They give us preference on business. They support us, and you’re laughing at them? You ought to be ashamed of yourself. If we laugh and look down on our customers, soon we won’t have any, and then we won’t have any business. You boys need to go hide your heads. HH: It’s an amazing anecdote, among many. I’ll be right back with Charles Koch. Good Profit is linked over at Hughhewitt.com, America. If you don’t know what market-based management is, you’re a little bit behind. Some of these terms are familiar to all of us, like opportunity costs and sunk costs. And I’ve talked about them for years on the program. But if you want them explained in the context of a company that’s been evolving since it was founded by Charles’ father, Fred, then stick around. Lots more ahead on today’s Hugh Hewitt Show. — – – – HH: He took it over from a very interesting character. Fred Koch is his father, and I want to spend this segment and next, Charles, talking about your dad, because I’m just fascinated by this man. He went to MIT like you did. He had no money. He had to mop decks on a tramp steamer to put together his tuition. And he starts, and he invents a cracking process, a thermal cracking process for converting heavy oil into gasoline. I don’t know what that is. But the patent club, the bigs, went after him, and they never let up for 20 years. CK: No, that’s right. And it was fascinating how he developed it. He did not have a laboratory, but he started out working for Texaco in the lab, and he was, he worked on their version of a cracking process, which mainly did the cracking in a vessel. And you crack, which just means you break the big molecules into smaller ones, in vessels. And then he went to work for the gasoline products company, which did consulting, and sold licenses for cracking and other processes. And so he learned more, and then he was hired from there to become chief engineer, this was at age 25, of a small refinery that was being built in the U.K. And so he said I think it will work better to do more of the cracking in the pipe, and we’ll have less coke laid down, we’ll have longer run times, and it’ll be cheaper. And so he was able to do some there. And then he left and joined an engineering company, because he wanted to be in business for himself. He became a partner in it. And he kept experimenting with each one, doing more and more cracking in the pipes, and finally, he figured out that he could get rid of the vessels altogether, and do all the cracking in the pipes, not lay down the coke, not have the down time, and developed this far superior process, which unlike the major oil companies who have controlled all of the cracking technology, who charged them a big royalty, 10% of the price of the gasoline, so they could keep the independent refiners less competitive. He did it without a royalty. And of course, they couldn’t stand that, so they sued him and all his customers and put him out of business in the U.S. And finally, it was Winkler-Koch and my father won every lawsuit but one, and they found out the judge had been bribed, and so he collected a million and a quarter dollars for conspiracy and restraint of trade. And he told me, this is all over 20 years, as you said. He said that son, never sue. The lawyers get a third, the government gets a third, and you get your business destroyed. HH: Yeah, you know, as a lawyer, as a partner in a big law firm, I have to say good advice, but you’ve got to hire good ones when you are sued. Nevertheless, he ends up forced to go to Russia. This is the amazing thing I learned in Good Profit. He goes over to Lenin’s Russian, 1929-1931. He builds 15 cracking units there. He lays the foundation for a company, and then, I mean, he’s an interesting guy. He got sick. He had to get repaired. He had to get fixed. And all the while, ad you put it, you don’t have a country club upbringing, even though the company’s doing pretty good. You’re out on a line camp in Montana in the middle of nowhere bunking with Bitter Root Bob. I mean, he had an interesting view on child raising, didn’t he? CK: No, yeah, he said, he announced early on that he didn’t want any of his sons to be country club bums, and for whatever reason, I bore the brunt of it. So he started having me work in all my spare time starting at age 6. And so I milked cows, dug ditches, shoveled out stalls, you name it. And so I learned to work. So that’s about all I do is work, because he ingrained that habit in me. And he also, he also stressed integrity, humility, treating others with dignity and respect, and always having a thirst for knowledge. And that’s how he developed this cracking process, just constantly learning more, thinking how to improve it. And that’s what I’d recommend to anybody to succeed. You understand what you’re good at, and then you learn everything you can that may be relevant to that, and you constantly improve. You work every day on doing better. HH: He also had a very good eye for talent. I mean, he assessed you and your brothers in this 1948 letter he sent to a friend in Pittsburgh. I don’t know how you got ahold of this, but he had a pretty uncanny precision with regards to you and your three brothers, even in 1948 before you were men. CK: Yeah, no, that’s absolutely right. No, he was, he had great insight, and he was more of an inventor. I’m more in the philosophy and organization and that kind of things. That’s the way my mind works. HH: Well, we’ll come right back after break, America. More Charles Koch when we return. — – – — – – HH: Charles Koch, you got expelled from Culver Military Academy. You almost got thrown out a second time, because the cadet captain threw your clothes on the floor before an inspection, and you put his face in the window. By the way, why did the cadet captain throw all your stuff on the floor right before inspection? CK: Well, my roommate and I kind of had an attitude. We were proud that we had the highest grade average in that cavalry, and the lowest rank. And he was worse than I was. Like he wouldn’t get up at reveille, he would get up at the three minute warning and just kind of slap his stuff together. I tried to be halfway neat, but he saw the captain came in for inspection and saw my roommate’s mess, and tore his stuff, and then he says well, I might as well tear up Koch’s here as well, and he threw all my clothes out and ripped up my bed, and I lost it. HH: And you almost didn’t get to MIT. It’s a great story. You have a very interesting backstory, Charles, which I have not seen written anywhere before. Is this new to Good Profit? This is your second book. Did any of this backstory make it into Secrets of Success, the first book? CK: No, no, the Science of Success. HH: The Science of Success, yeah. Well, I think this backstory is what sells books and gets people to read the content. They’ve got to know the guy who’s writing to them. You’re also a skeptic, by the
word so that many fans can follow the twitter. By following them, not only you read what they are doing, but you're also showing your support for your favorite player/team, as well as general SC scene overall.I didn't put up the list so that you guys can spam these players/teams. I put up this list so that you guys can support these players. Please don't make me regret doing this, because teamliquid is seen as the 'world-wide' community of Starcraft to the Korean players/teams.So if you have time, follow your favorite players, and ask few questions sometimes. You never know if they'll answer back or not! =PNote: If the twitter link has 'Answers in English' next to them, that means they will receive and answer your questions in English guaranteed. pppDoes the US imperial machine manufacture weapons in order to confront new threats, or does it manufacture threats in order to sell new weapons? We try to answer these questions and more on today's Capital Account with ex-CIA agent Michael Scheuer. As the UN security council votes to extend its mission in Libya, and as America's oldest active duty warship leaves for its last deployment to Iran and Syria, we'll look at the economics of war and ask Michael Scheuer what he thinks is at stake for America if it were to attack Iran. We'll also discuss what he thinks is really driving the policy to bomb that country, what are the malign interests at work here, and who really stands to benefit from an attack on Iran. What is Israel's role in all of this, and what is the likelihood that a strike would put the US at greater risk of a terrorist attack? And as the US budget deficit is released for february at close to 232 billion dollars – reportedly the highest ever – how can anyone with half a brain separate America's growing indebtedness from a bloated military budget that takes up more than 50% of discretionary spending? We'll look at the defense drain on the American economy. Could this money be better spent elsewhere, and who really benefits from our military and oil subsidies? And though few may be aware of it, today is reportedly the 10th anniversary of the US anti-terror color-coding system. Remember that? It was phased out last year, but now there's a new warning system that is being tried out. We dub it "Terror Warning System 2.0," and it features a very special actor – Nicholas Cage – who the government thinks could help raise the bar when it comes to "fear and loathing" in the heartland. We cover this with Demetri, Lauren and Shannon in our "Loose Change" segment. Follow us @ http://twitter.com/laurenlyster http://twitter.com/coveringdeltaCharles Cooke's lame dismissal of left wing nerds By Scott Sumner Here’s Charles Cooke in the National Review: One part insecure hipsterism, one part unwarranted condescension, the two defining characteristics of self-professed nerds are (a) the belief that one can discover all of the secrets of human experience through differential equations and (b) the unlovely tendency to presume themselves to be smarter than everybody else in the world. Prominent examples include MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, Rachel Maddow, Steve Kornacki, and Chris Hayes; Vox’s Ezra Klein, Dylan Matthews, and Matt Yglesias; the sabermetrician Nate Silver; the economist Paul Krugman; the atheist Richard Dawkins; former vice president Al Gore; celebrity scientist Bill Nye; and, really, anybody who conforms to the Left’s social and moral precepts while wearing glasses and babbling about statistics. Yes, I know this is meant to be entertainment and not a serious essay, but I don’t think it even works on that basis. You’d like it to be at least slightly embarrassing for the people you are trying to skewer, but Cooke doesn’t even come close. He sounds more like a high school jock mocking the straight A student. If I was one of those left wing nerds I’d feel even more smug about being on the right track after reading Cooke’s essay. Left wing hipster nerds do have two very serious weaknesses, which Cooke completely overlooks. Weakness #1: Intellectuals on the left go through the following thought process. First they observe a “problem.” Then they declare a “market failure.” Then they consider what sort of government policy could remedy the problem. What they often overlook is that the problem is usually the side effect of other government policies. That doesn’t mean the free market solution is always best; there may be cases where those other government policies are needed, and hence further regulation is required to overcome the side effects. The real problem is that it’s much easier to dream up straightforward government policies to remedy a situation, than to envision how a problem is the side effect of other regulations. Or what further side effects will result from your proposed solution. That biases pundits toward supporting far too much government involvement in the economy Alex Tabarrok posted a great example yesterday. The left blames the lack of a cure for Ebola on the greedy drug companies. Africans have little money to spend on newly invented drugs. But in fact a treatment has been invented by a private drug company. And the treatment does seem to have helped when recently given to an American suffering from Ebola. So why can’t others buy this drug? The government (FDA) won’t allow it, at least until extensive testing has been done. Keep in mind this is a disease that kills 60% of its victims. Weakness #2: Left wing intellectuals believe they are pro-science and the right is anti-science. They are right that part of the right is anti-science, but they are equally anti-science. A few years back a distinguished left wing nerd was fired from his job as president of Harvard for making a very familiar scientific argument; that the distribution of innate intellectual skills among males might have fatter tails than distribution of innate intellectual skills among females. (BTW, lots of people thought Summers claimed men were smarter than women—not so. He said the distribution of skills might be wider. Most of his opponents didn’t know enough about “science” to understand that distinction.) Whether you agree with Summers’ theory, or whether you agree with me on global warming is immaterial. There’s lots of data supporting both theories, and some against. What matters is that the left is just as intolerant as the right when their ox is being gored. Unfortunately for Cooke, when I finished his essay I had more sympathy for people like Ezra Klein and Matt Yglesias than when I started reading. If it’s to be a culture war, an us vs. them between Cooke on one side and Klein and Yglesias on the other, then I’m with the left wing nerds. Cooke should know you fight fire with fire. The GMU bloggers (Caplan, Cowen, Tabarrok, Hanson, etc.) are at least as smart as those on the left, and have an even better appreciation of the subtle secondary effects of government regulation. Cooke should have touted the nerds on “our side.” PS. Just to head off misunderstanding on Summers, I am claiming that any arguments using the phrase “fatter tails” when not talking about the rear appendage of animals are “scientific.” I’d guess roughly 50% are scientific and true and 50% are scientific and false, but they are all scientific arguments. PPS. Obviously I was painting with a broad brush. Some on the left (such as Matt Yglesias) are more aware of side effects of government policies than others. But none are as aware of the problem as I think they should be. PPPS. I was going to say that progressives rely too much on “common sense,” but Bryan won’t let me get away with sloppy philosophy. So let me just say they rely too much on “initial instincts when presented with an issue the way it is generally framed in the media, and by economists.”More than half of Britons believe their culture is threatened by ethnic minorities living in the UK, a report revealed. A quarter feel migrants take jobs away and a third think they remove more from society than they contribute, according to the Aurora Humanitarian Index public opinion survey. Britons think the UK will be less capable of helping the global refugee crisis after Brexit, partly because the appetite for humanitarian action is in steep decline. More than half of Britons believe their culture is threatened by ethnic minorities living in the UK, a report said. Pictured: A New Mosque opens in London's Whitechapel Road And only 15 per cent believe Prime Minister Theresa May is the global leader best positioned to resolve the crisis. The report said: 'This year's findings demonstrate an overall decline in the support for humanitarian action based on scepticism in the ability to make an impact and ambivalence in defending social values over self-interest.' THE FINDINGS 56 per cent of people felt local culture was threatened by ethnic minorities in the UK 24 per cent felt migrants took jobs away but half believed their impact was neutral 34 per cent thought minorities took more from society than they contributed The Conservative General Election manifesto has said the current figure of 273,000 people heading to Britain was'still too high' and promised to slash the number to'sustainable levels'. No timetable has been set. The 2017 Aurora Humanitarian Index surveyed nearly 6,500 people in 12 countries. Only 15 per cent named Theresa May as best positioned to solve the challenge surrounding people displaced by war and conflict - the same proportion as those favouring Syrian president Bashar Assad. The research was carried out before the Manchester bombing but terrorism was regarded as the most pressing global humanitarian challenge by two thirds of those surveyed in Britain. Forced migration and hunger were also seen as important issues. World experts will gather in Armenia this weekend as part of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative to mark the contribution of those who help in the direst of circumstances. Co-founder Ruben Vardanyan said: 'The sense of apathy towards humanitarianism today highlights an urgent need for engagement in every sector. 'However, this negativity is counter-balanced by the incredibly positive attitudes of youth towards humanitarianism and the individual impact on the refugee crisis. 'All of us need to educate and motivate the young people around the world so they not only understand their capacity for meaningful impact, but are inspired to act upon it.'The intention of this article is to talk, in brief-ish, about how tilting Scales of Fate can be. Then I’ll begin talking about playing against Morvahna2. However, before we begin, you need to be in the right mindset. A long time ago, I wrote an article about Scales of Fate and how it effects dice rolls and probability. The charts are helpful when calculating, but months and months of playing Morvahna2 have thought me a few things. For the most part, with CRA, Mat 8, and boosting I go for attacks and gambles that most people would take happily. If you’ll look at the numbers, and the associated charts you’ll see that this takes my low end of 50% up to an eventual 80%+. I rarely miss, or fail to kill what I’ve put myself to killing. And this is what frustrates people the most, in my opinion. You have played a careful turn, and are safe from a pair of boosted pow 12s, one of which would likely miss. You aren’t safe from two boosted pow 12s that probably don’t miss and never roll poorly for damage. You need to change how your mind rates the likely hood of Morvahna succeeding at something. Looking at the probability charts misses out on the psychological effect of re-rolls. Everytime you see me roll a 4 to hit, a veteran is trained, by experience, to starting making plans on the assumption that ‘those two models have survived’, etc. Until the re-roll also fails however, that just isn’t true. You get in an emotional rollercoaster, where the woldwrath would kill your heavy on average dice and rolls poorly on the charge attack, which is a tenuous situation normally, but rarely fails with Morvahna, in fact he often has a good time of it because the good rolls stay where they lie. Before we ever talk about fighting against Morvahna2, we need to create acceptance of her dice alteration into your head. When dealing with reasonable attack values, like 2 man cras needing 7s, you are only expecting 2-3 dead models. Don’t! The two or three she’ll miss will get another go, she might miss 1 or none. Think of it as if they needed 5s to hit (Scales is effectively a +2 at reasonable to hit numbers). Then her maybe missing 1 seems about right. Imagine she has an upkeep that gives most of her army +2 to hit. Which is really, really good, obviously. It’s supposed to be balanced by her health, but that isn’t entirely true. It is a detriment but, arguably, Morvahna was too many ways to circumvent and lessen it. Tis but a flesh wound! Though you will remember bad damage rolls turning into spikes in damage (Bias yay!), scales is less potent for damage I find. When killing infantry, most of the attacks are high enough pow, so just assume they will die. When facing against multiwound models, it’s only worth re-rolling poor damage rolls, and you are still most likely to roll between 5-9. 1 to 9 is a giant leap, but most people think about damage on averages, which Morvahna will exceed. Just imagine that +2 bonus spilling over, in fact the effect is usually less. Still, Eye of Orboros is a pretty potent effect! Morvahna2 tilts some of the better players in the game. She has many options and answers, she is almost certainly in the very top bracket of warnouns in the game. She is however not Lich2. Nor indeed many of the old wave of power casters. I’ve heard it said that Vengeance warcasters are designed to be powerful, but with genuine Achilles heels and weaknesses. I think the design team may have been a bit short on Morvahna’s weaknesses, but she can be beaten with many armies, you are never out of the game from deployment against her. People will argue, but it’s the truth (subjectively… >_>). Lich2 requires you to have a specific build so you can go play a disadvantaged game. Against Morvahna2 you may often end up losing through some manner or the other unless you play the perfect game, but you can often adjust to her in game. Being distinctly advantaged against her however is, well it’s difficult. These are important semantics. Yes, I think Lich is the boogeyman! Lich2 will beat you 90% of the time if you aren’t prepared, but with good preparation you can make that 60% or 40% (in the right faction). Morvahna2, like Haley2, Vayl2, and of course Lich also excels at assassination, attrition, and scenario. What that boils down to is that she always has a chance, often not a bad one, to win. You can’t ever let your guard down against an avenue of defeat. Especially assassination. Scales is incredible when it comes to assassination. In numberspeak I feel like this makes it so that you can often be at 60% to lose against her, and its hard to be better than 50% in many factions. This week is all about trying to break the spell of Scales of Fate. If you get tilted, you’ll make the kind of mistake a good Morvahna2 player can capitalise on. You can’t get emotionally invested in dice, that is indeed something I’m not perfect (or even passable) on myself, maintaining dice related calm will stand by you in all of your games. Next week we look at her options and advantages, and how you can use list building to focus on negating one of her three ways of winning. This allows you to play a narrower, less stressful game. Stay Classy, -VagrantPoet P.S. Where’s my Butcher article you may be asking? Still in the pipes. I will do a bumper two article Wednesday in the future, with a largely self-contained article on the subject. I want to do more research though, potentially play Butcher3 myself, certainly gather more info from his players. P.P.S. Hope everyone had a Merry Happy over the holidays! And yes, Stu will be back soon with the articles you really want! AdvertisementsI have to say, I didn’t expect this. For those of you who didn’t see the GamerGate segment on HuffPost Live earlier, let me fill you in. Our women completely owned the proceedings. They even had the host flustered, at one point. He totally lost his cool, and began almost yelling at the women. He did calm down from there, and the second half was much better. But, it was still pretty damn amazing to see him blow up like that. The most amazing part wasn’t the host losing his composure, however. It was how splendid our girls looked under pressure. Jennie Bharaj was a monster throughout, and got in the key closing line. Jemma Morgan did not take any shit at all off the host. She resisted his attempts to turn the convo around, and was witty throughout her appearance. Journalist Georgina Young took a more moderate posture. While not a member of our consumer revolt, she has been swayed by SJW bullying into almost backing us outright. She told that story today, and it’s an important one for any neutrals to hear. All three of these women dropped truth-bomb, after truth bomb. Every time a potential derailment came up, they swatted it down with relative ease. I guess that’s the part I didn’t expect. I knew the women would do great. I just didn’t think it would look so easy. Maybe their style and grace just made it look easier. Lol, the #GamerGate ladies are making the @HuffPostLive host look like a ineffectual bully. — Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) October 15, 2014 "You have no proof that this harassment is is tied to #GamerGate. Frankly, it's insulting." – @ShuluuMoo to HuffPost Live — Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) October 15, 2014 The other thing I didn’t expect, was for us to come off looking so good. Even though I was rough on host Ricky Camilleri a couple times, he didn’t do a horrible job, overall. He did repeat a bunch of stale and bogus SJW talking points, but like he mentioned, this was a one-sided panel. So, he had to go at them a little bit. I won’t give him a total pass for his antics, but we could have done a lot worse. Also, he talked like it was his decision to have the panel in the first place. If so, we must also give him some credit for that. And if it wasn’t him, I want to thank whoever it actually was who made that decision. The reason I want to thank them, is because I don’t think we’ve ever had an opportunity like this before. A panel filled with only our people? The other side gets that all the time, but we never do. It was a rare opportunity to present a positive face without a anti-GG troll like Brianna Wu trying to muck things up. All three of our women being smart, funny, and easy on the eyes, probably didn’t hurt the cause, either. "I suggest you Listen and Believe to what I am saying right now." @JennieBharaj just now with the final blow on HuffPost LIVE. #GamerGate — Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) October 15, 2014 The people were going nuts on the Kingofpol stream, and rightfully so. This did feel like a major win. I wanted to call this article “The Beginning of the Win,” but I thought about it, and decided that was unfair to our other recent successes (Intel, MEDC, etc). The was just one more step in our winning campaign. But we don’t have to fake it. We really are winning right now. Think about all they’ve thrown at us. Consider that almost the full weight of the media, old and new, has been stacked against us. Not only are we surviving. We’re thriving. Today, our composed women seized the moment, and helped us immensely. Excellent job, ladies. Here's an image of @JennieBharaj, taken shortly before the end of the @HuffPostLive #GamerGate segment. pic.twitter.com/QedMBpvXnQ — Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) October 15, 2014US Constitution is BANNED in Federal Courthouse by Shari Dovale The trial for the Political Prisoners in Las Vegas, Nevada continues this week. The prosecution has presented their case over 5 weeks, even extending it beyond what they originally stated. Judge Gloria Navarro has allowed the prosecution much leeway, but has ruled that the defendants will not need the same concessions. She has micro-managed the defense case repeatedly and has now decided the six defendants will only need a week to present their case. The government’s case, though it was scheduled to be completed already, does not expect to rest until this Friday, March 24, 2017. The court will then take a week off. The defense is expected to begin their case on Monday, April 3rd. Witnesses have told me that the US Marshals have decided that they will no longer allow copies of the US Constitution to be brought into the courthouse. They have even gone so far as to remove them from ladies’ purses to be discarded into the trash. It is not limited to just those that are showing from shirt pockets. Defendant Eric Parker, who has consistently placed a copy of the Constitution in his pocket during these proceedings, was forced to remove it and told to keep it flat at the defendants table so the jury could not see it. The jury cannot be allowed to even look at the Constitution! Gregory Burleson, Eric Parker, Orville Scott Drexler, Steven Stewart, Todd Engel and Richard Lovelien are the first of 17 defendants to stand trial in the Bunkerville Protest trial. They are each accused of 10 charges including conspiracy, firearm offenses and assault on a federal officer. They each face up to 101 years in prison if convicted of all charges. Cliven Bundy, along with his sons Ryan and Ammon Bundy and two others are expected to begin their trial in May. Another trial for even more co-defendants is expected to begin in August. The government is continuing their attempt to control the narrative in this case. It was not an armed standoff. This was a protest. A protest in which no shots were fired, no one was injured and the cows were set free. These men were left free for 2 years, to live their lives without fear. The government then decided to round them up, refuse them bail, and are now trying to send them to prison for the rest of their lives, all for voicing their disagreement with the Federal Government. And now the US Constitution has been demonized by this same government. John Lamb reports from Las VegasWarning:this build is very expensive and is not advised for a first time build. This build will show you a CI Melee Infernal Blow Shadow using Soul Taker Axe and Vaal Pact/Resolute Technique build. I think CI Melee is underplayed and undervalued, this build will detail the idea behind my spec. Being able to use Shavronne's Ring for a free 433.3(4%) ES regen for no downside is one of the best perks of this build. Gear : Spoiler high. You will need soul taker and a hybrid chest that can chrome 6 red. High es pieces also help, and of course the usual uniques. Running two Shock removal pots = key in my eyes. Also having a Ruby and a Topaz is very nice for elemental damage mobs. You dont need more than 2 granites anyway ever. The gear required for this build to work at an endgame level is. You will need soul taker and a hybrid chest that can chrome 6 red. High es pieces also help, and of course the usual uniques.Running two Shock removal pots = key in my eyes. Also having a Ruby and a Topaz is very nice for elemental damage mobs. You dont need more than 2 granites anyway ever. Why Should I play this Build? : Spoiler Why not. You get an insane amount of energy shield, armor, free 4% regeneration, and you can use infernal blow and domination blow and other spells with soul taker that normally cost a ton of mana ( think dom blows around 380~). It's an extremely well rounded build with no weaknesses but blood magic. Character Statistics : Spoiler Character Attributes : Energy Shield/Mana after reserve : Damage/Defense and Frenzy/Endurance Charges : Character Attributes :Energy Shield/Mana after reserve :Damage/Defense and Frenzy/Endurance Charges : Spec : Spoiler BEST BUILD I CAN FIGURE AT THE MOMENT WITHOUT ME BEING ABLE TO TEST IN GAME, OPEN TO CHANGES! GL EVERYONE! http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill- tree/AAAAAgYBAecFtQYOCfYOSBB7ES8RlhLhFHEV1xfhGNsaVRrbG60eGiFgJa0n7SgqKLUppSo4Kwosvy9vMFQ26DiWPeI-z0CgQapDY0cGSO5OKlFHU99WY1b6WK9Y21j1WfNZ_luvX2phIWP9ZKNlp2aebthwu3FNcql08XzZf8aE2YTvhq6H24hrjb-P-pWbmVeZmprPm4OdxJ65n8ui6qZ_pzCnNKyqrK-xs7TFtUi297cXtzG3073mvjrAGsEAwcXC7MNt14bXy9kT2xrb590N4mHjhOtj7BjtQe4O707z3fVL9zL3vvjr-WP8xf-T Spoiler There are a few ways you can run this build. The best choices I have found are these : More Armor/Evasion: More Damage: More Energy Shield: Currently I am running the More Energy Shield version with splitting strikes ( you can also drop this and get more armor/evasion to couple with the ES nodes ). With this amount of damage you can solo or group is any map and still carry your weight. I can explode entire rooms when I solo in a few swings so the need to dump more points into damage over ES or Arm/Eva is silly in my eyes. Infernal blow is an extremely good gem in and of itself and really requires very little scaling from the tree to be poweful. Vaal pact explains itself, removing leech cap and giving instant leech is incredible. Using RT so you don't accidentally ever get a crit if someone curses is very nice and you also don't have to worry about accuracy on gear or talents. Alot of the builds strength lies in these two talents, stack ES, armor, Regen, and DMG with leech and you can tank mostly anything. Out of Date:There are a few ways you can run this build. The best choices I have found are these :More Armor/Evasion: http://tinyurl.com/kevsz9x More Damage: http://tinyurl.com/lq8slsk More Energy Shield: http://tinyurl.com/l2oz7gx Currently I am running the More Energy Shield version with splitting strikes ( you can also drop this and get more armor/evasion to couple with the ES nodes ). With this amount of damage you can solo or group is any map and still carry your weight. I can explode entire rooms when I solo in a few swings so the need to dump more points into damage over ES or Arm/Eva is silly in my eyes. Infernal blow is an extremely good gem in and of itself and really requires very little scaling from the tree to be poweful. Vaal pact explains itself, removing leech cap and giving instant leech is incredible. Using RT so you don't accidentally ever get a crit if someone curses is very nice and you also don't have to worry about accuracy on gear or talents. Alot of the builds strength lies in these two talents, stack ES, armor, Regen, and DMG with leech and you can tank mostly anything. BEST BUILD I CAN FIGURE AT THE MOMENT WITHOUT ME BEING ABLE TO TEST IN GAME, OPEN TO CHANGES! GL EVERYONE!http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgYBAecFtQYOCfYOSBB7ES8RlhLhFHEV1xfhGNsaVRrbG60eGiFgJa0n7SgqKLUppSo4Kwosvy9vMFQ26DiWPeI-z0CgQapDY0cGSO5OKlFHU99WY1b6WK9Y21j1WfNZ_luvX2phIWP9ZKNlp2aebthwu3FNcql08XzZf8aE2YTvhq6H24hrjb-P-pWbmVeZmprPm4OdxJ65n8ui6qZ_pzCnNKyqrK-xs7TFtUi297cXtzG3073mvjrAGsEAwcXC7MNt14bXy9kT2xrb590N4mHjhOtj7BjtQe4O707z3fVL9zL3vvjr-WP8xf-T Leveling : Spoiler I would 100% recommend leveling as facebreaker as their is no better alternative. There's a ton of guides out there for this. I personally played spork up until mid 80's until I had the currency to switch to CI melee. This build is gear and skill point intensive if you really want to round your character out. This is a pure endgame build. Bandits : I recommend taking the physical dmg or all three skill points. I took the power charge because i was originally spark so I'm not 100% optimized there which sucks. Maps : Spoiler The only map mods this build suffers to are : 1). Blood Magic 2). Minus Max On the latter the correct response is to have a gem swap ready. I personally use Dominating blow in -max and replace my infernal blow. I also drop life leech and replace it with added fire to couple with the dom blow if I just want to do more dmg in the -max map or if it's not a difficult one. I have solo'd every map barring a 77 with this build, it's very durable and no map mods should really scare you. Gem Choices : Spoiler - Infernal Blow - Melee Splash - Multistrike - Melee DMG on Full Life - Melee Physical Damage - Life Leech ---5-Link would be : - Infernal Blow - Melee Splash - Multistrike - Melee Physical Damage/Melee DMG on Full Life - Life Leech ---4-Link would be : - Infernal Blow - Melee Splash - Multistrike - Life Leech Prioritize quality on Infernal Blow for the increased radius, Melee DMG on full gives you MORE, same with Melee Physical so those are great to quality. Fill out the rest of your gems accordingly. Life leech quality doesn't matter, vaal pact OP. You HAVE to run Life leech gem. Even though we get to use Blood rage as CI and get free physical life leech there, half the dmg is fire and the explosion is pure elemental damage. You will die without life leech gem. Melee DMG on Full Life is a very nice bonus of using CI and increases your damage tenfold. I keep elem weakness/enfeeble/flicker/enduring in my helm usually. Your best dmg curse and defensive curse. Flicker is a great gap closer in addition to leap slam to get over walls/cells/etc. Enduring for the tank. I choose to run Determination, Grace, Discipline, and Hatred as my 4 auras. You can alternatively run Purity instead of Determination. I can increase my armor tenfold through one aura and focus the rest of those nodes that i would be spending on armor or evasion and focus them into ES, which boosts my total pool and in turn shavs ring/etc. The extra elemental dmg resistance is a viable option as well though. My boots are 4-linked with IIR/IIQR/Culling/Leap for quick culls when I solo on bosses in particular and some tanky rares. Axe is linked with Blood rage, Increased Duration, and Immortal Call. Blood rage and Increased duration linked and max quality are VERY important and should be prioritized along with your main abilities. Immortal call is a nice spell to have but I don't often use it. Increased duration affects it which is nice when I do. ---My 6-Link Choice:- Infernal Blow- Melee Splash- Multistrike- Melee DMG on Full Life- Melee Physical Damage- Life Leech---5-Link would be :- Infernal Blow- Melee Splash- Multistrike- Melee Physical Damage/Melee DMG on Full Life- Life Leech---4-Link would be :- Infernal Blow- Melee Splash- Multistrike- Life LeechPrioritize quality on Infernal Blow for the increased radius, Melee DMG on full gives you MORE, same with Melee Physical so those are great to quality. Fill out the rest of your gems accordingly. Life leech quality doesn't matter, vaal pact OP.You HAVE to run Life leech gem. Even though we get to use Blood rage as CI and get free physical life leech there, half the dmg is fire and the explosion is pure elemental damage. You will die without life leech gem. Melee DMG on Full Life is a very nice bonus of using CI and increases your damage tenfold.I keep elem weakness/enfeeble/flicker/enduring in my helm usually. Your best dmg curse and defensive curse. Flicker is a great gap closer in addition to leap slam to get over walls/cells/etc. Enduring for the tank.I choose to run Determination, Grace, Discipline, and Hatred as my 4 auras. You can alternatively run Purity instead of Determination. I can increase my armor tenfold through one aura and focus the rest of those nodes that i would be spending on armor or evasion and focus them into ES, which boosts my total pool and in turn shavs ring/etc. The extra elemental dmg resistance is a viable option as well though.My boots are 4-linked with IIR/IIQR/Culling/Leap for quick culls when I solo on bosses in particular and some tanky rares.Axe is linked with Blood rage, Increased Duration, and Immortal Call. Blood rage and Increased duration linked and max quality are VERY important and should be prioritized along with your main abilities. Immortal call is a nice spell to have but I don't often use it. Increased duration affects it which is nice when I do. Single Target : Spoiler Dom Blow with Added fire. You can use Heavy Strike or another red gem if you prefer, I keep these 2 gems in my inventory and just swap when i need. Videos(WIP) : Very Easy Gorge: http://www.twitch.tv/cooopes/c/2969581 More Coming soon.... This was my first guide and it's a work in progress. Please feel free to post here about questions or anything you might want to ask. Thanks for reading! Edit: Sept. 21 I've been asked to post a guide about my build so here it is.This build will show you a CI Melee Infernal Blow Shadow using Soul Taker Axe and Vaal Pact/Resolute Technique build. I think CI Melee is underplayed and undervalued, this build will detail the idea behind my spec. Being able to use Shavronne's Ring for a free 433.3(4%) ES regen for no downside is one of the best perks of this build.Edit: Sept. 21 HC IGN : COOPES 96 Shadow, 93 Ranger http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/525943 - Piloted during Onslaught Season Last edited by Coopes on Oct 29, 2013, 4:35:21 PMROME (REUTERS) - Italy, France and Germany said on Thursday (June 1) they regretted US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and dismissed his suggestion that the global pact could be revised. “We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies,” the leaders of the three countries said in a rare joint statement. Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron urged their allies to speed up efforts to combat climate change and said they would do more to help developing countries adapt. The three leaders tried to convince Trump last week at a Group of Seven summit to stay in the pact and honour US commitments undertaken by the previous administration. In a speech at the White House, Trump said the US would look to renegotiate the agreement and condemned what he called“draconian” financial and economic burdens imposed by the deal. The unusual French-Italian-German statement, released barely an hour after Trump announced his decision, underscored the disappointment of the euro zone’s three largest economies and their resolve to plough ahead without Washington’s support. “We are convinced that the implementation of the Paris Agreement offers substantial economic opportunities for prosperity and growth in our countries and on a global scale,” the three leaders said. “We therefore reaffirm our strongest commitment to swiftly implement the Paris Agreement, including its climate finance goals and we encourage all our partners to speed up their action to combat climate change.” In his speech, Trump complained that the Paris Accord required wealthy nations to help developing countries build renewable energy sources. France, Italy and German indicated they were ready to do more to help in the absence of US funds. “We will step up efforts to support developing countries, in particular the poorest and most vulnerable, in achieving their mitigation and adaptation goals,” the three leaders said.The opening scenes of A Matter of Life and Death are among the most audacious and moving ever confected by the cinematic magicians Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. After the whump of arrow

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